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GAF Recomends: XNA Indie Games - That Don't Suck

R

Rlan

Member
IGN Recommends:

http://au.xboxlive.ign.com/articles/971/971094p1.html

Halfbrick Blast Off
Strange Attractor Award of Superdense Masses of Fun
Developer: Halfbrick
Cost: 400 MSP

Once again, simplicity + execution = greatness. Halfbrick's little game just has you blasting off from your home planet to scoop up some spacewalking astronaut buddies on the way to some kind of wormhole supergate mega... thing. Later levels have you fighting the tug of gravity and carefully planning the power levels of your blast-offs from Earth, which only makes things more fun. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that the game is so good considering Halfbrick already has a full-blown XBLA game in the works (which you see the ad for if you click on the video), but that doesn't lessen the enjoyment you'll get out of this one in the least. The fact that even the demo is loaded with levels means that there's really no excuse to not take a look, and if you listen to my advice, you'll buy the whole shebang.
 
S

SickBoy

Member
Gowans007 said:
Yeah guys maybe we need a rejigger of the category's, up for any suggestions.
Click to expand...

How about:

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED:
(Top games a la Johnny Platform, Carneyale, Miner)

RECOMMENDED:
(Games that have several recommendations, a la Being, sin(surfing), Artoon

PRAISED:
(Games that have one or a couple of "votes", like Hexy Trench, which after more play time I think is a really good package for 200 points, BTW)

DISPUTED/QUALIFIED:
(Games that have recommendations that aren't shared opinions, such as Welcome To Mexico or that have been given qualified praise, such as Fading Melody and perhaps stuff like Galax-e-mail)

The one thing I'd suggest is that some sort of description of the categories should probably remain, just so it's clear what each heading means.

Just to be clear, I don't think the way it's organized now is bad, but a little more stratification would be nice, and a little less commentary on quality... since I don't think that a game that has one or two recommendations here will necessarily be worse than the games that are currently known as "the best games" in the list.

I also think if people see a recommendation for a game they think is fundamentally weak, it's probably a good idea to say something. I don't have a problem with ZPK2K9 being listed as a recommended game, but I tried the demo and promptly deleted it from my system. If I did it for another reason than it just didn't click with me, I'd think it might be good to offer that counterpoint here...

Anyhow, I hope this thread is doing some good...always nice to see the little guys getting some support.
 
G

Gowans

Member
yeah Sickboy I'll switch them round soon.


Also Halfbrick blast off has one hell of a trial, all the easy levels, some medium and one hard.

Really tricky but love the simple style just wish it had some way to compare how I was doing with friends.
 
F

Flunkie

Banned
Dammit what the fuck? I downloaded a trial game of Word Soup off the website and it charged my 400 points for it and gave me the full version. I KNOW I didn't click the full version. Ugh I'm pissed.
 
S

SickBoy

Member
Flunkie said:
Dammit what the fuck? I downloaded a trial game of Word Soup off the website and it charged my 400 points for it and gave me the full version. I KNOW I didn't click the full version. Ugh I'm pissed.
Click to expand...

Dashboard lag maybe? The new dash makes me nervous. It also makes me chastise myself everytime I blindly click through the "are you sure you want to download this screen" without ensuring I'm being charged.
 
H

Hunahan

Banned
Great job fixing up the thread, Gowans!

I'll toss in another vote for Machiavelli's ascent in an effort to bump it up the rankings. :D
 
F

Flunkie

Banned
SickBoy said:
Dashboard lag maybe? The new dash makes me nervous. It also makes me chastise myself everytime I blindly click through the "are you sure you want to download this screen" without ensuring I'm being charged.
Click to expand...
It was off the Xbox.com Marketplace. I made SURE that it was the free version, then clicked Confirm. I looked at the download queue after that, and it said "Word Soup - Full Version" and I looked up at my points and 400 points had been deducted. I really would call up Microsoft if I knew I could do anything about it, but I know it'll get me nowhere.
 
S

SickBoy

Member
BTW,

Thoughts on a few demos (these are not recommendations):

sin(surfing) and World Revolution are both fun, but I did feel like I got all I'd get from them out of the demos... a real XBLA-style leaderboard would really help sin(surfing). The developer of World Revolution should take advantage of those assets and make some sort of strategy game a la Defcon.

I really like Groov and I'll probably buy it... my main concern is the idea that the other modes need to be unlocked (if ListenUP is to be believed). I don't know if I'm capable of that, and I'd much rather just screw around with the music gameplay than worry about the skill aspect of the game, which isn't up to the standard of GeoWars. But for $2.50 it's still a great game.

I'd be interested if anyone else has tried Beatblox and what they think of it. It looks good, but I can't say I really get the gameplay and it also seems like it might be a touch hard for me... I dunno.

Aria looks like it might be good. Will probably try it tonight. (EDIT: It's like a music visualizer you play. It's kind of interesting, but to get any mileage out of it I'd need to rip some CDs onto my Xbox. It's kinda tempting, but it's kinda work, too... might delete a few more of the preloaded "Xbox songs" off my hard drive to get a bit better taste of the game)

Flunkie said:
It was off the Xbox.com Marketplace. I made SURE that it was the free version, then clicked Confirm. I looked at the download queue after that, and it said "Word Soup - Full Version" and I looked up at my points and 400 points had been deducted. I really would call up Microsoft if I knew I could do anything about it, but I know it'll get me nowhere.
Click to expand...

Ahh, I think that's a neat feature but I totally don't trust it... and even less now :) My condolences for your dead points.
 
F

Flunkie

Banned
SickBoy said:
Ahh, I think that's a neat feature but I totally don't trust it... and even less now :) My condolences for your dead points.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't necessarily say they're dead points - I just wasted an hour playing Word Soup.. but it's probably a trial I wouldn't have even played 10 minutes then deleted. But now that I unwillingly bought it, I forced myself to play it, and somewhat enjoyed it; but I doubt I ever play it again for more than 5 minutes.
 
E

e-z

Member
I really hope they're bringing this to EU asap, I am bored with the current games available. Fresh stuff seems to pp up from the big pile of XNA games!
 
F

Flunkie

Banned
Miner Dig Deep is fuckin' awesome. I just bought it after playing the trial not even 3 minutes. This time, though, it was intentional.

Groov is really cool too; but just like John, I'd like it a lot more if I didn't suck at shmups.
 
K

Kuroyume

Banned
Flunkie said:
Dammit what the fuck? I downloaded a trial game of Word Soup off the website and it charged my 400 points for it and gave me the full version. I KNOW I didn't click the full version. Ugh I'm pissed.
Click to expand...

:lol
 
P

ProfessorLobo

Banned
Rlan said:
IGN Recommends:

http://au.xboxlive.ign.com/articles/971/971094p1.html

Halfbrick Blast Off
Strange Attractor Award of Superdense Masses of Fun
Developer: Halfbrick
Cost: 400 MSP

Once again, simplicity + execution = greatness. Halfbrick's little game just has you blasting off from your home planet to scoop up some spacewalking astronaut buddies on the way to some kind of wormhole supergate mega... thing. Later levels have you fighting the tug of gravity and carefully planning the power levels of your blast-offs from Earth, which only makes things more fun. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that the game is so good considering Halfbrick already has a full-blown XBLA game in the works (which you see the ad for if you click on the video), but that doesn't lessen the enjoyment you'll get out of this one in the least. The fact that even the demo is loaded with levels means that there's really no excuse to not take a look, and if you listen to my advice, you'll buy the whole shebang.
Click to expand...

I was planning on making an XNA game that was so, so similar to this. Fuck.
 
Z

Zachack

Member
ProfessorLobo said:
I was planning on making an XNA game that was so, so similar to this. Fuck.
Click to expand...
Why should that stop you? Just make it anyway and put in NeoGAF memes. Like... launch a cat head to pick up ORLY-owls while avoiding DO NOT WANT dog and trying to end up in an NPD thread.

Actually, my idea sounds like a winner so patent pending.
 
C

cresto

Member
I wish that XNA had more support. Seems like MS is somewhat screwing over the devs...I liked weapon of choice (only XNA game I have bought), but it seems really short and I could have cared less about the story

Maybe I am playing it wrong
 
D

Deej

Member
Hi All,

Thought I'd post in here too - Nick Gravelyn's excellent XBLCG.info now allows users with a Windows LIVE login to rate Xbox LIVE Community Games.

As an XBLCG developer myself, I think this is the absolute sex. Finally, people will be able to find out which games are actually worth buying. Looking at the "Above 80%" list already shows a pretty accurate representation of the better games on the service.

I recommend you all go and vote!
 
S

SickBoy

Member
Before I say anything more, it's worth noting that the general ratings on that site tend to mesh pretty well with the impressions I've read here and elsewhere. That said:

Meh. There seem to be a fair number of votes for games, but I think some context is needed. An option for review text would help.

Then there's the question of whether voters have played the full game (Hexy Trench, for example -- which I recommended here and XNPlay and IGN also liked but rates 43% there -- doesn't have a long enough demo for you to experience more than the tutorial unless you play it several times)... and there are a lot of 0% games -- too many, IMO (Break In, for one, which based on impressions here may not be a 100% but sure as hell didn't sound like a zero.)

I also think ratings (especially user ratings on a site like this) should be done on an out-of-five system.

Despite that laundry list, it's still a step in the right direction and the more information that's out there, the better. Although there's no way I'm "logging in" to a random third-party site.
 
H

hoos30

Member
sionyboy said:
Thanks to this thread I bought Miner Dig Deep last night, for 200pts it was a steal.

We need more recommendations :D
Click to expand...


Consider this another vote for Miner Dig Deep. I just spent my entire "extended lunch break" playing that game. It is VERY hard to put down.
 
T

TheSonicRetard

Banned
I'm getting ready to publish an XNA game but I'm not sure of how to do so. The game is largely programmed and can run on my 360 already, but I have no idea the process of actually getting it published. Any recommended reading?
 
S

SickBoy

Member
I tried Tank Strike today. It seems like a pretty decent game. I've got Worms already, but I think a game like this for 200 makes Deathtank look pretty damned expensive for 1200 regardless of the difference in quality.
 
B

Brannon

Member
I beat Miner Dig Deep. I have accomplished the greatest feat in my life.

Well, at least that's what the game says.
 
S

SickBoy

Member
Just tried the demo for "Orbyx - Mystic Orbs of Chaos." It's 400 points, but it seems like a very capable Peggle clone with a few (minor) twists such as pegs that are "bad for you."

Pretty good graphics and seemingly pretty good physics (Peggle purists might not like the over-informative shot preview).

It's a game I'll consider, don't know if I'll put the 400 points into it, but it's probably worth it.

Between this and Tank Strike, it's interesting to see cheaper versions of XBLA games coexisting. I wonder if XNA was higher profile if they'd actually chew anything appreciable out of the sales for the bigger games.
 
N

N.A

Banned
Clover
Price: 400 points
Add to download queue
HD Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTi7PLQXhTc
2enw84n.png


This game is great and very polished. It plays like a cross between a 2D platformer and a LucasArts adventure game.
 
P

Psychotext

Member
I still have 100+ trials to play, so I'm sure there will be more going on this list... but here are mine so far:

Artoon
Blow
Bricks4Ever
CarneyVale Showtime
CaveIn - Miner Rescue Team
Dr. Popper
Easy Golf
Groov
Hexothermic
Miner Dig Deep
Penga's Peril
Snake360
Word Soup
Zoomaroom
 
A

alanias

Member
Halfbrick Echoes is practically my downloadable game of the year. It's just 200 points and it's better than 90% of XBLA titles in production values, gameplay and sound. Absolutely must play.
 
DownLikeBCPowder

DownLikeBCPowder

Member
I played the dem oof that game "Clover" and while a little slow moving, I think I will have to purchase it. I just have a concern that community games are maybe 5minutes long.

EDIT: Sorry about double post.
 
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