'Splosion Man

One of the greatest aspirations of any game developer is to create something that gives the player that 'just one more try' feeling. You know what I'm talking about, those late nights where your thumbs are red raw and your eyes are burning but you just can't pull yourself away from the game because you know, you just know, that next time you will get it right, you just need one... more... try. Well, Twisted Pixel can give themselves a pat on the back, because 'Splosion Man is near impossible to put down once it's got you hooked.

As with many of the good things in life, the story is simple. So simple, in fact, that you are almost left to figure it out for yourself. What it boils down to is that a science experiment went wrong in an underground lab, and the result is 'Splosion Man, a flaming red maniac with a passion for self-detonation. The goal is equally straight forward: escape the lab, and destroy as many scientists as you possibly can along the way. Splosion Man's only method of interacting with the game world is to explode himself. Want to kill a scientist? Explode on him. Want to triple-jump across to a distant platform? Explode some more! It's all so simple, and it only requires one face button. This distilled control method works like a dream, leaving your brain free to concentrate on solving the well thought out puzzles found in each level.

Using a combination of perfectly timed jumps (ie. explodes), barrel explodes and a fair share of running for your life, you will navigate through the huge amount of levels which grow increasingly tricky as you progress. The learning curve is just about perfect though, as the levels never become overly complex, introducing new game elements at a manageable pace.

While the sprawling laboratory all looks basically the same, what is there is very nicely executed. Textures are clean, the 'splode animations are fantastic, and the whole game has a well polished and light hearted feel to it.

One aspect that is not light hearted is the difficulty of some of the levels. There are platform hopping sections that may infuriate you, requiring Zen-like concentration, but the feeling of accomplishment once you beat the troublesome section is well worth it. It's important to note that this is not one of those games where you become frustrated because you don't know what you are doing wrong... you always feel like you almost got it that last time, and that's what makes you keep trying until way past your bed time.

The puzzles are sometimes reminiscent of Valve's brilliant mind bender, Portal, and Twisted Pixel gives a subtle nod to this inspiration by adding the only collectable item in the game... cake.

'Splosion Man loves cake, and there is a big one craftily hidden on each level. Oh, and if a puzzle really starts to get the better of you, there is always 'The Way of the Coward', which allows you to skip to the next level. I never found this necessary, but it's nice to know the option is there if you need it.

On a negative note, the boss fights can be a tedious affair. They are not overly difficult, but they tend to take some time to get through. The other big downer in the game comes from the multiplayer mode. The online co-op mode is effectively broken due to terrible lag issues once you get over 2 players, regardless of the game host. In a game where precision timing is the order of the day, this really damages the multiplayer experience. Playing offline multiplayer is fine, but it's worth knowing that if you plan to play this on Xbox LIVE with friends, it's just not worth the frustration - at least until a patch is released.

Having not played a platform game since the Sega Megadrive days, I was honestly surprised at how much I enjoyed 'Splosion Man. There are so many quirky little details that put a smile on your face, and something about the control method that just feels right. There is not a whole lot of variety on offer here, but there is a purity in the simple nature of the gaming experience.

If you are a gamer who needs bleeding edge graphics and wildly arching story lines, then this game's charm will be lost on you. But if you can look past the quite basic graphics and lack of narrative, you will find yourself grinning like a drunk pirate as the gamepad rumbles excitedly in your sweaty hands.

Taking the price into consideration, and if you are a planning to play this offline, there is not much else I would recommend you spend your 800 MS Points on. Looks like the XBL Summer of Arcade is off to an explosive start!

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