What to know
A terrible war is going on. As Snoopy, you have to fight against The Red Baron and his associates. Airborne frontal crashes, missiles, bombs, mines and much much more are awaiting you in one of the most possible intense fights in the air. And yet, the steering and cartoonish environment are making it too much fun to get stressed and depressed about – yes I am not too fond of “normal” shooters, as there’s too much war-element over it. The cartoonish style in both steering and look are erasing all feelings of serious war, and makes the game pure fun. I got to admit that the appearance of Snoopy and his friends was the reason I got my eyes on the game – and the fact that I have been looking a bit out for a little airgame since Afterburner Climax went under my radar.

Gameplay
I’ve been jabbering about the steering. Well, this is one of this games forces. It’s easy to learn, and for advanced gamers it feels natural to use the left analogue stick for steering and the right one for stunts. There’s different challenges, but mostly the game is a shooter, both for moving and still targets. The game vary enough to keep the interest for an acceptable amount of time for an XBLA game. There’s different maps, all with each of their own quirks and feel, and there’s both day and night time, which gives an extra spectrum to the game.

Playing with friends
Clearly, this game is made for playing with others. When the single player is quite fun and a really helping hand for getting ready to play online against other people, the online play is mindless fun and really fulfilled with hardcore action, if there’s plenty of players.
There’s a good amount of different modes to choose from, both all against all and team games. The ultimate death match, capture the flag, keep the bone and score points and an American Football imitation. Fun for all players, also newcomers – and challenging too.
Missions in single player can be played in local co-op, which might easy out to get the gold medals. I haven’t had a chance to test that out just yet, but it’s a sure thing I will, when I get the opportunity.

Amusements
I’ve mentioned the steering system, and I stand firm by this. The feel of the gameplay is so cartoonish and the responding so fast, that it’s pure fun and not at all serious war. I dislike the “serious” wargames, which is why I’m avoiding most shooter games as I mentioned earlier. The story has a few all right fun quirks, but nothing too big to reveal here.

For eyes and ears
The look of the game is smooth and without any graphical errors that I’m able to remark right here. The style is quite unique and colorful, yet full of explosions and the effects in the different weapons are great and varying. Sound and soundtrack are pretty decent and well responding to what’s going on at the screen.

Gamer goals
Only one really easy achievement, the rest is grinding and skill based. Seems like a harsh game, achievement-wise, when it’s a XBLA game, but nonetheless, fun.

Glitches and mistakes
I can’t pinpoint anything. Maybe the single player is too short, but looking at the difficulty (if you are going for all gold medals) the game seems to extend rapidly, as you have to retry over and over again, because you have to time it right, not to mention get very good at aiming fast to shoot down enemies to finish the mission within the time limit.

Hearts
The game is great, but there’s nothing new in it. It’s not magnificent or mind blowing, so I can’t really give it top score of 5 hearts, as there’s no real reason for it. People, who know and love “Peanuts” cartoon with Snoopy and his friends, will love the game way more than someone who doesn’t know them too well, but this is normal for any game that are based on cartoons, movies, or whatever it could be. Though, the game aren’t following anything from the paper strips cartoons, apart from characters and relationships.

Developers: Smart Bomb Interactive, Website: Snoopy Flying Ace Officiel Website, Publishers: Microsoft, PEGI rating: 7+, Buy the game on Xbox Live Marketplace

What to know
It’s pretty forward, race and win. The game is a bit spiced up by a so-called blog, that makes a little story to follow throughout the game, as you progress. Nothing important, just a sweet little story about you helping out a friend, who was unlucky and broke his hand, so he couldn’t drive in the Citrus Cup. You meet Carla, she builds the cars, and Amor starts to flutter around.

Gameplay
RC racer. The feel and look are pretty decent for an XBLA game in this genre. Unfortunately there’s WAY too much in equal to Mad Tracks, so it’s definitely not a new feeling at all, if you have been playing Mad Tracks. There’s a somewhat short Champion Mode, and an arcade mode, where you can change a few settings, like which car types are used in the game, how many CPU/AI’s to race against, number of laps and difficulty.

Playing with friends
Multiplayer seems acceptable – there’s a few different modes, including team racing, get the fastest lap, elimination race (last player on each lap is taken out until one racer is left). So it’s pretty straight forward, and for the multiplayer, I feel there’s enough different tracks to choose from.

Amusements
Unfortunately not too many. There’s no quirks or twists or special modes that makes you get a heart for the game. The genre and feel of the game is what comes to mind, but not much more than that.

For eyes and ears
The game is beautiful to look at, environments are colorful, peppy and changing quite much from level to level. You will want to own the cars, feel them between your fingers and enjoy them in full – they are that beautiful, shiny and glammy. I really like the design of the cars – and all the tracks are really fun to drive in. I want more of them.
Background music are non-existent in this game, though it has a repetitive, off-beat sound in both menu and tracks – maybe three different versions. Sound effects for motors and cars is mediocre and not varying too much, but this I accept in fully, as it’s an XBLA game, and not a full disc one.

Gamer goals
Really easygoing. Maybe too easy (not enough playtime for achievement whores). There’s no secret achievements or guessing games here, besides from two treasure chests, one of them referring to Load Inc.’s other game, Mad Tracks. Finish story, a timed and an endurance (win x times consecutively) run, a single game online, and then you should have all the achievements. But I know for sure the game will be loaded a few times when friends interested a tiny bit in gaming are coming over at a visit.

Glitches and mistakes
Too few races in championship mode – even for an XBLA game. Too easy as well, as experienced racers like me will only have a bit trouble here and there beating the races in championship mode, and beating the whole thing within 5-6 hours. The endurance achievement was easy, even that the AI is on hard. Sure thing, you have to race 80% perfect to win and not crash heavily more than once, but that’s still a big margin error to have with a single achievement – maybe this margin error was included as the sister-achievement is basically IMPOSSIBLE to get (believe me, I’ve tried!!).
I do have trouble beating the timed achievement, but I’ll get it eventually. The WORST mistake with this game is how equal it is to Load Inc. other game, Mad Tracks. Physics and feelings in the game is one thing – using the same word, font and color when you get lost or drive the wrong way is another – the basics are build up the exactly same way, but the game glitters a lot more – I really like the design and look of the cars and the environment, but that’s about what differs between the games.
Another thing really bugged me every time a new blog post were made in the ingame blog, was that if you want to read it, as you unlock the posts, you have to jump out of the level menu, to the main menu, then go into the blog, read it and then go all the way into the level menu again. A single button that opens up the blogpost and another button to close it and get back to the level menu, would so much have helped this problem out.

Hearts
The need of more variation ruins the game, but being a knock-off of an earlier game of the developer totally crashes the game – I don’t hate the game, but I really dislike that the games are SO close to each other as they are. The game gets an extra heart for being beautiful.

Developers: Load Inc., Website: Things on Wheels, Publishers: Focus Home Interactive, PEGI rating: 3+, Buy the game on Xbox Live Marketplace

I’m here to provide you guys outthere with an opinion on the games, I’m trying out. This time, I ran through steam rooms, chased by the guard, I tossed a turtle a mile, while I was laughing at the face expressions and the blood splatters – I was fighting computerviruses and saving Skynets evil sister. I hope you will enjoy the games as much as I did!

Power Pamplona skill
Short, shimple and with fun referrals to different cultures in different countries – though, I never get the swedish one, as it has way more hints to the roman culture with the concerted bath/steamroom.
As Pamplona runner, you are running through this game while you are chased by bulls, girls, angry guards and more. All you have to do, is to stay ahead and jump over the obstacles – there’s really not much to this game. Graphics pretty decent, but there’s little too few different levels, even for a flash browsergame.
Time from start to end: 5 to 10 minutes

What to know
I’m not particular blown away by Hamsterball – but I don’t dislike the game either. It’s somewhere in the middle – and like every other game, it has its pros and cons. You can choose between a few different hamsters, but they all look the same – only the ball, the hamster is in, has different colors – the hamsters does have different abilities, so it’s worth it, if you try out them all. There’s a huge pile of levels, so there’s lots of experiences to obtain in the game – and many of the tracks even have different paths. One thing I noticed, and had a few mixed feelings about in all the excitement about the many levels, was that many of the levels are remade and reused throughout the game. Roll away that hamster!

Gameplay
You are rolling along the different tracks, from point A to B, and rarely lapping the track, but it occurs. There’s different props, enemies, jumps, paths even gravity, to figure out. Luckily there’s no limit to the error-rate. There’s no limit in lives – you can do as many errors as you like – though they will of course slow you down – and time is all that matters in this game! There’s plenty of hints in form of signs implemented in the tracks, so you won’t be lost in the tracks.

Playing with friends
The only fun you can have in this game with a friend – or friends – is a sumo-like challenge against each other. You can add and remove human and CPU players as you like before the game. The challenge is to get as many points as possible before time runs out. You get a point every time one of the opponents falls off the arena. Bounce away the opponents!

Amusements
Colors and environments – concept and sound effects. Sound might be amusing, but it’s still repetitive. I would say the sumo-mode against friends would be the funniest in this game, though rolling through the colorful levels are pretty satisfying – especially when you get to goal in a level you have had a bit trouble to get in time.

For eyes and ears
Soundtrack might be a bit corny, and really repetitive, but fits the game pretty decent – very cartoonish and acoustic sounding, and you get a bit nostalgic, if you have played games for more than 5 years. The game is beautiful to look at with lots of vibrant colors that sometimes makes you feel you are rolling through candyland on drugs, and that’s with a hamster inside a ball!

Gamer goals
The trophy list seems pretty decent, though I haven’t obtained a single trophy yet just by playing – and I have been playing for around 3 good hours. There’s small ingame medals, depending on the time you beat the level in, but nothing vital either. Get through all levels and do a few stunts, and you will have obtained most, if not all, trophies.

Glitches and mistakes
What bugged me the most in this game (besides the repetitive feeling) was reusing the levels after remaking them. Changing environments, colors and paths are making another feel of the level, but nonetheless, you are able to recognize the level if you are anything like me that automatically remembers small details like this. Though, I don’t see this as a real problem, it’s just an observation.

Hearts
All in all this is pretty decent game, looking at the price and the number of levels to beat. Since it doesn’t vary too much and it seems like the developers has tried to make as many levels as possible – without this being a bad thing – the game doesn’t tops the list, but I do find it amusing to play for a while.

Developers: TikGames, Website: Playstation Blog: Hamsterball released, Publishers: TikGames, PEGI rating: N/A, Buy the game in PSN Network Store on your Ps3

Gameplay
Once again, the game feels very much like God of War. Having said that, the producers of Dante’s Inferno must have been aware of what they were getting themselves into and had to have known they had Kratos-sized shoes to fill (…just imagine Kratos wearing really big shoes).

If there is one major complaint I have about the gameplay, it is that it lacks any new element that we have not seen in a game before, which really makes it feel like a knockoff. I promised myself that I would go into the game with an open mind and avoid comparing it to God of War, but it really is impossible. From the button-indicators being thrown up on screen at certain points to the overall predictable puzzles and fights, it really felt like I was playing the same game as I did a few years ago.

Playing with friends
Sorry, not in this game.

Amusements
The saving grace of this game is in its various bits of story thrown into it. On some of the load screens, segments of the poem are quoted, including the canto and line it is from. Granted, I may be more into this because I read the poem, so it brings a sense of cleverness to the game. If anything, it does tie the game to the actual poem when you consider how much the language of the game had to be brought up to modern times.

The other element of the game that is pretty cool is the narrations by Virgil. Throughout the game, Virgil will appear and provide explanations to Dante about the meaning of each circle and how people ended up being sent to each circle. These short conversations really add to the game, so make sure you complete full conversations with him to get the most out of him you can.

For eyes and ears
Graphically, the game does pretty well. It looks good most of the time, but can get a little choppy looking. It doesn’t look like anything is wrong, just like the developers got lazy in some places. Also, I thought the cutscenes were awesome. There are two different types of animation used in the cutscenes- one is the standard, realistic style used throughout the game, while the other (used to depict things in Dante’s past) is like a storybook.

As to audio, this game is amazing. First of all, the voice acting is actually excellent in my opinion. From narrations to conversation, the game delivers. The soundtrack of the game is also extremely well done. In some places, they even work voice into the soundtrack, which is even cooler to me.

Gamer goals
What I love about this game is that the trophies/achievements are all reasonably attainable. I finished the game in about 7-8 hours, but had all the achievements around 10-11 hours. The achievements/trophies are not difficulty based, so you can play it on any level to complete them.

Glitches and mistakes
Nothing I ran in to.

Hearts
Due to the lack of any truly new element, I have to give this game three hearts. When trying to make yourself a rival to a series as well-established as the God of War series, you really need to put something new on the table. The game is overall fun, but cannot be weighed by itself. Oh, and something that took a little away from the game for me? Unless you like topless women…well, let’s just say there’re a lot of them.

Taking place nine years after the last sequence, the memory sees Ezio return to Florence in search of the Piece of Eden that is now in the possession of a monk named Savonarola. After meeting with Machiavelli, Ezio decides the best way to draw Savonarola out is to bring chaos to the city. In order to do so, Ezio must assassinate nine of Savonarola’s lieutenants so the player has nine fun assassination missions to do, all varying in difficulty. This makes a change from the previous DLC and stays away from heavy combat, unless you decide to bring it upon yourself.

The game also features a new springboard move which allows Ezio to jump greater distances between buildings. All you have to do is run and sprint towards the flag covered pole and Ezio will automatically perform the move. Do not do what I did during my first try and try and jump when on the pole. Landing in a restricted area and being immediately surrounded by 20 or so guards was not the best way to start my missions as a stealthy master assassin, but hey, I still got to my target and made a good escape Smoke bombs ftw!

I would definitely recommend this DLC over the first because it’s more about what Ezio does best. The only problem is because it’s a direct follow on from the previous memory, you do need to know what happens to understand why you’re now going after Savonarola. Of course, if you’re happy enough just to accept that this is now what Ezio is doing, just get the second one.

Shopping Cart Hero 2 throwing
Too simple, too repetitive and way too time-consuming if you want to gain enough points to buy all the available items. Fortunately, once you have bought an item, it stays with you. Though with a few tweaks. Like you can buy a groupie, and she stays with you, but if you fail your jump and crash the cart, she will die – but you can re-buy a groupie, so no harm done. You have to jump as long as possible, and items can multiply your score, or help you stay longer in the air. It’s a stickman game, so you won’t exactly enjoy the environment in the game, but it can easily kill off 10-15 dead-anyway minutes in your break, or while waiting on something.
Time from start to end: N/A

What to know
As some unknown driver, you have to fight your way up in the hierarchy, beating the track owners one by one. You’ll earn cars by destroying the competitions vehicles in certain races, but it seems pretty random for which races  this is valid, and you will also earn cars by beating track bosses. There’s 8 different tracks/environments, and all are feeling a little different,  though, one thing they have in common is the dark and dusty look with a lot of destructibles on the track, like fences, wrecks, barrels filled with gas that explode if you hit them hard enough.

Gameplay
A few different modes, but no modes that haven’t been in racing games before. There’s destruction derby, time trial, race, eliminator and chase – and there might be more, but this is coming from the top of my head. Most of the challenges are in a track, but a few is in an arena. The cars are very different and represent classic cars like Crown Victoria, Belair and Camaro.

Playing with friends
Haven’t got the opportunity to test out the multiplayer, but it seems promising, both for online and local play. There’s several modes to try out, and the top down camera angle is perfect for local play.

Amusements
Blowing up cars is always fun. Since I experienced and played Micro Machines v3 to death, I have had a warm heart for top-down racers. I love when cars has big and scary weapons, though in this game they aren’t as cartoonish as MM v3,  but they have major similarities to the weapons used in the Twisted Metal games.

For eyes and ears
The graphics are really good with many details, great light and shadows, the cars are easy to spot, and the effects from the weapons are made believable. Sounds effects are great implemented and the soundtrack is perhaps a bit short, but nonetheless fits the game with the heavy metal genre. Most of the environment are destructible, which makes this game really alive and real.

Gamer goals
Pretty straight forward, seems kind of easy to obtain. There’s an achievement for beating each track boss, and then a few for playing some multiplayer. Completionists will like this game, just for its achievements, because there isn’t any grinding or weird achievements you will misinterpret. The game doesn’t have any secret achievements either.

Glitches and mistakes
The game is very strong made and doesn’t particular have any glitches or other errors. The game has yet to freeze on me, or even disappoint me. One thing that really annoyed me the first hour or so in the playing time, was the games psychics. I felt I was driving on ice all the time, as the cars really slips around the track – but once I got used to it, I realized it just was a part of the game. I would have liked more tracks and challenges, maybe a track builder to do stunts in or something like that, but who wouldn’t say that for a game they like?

Hearts
This game deserves top score, because the gameplay and idea behind it might be old and used much before, but it has been blended and mixed, to make it a unique game. It also feels like this game has been tested thoroughly, as the game feels strong, the loading times are pretty fast and as mentioned, I haven’t experienced any problems with the game.

Developers: Slick Entertainment, Website: Scrap Metal, Publishers: Xbox LIVE Arcade, PEGI rating: 7+, Buy the game on Xbox Live Marketplace