Review: Zeno Clash: Ultimate Edition (XBLA)

• Game: Zeno Clash: Ultimate Edition
• Developer: ACE Team
• Price: 1200MS Points ($15.00)
• Release Date: 05/05/2010

Zeno Clash: Ultimate Edition is not new – it released for PC over a year ago without the “Ultimate” tagline – but it just came out on XBLA with extra content and it is unique if nothing else. Zeno Clash is a first-person brawler/shooter with the teeter-totter tipping in the direction of brawling. The Ultimate Edition adds new modes and weapons, but the thing that drew me in was nothing new; the art style is both beautiful and disturbing.

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Review: Puzzwords (XBL Indies)

• Game: Puzzwords
• Developer: Mr Brian
• Price: 80MS Points ($1.00)
• Release Date: 6/7/2009

Puzzwords is a puzzle game with words. Could I be any more obvious? Probably not, but I am just trying to be loquacious and pass the time. Getting to the point, Puzzwords is essentially Columns meets Scrabble. Blocks of three letters drop from the top [intentionally embarrassing rhyme] and you can flip or rotate said blocks to create words of three to five letters. Puzzwords delivers an enjoyable experience with plenty of modes to satisfy all tastes.

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Matt Hazard: Blood Bath and Beyond (XBLA) Review

• Game: Matt Hazard: Blood Bath and Beyond
• Developer: Vicious Cycle Software, Inc.
• Price: 1200MS Points ($15.00)
• Release Date: 1/6/2010

Matt Hazard: Blood Bath and Beyond is the game we wanted from Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard. Eat Lead was not a terrible game – the writing could be quite funny – but it never lived up to its potential [it had Doogie Howser, Doogie!]. Blood Bath and Beyond tops the first game on all levels with its consistently funny writing and the fact it is actually fun to play.

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An Interview With Paul Bellezza of The Odd Gentlemen

Not long ago I wrote a review of the Xbox LIVE Arcade title, The Misadventures of P. B. Winterbottom. Recently, I got a chance to ask some questions about the game and gain some insight into The Odd Gentlemen, the studio that developed this quirky adventure. Below is the Q&A I had with Paul Bellezza. Paul is listed on the site as Producer/CEO & Janitor. I guess being multifunctional is a plus in The Odd Gentlemen.

I have read that the idea for P. B. Winterbottom started as a student project at USC. Can you tell me more about that?

PB: The project was a graduate thesis project of our creative director, Matt Korba, at the University of Southern California's Interactive Media Division in Los Angeles. Matt originally obtained his undergraduate degree in Film, and wanted to bring his love for old silent films into games.

...Click for full interview

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Lazy Raiders (XBLA) Review

• Game: Lazy Raiders
• Developer: Sarbakan
• Price: 800MS Points ($10.00)
• Release Date: 2/24/2010

I’ll be honest; my first impression of Lazy Raiders was horrible. It was not that the game was bad, but my shallow mind had different expectations based on only ever seeing a few screenshots. I expected a game of exploration with direct control over the character, but Lazy Raiders is exactly the opposite. Lazy Raiders is a clever puzzle game where you control the maze and use that to guide your character to its goal. Once I accepted this fact, I found Lazy Raiders surprisingly fun and challenging.

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