Aces of the Galaxy

Developer: Artech Studios

Publisher: Sierra Online

Price: 800 Microsoft Points

Originally appeared on: N/A

RECOMMENDATION:
Buy It

Somebody over at Artech Studios really digs StarFox. How else can you explain Aces of the Galaxy, which plays like Nintendo's classic space shooter if it were to be injected with a large dosage of adrenaline and neon? Hopping into one of two different (in appearance only) spaceships, you blast your way through a variety of levels packed full of enemy ships, asteroids and other space debris. To deal with the barrage of enemy fire, you have a few weapons at your disposal: a basic laser gun, torpedoes and missiles that allow you to lock onto multiple enemies at once, Rez-style. A "temporal shift" feature momentarily slows down time for those moments when you need to more efficiently dodge oncoming hazards.

With its branching levels and hectic action, Aces is a wonderful homage to StarFox. Making things even better is the two player co-op mode, which can be played locally or over Xbox Live. Be prepared for a challenge, though, as this game isn't easy. It's even tougher if you're competing for high scores. Aces is a harsh judge of your performance throughout the game.

Roogoo

Developer: SpiderMonk Entertainment

Publisher: SouthPeak Games

Price: 800 Microsoft Points

Originally appeared on: N/A

RECOMMENDATION:
Buy It

Usually, when a new "falling block" style puzzle game gets released, the gut reaction is to write it off as a Tetris clone and leave it at that. Every so often, though, a title is able to get past that stigma thanks to an innovative feature or gameplay twist that makes it stand out from the crowd. Roogoo's fresh take on the genre brings it up to the ranks of games like Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo and Meteos. The game's roots are in those pegboard toys that infants play with. You know, the things where you use a toy hammer to knock different shaped blocks into the properly shaped hole?

Here, the blocks are falling from the sky, and it's your job to rotate the circular platforms that sport the holes so that the correct hole lines up with the block as it falls through. It starts off fairly easy, but after a couple of levels, new challenges arise that increase the challenge. Soon you'll be dealing with enemies that block the holes and nefarious butterflies that drag your blocks back up through multiple platforms, forcing you to quickly think in reverse.

Like the best puzzle games, Roogoo is easy to learn, but the clever mechanic and increasing challenge keeps it addictive. There's also a multiplayer mode that allows up to four people to compete at once. Even if you don't care for the game's cutesy aesthetic (but how could you not ? those Roogoos are adorable!), this one is worth getting.

Frogger 2

Developer: Voltex Inc.

Publisher: Konami

Price: 800 Microsoft Points

Originally appeared on: N/A

RECOMMENDATION:
Fry It

To date, there have been two Frogger 2s. The first was Frogger II: Threedeep!, which was released in 1984 for Atari systems and the Commodore 64. In 2000, there was Frogger 2: Swampy's Revenge, for the PlayStation, Dreamcast, Game Boy Color and PC. Unreleased to either of those games is this third entry in the rapidly expanding "Frogger 2" genre, the subtitle-free, Frogger 2. This new game maintains a viewpoint similar to the original Frogger, albeit it with a more cartoonish look. Instead of crossing streets and rivers, however, our intrepid amphibious hero must now hop through all sorts of different environments in a variety of levels.

Applying the classic Frogger formula to a more expansive platform game isn't a new idea, and this particular one is hampered by imprecise controls, poor hit detection, and stupid design choices. Why is it when you try to hop onto a lily pad that's adjacent to the one that you're sitting on, Frogger actually jumps over the next pad and into the water? Dumb.

A couple multiplayer mini-games add a bit of variety, but they're not enough to drag this title out of the swamp. Just dig up an old copy of Threedeep!. At least that game had an amusing subtitle.

Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3

Developer: Backbone Entertainment

Publisher: Capcom

Price: 800 Microsoft Points

Originally appeared on: N/A

RECOMMENDATION:
Try It

Released the same week as Frogger 2, Wolf of the Battlefield is another modern-day sequel to a classic arcade game. In this case, it's Capcom's military-themed shoot-'em-up, Commando 3 (for the record, the second Commando game was released as Mercs in the United States). Retaining the same overhead viewpoint of its predecessor, Commando 3 tosses you into a battlefield where the goal is to simply shoot your way through the gauntlet of enemy soldiers. The controls have been conveniently reworked to take advantage of the Xbox 360's dual analog sticks, with one stick moving your character and the other providing 360-degree firing.

The gameplay is remarkably similar to its retro inspiration almost to a fault. Despite being relatively short with only five levels, the action quickly becomes repetitive. The best way to avoid this is to get a couple of friends in on the action (up to three people can play at once). Games like this are always more fun when played with others.

The overhead shooter genre is pretty overcrowded on Xbox Live Arcade, and it's hard to top titles like Geometry Wars and Assault Heroes. Commando 3 is a solid effort, though, and remember that those who buy it are eligible to partake in the Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix beta.

Elements of Destruction

Developer: Frozen Codebase

Publisher: THQ

Price: 800 Microsoft Points

Originally appeared on: DS

RECOMMENDATION:
Try It

There aren't enough games that allow you to play the role of evil madmen who take out their frustrations with the world by means of elaborate, wildly destructive schemes. Helping to fill that void is Elements of Destruction, a game where you control Dr. Edger Herbert, a recently fired scientist who decides to teach the world why you don't take a job away from a dude who has a weather machine. To exact your revenge, you harness the power of natural phenomena like tornadoes, earthquakes and lightning, using them to demolish everything in sight.

Each stage presents you with goals to accomplish, usually in the form of knocking down specific structures. Some buildings are naturally resilient to some disasters, and you'll have to counter attempts to stop your plan with devices like tornado-absorbing bombs (yes, we know this doesn't make sense). Laying waste to the different maps is quite satisfying, but there's no shaking the feeling of repetition that sets in after a few levels.

If your favorite part of SimCity was unleashing natural disasters on your teeming metropolis, you'll get a kick out of EoD. Everyone else should give the demo a try to see if 800 Microsoft Points is worth the temporary thrill of pretending that you're Cobra Commander.

Sea Life Safari

Developer: Wanako

Publisher: Sierra Online

Price: 800 Microsoft Points

Originally appeared on: N/A

RECOMMENDATION:
Fry It

Remember Pok?mon Snap for the Nintendo 64 (it's on the Virtual Console, too)? It was one of the only spin-off games in the Pok?mon franchise that was any good. In it, you traveled on rails through several levels using a camera to take pictures of the adorable little Pocket Monsters in their natural environment. Your pictures were then judged based on such factors as how centered the critter was, how large it appeared in frame, and how active it was when the shot was snapped. It seemed like a strange idea at first until you realized that it was essentially a non-violent light gun game. Sea Life Safari is essentially Pok?mon Snap, but with cartoon fish replacing Pikachu and company.

Safari's "inspiration" doesn't stop there. The game seems to be an amalgamation of Snap, "Finding Nemo," "Shark Tale," and even "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou." Kids will be mildly amused by it, but older gamers will quickly tire of playing the same five stages over and over again. The photo evaluation system is also a bit erratic. Prepare to be told that a fish is too far away when it's practically bumping into your lens. Never mind the fact that the game's canned responses keep insisting that creatures like turtles and crabs are "fish."