Xbox 360 Impressions - SEGA's Hell Yeah and Jet Set Radio

Hell Yeah! and Jet Set Radio boxes

Many Windows Telephone gamers are familiar with French developer Arkedo'south WP7 launch title, OMG: Our Manic Game. It's not their best work, but still a pretty footling shoot-em-up. Fast forward to this yr and Arkedo has actually just released their best game yet (with the help of SEGA as publisher): Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit for Xbox Live Arcade.

We've got full impressions of both Hell Yeah! and Jet Set up Radio afterwards the break, plus more SEGA XBLA news!

Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit

Hell Yeah!

Hell Yeah! (not to exist confused with the heavy metal band I've never heard) is an all-new Metroidvania-style platformer. The subgenre name comes from the game Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, which blended the Castlevania serial' action-platforming with the nonlinear exploration of the Metroid serial. Instead of split up, discrete levels, games of this blazon characteristic vast, interconnecting areas, many of which crave new equipment to fully explore. Sadly we don't have whatsoever true Metroidvania games on Windows Phone, simply Castlevania Puzzle is based on Symphony of the Dark and features a similarly huge map.

Arkedo's take on the genre revolves effectually a rabbit named Ash who is actually the male monarch of Hell, hence the title. Someone has taken nude photos of Ash with his safety ducky and posted them online, where they were viewed past a total of 101 monsters. Thus the king sets out to discovered who took the pics and kill all who've seen him in the buff. It's a featherbrained plot, yep.

The principal depict of Hell Yeah!, besides its brilliant art fashion, is taking downwardly those monsters. Each one is completely different. Some are tiny minibosses, some huge, hulking full-on bosses. Some are fifty-fifty completely innocent and won't fight back. Whatsoever the example, whenever you deplete i of the target monster'south life meters, you'll engage in a short and zany microgame.

Hell Yeah!

These Wario Ware-similar activities volition have you rapping scrolling buttons to play guitar, dodging obstacles in a truck, mashing buttons to elevator weights, and lots more. Succeed and you'll impale off the monster in a cartoonish and bloody (but not gory) finishing move, often accompanied by references to other games like Mortal Kombat and Chu Chu Rocket. In that location must be over 30 dissimilar microgames, several of which echo every bit the game goes on. Nonetheless, they're quite funny and go along things fresh.

Ash starts the game on foot and with no weapons to defend himself, but presently he'll beginning to build an arsenal. His master tool is a buzz saw-like wheel that he tin use to drill through rocks, roll up walls a bit, and attack weaker enemies. He tin can as well burn down a multifariousness of guns with the right stick, though right-stick aiming doesn't mix great with pressing A to bound. From fourth dimension to fourth dimension Ash needs to hoof information technology on human foot again, mixing things upwards nicely. Interludes where yous homo a turret, submarine, and spaceship add even more multifariousness.

While Hell Yep! Is my favorite Arkedo game then far, it's non perfect. The difficulty sometimes ratchets up weirdly, mostly due to sections laden with far too many instant-expiry spikes. It's also more linear than well-nigh games of this type, with little meaningful incentive to stray from the browbeaten path. Also, while the translation from French to English retains plenty of sense of humor and clever game references, it reads awkwardly at times.

Those quibbles aside, Hell Yeah!'due south biggest problem is that it comes and so closely after Dust: An Elysian Tale, the final Summer of Arcade release of August and my current pick for Game of the Twelvemonth. Dust sports full vox acting, a much deeper plot, and more overall smoothen. But you can never take too many Metroidvania games; it'south not exactly a highly populated genre. With gameplay that mixes platforming, shooting, and exploration, plus a wicked humor and style, Hell Yeah! makes its own mark in the XBLA lineup. 400 GamerScore worth of relatively like shooting fish in a barrel Achievements doesn't hurt either.

Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Expressionless Rabbit costs 1200 Microsoft Points ($fifteen). Get it hither at Xbox.com.

Jet Set Radio

Jet Set Radio

Xbox fans may recollect Jet Set Radio Future, an awesome skating/graffiti game that was even packed in with the original Xbox at one time. That was a sequel – the original game, Jet Set Radio (AKA Jet Grind Radio) starting time appeared on the Dreamcast fashion back in 2000. Considering how few gamers got to play it, the game simply begged for a re-release, which now SEGA has at present provided.

Jet Set Radio is the futuristic story of a youthful rebellion against an oppressive establishment. Players have on the roll of several anime-similar skaters equally they skate, grind, and especially spray graffiti across the massive city of Tokyo-to. This game pioneered the art style of cel shading in which 3D characters are made to resemble cartoon characters via black outlines and shading techniques.

Yous'll know where to spray tags past the floating arrows strewn throughout each level. Approach i, initiate the tag, and then consummate a serial of analog stick motions to complete information technology. The multitude of graffiti designs however impresses and lends the game an accurate counter-civilization vibe.

Jet Set Radio

Jet Set Radio on XBLA sports several improvements, including the all-important upgrade to a widescreen aspect ratio. While some of the 3D geometry is a bit basic by today's standards, the game still looks beautiful (more than always before, actually) thanks to its bold art design. This version also adds full camera control to the right analog stick. The Dreamcast had just one stick, which made for far less intuitive photographic camera controls.

While those improvements are most welcome, Jet Gear up Radio'southward gameplay is still somewhat dated by today'due south standards. Character steering is too stiff and grindable objects aren't quite magnetic enough, making perfect runs through the levels harder than they should be. Also, the optional Tutorial is foolishly tough to complete, but at least there's an Achievement for it now.

If you lot've never played Jet Set Radio before, be prepared for a steep learning bend and lots of claiming. But the stylish artwork, eclectic soundtrack, and unique premise all the same arrive worth a playthrough for patient gamers.

Jet Gear up Radio costs 800 Points ($10). Become it hither at Xbox.com.

Coming soon: Sonic Adventure 2 and NiGHTS: Into Dreams

Terminal but certainly non to the lowest degree, two additional SEGA classics are coming to Xbox Live this Friday for 800 Points apiece. Each title includes 400 GamerScore worth of Achievements.

Sonic Adventure 2 Battle

Outset up: Sonic Adventure 2 , which debuted on the Dreamcast and eventually migrated to the GameCube. Part ii drops the hub globe of the beginning Sonic Adventure and separates the game into two intersecting storylines: the Hero side (starring Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails) and the Dark side (starring Eggman, Shadow the Hedgehog, and Rouge the Bat). The Duke and Rouge levels I could very much alive without, but Sonic and Shadow'south are just amazing. Plus: 2-thespian versus mode (local only)! Many consider SA2 better than the original, and the XBLA version's enhanced widescreen display should make it the all-time version all the same.

The optional 'Sonic Hazard two Battle DLC' clocks in at 240 Points ($iii) and adds 3 new Achievements, extra multiplayer characters, new bill of fare themes, and the Chao Karate minigame. The first SA's DLC cost 400 Points at launch, so this one is definitely a better bargain.

NiGHTS Into Dreams

NiGHTS: Into Dreams launches the same twenty-four hour period, only the original version appeared on the Sega Saturn, the precursor to the Dreamcast. This version is based on a Japanese-only Playstation 2 release, just information technology ends upwards a fleck nicer thanks to Hd support, Xbox Live features, etc.

Players have control of the Harlequin-like NiGHTS equally he flies through a bright and colorful dream globe. You'll circle through four stages of each globe collecting orbs to deposit in an Ideya Capture device, then score equally many points as you lot can before the stage's time expires and you wake up. It takes a while to get used to the gameflow, only mastering a stage by linking huge bondage of orbs, stars, and rings together is exhilarating. Huge, inventive dominate fights and a stellar soundtrack contribute to the game'south dream-like atmosphere.

Widescreen visuals, video and image galleries, and the 'Christmas NiGHTS' bonus content (sadly missing the playable Sonic characteristic of the Saturn bonus disc) are just some of the XBLA version'southward improvements. Being a game unlike whatever other, NiGHTS requires some learning and practice to fully enjoy, merely SEGA fans shouldn't miss information technology.