Splosion Man Review [XBLA]

Platformers are games that you just don’t see much of anymore. And if you do, it’s usually some licensed garbage. A difficult, quality platformer? You might see one or two a year. Twisted Pixel, the studio behind “The Maw” is back again with their latest title, ‘Splosion Man. Well, was this the way for Microsoft to kick off their Summer of Arcade?

When first starting up the game, you’ll see the little molten crack head that will be the main character. That man, is ‘Splosion Man. A science experiment gone wrong, who gets around by exploding of course. In your attempt to blast through every level, you’ll be exploding off walls, barrels, and people. It’s a system that works well, and for obvious reasons. It could have been just a guy jumping off walls, but Twisted Pixel makes sure their games have character. The game is oozing with quality and attention to detail, continuing Twisted Pixels quality streak (two for two counts right?).

The gameplay of Splosion Man is whats going to keep you coming back. Everything is super fluid, very fast, and very fun. At times it can be as simple as hopping from one platform to the next. On the other hand, some situations will require fast reflexes and perfect timing in order to proceed in the level. At times things can get frustrating, but that’s what platformers are all about. Trial and error. There are also times for each run you have, so people that are into speed runs will have something to keep playing for.

‘Splosion Man is a visual feast. The quirky look to the game will put a smile on your face, and adds to the already exceptional experience. ‘Splosion man will run through levels with his arms out like an airplane, shrugged over, the list goes on. Everything looks smooth, the frame rate never drops, and the whole title is vivid and colorful. The audio is also great, with catchy tunes playing and ‘Splosion Man letting out funny sounds as levels progress. Oh, and the donut song is the greatest thing ever. Buy the game and figure out what I’m saying here.

‘Splosion Man is fantastic. A platformer that holds a well deserved spot in your downloadable library, I urge everyone to download it, it is worth the 800 Microsoft points. It will test the limitations of your platforming skills at times, and will require thinking at others. Hey, that’s what I like to see in a great game.