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8/18/2008 5:42 PM | 1 Comments | Page 1 of 4

1942: Joint Strike
Developer: Backbone Entertainment
Publisher: Capcom
Price: 800 Microsoft Points
Originally Appeared on: N/A

RECOMMENDATION:
Try It

Continuing Capcom's trend of reimagining its classic games as downloadable exclusives is 1942: Joint Strike, an updated take on the 1984 arcade title. This vertical-scrolling shooter takes place in an alternate WWII-era universe, which means that you won't be seeing any outrageous spaceships or aliens here. Even so, the stylized enemy crafts and flashy weapons couldn't exactly be classified as "realistic."

Like many shooters, Joint Strike isn't a terribly long experience. With just a handful of levels, you'll probably breeze through the game in an hour or so. Of course, the point of these games is to repeatedly go through the whole thing in an effort to raise your top score. The problem here is that the gameplay mechanics just aren't exciting enough to warrant multiple play-throughs.

The most innovative feature is only accessible when playing with a partner. The titular Joint Strike attack forces the two players to coordinate their attacks to pull off the extremely powerful move. Sadly, the move isn't available in single-player mode, being replaced by a standard missile attack. If you've got a buddy on call, this is a more worthwhile purchase. Otherwise, definitely try before you buy.

Go! Go! Break Steady
Developer: Little Boy Games
Publisher: Microsoft
Price: 800 Microsoft Points
Originally Appeared on: N/A

RECOMMENDATION:
Try It

Have you ever been playing a music/rhythm game and suddenly felt the urge to play a puzzle game for a couple minutes? Or have you been avoiding purchasing Zuma on Xbox Live Arcade because there simply isn't enough breakdancing in it? Well, brother, have we got the game for you!

That pretty much sums up what the oddly named Go! Go! Break Steady is all about. You spend a few minutes tapping the controller's buttons in rhythm to some fairly generic beats before the gameplay shifts to puzzle mode where you must launch multicolored blocks at the ring of blocks surrounding your breakin' avatar. Match the colors, and the ring collapses in on itself, triggering combos if the colors match up right. The better you perform in the rhythm segment, the easier time you'll have whilst puzzling. When the ring is gone, it's back to the rhythm section, and the cycle begins anew.

Despite the seemingly odd juxtaposition of the two genres, they actually complement each other pretty well. The transition between the two styles of gameplay is surprisingly natural. The main problem is that, although there's a novelty factor in the hybrid, neither plays as well as titles that are dedicated to being solely a rhythm or puzzle game.