Look, we all love big budget video games. They're the ones that make the gears of our industry turn. However, we also don't want to forget the little people. The undiscovered. Because if you think about it, the creators of today's current low-budget indie games could be the next Tim Schafer, Hideo Kojima, or Shigeru Miyamoto. They just need the opportunity to get noticed. That's why we at Crave have created a weekly spotlight feature to draw some attention on the indie gaming scene and maybe get a few of these up-and-coming creators the recognition they deserve. Hence, we have teamed with Xbox Live and their Indie Game Marketplace to give birth to Indie Friday!
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Crossfire
Developer: radiangames
Crossfire is my new Geometry Wars. Mind you, Crossfire plays nothing like Geometry Wars, but it’s addicting and visual stunning gameplay justifies the comparison. Crossfire’s gameplay is a lot like Space Invaders, only far more intense. You’re able to teleport between two separate plans in order to get the jump on enemies, instead of being restricted to only one, as is the case with Space Invaders. However, this doesn’t make Crossfire an easy game. The more times you switch plans, the more the enemies get wise to your strategy and get faster counter-acting your attack pattern. So use those shifts wisely!
Seriously, Crossfire is a game that you must pick up for 80 MS Points. It’s quick, addicting fun that looks, sounds, and plays great. It might have nothing to do with the hilariously classic broad game of the same name, but radiangames’ Crossfire makes up for that by supplying enough thrills to easily warrant the cheap purchase required. Get it!
Stop The Woodcutter!
Developer: Nitama Naishin
Stop The Woodcutter! is yet another tower defense game, a genre that has long been popular among casual pc flash gamers, superstar-ized by PopCap’s recent Plants vs. Zombies. Yet, somehow I still dug Stop The Woodcutter!, even after the over-saturation of the genre.
It starts with the cutesy art style that looks ripped from a children’s cartoon. Then you start to get deeper into Stop The Woodcutter! and realize this game is pretty damn creative when it comes to unit types and their function. From there I was hooked.
Stop The Woodcutter! is a game you’ll love if you fancy yourself a good, creative tower defense title. If you don’t, the art style might be able to sway you. It did for me. Give this one a shot and see what you think.
The American Hot Dog Race
Developer: Super Boise 2
Nothing says “America!” like gluttony. The fourth of July may have passed but you can relive the experience over and over again with American Hot Dog Race. And luckily, playing this game is as easy as it gets. It’s a quicktime event button masher where the goal is to...race to eat more hot dogs than your competition. That’s it. There isn’t much style or grace to American Hot Dog Race, just hot dogs and a techno rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” to keep the pace brisk. This one isn’t worth picking up unless you really love America and want to celebrate our nation’s existence more than once a year.
Kaleidoscope
Developer: Morsel
Kaleidoscope is not a new game by any stretch of the imagination. It’s also not the most original title based on concept alone: the world has gone dark and gray and you have to recolor it to bring life back to it. Quickly springing to mind are games like the 2009 Prince of Persia, Okami, Disney Epic Mickey, and even the Nazi killer, The Saboteur. However, Kaleidoscope remains a beautiful game even if the concept isn’t very unique these days.
I still can’t believe this game only costs 80 MS Points ($1). It’s an absolute steal. Of all the titles I’ve played via the indie games marketplace, Kaleidoscope is the first that feels like it belongs as an Xbox Live Arcade title. The art direction, music and gameplay all mesh so well together that you might do a double take when you realize you got all this for only a buck. And I’m not the only one who thinks this, Kaleidoscope currently resides in the “Contest Finalists” (whatever that means) of the indie games marketplace on Xbox Live. It’s obviously a hit amongst gamers, so do yourself a favor and jump on board the bandwagon. You won’t be disappointed.
That does it for this edition of Indie Friday. These games make up but a small chunk of the games that hit the Xbox Live Marketplace under the "indie games" heading. So be sure to check out that section of the XBL Marketplace for more original game offerings. Also, each one of these titles can be purchased for 80 MS Points ($1) right now. Hardly bank-breaking.
