XBLA Special

Heading the line-up of Summer of Arcade titles for Xbox 360, 'Splosion Man is quite an explosive mix of side-scrolling platforming and "Ka-boom!" action. If you've played games like N+, you should know exactly what to expect, but there's more to it than that. 'Splosion Man is not bouncy by nature, but make him explode and he'll jump and bounce off the walls, break through glass, and a lot more.

The game contains over 100 maze-like levels of crazy 2D platforming in both single-player and multiplayer modes, as well as some sweet unlockables like dashboard themes, gamerpics, and Avatar accessories.

The gameplay is really fast-paced and entertaining, and its cartoonish visual style is one of the game's best features. No one can deny 'Splosion Man has a great sense of humor and delightful characters and animations. In this game it's all about exploding other people's guts and launching the explosive guy from afar in exciting chain reactions.

Of course, there isn't much time to think; most of the time the game is unpredictable and just has you going from one place to the next without hesitation. That's what makes this game so engaging and utterly addictive. It's certainly a simple premise, but a fun one, which is what we're all looking for when it comes to arcade titles.

Luckily, the game is full of strategically placed checkpoints that help you advance through the levels without much struggle. It does get more difficult as you progress to further stages, but it's never an impossible undertaking. If you want to make it more exciting, all you have to do is try to beat your own best times and achieve par or better on each level, which is indeed very challenging. In addition, each stage contains a hidden cake that you can only get if you approach certain areas/enemies in a specific way.

All in all, this game has a whole lot to offer for ten bucks, so I recommend it to those who are into platforming and arcade games in general. For more info, feel free to read our full review HERE.

By Maria Montoro
CCC Site Director

Back to Xbox LIVE: Summer of Arcade Special