Lighthouse Games Studio is quietly becoming a master of the Flash-esque “Fun for a few rounds every now and then” casual gameplay that has brought numerous Flash portals all over the internet such fame and attention. But instead of being a browser-based crew, they operate in the realm of XBLIG, which means that we can put the spotlight on them. Today we have the opportunity to review not one, but two of their games, and if you stick with the review, you can earn yourself a free redemption code for a third game of theirs.
A WDesm double-dose for XBoxHornet
“Great way to have a little fun ‘blast’!”
Avatar Cannon is a simple game with a simple premise: Take your avatar, aim the cannon, fire the cannon, and watch ‘er fly. Depending on your skill (luck), your avatar will interact with various African fauna, which will drastically extend the distance you cover. A total of three launches are given to you, and the sum of your adventures is placed on a global leaderboard.
Your hard work and effort is rewarded in-game with small rewards via completing the “Awardments”, which is always a nice encouragement, and there’s even an Awardment (“Fan Boy”) that can be gained only by looking at their studio page, so be sure to give that a click. The rewards will assist you in getting a higher score, so keep at it, and you’ll be sure to climb the leaderboards easily enough!
Avatar Cannon isn’t a “sit down, play for 10 hours” game – it’s straight-forward, fun, casual, but there’s little meat on the bones. It may, however, fit in a very sweet spot when you have five minutes to kill waiting for a DLC, movie, or game to download, and you can always push yourself to unlock just a few more of its gimmicks.
Download a demo of the game here.
“A SECOND way to blast away time with your Avatar”
Avatar Rockets is our second feature by Lighthouse Games Studio, and, dare I say, the better of the double-feature. The principle is much the same: With a little skill and a lot of luck, waste a few minutes firing your avatar off into the unknown. In the case of Avatar Cannon, it was a horizontal flight with animals acting as further propulsion. In Avatar Rockets, it is a vertical adventure, and seemingly-randomly spawned fuel pods are what you have to aim for.
The game doesn’t include Awardments, unlike Avatar Cannon, but does include a small amount of customization: A bevy of spaceships await for you, as well as the option to use a simple painter to paint your own design. Additionally, unlike, the exclusively single-player adventure of Avatar Cannon, where the only inter-person competition is on the leaderboard, Avatar Rockets includes Xbox Live Party support, with either public or private matches, so that you can show your friends up and reach for the stars. Ultimately, much like Avatar Cannon, however, this game will serve better as an intermittent and occasional time waster, and not the primary focus of a gaming session. Avatar Rockets also has the bonus of being 1/3rd the cost of Avatar Cannon, which, when you’re looking for a casual time-waster, can be a selling feature.
Download a demo of the game here.
Both of the games looked at above are good ways to goof off with your avatar, although they do have limited longevity and are a tad skinny on features. Fortunately, not all of Lighthouse Games Studio’s offerings are designed for ten-minute bursts, and today, we’re going to give away a redemption code for myFishtank, an app XboxHornet reviewed back last May. To enter, simply leave a comment below stating which you prefer: Avatar Rockets or Avatar Cannon, and why. A winner will be chosen next Saturday (March 27th, 2010).
Filed under: Reviews, XboxHornet Reviews | Tagged: XBLA, XBLIG, Xbox, xbox indie, xbox360 | 13 Comments »