On July 22nd, the second coming of Microsoft's “Summer of Arcade” promotion for the Xbox Live Arcade started with a bang.
(Alright, Cliff – deep breaths. Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale.)
Whew!! I got it out of my system. I am both amused and slightly ashamed to admit that I looked forward to writing that cheeseball introduction for at least two days. Stay with me; that was the most shameless pun you'll read in my review of Twisted Pixel's new puzzle-platformer, 'Splosion Man. (At least, I think...no promises.)
You should remember Twisted Pixel if you played The Maw or read our review in early February. The team's first release on Xbox Live was entertaining, unique, and charming. Its artistic style was particularly notable, and it could have easily passed as the foundation of a blockbuster Pixar production. It wasn't perfect – its absence of difficulty, its short length, and its linear gameplay were criticisms that commonly appeared in critiques, including my own.
It seems that Twisted Pixel considered those complaints when they developed 'Splosion Man. Like its predecessor, this game is enchanting and thrives on its wild personality. Also, it works with one very simple game mechanic from start to finish. However, quite unlike The Maw, 'Splosion Man presents a much bigger challenge to players. Even with its focus on just one concept, it quickly becomes a test of the player's platforming skill and timing abilities.
What makes 'Splosion Man such a quirky title? Is it worth your attention, or will it force you to dig another grave in your controller cemetery? Hit the jump for 100% of the answers and 0% of my premeditated, forehead-slapping puns.
In my introduction, you might have noticed that I never explained the “one concept” that is so prominently featured in 'Splosion Man. I will now provide you with the unfathomable answer: it's a game about a little man who explodes. (Surprise!) Every face button on the Xbox 360 controller forces this reaction, and besides walking left and right, it is the only thing that you can do. It sounds simple, and perhaps even slightly redundant, but it isn't. 'Splosion Man relies solely on this mechanic, but due to brilliant level design and clever puzzles, it truly doesn't get old. This is indeed a rare example of a video game that excels with the beauty of simplicity. It is certainly comparable to N+ and Braid – the last time I checked, those are some of the most popular and well-received XBLA games to date.
It's 'Splosion Man! He might not say much, but he doesn't need to - he can blow himself up.
Before I get too far, I would like to play a little game: In this review, I am going to avoid using the word “explode”. Unless I refer to the title or the character himself, "'splode" will also be excluded. I read several articles about 'Splosion Man featuring those terms in such an absurd repetition that it reminded me of the local pop radio station and their determination to plague the air waves with that godforsaken “Do the Helen Keller” song every ten minutes. So, from here on out, the 'Splosion Man's volatile act will be represented by one of the dozens of synonyms that popped up when I utilized the vocabulary-expanding services of Thesaurus.com. (I'll even bold them so that you can clearly understand how obnoxious it is to describe this game without overusing those words. Also, now that the damn song is stuck in my head, would you kindly insert an icepick into my ear? Please? I scratch your back...you scratch mine?)
Back on topic, 'Splosion Man boasts 50 levels in its single-player mode. Each one of them presents new obstacles that require the mastery of the character's ability to blast away from the ground. He can't jump or directly attack anything; he can only get off of the ground or cause damage to his surroundings by blowing to kingdom come. In fact, he can burst up to three times before he needs to rest and recharge. This essentially allows him to triple-jump. He can even grab ledges and erupt to new heights by wall-jumping. What makes this interesting is the variety of factors that change the effect of his discharge. Simple gaps can easily be crossed by booming over them, but tricky spots require the use of various objects (barrels, canisters, etc.) that can be set off and used to propel 'Splosion Man if he flares up when he is close to them. There are dangerous traps to avoid, like walls of spikes and pools of acid. When these come into play, you are forced to think quickly and move gracefully. There are also enemies scattered around in most of the levels. They range from harmless scientists and small robots to laser-equipped sentinels and seeker missile turrets. Considering 'Splosion Man's lack of a direct offensive ability, evasion is the key in most situations. More often than not, these foes are just another obstacle that need to be soared over as 'Splosion Man rockets through the air.
Each of the levels takes place in an underground science facility that 'Splosion Man is trying to escape from.
Many of the elements found in this game are traditional platformer mechanics, but when you combine them with the aforementioned level design, the challenges seem far less “routine”. I mentioned the element of timing – it is really nothing new, but 'Splosion Man really requires you to learn about it. Sometimes the barrels that you use to propel yourself in a certain direction are activated by panels and dropped into place. If you miss the timing or the barrel altogether, you typically find yourself back at the nearest checkpoint. Scientists will often run for levers that activate deadly hazards, and you will usually die if you don't stop them first.
The difficulty escalates even higher when the puzzles start to string different challenges together. In these cases you rarely have much time to think as you catapult around by propelling from nitro barrels, sliding down walls, avoiding lines of electricity, hanging from moving platforms to avoid deadly lasers, or being snuffed out by water vapor that prevents you from using the kablooey button. (Indeed, “kablooey” was officially featured on Thesaurus.) While all of this might sound overwhelming, 'Splosion Man gradually introduces new obstacles and effectively allows you to learn how to work with them or avoid them altogether. There is never an instance where the game feels impossible, although it will certainly test your patience in its roughest spots. Luckily for the types who are prone to outrageous conniption fits, there is a level-skip option that soothes the misery of repeated deaths. As a fair warning, you are still required to fail multiple times before the option appears, so be prepared for it. Ultimately, the challenge is rewarding – reaching the end of a troublesome level is incredibly refreshing and yields a great sense of accomplishment. Even if it takes an hour, you'll still turn the frown upside-down.
The glowing switches will cause a barrel to appear, which can then be used to help propel 'Splosion Man.
I have a hard time believing that even the most enraged gamer could truly hate this game for its difficulty. The reason for that is its charm. Like The Maw, 'Splosion Man has impressive production values that include but are not limited to its whimsical characters and cartoon-like graphics. It is slightly less “cute” and more “disturbingly amusing”, but it still works perfectly. The 'Splosion Man rarely speaks, but his senseless, maniacal gibberish is so funny that it doesn't really matter. In fact, his giggling is contagious, even during the most heated moments of virtual punishment. Whenever you accomplish something important (like unlocking an Achievement), he will occasionally yell out, “Get to the choppa!!”. Add one bonus point from me for that one. His animations are erratic and resemble his unstable nature, and his facial expressions are simply hysterical. He isn't the only notable character; the cowardly scientists that he blows to smithereens are also quite comical. When harmed, they do not expel buckets of blood – instead, their bodies secrete copious amounts of meat products like steak and hot dogs. The fat scientists eat donuts until 'Splosion Man lovingly hugs them and ends their existence with repeated detonations. Sure, it doesn't really make sense, but it doesn't need to! I am a firm believer that this game deserves some credit just because it is so off-the-wall in the first place. Before I forget: add another bonus point to the tally just for Maw's cameo appearance.
This is just one of the many traps that you'll have to navigate in each gauntlet-like stage.
I would like to round out my spree of glee for 'Splosion Man by commenting on its replay value. For an XBLA title that costs 800 Microsoft Points, this game offers quite a lot of content. For starters, there is a Time Trial mode that lets you challenge the “par times” for each stage. Many of these marks require near-perfect execution and the memorization of each area. Moving on, there are 50 completely unique stages that can be enjoyed cooperatively on Xbox Live or locally. The cooperative gameplay forces players to communicate and work together, timing their blasts so that they can reach areas that would be inaccessible without the extra help from a friend. Completionists should enjoy finding the hidden cake in each single-player and cooperative level. The additional effort and exploration unlocks Achievements, one of which insists that the cakes are not a reference to Portal. Nice touch, Twisted Pixel. Speaking of Achievements, 'Splosion Man's list includes some silly ones: you'll earn points for activating and then sitting through the entire Credits, grinding out 5,000 steak cuts from the bodies of scientists, and attempting to change the controls in the options menu. (It can't actually be done, but the futility is worth the 10-point pat on the back.) Finally, similar to The Maw, game progression unlocks gamer pics for your Gamercard and a premium theme for your Xbox 360 Dashboard.
The only major complaint I can speak of involves the game's boss fights. They all require the same saint-like patience needed to stomach the most brutal and chaotic scenes in N+ and Dishwasher: Dead Samurai. Unlike the satisfying feeling that you get from solving a particular level, finishing these stages is only relieving because they are finally over. Fortunately, there are only three – one at the end of each act – but they all include at least one instant-kill attack or environmental hazard that can instantly force you to restart the level. Making even the slightest mistake after causing a lot of damage is unbelievably irritating, and what's worse is the fact that these battles tend to drag on for longer than you would ever hope.
See this guy? He'll be in your worst nightmares for years, along with his fellow boss buddies.
If you threw in the towel after trying to outsmart Braid or brave the perils of N+, you might want to avoid 'Splosion Man. After all, it would be a shame to burn $50 on a new Xbox 360 controller because you spiked one while playing a $10 game. Nevertheless, patient and tolerant players really shouldn't have that problem. In fact, they will probably fall in love with 'Splosion Man for the same reasons that I did – its simple mechanics, its refreshing sense of accomplishment, its fiery little star, and its satisfying amount of content. For 800 Microsoft Points, you really can't ask for more. Bravo, Twisted Pixel. If this is any indication of what the second “Summer of Arcade” has in store, count me in.
Now, before I burst – 'SPLODE! ASPLODE! EXPLOSION!! BAHAHAH!! (Sorry. I just couldn't take it anymore. Seriously, just play this damn game.)
Final Score: A-
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