GRcade's Recommended XBLIG pg 1 updated 27/09

Has anyone played Arkedo Series - 01 JUMP!?

Not got it yet myself but it looks a bit amazing really...











...apparently its made by the developer that did Big Bang Mini on DS.

Another new game that looks pretty damn awesome, also appears to be a kind of puzzle/platform game...

Ninja Bros.









This one is only 80 points so I would imagine it'll be worth picking up even if it has some problems, I'll give it a go later on.

Looks like Indie Games is finally really taking off.

Jump and Ninja Bros are both really good and a steal at the price. I found the jumping in NB slightly strange, but you soon adjust to it. Seemed like a really original idea too although I'm sure someone will point me towards something similar.

qupe wrote:I personally am going to wait for Echoes+ to arrive before I invest in another dual stick shooter I just feel I have been overkilled by them at the minute.

Thanks qupe. It's currently going through the submission process so hopefully not long to wait now. Prepare to be disappointed

Sorry I have not been posting all I am having a nightmare time. I have just moved and don't get the net til the 14th I have caught swine flu too so I am bored senseless too. My replacement 360 can't go online so loads of my arcade titles are trials only and I can't play any of the indie games. Well frustrated .

qupe wrote:Sorry I have not been posting all I am having a nightmare time. I have just moved and don't get the net til the 14th I have caught swine flu too so I am bored senseless too. My replacement 360 can't go online so loads of my arcade titles are trials only and I can't play any of the indie games. Well frustrated .

Ouch. What's worse, having swine flu or not having the net? Actually I already know the answer to that one. Hope you get the net soon....and get well

Cheers fog thank god for mobiles give me something to do. Any idea when your game is due for release? Maybe in time for my reconnection hope that the release goes well for you. Any idea of a price point? The updates for this thread should be back next weekend. If anyone else has any recommendations please post away just seen slam Indie edition is 80 points

qupe wrote:Cheers fog thank god for mobiles give me something to do. Any idea when your game is due for release? Maybe in time for my reconnection hope that the release goes well for you. Any idea of a price point?

Yeah Echoes+ is in Peer Review so it will hopefully be out soon. It's 240msp and I think/hope the amount of content justifies that. Although I might be slightly biased

Also Ninja Bros. had been pulled from the service, but that's also in Peer Review so should be available again soon. And it's well worth checking out for a bit of platform puzzler action. This one is absolutely nothing to do with me so I can't be accused of bias here

Any idea why Ninja Bros was pulled?

I am hopefully getting my net back tomorrow so I will be able to try new stuff again =)

I am looking at rejigging the front of this thread a bit but have not decided what to do just yet.

Any of you guys got a top 10 Indie recommendation list?

Weapon of Choice is now 240 points by the way. Looking forward to trying Echoes+ Fog.

Thanks qupe

HSH28 wrote:Any idea why Ninja Bros was pulled?

Yeah they used the word "Achievements" which Microsoft have banned (along with "Leaderboards"), which is fair enough as Indie Games don't have proper Achievements so it can be confusing for the customer.

It should really have failed Peer Review so that Microsoft didn't have to pull it, but lets just say that some people are more thorough than others when deciding what to pass and what to fail.

It even had a little fake "Achievement" pop-up, which I thought was quite nice. It's a shame they pulled it, but hopefully it'll be back up in a few days with "trophies".

The Alchemist Penguin wrote:It even had a little fake "Achievement" pop-up, which I thought was quite nice. It's a shame they pulled it, but hopefully it'll be back up in a few days with "trophies".

Downgraded to PSN status, eh...

I actually have the trial of the version that was up before sitting on my 360, I take it I can actually unlock that version and play it if I wanted to?

The Alchemist Penguin wrote:It even had a little fake "Achievement" pop-up, which I thought was quite nice. It's a shame they pulled it, but hopefully it'll be back up in a few days with "trophies".

They are now "Ninja Awards" which I like.

HSH28 wrote:I actually have the trial of the version that was up before sitting on my 360, I take it I can actually unlock that version and play it if I wanted to?

The Trial might still work, but you wont be able to unlock the full version as it is no longer on the Marketplace.

Echoes+ (240 points) is out - I can't write a review up yet as I haven't been able to play it enough, still sorting stuff from my move, so when I get a chance I will post more thoughts and update this thread.

Early impressions I like the time trial mode, the music and the presentation. I have purchased it Fog. This one could get a lot of Geometry Wars players here interested, they have some decent scores (MHTL especially, the git)




Small note - I have read that Artoon has been withdrawn from the service, this apparently is due to the name so the developer is apparently adding a few levels and a name change and it should be up again soon.

qupe wrote:Echoes+ (240 points) is out - I can't write a review up yet as I haven't been able to play it enough, still sorting stuff from my move, so when I get a chance I will post more thoughts and update this thread.

Early impressions I like the time trial mode, the music and the presentation. I have purchased it Fog. This one could get a lot of Geometry Wars players here interested, they have some decent scores (MHTL especially, the git)

Thanks qupe. The twin stick shooter genre is saturated at the moment, but I hope the different game modes offer enough variety to make it worth a go of the Trial version at least.

Anyway I hope you like it and look forward to your feedback. Thanks again

Echoes+ (240 points)

Slickly presented twin stick shooter from Binary Zoo. The game features 6 games modes and 4 difficulty settings and 100 Zoots (achievements) of varying difficulty. The games modes are Echoes, Survivor, Time Trial, Asteroid Belt, Meteor Storm and Classic.

Think of an insane version of Asteroids with planets, asteroid belts and shooting stars thrown in, chuck in some power-ups and multipliers and away you go. Just shoot everything and survive as long as you can.

I have only played the game on Easy and Normal difficulty settings, I suck at the minute, but my favourite games modes are Time Trial, Survivor and Classic.

Couple of points: I would have liked to have seen Live leaderboards, I am not pretending to understand the complexity of implementing this or the cost if any. I also would have liked to known how many bombs I had available to me, I couldn't see this on the screen display. Aside from this I think this is a cracking effort and easily worth 240 points, even if the market is saturated with twin stick shooters, this is one of the better ones. Biology Battle (240 points), Atomhex (80 points) and this one being my current top 3 on the Indie service.

Just go get it and shoot some stuff.

Verdict: Recommended

Sorry it's a bit of a shite write up but I am in a rush and have to shoot off out. Well done Fog, hope it does well for you =)

Thanks qupe. I'm very happy with that

qupe wrote:Couple of points: I would have liked to have seen Live leaderboards, I am not pretending to understand the complexity of implementing this or the cost if any.

Microsoft wont let us do proper Leaderboards. Simple as that.

You can do a fudged P2P system, but they aren't very reliable or accurate. And the 24 different highscore tables in Echoes+ that would need updating compounds that problem.

qupe wrote:I also would have liked to known how many bombs I had available to me, I couldn't see this on the screen display.

The bombs are shown as orbs in your ships trail

fog wrote:Microsoft wont let us do proper Leaderboards. Simple as that. :)

You can do a fudged P2P system, but they aren't very reliable or accurate. And the 24 different highscore tables in Echoes+ that would need updating compounds that problem.

It basically syncs up scores with other people who are playing the game at the same time, no?

Surely thats a better system than not having any online Leaderboards at all...so you might not have everybodies up to date scores all the time...so what? Its better than not being able to see other scores at all.

Or is there something more to it.

qupe wrote:Echoes+ (240 points)

Slickly presented twin stick shooter from Binary Zoo. The game features 6 games modes and 4 difficulty settings and 100 Zoots (achievements) of varying difficulty. The games modes are Echoes, Survivor, Time Trial, Asteroid Belt, Meteor Storm and Classic.

Think of an insane version of Asteroids with planets, asteroid belts and shooting stars thrown in, chuck in some power-ups and multipliers and away you go. Just shoot everything and survive as long as you can.

I have only played the game on Easy and Normal difficulty settings, I suck at the minute, but my favourite games modes are Time Trial, Survivor and Classic.

Couple of points: I would have liked to have seen Live leaderboards, I am not pretending to understand the complexity of implementing this or the cost if any. I also would have liked to known how many bombs I had available to me, I couldn't see this on the screen display. Aside from this I think this is a cracking effort and easily worth 240 points, even if the market is saturated with twin stick shooters, this is one of the better ones. Biology Battle (240 points), Atomhex (80 points) and this one being my current top 3 on the Indie service.

Just go get it and shoot some stuff.

Verdict: Recommended

Sorry it's a bit of a shite write up but I am in a rush and have to shoot off out. Well done Fog, hope it does well for you =)

Yes this is pretty good, got this and Biology Battle just.

Sorry for the lack of updates lately work is destroying me. I will get this sorted soon though, you may not notice things but I am working on little amendments to the thread.

Two quicks games I recommend you go and trial.

Firstly we have

Arkedo Series 2 - Jump (240 points)

Puzzle game, closest example I can think of at the minute is Poker Smash. It is presented in the same high standards as the first Arkedo game. The basic idea of the game is very simple but mastering the chains etc is a skill that comes with practice. I think it's a decent puzzle game. Give it a shot



The second game has taken be by surprise

SFG Soccer (400 points)

6 a-side game football game. The game has an arcadey style feel too it, plays reasonably well, it does have the usual switching player issues and tackling is a pain in the arse but I am kinda addicted and even though they are not that hard scoring overhead kicks does make me smile. In the career mode you start with crap players which you level up. Give it a go you may actually like this one.



I am updating the recommended first page so please give me time. If you think these games are worth sticking up there let me know.