Splosion Man (XBLA) Review
Posted by Adam Larck on 08.06.2009
Can only blowing up make for a great game? Find out inside.
Title: Splosion Man
Publisher: Xbox LIVE Games
Developer: Twisted Pixel Games
Genre: Action
Players: 1-4
Rated: E10
When I first heard about Splosion Man, I was reserved about it. I knew that my staff had liked it, and that it was from the creators of Maw, but I really didn’t know anything about the game itself. However, after playing the demo, I had to pick it up. The gameplay was just too fun and addicting for me not to.
You play as the titular character, Splosion Man. If you haven’t figured it out by now, your main power is to explode. In fact, that’s your only power. A, B, X, and Y all explode. Even if you try to change the controls, they still only explode (in fact, that’s one of the achievements). The explosion is how you do everything in the game. Jumping around, blowing up barrels, solving puzzles, beating enemies. All of that is done with blowing up.
You do not get infinite explosions, though. You can blow up three times in a row before you have to slide along the wall, stand on the ground or hit a fire pipe to recharge your explosion powers. Barrels also recharge you when you blow them up. Also, later on in the game misters will douse your character, making it so that you cannot explode in the mist.
Gameplay wise, the goal is simple. You use your powers to get from the start to the goal room. On the way, though, there are puzzles, timed areas, enemies and a few bosses. The puzzles are normally variations of trying to find the button that will allow you to progress, either by opening up a door, killing an enemy or turning off a laser. Buttons also sometimes drop barrels from places or a fat scientist.
I want to talk about that fat scientist, actually. Most of the scientists in the game can be disposed of by just walking up to them and blowing up. Pieces of meat fall out of them and they die. However, the fat scientist Splosion Man actually grabs a hold of and carries him around. He can be used as a shield to avoid gunfire from turrets that scientist control. The funny thing about the guy, though, is the song that plays when you pick one up. The background music stops, and a song about donuts starts up. The first time I heard this, I actually had to stop and listen. The song is funny to listen to, and can be downloaded for free from their Web site. The full song can be heard below.
Anyways, besides solving the puzzles of how to move on, timed portions of the stages start becoming a common part of the game later on. You have to dodge and avoid all sorts of things, such as spikes and walls trying to crush you, water rising up and a giant robot trying to run you over.
Enemies in the game are usually weapon based. The only melee enemy runs at you and tries to shock you, draining you of explosion power. Explosion power is also your life bar in the game. The first hit drains your explosion, while the second hit will kill you. If you do not have any explosion, you just die.
The ranged attacks vary from mounted turrets that fire laser bullets or homing missiles, to a big enemy that you deflect his attacks back at him, to robots that move around the level and shoot lasers at your position. The last ones were especially annoying, as they always seemed to be able to hit me right as I jumped and knocked me into the pit of acid.
As the levels progress, the stages get challenging and I ended up dying, a lot. Thankfully, the checkpoint system was developed to have a check point right at the start of the challenging part. The first few times were normally trial and error, as I had to figure out where to go. However, I always felt satisfied when I finally figured out the right path and timing.
There are three sections of the game to beat, each with their own boss. The bosses are creative and funny to listen to or watch. Their designs look great and, like all bosses, they do have a pattern you can figure out to help avoid attacks and beat them.
The multiplayer mode is just as fun. There are 50 levels to beat, just like in the single player mode, but the emphasis here is on team work. The levels are completely different, and you have to time jumps to go off at the exact same time to blast off each other and go to higher places. To help with this, there is a countdown timer that can be used to help with the timing.
Here comes my only big complaint about the game. While this works great on local co-op, the online co-op seems to suffer from lag issues. I tried some out with fellow writer Todd Vote and with random other people online, and the results were the same. Some levels the lag was barely noticeable and the levels were easy to get through, while other levels people were jumping all over the place and exploding at different times. This can really bog down a game that’s based on timing in multiplayer.
Besides from this problem, the multiplayer is really fun, and changes depending on how many people you have (adds barrels, buttons to hit, etc). If your partner dies, it sometimes does mean committing suicide and restarting from the checkpoint, but it is always a good idea to forge ahead and get a feel for the level. Sometimes, you will not even need your partner to hit the next checkpoint and get them respawned back into the game.
Overall, there are 50 single and multiplayer levels to play. If that is not enough, 48 of the levels offer hidden cakes to be found, and a Hardcore mode is unlocked for players wanting a challenge after beating the single player game. The main differences are that one hit kills you no matter what, and that there are no checkpoints.
Also, the game does offer downloadable Gamer Pics, a Theme, and an Avatar Item to unlock while playing. What the Avatar Item is remains to be seen.
The 411: For 800 Microsoft Points, this game offers a lot of fun and enjoyment, both by yourself and with friends. Whether it is trying to beat levels, find hidden cakes or beat the par time, there is a lot to do in this game. For such a simplistic game on the surface, there is a lot to be had here, and this is one of the hidden gems in the Summer of Arcade games. Definitely try this game, but this game is really worth the price of admission.
Graphics
9.0
The graphics are crisp and cartoonish, which fits the style of the game. The enemies are also unique, and look interesting when you see them. Bad camera angles during some of the action bring down the overall score here, though.
Gameplay
9.0
For being such a simple game with one button doing everything (exploding), the game maximizes what can be done with it. Solving puzzle, making amazing jumps and defeating enemies are done with simple explosions. The game is simple to pick up, but offers a
Sound
9.5
The sound in the game was great. Whether it’s Splosion Man’s quirky sounds, the catchy background music, or the entertaining Donut song and end songs, the sound never disappoints.
Lasting Appeal
8.5
There is 50 single player levels, and 50 multiplayer levels that change depending on how many people are in the multiplayer game. Even after that, there are cakes to find on 48 of the stages, and a Hardcore mode to challenge experienced players.
Fun Factor
9.0
This game is great fun, both alone and with friends. Completely tough levels really give you a satisfied feeling in this game, and Splosion Man’s antics help give a lighthearted feel to the game that makes the whole experience enjoyable.
