Zeb's Den

I just posted my review of the fourth release in Xbox Live's Summer of Arcade, Monday Night Combat. While I won't be reviewing the final game in the Summer of Arcade lineup I will still be providing plenty of great content, I'll just be moving on to something new. I will be posting an article regarding the entire Scott Pilgrim franchise (the graphic novels, the movie, and the upcoming XBLA title) sometime near the end of August as the game doesn't release until the 25th. As for the time remaining until then, I am still working on putting together an industry article involving an industry insider.

Thank you readers

Who they're protecting it from varies between the two different game modes; Blitz and Crossfire. Blitz is co-op in which one team protects their Moneyball against waves of bots, while Crossfire features two teams each with a Moneyball they must protect from bots as well as the other pros.

There are many different ways to both attack and defend but all of it costs in game money which is earned through kills, assists, and other in game accomplishments. Whether you use that money to strengthen your defences by building/upgrading turrets that surround your Moneyball or to boost your offensive capabilities by upgrading your character, the key is resource management. There are even traps, jump boosters, and vending machines hidden throughout the arenas that can be used to your advantage (for a price of course).

This depth is what is truly enjoyable in MNC and it extends to the character class system. There are five different classes that cater to all kinds of players from stealthy assassins to giant hefty tanks. Once you collect enough lifetime earnings you can purchase a custom class slot in which you take one of the base characters and tweak their stats with sponsorships (perks).

Ultimately, Monday Night Combat's best feature is the surprising depth it offers. At first glance it's a very simple, accessible arcade shooter but once you get into it you realize there is so much more going on that you can't stop until everything is tweaked perfectly. Unfortunately, while you're testing new ground, you're likely to die a lot and even lose more than your share of Moneyball's. That being said, when it comes together you'll have a blast.

The strange thing about XBLA's Monday Night Combat is that it's a very hit or miss experience. It can be incredibly thrilling or incredibly frustrating with no clear reason as to why this particular match is one and not the other. Some people will love the varied class system while others despise it. Even the art style (which is reminiscent of Team Fortress 2) is a point of controversy. This experience of constant highs and lows made it difficult to review and impossible to out and out recommend or denounce. Thankfully, there are free trials for all Xbox Live Arcade titles.

Try Before You Buy

Now that I've posted my review of the second release in Microsoft's Summer of Arcade promotion, Hydro Thunder Hurricane, it's time for me to fill you guys in on what's coming next.

I'm going to be reviewing one more title in the Summer of Arcade lineup when it releases on August 11th. It will be the stylized multiplayer shooter Monday Night Combat, which is somewhat reminiscent of Valve's Team Fortress 2. I hope to post that review by the weekend of the 14th which will bring me to the second half of August.

As for the rest of the month, I'm not exactly sure what I'll be posting but it will most likely be an article or two. I may even be featuring a freelancer from the games journalism industry to provide some insight from inside the industry itself. All of this is still up in the air though so keep following me for updates.

Thanks for reading

The second release in Microsoft's Summer of Arcade, Hydro Thunder Hurricane, is a sequel to Hydro Thunder which was originally released as an arcade and was later ported to Dreamcast, Playstation, and N64. That being said, if you loved Hydro Thunder than Hurricane is meant for you. It pays homage to the original by including all of its core gameplay elements but unfortunately, that's about all it contains.

Hydro Thunder Hurricane is gripping at first with its fast-paced, boost centered racing and the constant hunt for shortcuts will bring you back to old tracks again and again. The problem with this is that there are only eight tracks so they grow old fast.

There are four different game modes; Race, Ring Master, Gauntlet, and Championship. While each of these provide a small variation in gameplay (with the exception of Championship which is just a mix of the other three) they all take place on the same eight tracks so your left feeling like you've already done this. Ring Master even keeps you on the core centered path of the track to avoid exposing any of the shortcuts but this also prevents you from using any of the shortcuts you've made the effort to find. In a game that centers so much on the discovery of any and all shortcuts it's very irritating to not be able to use them.

The multiplayer is bare bones at best. It contains only two game modes, straight up Race and the much more interesting "Rubber Ducky" in which each team has one player control a rubber duck which the rest of the team must try to get across the finish line before the opposing teams rubber duck. It makes for an interesting and fun variation that is actually a blast to play. The only problem is that the online infrastructure is, for lack of a better term, broken. It is very difficult to get into a game and if you do manage to do so, good luck staying there. I repeatedly got a "Disconnected from server" error message and I asked around the lobbies that I did manage to get into and I was clearly not the only one. Fortunately the game does offer split-screen so if you can get buddies on your couch to play, that's your best bet.

Hydro Thunder Hurricane is, at its core, a great testament to the original game and its arcade roots. The problem is that it fails to develop enough on that original concept which results in a very thin experience because the original concept was fine for five to ten minutes in an arcade but for a permanent $15 purchase it's just not enough.

If you have rose coloured glasses of the original Hydro Thunder than Hydro Thunder Hurricane might just be for you. In regards to the overall value however I can't justify a 1200 Microsoft Point purchase.

Avoid

Ok folks,

so here's the deal. I've been trying to get some Microsoft Points together for a couple of the upsoming releases in Microsoft's Summer of Arcade. Now it's taken me longer than I'd hoped but I've gotten enough for two of the games so I am going to be posting reviews of two of the remaining four releases.
I am currently working on a review of Hydro Thunder Hurricane, the second game of Summer of Arcade, and I will start working on a review of Monday Night Combat when it is released on August 11th. I'm going to do my best to have my Hydro Thunder Hurricane review up by Friday.

Stick with me for everything you need to know about Summer of Arcade.