Developer: Fun Hazard
Genre: Action & Adventure
Available On: XBLIG
Co-Op Mode: Local (4 players)
Price: 400 MS Points ($5)
Demo w/ Co-Op Available: Yes
The Sugar Killerz puts you in the "boots" of one of four mercenaries, The Mad, The Dumb, The Cool, and The Bad, that are out to destroy all the candy in the land. You have at your disposal a small arsenal of firearms, including a shotgun, a sniper rifle, and dual SMGs (each with a primary and secondary fire), that you can quickly switch between using the 360 controller’s face buttons. As you go through each level, the objective is straightforward and simple: kill all the candy you see. Gameplay-wise, The Sugar Killerz comes off feeling similar to a lot of twin-stick shooters out there. Movement is controlled with the left stick, you aim with the right, and fire your weapon using either the right or left trigger (for primary and secondary fire, respectively). There is the occasional power-up (you can go all John Woo, slow motion style) along the way and co-op gameplay is where this title truly shines. The game is very co-op friendly and definitely is a great “pick-up-and-play for a few levels” kind of game. The sheer mayhem that ensues when the screen fills up with “Horny Pigs” (nope, that’s not a mistake) is something that just has to be experienced with a friend.
4 out of 5 dentists recommend this game over other leading brands
Developer: Apoxxle
Genre: Action & Adventure
Available On: XBLIG
Co-Op Mode: Local (2 players)
Price: 80 MS Points ($1)
Demo w/ Co-Op Available: Yes
From the simple graphical depiction of your ship (in two exciting shades of grey), to the blocky layout of the abandoned base you find yourself exploring, Null Divide invokes the days when game credits rolled with names like "Taro" or "Ban Ban" instead of the actual developer names. It's the kind of thing that brings utter joy to anyone who grew up playing video games on TVs that still used RF switches to connect the console to the screen. Navigation about the space station and firing your gun are handled like many modern twin-stick shooters with the left-stick controlling your movementm, the right-stick controlling your aim (complete with a helpful red line to indicate exactly what direction in which you'll be firing), and the right-trigger firing the gun. As you explore the abandoned space station in your ship, you collect power-ups, keys, and new abilities; which is all very reminiscent of Metroid, right down to the secret areas you can discover by flying through seemingly solid walls. Co-op play in Null Divide is local only, but it's also drop-in/drop-out. When the second player joins, he or she is given a white ship to control that has all of the same abilities that have been unlocked by the first player. Null Divide doesn't do anything new in any of the main areas folks typically look at with games: graphics, gameplay, audio, or innovation. But in the end, that's really the point; it is pure, simple old-school fun through and through.
Who needs 3D?