PixyJunket

I'd say it was more than good, but it's not this "art experience" everyone puts it up as.

Decker

Braid was a good, interesting puzzler from a small independent developer with no replayability that was probably overpriced and was certainly over-hyped and overpraised at the time of its release because of its unique art style more than its gameplay. It reminds me of a certain more recent XBLA title in that regard.

superfro

Considering "art" is completely subjective how can you even make that assessment for anyone else let alone large amounts of people?

Braid has stuck with me a long time. It still does.

Decker

I tried the demo of Hydro Thunder Hurricane. It is pretty much what we expected to be -- a competent arcade boat racer. The tracks look really good in the background, the water effects are pretty cool looking (especially reflections on the water surface), some of the up-close stuff like obstacles on the track look pretty terrible. The boats look pretty cool, but sometimes the camera gets too close and it'll "cut" the boat in half while you race if you get too close to a wall or stuck on something. Frame rate is pretty good for an XBLA game, though certainly not Split/Second or Burnout type speed. Voice-overs are SUPER-annoying (which to be fair isn't out-of-character for a Nineties arcade game), and I'm sure they get more so the more you hear them; didn't check to see if you can turn them off. The first race was way too easy to win, but I must admit it's a pretty damn fun demo.

One word of caution : This is one of those sneaky demos that tries to trick you into buying their full game. Once you win the race, it'll tell you that you've unlocked a new track, then press A to continue. Next they tell you you've unlocked a new boat, you press A to continue. Then they tell you that you've unlocked a new race type and to press A to continue. Then you find yourself on the upsell screen -- Press A to unlock the full game or B to return to the menu. Super-shitty trick!

I'd have bought it immediately at 800 points. Not sure it's a 1200 point game, but I still might buy it since my son really loves the demo this morning. Besides, it's entirely possible he'll accidentally buy it anyway if he ever wins a race.

Groucho

I tried Hydro Thunder Hurricane this morning as well. Liked it enough to probably buy it down the line. You can try some of the other tracks if you go into Xbox Live Multiplayer which was nice, even if it is only limited to 10 minutes.

PixyJunket

Fair enough, I just personally have a rough time imagining people buying into the "emo journal" entries in the game (if that's where the hype is coming from, obviously).

pinata242

I liked the twist at the end and I enjoyed the puzzles leading up to it. It was also two years ago and was pretty remarkable for XBLA at the time.

I need to play it again. Maybe even go for that final achievement...

UncleGramps

I loved Braid. Fantastic puzzles, a nice art style, and I really liked the final gameplay section. The text is a little overwrought, but that's a very minor complaint in my mind. Overall it was just a unique game and fun to play.

Groucho

There were too many screens on Braid that I couldn't figure out after multiple tries. I eventually abandoned the game.

PixyJunket

I guess that's really my issue, the text is so forced and pretentious. You knew that a twist was coming before you even entered the first level. The fact that it ended up being "YOU'RE REALLY THE BAD GUY MAAAAAHHHN" kind of annoyed the shit out of me. That's not deep, it's entry level, spoiled college kid metaphors.

But hey, I'm talking about it, one way or the other, so mission accomplished, right?

pinata242

UncleGramps

I played it when it first came out and didn't see the ending coming.

I think Limbo and Braid are fun despite their plots (or lack of plot, in Limbo's case). They are just very fun puzzle games, and each game did enough that was new and exciting for me to feel like I got my $15 worth.

pinata242

Yeah, me too. Guess I was just a vanilla college kid

PixyJunket

I didn't see the ending coming, I just knew, due to the nature of the texts, that some "deep" message was coming and it was probably going to be laid on nice and thick.

superfro

Are you aware you wrote those in the same paragraph.

PixyJunket

Quite.

superfro

Well then I wonder how you got your high horse up on top of that glass house and still had time to call the kettle black?

PixyJunket

Yeaaaaah, okay.

Anyway, moving on.. I'm tackling 'Spolsion Man next from my XBLA backlog.

After that.. Lode Runner.

Wait, how do all the platform games end up being the ones I don't play?

Decker

I don't know if I've ever mentioned this, but I think Splosion Man is a pretty good game.

Wasn't wild about Lode Runner, but maybe it's just too hard for me past the early levels.

DVDChris

I really liked Braid because I thought it was the typical "rescue the princess" platformer with time manipulation elements. I didn't expect the ending at all.

Jeremy517

Splosion Man is great. If I had made a list, it would be second behind Bionic Commando Rearmed, just a hair above GW2.

I'm working my way through Hardcore mode on Splosion Man. I'm up to 3-2, which is right about where it starts getting really tough.

PixyJunket

Aye, the demo was great and I've seen my girl play through a large portion of it but if you're putting in in with Bionic Commando and Geometry Wars 2, I can't help but be extremely excited to get into the full game.

orangecrush

Have you considered being better at videogames?

Groucho

That's a good idea, but sounds complicated. Perhaps what I should do is post my questions here in real time as I encounter difficulties in games?

slop101

I'd put it just a notch below those games.