Community Games

[Tetlee]

Those of us that were given early access to the NXE have no doubt already played through most, if not all of the first batch of releases here, there are quite a few of them with some nice variety which is nice to see.

The early standouts for me(although I haven't purchased any of them yet) are:

1. Weapon of Choice - 400 points. All a bit confusing but nicely polished and think it looks like good value for the asking price, my most likely purchase.

2. DUOtrix - 200 points. Nothing special to look at really, but is a nice twist on the match four puzzle genre, bit like a Tetris verion of Schizoid, sure makes your head go funny after a while.

3. Lines - 200 points. like as a cross between Lumines & Pipe Mania, pretty good fun to play, not to mention though. Only thing that puts me off is the 360 controller doesn't seem to suit this game well(stick not ideal, neither is the D-Pad) Would have been better on WiiWare IMO and played with the Wii remote on it's side).

Not too keen on the others really, Culture looks kind of interesting, but it's all a bit weird. Funny thing is that's the only game I can see mention of achievements so I have no idea if they all carry achievements or not(guessing they must)

So which ones have you lot taken a liking to, or even purchased?

[Tetlee]

If you have an additional US account you'll find a shed load of different community games on the US marketplace, most of which are far superior to the UK ones IMO.

Not sure if you'd be able to purchase them by playing the demo on your main profile and then trying unlock the full game with your UK points, if anyone tries maybe they can confirm if it's possible or not(have a feeling it might be)?

[Trist]

Cheers for the write-up. I'm really looking forward to seeing what comes out of this, and I'm really surprised how little seems to have been written about the whole thing.

I'll be interested to see how the pricing levels out, for 200p or 400p I know I'll certainly be tempted to pick a few up if they're decent.

Personally I'm hoping we get something like a Skidmarks or Micro Machines style game as something like that is always great for post pub multiplayer Maybe something like Stunt Car Racer too ...

[Codehead]

Originally Posted by Trist

Maybe something like Stunt Car Racer too ...

[filmfreak71]

Here's a list of the titles currently available;

• Funky Punch XL
• Brain Party
• Biology Battle
• Smashell
• In The Pit
• Galax-e-mail
• Artoon
• Colosseum
• Totem
• Blow
• Loot, Steal'n'Destroy
• Alien Ambush
• UAV Wars
• Tail Gun Charlie
• Endless Swarm
• Abstacked
• Bad Atom Episode 1
• Organon
• Club Trix
• Beat It
• Word Soup
• Weapon Of Choice

I can't tell anything more about them, as Marketplace seems to be straining a bit due to all the NXE updates

[Tetlee]

That appears to be the US marketplace list, the UK list is missing quite a few of those titles, shame as there are some good ones there.

[EDIT]Just checked and there are alot more community games added to the UK marketplace today so that list should be accurate, much healthier than the previous list, looks like I even have a few more demos to download now that weren't even on the US marketplace

[EDIT 2]Actually there are a few games missing from your list, the following are also available:

• Being
• Bloc
• Drift
• DUOtrix
• Fruit Attack
• Fuel Depot 360
• Lines
• Rift
• Space Combat

[runam0k]

A nice selection and pleased to see there are trial versions of most if not all games.

400 points seems a little steep. There ought to be 100 and 300 point pricing options.

I'll likely pick up Word Soup. Blow has potential too - puzzle game where you places fans to blow bubbles to the exit via certain key objectives.

[Codehead]

Originally Posted by Tetlee

That appears to be the US marketplace list, the UK list is missing quite a few of those titles, shame as there are some good ones there.

[EDIT]Just checked and there are alot more community games added to the UK marketplace today so that list should be accurate, much healthier than the previous list, looks like I even have a few more demos to download now that weren't even on the US marketplace

[EDIT 2]Actually there are a few games missing from your list, the following are also available:

• Being
• Bloc
• Drift
• DUOtrix
• Fruit Attack
• Fuel Depot 360
• Lines
• Rift
• Space Combat

Yep, my fanatic XNA buddy on another forum just pointed that out to me.

[filmfreak71]

For any one having difficulties looking at the community games, don't forget you can now browse the marketplace on the web and queue them up to download from there onto your 360

Xbox LIVE Marketplace | Games

[Tetlee]

So has anyone bought any of these yet?

I was impressed with Biology Battle yesterday and was all set to unlock when the demo ended, that was until I saw the 800 points price tag

I mean it's a nice little game, but pricing it exactly the same Geometry Wars 2 when it's effectively a Geo Wars clone is surely a crazy idea

Think Weapon of Choice is still my most likely first purchase, although I have a couple more to try out yet(takes some time going through them all that's for sure!).

[DpM]

I have only played Word Soup so far but I may well get it, a nice relaxed game. Shame it looks like its local multi player only though.

[Trist]

Originally Posted by Tetlee

So has anyone bought any of these yet?

I was impressed with Biology Battle yesterday and was all set to unlock when the demo ended, that was until I saw the 800 points price tag

I mean it's a nice little game, but pricing it exactly the same Geometry Wars 2 when it's effectively a Geo Wars clone is surely a crazy idea

Think Weapon of Choice is still my most likely first purchase, although I have a couple more to try out yet(takes some time going through them all that's for sure!).

I agree, I'm not liking the fact that the upper tier XBLA games seem to be jumping to the 1200 point bracket too. Haven't these people heard of the credit crunch

IMO for impulse buys XBLA should be 400 standard and 800 for the very good ones, then community games 200 standard and 400 for the good ones.

The new dashboard will hopefully get more any more people involved in these downloadable titles and considering some of the older top boxed games can be picked up for under tenner (and you get a disc you can sell on again) I feel that some of these games may be getting unrealistic with their price points.

Still... I'm really pleased to see this feature, I really believe that in time this could well overtake XBLA once more any more people start developing games for it. Top work on getting this in there MS.

[Tetlee]

Wow, checked again this evening and there are a load more games to download

Sadly I can see a bit of a problem with the community games, like the iphone games store where apparently Apple are now finding a problem due to all the rubbish games flooding the store and making it difficult for the quality games to get noticed, the same is happening in the community games marketplace.

I've downloaded every one of the community games so far, and there are loads of them already, most of which are just awful IMO. Where I can see a problem is after trying a good few of the stinkers I can see a large amount of people just giving up on them as it really does take some time to work your way through the demos.

Also, the majority(not all, some seem reasonable) of good games just seem to be priced too high. I already mentioned Biology Battle(priced the same as Geo Wars 2 yet effectively is a poor mans version of that game). Just played Easy Golf which is really quite nice(even if some of the physics are a bit weird), was considering purchasing if it was no more than 400 points, looked it up, 800 points(same price as the superior Golf: Tee It Up!). These develops should really look at the competition on XBLA before settling on prices, pricing the same as your similar yet classier rival games from XBLA surely isn't clever

Anyway, good to see a steady flow of new releases coming in, even if most aren't worth the time it takes to find how to exit the game(have had to revert to the old media button & Y a few times).

[Trist]

That's a really good point Tetlee, I think that even with the new interface we'll end up struggling with overload of content.

To be honest I'm not too sure what the way round it is, there will proabably be hundreds poping up over the next couple of months. I guess we've just got to either rely on the cream rising to the top naturally, or look for online reviews to pick out the gems.

Hopefully once this inital batch has worked though people will get sensible with their pricing. I'd imagine there were lots of people who wanted to get their games out ASAP for launch. It might take some time to bed in, but now its out hopefully the developers will spend the time ensuring they get they're game up to scratch.

I think they'll soon start to become a standard for what kind of quality is expected, and anything release thats below it will just get left behind.

Here's a list of reviews I've picked off the web

Hot Pies

Artoon
Going Rez with Q-Bert Merit of Distinction
Developer: Oscar K
Cost: 400 MSP

What would it be like to take Rez and toss Q-Bert into the mix? That's more or less the idea behind the slick-looking Artoon. You play as Art, a bouncing ball, who just wants to color up some squares. You goal is to color 70% of the squares on screen, then get to the exit. It's pretty easy early on, but the later levels feature moving blocks and some special rules to add some challenge. But Artoon really shines with its visual style. This is one of the coolest looking games I've seen on Xbox Live. And that includes XBLA games.

Biology Battle
Most Ridiculous Use of IMDB Quotes Award
Developer: Novaleaf
Cost: 800 MSP

One of the most expensive Community Games, Biology Battle is Geometry Wars in a Petri dish. While this frenetic shooter isn't nearly as good as Geometry Wars, it is more entertaining. Pick up a power-up or die and you are treated to a quote or common saying popping up on screen. Some are straight out of movies and TV shows and others are funny spins on videogame classics. It's these endless phrases (and your attempts to read them) that add a real challenge to Biology Battle. Grab a lightning power up and you may see "Say hello to my lil' friend" flash on screen. Die and you might be lucky enough to see our personal favorite saying, "Your deaths is most delicious."

Bloc
Can't Believe the Letter 'K' Went Solo Award
Developer: Metacreature Games
Cost: 200 MSP

Here's proof that a game can be simple and still be fun. You control what looks like a Simon Says machine. You have four colored quadrants that correspond with the four face buttons. Different colored blocks float by and you must rotate your little Simon Says machine with the triggers so the proper color is facing the block. Then you still have to be sharp enough to press to correct button to shoot the right color at the block. While it's not overly complex and starts out a bit too easily, there's some innovation here. And at just $2.50, it's one of the better deals for a Community Game.

Blow
It Sure Does... Award
Developer: Vector Games
Cost: 400 MSP

Here's something you don't see every day -- a puzzle game that uses fans as its primary tool. Your goal in Blow is to move a floating bubble into some flowers (so they'll blossom, like nature intended). To do this, you need to strategically place a series of fans, positioning them so they give proper lift to your bubbles. Considering the majority of the Community Games released so far are "inspired" by other games, Blow gets some serious cred for doing something different. You won't even find a game like this on XBLA.

Brain Party
Fattest Brain in the House Award
Developer: Hudzilla
Cost: 400

Mastered Brain Age? Well, here's your shot at what seems like a slightly less scientific approach to measuring your smarts. Featuring more than two-dozen mini-games, Brain Party runs the gamut from simple true/false questions to math to Sudoku. All of it leads to a judgment on the mass of your brain (which is then equated to a profession). Are you Joe the Plummer or Jane the Astronaut? Only one way to find out. Oh, and there's four-player offline multiplayer to boot. Sure, there are some tests that come off a little fishy, but most feel legit. And most importantly, it's fun. It's certainly better than Wits 'n' Wagers.

Endless Swarm
Best Missile Command Head Fake Award
Developer: Andrew Thayer
Cost: 400

Don't let the old school graphics fool you, this is one of the coolest Community Games available. At first glance, Endless Swarm looks like a rip off of Missile Command. But this is so much more. A seemingly endless number of enemies are coming for you. All you have to defend your city are some guns, which you can position to destroy the enemy. But you can also install new weapon emplacements and position those. As the swarm comes, you'll be swapping out weapons and doing your best to reposition your defense. It may be ugly, but this game has what we like to call "a great personality."

Lines
Best New Twist on Tetris Award
Developer: EdAndersenUK
Cost: 200

Tetris clones are a dime a dozen, so it's pretty exciting to find an inexpensive take on the classic puzzle game that does something new. Forget the idea of multiple shapes being fit together. Instead, every shape is a block. But each block has lines on it. Sometimes a straight line, sometimes an L and others are T lines. You need to maneuver the blocks so that you continue a line for as long as possible. The catch is that you can only rotate white blocks. The red blocks (which can't be rotated) are just as plentiful. It's a cool idea that works well. And, again, it's fairly inexpensive.

Poker Ball
Best Balls
Developer: MarkcusD
Cost: 200

America has two great pastimes -- Poker and Arkanoid. Finally, those two passions have been merged. Poker Ball is Arkanoid (you know, the game where you knock a ball into a bunch of colored blocks) only the blocks have been replaced with poker cards. Every five cards you hit becomes a hand and the better the hand, the more points you earn. The physics aren't perfect (certainly not as good as Arkanoid), but the concept is solid. And the price is right. For a fun take on a classic, give Poker Ball a shot.

Weapon of Choice
Best Game That Could Have Been on XBLA
Developer: Mommy's Best Games
Cost: 400

Weapon of Choice is a colorful 2D side-scrolling action game full of disgusting monsters, crazy characters and numerous nods to retro games and movies. And designer Nathan Fouts is a former developer at Insomniac Games, so he also knows a ridiculous gun when he sees it. And there are plenty to be found in Weapon of Choice. Some extend on chains and shoot around corners, others fling sawblades into the air, and there's even a device full of robotic arms strapped to your back that allows you to climb cliffs and scale surfaces at will. And even though it's incredibly strange and full of surprises, Weapon of Choice is also surprisingly well-made for an XNA indie title, and that's exactly what we're looking for from the fledgling service.

Word Soup
The No Soup for You! Award
Developer: Fuzzy Bug
Cost: 400

Think of Word Soup as a newspaper word search meets Boggle. A grid is created with random letters. Each letter has a point value based on how challenging it is to use. (Ed. Note: You score way more than 11 points off the word quagmire.) You need to make words, connecting letters up, down, left, right or diagonal -- just so long as they are touching. As you use letters, the blocks are destroyed and the puzzle shifts. In this way you can actually use strategy to create small words to shift the puzzle in order to then make larger words. And if that doesn't get you excited, nothing in this damned world ever will.

Cold Soup

In the Pit
Best Excuse for Being Too Lazy to Create Art for Your Game Award
Developer: luvcraft
Cost: 400

Game development has often been called a lazy man's profession. At least that's what it would be called if every game were like In the Pit. Here's the concept. You're a monster in a pit. People fall in and you eat them. Sounds cool, right? Ah, but there's a twist. You're blind. And that's why there are no graphics. This is an "audio" game, which features heavy panting and a monster going splish-splash. It doesn't work. And the "blind monster" angle is a pretty huge copout so as not to create any art. If you're going to have a black screen (they mastered the HUDless interface!) then at least have incredible audio. In the Pits is the pits.

Even More Cold Soup

* Abstacked - 200 MSP
* Alien Ambush - 200 MSP
* Bad Atom Episode 1 - 200 MSP
* Beat IT! - 200 MSP
* Being - 200 MSP
* Colosseum - 800 MSP
* Cubage - 200 MSP
* Drift - 400 MSP
* DUOtrix - 400 MSP
* Fruit Attack - 400 MSP
* Fuel Depot 360 - 200 MSP
* Funky Punch XL - 400 MSP
* Galax-e-mail - 200 MSP
* Loot, Steal 'n Destroy - 400 MSP
* Organon - 200 MSP
* Rift - 200 MSP
* SMASHELL - 400 MSP
* SpaceCombat - 200 MSP
* Tail Gun Charlie - 400 MSP
* Totem - 400 MSP
* UAV Wars - 200 MSP

[Tetlee]

I read that IGN article last night.

Biology Battle
Most Ridiculous Use of IMDB Quotes Award
Developer: Novaleaf
Cost: 800 MSP

One of the most expensive Community Games, Biology Battle is Geometry Wars in a Petri dish. While this frenetic shooter isn't nearly as good as Geometry Wars, it is more entertaining. Pick up a power-up or die and you are treated to a quote or common saying popping up on screen. Some are straight out of movies and TV shows and others are funny spins on videogame classics. It's these endless phrases (and your attempts to read them) that add a real challenge to Biology Battle. Grab a lightning power up and you may see "Say hello to my lil' friend" flash on screen. Die and you might be lucky enough to see our personal favorite saying, "Your deaths is most delicious".

Can you believe they recommend Biology Battles mainly on the strength of the tiny quotes that pop up when you die I want much more from my 800 point games than little entertaining text pop-ups