Elfsquad 7
Developer: Tykocom
Genre: Action
Available On: XBLIG
Co-Op Mode: Local (4 players)
Price: 80 MS Points ($1)
Demo w/ Co-Op Available: Yes 
Santa. Whether you believe in him or not, the guy always seems to be getting into trouble. Sometimes it’s something that seems so simple, like a fog bank; other times it’s getting abducted by pterodactyls (which, as we all know, can’t stand the wail of an electric guitar). So it should come as no surprise that a game titled Elfsquad 7 sees the jolly fellow in a dilemma once again, this time as a result of a gift-building robot gone haywire.
Fearing a shortage of toys for the Christmas season, a pinch hitter is brought in to help address the problem. Kevin, aka the “Automated Toy Assembler Codenamed Kevin,” seems to be solving the problem at first, but then, in a twist no one could have seen coming, he starts producing an insane amount of toys, some of which are actually dangerous. So it’s up to the other elves, and a few other workshop helpers, to wrap all the toys that Kevin is flinging out, shut down the automaton gone awry, and, you know, generally save Christmas!
With the exception of the final boss fight, the holiday title’s six levels all play out the same. Gifts that Kevin is producing rain down from the sky, and you and your co-op buddies have to fire your special quick wrapping guns to wrap the gifts and then collect them. Each level has a time limit and a set number of gifts you have to collect within that limit. Evil toys will fall down as well, which will cause you to lost gifts if you run into them. A quick bop to the head will dispatch them and allow you to get back to the gift-wrapping and collecting. In addition to good and bad toys, coins also drop at random and these coins can be used at the between level item shop to purchase new power-ups that help make wrapping and collecting those gifts that much easier.
Elfsquad 7 is really a co-op game that’s intended for the family to play. It’s got a fun/whimsical setting with a story that kids and grown-ups can enjoy. Working as a team to collect all those gifts and beat the clock is achievable, but it can also be frantic and produce those moments where you just barely beat the buzzer. With three different difficulty levels – which not only affect the time limit and number of gifts you have to collect, but the layout of the six game levels as well – there’s always some challenge for any of your friends and/or family members, no matter what type of gamer they may be.
Elfsquad 7 presents (no pun intended) one of those experiences that really captures what co-op gaming, at its core, is all about. It’s not always about trying to overcome some seemingly impossible challenge, or exploring an epic story with your friends. At its core, co-op is about having fun with those friends – and Elfsquad 7 achieves that with a bow on top.
Wrap-Up
The Co-Op Experience: Choose from six characters, plus two hidden that can be unlocked, and team up with three friends to save Christmas!
Elfsquad 7 is Geared Towards: Gamers of all ages