PS3 XMB Style on DS

August 18th, 2008, 17:54 Posted By: bandit

Kind of old but looks cool none-the-less. A homebrewer was able to get the look, style and feel of the PS3 XMB onto the DS. It is a beta build and its known as MENUdo XMBlite.

No word on what cart was used or if it will ever be released. But it goes to show...with a little knowledge, patience and creativity, you can make anything you want. BTW, the intro videos that are played on the top screen is HOT!

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R4 SDHC in the wild?

August 16th, 2008, 16:29 Posted By: bandit

Is this what I think it is? We just received this in the mail. Our affiliate says this is the real deal but I contacted my source at R4 to confirm whether or not it is.

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Review: XCM White 360 HDMI 1080p Cable

August 15th, 2008, 00:43 Posted By: bandit

XCM White 360 HDMI 1080p Cable
Manufacturer: XCM
Site: Buy from Play-Asia
Price: $75.00-$109.95

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Watch DVDs via libdi and the DVDX installer

August 14th, 2008, 16:04 Posted By: bandit

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HDfury² revealed - upgrades standard TV/Projector to make them HDMI compatible

August 12th, 2008, 17:17 Posted By: bandit

HDfury has revealed HDfury². This will replace the HDfury DVI/HDMI to RGB Converter and HDfury Gamer Edition HDMI to VGA.

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Game Review: Braid (XBLA)

August 11th, 2008, 18:32 Posted By: Bratman Du

Braid
Publisher: Microsoft
Developer: Jonathan Blow
Genre: Platformer/Puzzler
Players: 1
MSRP: 1200 MS point ($14.99, £10.20, €13.96)
Platform: Xbox 360

Are games art? It's a broad question which has been asked and answered, and re-asked and re-answered many times. Especially in recent years, where technical and graphical limitations have become less prevalent, and programmers and artists alike are free to create new ways of using current generation hardware. Many games are a clear argument against games being art, with their unoriginal concepts and gimmicky game play and art styles. Braid is proof that some games, only some, can be artistic masterpieces.

I played the XBox Live Arcade version of Braid. Very few games on the Arcade have piqued my interest over the years. Worms, N+ and Castlevania, to name but a few were all, in my opinion, genuinely worth the money spent. I can say that Braid, although hefty in it's pricing, is worth the money.

The only way to review this game without getting as complicated as some of the levels can be, is to take it's individual elements one at a time. First of all the graphics. I've never been terribly impressed by games using alternative art styles, like cell shaded games, or retro style brightly coloured shooters. Braid's hand painted wonderland feels like somebody spent a hell of a lot of time on it, and that you're playing something that has been lovingly crafted especially for you, and not just put in the graphical style of the month. Not many games ever make you feel like that. The music is also masterfully composed and whilst, you won't be humming any of it in the shower, it is pleasant on the ears all the way through.

The story is probably something you will make your own mind up on. Initially it seems like a 'save the princess, get to castle, she's in another castle' affair. Which is a deep as you need to get in a platform game. However, dig deeper and look at the intro story for each level, the character's motivation for playing, and even the design of some of the levels, and the pictures made from the collectible jigsaw pieces, and you will wonder, is this a story derived from the classic platform plot, twisted into something plausible? Or is this a very personal tale of lost love and regret? Has the author suffered some deep heartbreak that makes him wish he could rewind time and fix his old mistakes, or it is better to learn to live with them and learn from them, or how about having knowledge of what mistakes you will make, and then making them anyway, knowing it will lead to ultimate success? That entire last sentence is a thinker for sure, but it's also how you need to think to complete some of the game's puzzles, and this fact in itself is simply genius.

Playing the game is simple, you move around, jump on heads to kill enemies, and flick switches. You also have the x button to rewind time, right back to the start of the level if you need to (you often will). It's the characteristics of each area that make these simple elements go beyond simple and become brain taxingly complex.

Later on, new levels bring new features, such as your shadow self, levels where moving right moves time forward, moving left moves it back, and standing still, well, you get the idea, at least, you'll think you do until you realise the problems that come with such a situation. When you combine these and more features even further into the game, things get very difficult, and some puzzles will leave you saying only one word; 'impossible', even with your timeless advantage. But when you finally figure out the puzzle, and there are often multiple solutions, you'll feel so damn satisfied and well chuffed with yourself.

You'll notice that sometimes you have to think not only outside the box, but you'll have to forget there ever was a box in the first place. You'll often be going out of your way to save enemies instead of killing them, to get them to wander into a certain position where jumping on their heads will help you get to something previously unreachable. The game is full of concepts like this, where you go out of your way to do something which seems detrimental to progress, to achieve more.

So when we combine all these elements into one game, we've got a beautifully painted landscape, with delightfully composed music, a casual or incredibly deep storyline depending on how you look at it, and amazing use of time control for puzzle solving in an environment where the only other controls are move, jump and hit switch.

We have a winner here, and if you only ever download occasionally from XBox Live Arcade, as I do, this is one of those few games actually worth the money.

Reading over this review I realize I have my tongue firmly up it's asshole, and although I'm usually quite critical, there's very little to dislike about this game. I don't often play any puzzle or retro or platform games. But the charm of everything about this game has me enthralled from the start, and it's hard to say negative things about something which is exactly where we want games to go.

Like Portal, it's possible to complete in one sitting of around 5 or 6 hours. This didn't bother me, because, also like Portal, this is a highly original and enjoyable piece of art that is both played and experienced. It's just the right length, has just the right blend of aesthetic and aural beauty, mixed with innovative and enjoyable game play. You probably won't play it twice, but it's such a special feeling to play something which has clearly had so much personal effort put into it.

From the reviews I've been reading, my rating is comparitively pretty low, but I'm wary of the fact that, this was a hefty price to pay for an arcade game, and although the experience is wonderful, it's also short, and I would have enjoyed hundreds more time travel based puzzles for 1200 MS Points, when you consider how many levels N+ had. Granted, Braid has a graphical style which is very important to the game overall, and perhaps quantity would have affected quality if we had a longer game. But who knows, maybe we'll see some reasonably priced (or free?!) DLC in the future?

Overall:

My first Review, thanks for reading,

The Bratman.

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Braid Review

August 7th, 2008, 23:59 Posted By: Bratman Du

Braid
Publisher: Microsoft
Developer: Jonathan Blow
Genre: Platformer/Puzzler
Players: 1
MSRP: 1200 MS point ($14.99, £10.20, €13.96)
Platform: Xbox 360

Are games art? It's a broad question which has been asked and answered, and re-asked and re-answered many times. Especially in recent years, where technical and graphical limitations have become less prevalent, and programmers and artists alike are free to create new ways of using current generation hardware. Many games are a clear argument against games being art, with their unoriginal concepts and gimmicky game play and art styles. Braid is proof that some games, only some, can be artistic masterpieces.

I played the XBox Live Arcade version of Braid. Very few games on the Arcade have piqued my interest over the years. Worms, N+ and Castlevania, to name but a few were all, in my opinion, genuinely worth the money spent. I can say that Braid, although hefty in it's pricing, is worth the money.

The only way to review this game without getting as complicated as some of the levels can be, is to take it's individual elements one at a time. First of all the graphics. I've never been terribly impressed by games using alternative art styles, like cell shaded games, or retro style brightly coloured shooters. Braid's hand painted wonderland feels like somebody spent a hell of a lot of time on it, and that you're playing something that has been lovingly crafted especially for you, and not just put in the graphical style of the month. Not many games ever make you feel like that. The music is also masterfully composed and whilst, you won't be humming any of it in the shower, it is pleasant on the ears all the way through.

The story is probably something you will make your own mind up on. Initially it seems like a 'save the princess, get to castle, she's in another castle' affair. Which is a deep as you need to get in a platform game. However, dig deeper and look at the intro story for each level, the character's motivation for playing, and even the design of some of the levels, and the pictures made from the collectible jigsaw pieces, and you will wonder, is this a story derived from the classic platform plot, twisted into something plausible? Or is this a very personal tale of lost love and regret? Has the author suffered some deep heartbreak that makes him wish he could rewind time and fix his old mistakes, or it is better to learn to live with them and learn from them, or how about having knowledge of what mistakes you will make, and then making them anyway, knowing it will lead to ultimate success? That entire last sentence is a thinker for sure, but it's also how you need to think to complete some of the game's puzzles, and this fact in itself is simply genius.


Playing the game is simple, you move around, jump on heads to kill enemies, and flick switches. You also have the x button to rewind time, right back to the start of the level if you need to (you often will). It's the characteristics of each area that make these simple elements go beyond simple and become brain taxingly complex.

Later on, new levels bring new features, such as your shadow self, levels where moving right moves time forward, moving left moves it back, and standing still, well, you get the idea, at least, you'll think you do until you realise the problems that come with such a situation. When you combine these and more features even further into the game, things get very difficult, and some puzzles will leave you saying only one word; 'impossible', even with your timeless advantage. But when you finally figure out the puzzle, and there are often multiple solutions, you'll feel so damn satisfied and well chuffed with yourself.

You'll notice that sometimes you have to think not only outside the box, but you'll have to forget there ever was a box in the first place. You'll often be going out of your way to save enemies instead of killing them, to get them to wander into a certain position where jumping on their heads will help you get to something previously unreachable. The game is full of concepts like this, where you go out of your way to do something which seems detrimental to progress, to achieve more.

So when we combine all these elements into one game, we've got a beautifully painted landscape, with delightfully composed music, a casual or incredibly deep storyline depending on how you look at it, and amazing use of time control for puzzle solving in an environment where the only other controls are move, jump and hit switch.

We have a winner here, and if you only ever download occasionally from XBox Live Arcade, as I do, this is one of those few games actually worth the money.

Reading over this review I realize I have my tongue firmly up it's asshole, and although I'm usually quite critical, there's very little to dislike about this game. I don't often play any puzzle or retro or platform games. But the charm of everything about this game has me enthralled from the start, and it's hard to say negative things about something which is exactly where we want games to go.

Like Portal, it's possible to complete in one sitting of around 5 or 6 hours. This didn't bother me, because, also like Portal, this is a highly original and enjoyable piece of art that is both played and experienced. It's just the right length, has just the right blend of aesthetic and aural beauty, mixed with innovative and enjoyable game play. You probably won't play it twice, but it's such a special feeling to play something which has clearly had so much personal effort put into it.

From the reviews I've been reading, my rating is comparitively pretty low, but I'm wary of the fact that, this was a hefty price to pay for an arcade game, and although the experience is wonderful, it's also short, and I would have enjoyed hundreds more time travel based puzzles for 1200 MS Points, when you consider how many levels N+ had. Granted, Braid has a graphical style which is very important to the game overall, and perhaps quantity would have affected quality if we had a longer game. But who knows, maybe we'll see some reasonably priced (or free?!) DLC in the future?

Overall: 9.0/10


My first Review, thanks for reading,

The Bratman.

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Game Review: Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 (XBLA)

August 5th, 2008, 18:42 Posted By: Shadowblind


Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Bizarre Creations
Genre: Arcade Shooter
Players: 1-4 (Offline)
MSRP: 800 MS point ($10, £6.80, €9.30)
Platform: Xbox 360

Geometry has never been so fun.

Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved was one of the first XBLA titles on the market. Despite debuting almost three years ago, the five dollar shooter-that-could is still being played like a drug by many to this day. Its still a mystery to some how such a simple game could be so fun and addictive. I've never really been much of a Robotron fan, which has obviously influenced this game a good bit, so I was among the doubters. However, after playing Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 for even just a few hours, I can see how this craze "evolved"(pun intended). Bizarre Creation's sequel to the LIVE hit seems to be just what fans wanted; more modes, more leaderboards, and even more simple and colorful gameplay. Read on, though you probably already know from my opening statements how THIS review is gonna end.

The best way to describe Geometry Wars graphical style in a word is probably, "Rave". This game absolutely bursts with electronic style and color. The effects of the game are its best graphical feature. Brilliantly colored particle effects and explosions always keep this game visually appealing, and its one of the few Arcade games that can be as fun to watch as it is to play. The warping of the map with bombs and explosions catch the eye especially well. Enemies and the main character are extremely simple. Then again, they are supposed to be simple, and the fact that they are nothing more then geometric shapes gives the game a much better opportunity to make them both appealing to the eye and diverse. Everything in the game glows, literally. Really, I don't have pretty much anything negative to say about the graphics of this game. They are extremely simple, yet the colors and effects make this 2D game stand out greatly in a world where 3D has taken over. The only thing that really is only "average" in the graphical style is probably the menus. They still look like classic arcade menus, which is kind of neat, but it could have used a flashier display then it has.

"Hypnotic" doesn't begin to describe this.

The graphics were very electronically styled. That's not the only thing though, as the music follows suit. The original only had one soundtrack, and though it wasn't too shabby, it did get old after a while. This time, however, they added a custom track to each one of the six game modes. To me, most of the music sounded too similar to each other, bar Evolved mode, which had a really catchy tune. All of the music seems to have near the same beat, which really may make it get on the nerves of some people. Personally the music didn't get too annoying, as after a while my ears just tuned it out. While each of the game modes have fairly decent music, the menu music is, for the most part, absolutely unnoticeable. Its not such a big deal, but I really wouldn't have minded some better music to listen to while watching the leaderboards to decide whose score I'm gonna debunk next.

Sound more or less follows the music in being 'average'. The SFX absolutely works for what its supposed to, don't get me wrong. But the same sound every time you shoot and every time an enemy goes up in a cloud of colorful particles does leave a bit to be desired. Enemies are silent. Some of the modes have some pretty neat effects though; in King once you step outside a ring the music mutes, only to resume upon reaching another ring. In deadline, the music builds to a climax exactly at the end of the game, and so on and so forth. So there are some neat little things in the sounds, but the things that you hear by far the most are a bit too repetitive. Nothing here will make you get very annoyed though, since the music usually blocks the major part of the sounds.

Making a jump here to the gameplay. The original Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved had only a single game type. Geometry Wars RE2 comes with six different game modes, all fun, though some more then others. The six modes include Deadline, King, Evolved, Pacifism, Waves, and Sequence. In Deadline, you get five minutes to rack up as much points as you can. You have infinite lives though, but each time you die the enemies are reset, which gives you less chance for points. In King, you must shoot from within circles that appear on the ground. Enemies can't enter the circles, though you can't shoot outside the circles. Also, the circles die out in about 2-3 seconds, so you have to keep moving. Evolved is the original Geometry Wars mode, where you have a number of lives and just rack up points as long as you can. In Pacifism you cannot shoot. You rely solely on lines that you can pass through to blow up enemies around you while trying to survive. Waves has you constantly fighting wave after wave of enemies until you finally can't keep up. Last but not least in sequence, where you have 20 levels and try to survive all of them.

That's not a glitch-- the level warping is a graphical effect.

None of these game modes are boring. In fact, just about every one of them is fun, though some more then others. Deadline seems to be more inclined toward those learning how to play, since death doesn't really have any lasting toll on you in this mode. Therefore more hardcore players may get bored with this mode after only a few times. King is a mode that will keep you interested for a while. Since circles aren't always very close to each other, you need to always be sure to remember to keep a path open to the next circle. This can get very difficult late in the game, since the snake enemies can almost "wrap" around your circle and deny you access to another. Evolved is this games Classic mode. If you never played the GW:RE 1 then this may be one of the best modes, as it is the most simple but ultimately challenging mode, depending on how long you can survive. Pacifism is probably the most unique mode. Since you cant fire a shot, this mode revolves around how good you are at luring enemies into line traps and them manoeuvring yourself out from between the remaining enemies. The gameplay here may be a little too simple, though it still remains pretty enjoyable. Waves may be the least interesting of the modes; it has many waves of the same enemy coming at you every few seconds. Soon after it has a few renegade enemies to try and distract you from the waves. This game mode usually relays on the many colorful explosions to make you not see the enemies until its too late. Really, its a bit cheap. Sequence will have you trying the longest. Each level that you progress through hundreds of enemies come at you at once, which ends up being extremely hard, but also very fun. The challenge is present to some of the best players by level 5, and it only gets harder. The replay value for this mode is very high.

Now that I've explained all the modes, I'll move on to what makes the core of each. Every gameplay mode still has you destroying mostly the same enemies in the same way. If you aren't really very fond of the core gameplay, then this game has little else to offer you. However, the core is also very simple which allows newcomers and veterans of Geometry Wars to enjoy its simple but highly addicting gameplay. Another addicting part of this game is the leaderboards. I for one have never cared in practically any game about leaderboards or besting my friends scores. Geometry Wars changed that. Because the boards are always staring at you from the game menu, you feel compelled to try and get the best score you can. it will make you go back many, many times to try and best your buddies, and your own score. This adds a huge amount of longevity to the game.

Awesome explosions are commonplace.

Not to mention local multiplayer, which is an awesome inclusion to the game as well. There are two types of modes for each, well, mode in Geometry Wars; there is Co-op and versus. In Versus mode you and a friend try to get scores better then each other. If one person dies, the other one can keep fighting until he's gone too. Co-op mode has you and some friends blasting enemies for a combined high scores. Oh, and you can add up to 4 people in a game. As a party game, this is the one of the best XBLA titles out there. You have never experienced Geometry Wars until you have 4 people playing at once. Also in multiplayer is the addition of powerups, which give you enhanced speed or a bomb or a shield. This takes the place of your bombs in single player. The only real problem with multiplayer is that some parts of it felt like it was an after though, only added in because they had to. I'm mainly talking about how it really just feels like single player with allies in co-op. Versus is made pretty well, but in Co-op, you can't really do any special things like joint attacks or give your pal a life if he dies. Other then that, multiplayer is just what the doctor ordered. Its just too bad that they don't have online multiplayer, that would have added much more replay value. C'mon Activision, make a patch!

Well that's that.

Major Selling points:
-- Highly colorful and appealing graphics
-- Classic Gameplay feel
-- Addicting gameplay and leaderboards
-- 6 gameplay modes
-- Simple and accessible gameplay

Major Breaking points:
-- Simplistic gameplay may bore some
-- Some gameplay modes may get repetitive
-- Leaderboards may not appeal to some, reducing a lot of replay value
-- No Xbox LIVE play

Story: N/A
Not added to final score.
Graphics: 4.5/5
One of the best looking Arcade titles available, and maybe on of the best 2D games I've ever seen this generation.
Sound: 4/5
The electronic soundtrack is alright, but the sound effects leave a bit to be desired.
Gameplay: 4.5/5
Absolutely addictive and fun Arcade style gameplay. 6 gameplay modes give a good enough variety for most people to like it.
Replay Value: 4.5/5
6 gameplay modes will have you constantly going back to try and better your score, and leaderboards will have you bettering other peoples scores too. The lack of LIVE play really hurts.
Value: 4/5
At $10, this game is quite a nice value. It will last you a long time if you like the core gameplay. Multiplayer is pretty fun as well.
Overall:

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Pre-post: Geometry Wars : Retro Evolved 2

August 3rd, 2008, 21:40 Posted By: Shadowblind


Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Bizarre Creations
Genre: Arcade Shooter
Players: 1-4 (Offline)
MSRP: 800 MS point ($10, £6.80, €9.30)
Platform: Xbox 360

Geometry has never been so fun.


Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved was one of the first XBLA titles on the market. Despite debuting almost three years ago, the five dollar shooter-that-could is still being played like a drug by many to this day. Its still a mystery to some how such a simple game could be so fun and addictive. I've never really been much of a Robotron fan, which has obviously influenced this game a good bit, so I was among the doubters. However, after playing Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 for even just a few hours, I can see how this craze "evolved"(pun intended). Bizarre Creation's sequel to the LIVE hit seems to be just what fans wanted; more modes, more leaderboards, and even more simple and colorful gameplay. Read on, though you probably already know from my opening statements how THIS review is gonna end.

The best way to describe Geometry Wars graphical style in a word is probably, "Rave". This game absolutely bursts with electronic style and color. The effects of the game are its best graphical feature. Brilliantly colored particle effects and explosions always keep this game visually appealing, and its one of the few Arcade games that can be as fun to watch as it is to play. The warping of the map with bombs and explosions catch the eye especially well. Enemies and the main character are extremely simple. Then again, they are supposed to be simple, and the fact that they are nothing more then geometric shapes gives the game a much better opportunity to make them both appealing to the eye and diverse. Everything in the game glows, literally. Really, I don't have pretty much anything negative to say about the graphics of this game. They are extremely simple, yet the colors and effects make this 2D game stand out greatly in a world where 3D has taken over. The only thing that really is only "average" in the graphical style is probably the menus. They still look like classic arcade menus, which is kind of neat, but it could have used a flashier display then it has.

"Hypnotic" doesn't begin to describe this.

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Game Review: 1942: Joint Strike (XBLA / PSN)

August 2nd, 2008, 20:40 Posted By: Shadowblind


1942: Joint Strike
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Backbone Entertainment
Genre: Flight Shooter
Players: 1-2
Price: $10
Platforms: XBLA (Version reviewed), PSN

Namco's recreation of the classic 1942 is less then perfect.

No one will argue that top down shooters are one of the greatest classic game types ever made. Still no one will argue that they can be fun to play. Take Ikaruga for example; its a top down shooter and uses a classic formula like all the rest. But tweaks and extra stuff make the game much more enjoyable, though its still tough like many 1942-esqe shooters. Nanostray is another example of how the classic can still be good today. 1942, the cult classic that inspired all of this, had you back in WWII fighting off Japanese bombers, and it was a great arcade game back when it first debuted, and an even better Co-op game. So here we are today with Capcom's remake of the classic dubbed as 1942: Joint Strike. As far as classic remakes go this is pretty well done. But Capcom might well have made it a little too faithful to its roots. Read on...

When you start up the game you'll see what may be the most annoying part of the game. The menu screen. Don't get me wrong, the menu screen is fantastic; the effects and old style mission cards are great. However, every move you make in the menu is marked by the absolutely annoying roar of airplanes flying in from the side of the menu, which at first is kinda neat, but after the twenty-seventh time, I've more then heard it enough. And here is the next problem; if you don't have anyone to play local co-op with you like I didn't, then you will miss the best part of the game. After uncountable attempts to find someone over XBL to play, I couldn't even finish the game because the connection timed itself out and made both of us log off. Since that one time I've never been able to find another gamer to play the game out co-op with, and even though I got enough in to write the co-op section of the review, no one is gonna buy this for single player. No one with sense, anyway.


The graphics had a major overhaul, and they are pretty nice.

Co-op is what this game is made for. Hence the name "JOINT" strike. (Which I never actually could do, btw....) As far as co-op goes this game is fairly impressive. 3 ships and 3 special Joint possible attacks add a bit more game time after you've played through the 20 minute campaign mode with a friend. Taking down bosses together is always fun, and if both you and your friend get the dual lasers power-up then you can basically keep a constant blue streak going across every part of the screen, eradicating most enemies before you even see them. No special modes, but 5 difficulty levels and some "decent" achievements. As for the difficulty levels...without a buddy, you almost can't beat campaign mode, period. No continues whatsoever, and you can't save the game at any point. This game can be even more frustrating then Ikaruga, believe it or not. And when you can't beat the game when you don't have a companion, and trying to find a fellow gamer on Xbox LIVE is like trying to find one on Space Giraffe, the games "game" falls flat. Co-op is the saving grace, but thats only even "good". The gameplay itself isn't broken, but this game has just enough problems to ensure that it breaks most of the fun the gameplay can offer.

The graphics aren't really too bad for a remake of an old sprite based game. 3D models for most enemies and environments, and they don't look very bad either. A good color pallete of pastels gives the game a lighter feeling, as opposed to a dark and serious feeling. I unfortunately can't rant on and on about the animations and character models as I would like to since there really aren't any. This is planes we're talking about after all. Screen tearing does occur, and it is a bit noticeable since there is usually not too much variety in the things going on on screen at any one time. The one time I was able to play online the framerate was pretty messy at some points, specifically during the 1st and 4th levels. The weapon effects are bright and neat though, but when you drop a bomb the explosion sometimes clips through the level. Overall though, the revamped graphics aren't too shabby. The old style DANGER screen is pretty cool too. Really though, this a top down shooter. How much more is there to say?


On 2 stars or higher, you will never make it here on singleplayer.

Wow...this is one of my shortest reviews I think I've made in a long time. But really theres not much to say about this game. Except maybe that for the value this game really isn't worth it. $5 maybe, but $10 is just cruel. If you've got a friend whos willing to purge the money with you, it may be worth it, but otherwise its just another shooter, and one thats almost impossible by yourself.

Story: N/A
Its not gonna be added to the score because its not supposed to be about the story.
Graphics: 3.5/5
The graphics had a huge overhaul from the arcade days of 1942, and it really does work. Minor issues are still present though.
Sound: 3/5
The menu airplanes drove me nuts, and all around the music is bland and the sound effects are decent.
Gameplay: 3/5
The game is all about co-op, and quite frankly it does it well. However, single-player is boring and unfair, and there isn't a single soul to play against on XBL.
Replayability: 2.5/5
If it wasn't for being able to go through it many times with a friend the score would be much, much lower. Campaign is only about 20-30 minutes long.
Value: 2.5/5
$5 and we'll talk, but for $10 this game will rip you off. Ikaruga is a much better choice at the same price.
Overall:

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