Splosion Man completely came out of left field. We all knew it was developed by, Twisted Pixel, the guys who created The Maw. But who thought they would come up with something this light-hearted and fun? Splosion Man takes inspiration from many things and still manages to keep its own personality with clever humor and level design. The game is easily a puzzle platformer with a character that is about as wacky and crazy as they come. Every jump in this game is known as a “Splosion”. The character is a science experiment gone wrong and as you play the game you’ll notice how completely off the wall the humor is. Splosion Man is a treat that comes every once in a while and you must be wondering why I’m praising this game so early? Read on to find out.

Gameplay

Splosion Man kicks off the “Summer of the Arcade” in style this year. At 800 MS points it’s practically a steal. Twisted Pixel has done an excellent job mixing characterization, level design as well as clever humor to make up one of the most fun games in a long time. You take control of Splosion Man, the man destined to ‘splode anything in his path. There are 50 single player levels that make the game have more depth then probably any Xbox Live Arcade game on the market right now. I should point out that Splosion Man is cemented into being a side scroller and anyone that has a played a game in their life can pick up the controller and immediately get into Splosion Man. However, there are only a few things that bring Splosion Man down from being the top tier puzzle platformer.

Every level has a set “par time” to it as set by Twisted Pixel believing that the general public could easily complete the level in the short amount of time they listed. Not once did I manage beat the level in their time range. I have come close, however, and to those of you going on the adventure to speed run the game; good luck. A lot of later stages require quick reflexes and strategy as you’ll find yourself getting frustrated more often then not. The way the controller is mapped out is every button gets you ‘Sploding no matter what. This is how you’re getting around, by Sploding (jumping) as this launches Splosion Man into the air as you complete the puzzles within each level. You’ll be climbing on platforms, escaping from enclosing walls…etc. You can explode up to three times before you’re forced to cool off. So, you’ll have to watch what you’re doing so you don’t end up in the wrong place. There are also objects like exploding barrels and jets that will help boost your jump.

There is a co-operative multiplayer mode that you can take either online or local. There are again, 50 levels with all the challenges you can imagine. You’ll be Splosion Men and your job is to work together to help solve these puzzles to move onto the next level. Communication the key to work together on each level, you’ll be able to explode each other to new heights and obviously help each other with hard to reach switches…etc. The levels are pretty much on the same difficulty setting as the single player which means you’ll be suffering the same difficult challenges no matter which way you turn it.

You’ll quickly enjoy Splosion Man himself with his clever humor and his all endearing love for all things cake. The best part about the game comes when you’re going after the scientists and make them explode. They’ll be bursting into piles of meat, and who doesn’t love meat? We’re all made of meat and bones, right? So, it’s only natural the game would take this turn to take advantage of our insides. The game feels as if you’re playing something from the golden days of Sonic the Hedgehog on the Sega Genesis. That doesn’t mean the game is perfect though, there are a couple of issues with it. The loading times are rather long and can be nerve racking after you complete every level and you feel like you’re on a role.

Graphics and Sound

Splosion Man has a very pleasing visual style creating its own unique world. The artistry is quite different from the norm much like Twisted Pixel’s previous title, The Maw. The unique level design gives it an almost flawless presentation. However, the only problem seems to be the camera which at times can be wonky and cause your death. This is something to look out for while playing through much of the later levels. The audio is another nice addition with the quirky character “voices” and wacky music; you’ll find yourself completely absorbed in Splosion Man.

Plasma Factor

The thing that makes Splosion Man a complete package is the fact that it has everything you want in an Xbox Live Arcade title. There isn’t anything here that could be missing aside from tweaking a few minor technical issues. As I said before, Splosion Man is a steal for 800 Microsoft points. You would be cheated if you didn’t at least try the trial version of the game. With 50 single and multiplayer levels there is plenty to do and the co-op addition for local and online; just makes it worth it.

Conclusion

Splosion Man is one of those rare games that manage to find the right balance between fun and frustration. You don’t need much skill to play the game and within minutes you could find yourself already 5 levels in. The game has great replayability and with the addition of co-op, friends can join in and lend a helping hand. Splosion Man is the perfect way to kick off Xbox Live’s “Summer of the Arcade” part 2. With great level design and a lovable main character, this is one game that you’ll be talking about for a while.