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XG Blast DS Review - www.impulsegamer.com -

Gameplay 7.2
Graphics 7.1
Sound 7.0
Value 7.0
Distributor: AFA
Classification:
G
Reviewer:
Simon O'Donnell

7.0


XG Blast

XG Blast takes us back to those classic arcade shooters which has the gamer controlling a space ship against an endless hoard of the enemies. With DS in hand and access to a variety of weapons, players control the spaceship Aknathen (Egypt reference?) where you have been called to investigate a strange space anomaly. Unfortunately on the way, you are sucked into a wormhole and end up in another dimension that is filled with a plethora of alien entities, all hell bent on your destruction. The mission is simple, blow them all to hell, solve the anomaly and return home.

Reminiscent to those classic retro arcade games with those top-down views, this arcade fighter takes us back to a simpler time and interesting enough, this title actually has a interesting story. Apart from being called to explore this space anomaly, your ship is also carrying a prototype weapon called the XG Blast which of course will save your skin on more than one occasion. In hindsight, the game feels like Asteroids meets Geometry Wars with similar arcade mechanics as you make your way through a variety of different stages, boss fights and an almost unlimited number of enemies.

With a super easy learning curve, ensuring that all gamers will be able to pick this up and start playing, XG Blast is the pure definition of a mindless shooter as you blast your enemies to kingdom come. Of course there are two catches, your ship has a limited number of energy for shields and you can only use your prototype when there is enough energy. Thankfully this is monitored by two graphs on the top screen to assist with your gameplay.

As the game progresses, so does the difficulty of the game which becomes the apex of the title where some gamers will fight on and others will put the game down in frustration or shame.

With all arcade games, there is no save feature and if you lose all your lives on a level, you need to restart the level from the start. Probably targeting the casual game market, XG Blast is addictive as it is frustrating and there are some unlockable features as you play which assists in the motivation of completing the title.

Amazingly enough, the game contains a decent multiplayer mode that has you playing either a game of Deathmatch or a co-op mode against this endless alien hoard. Unfortunately, additional cartridges are needed to play this feature but if you have a friend who has the game, it's definitely worth checking out.

Graphically, the title is rather basic with standard Nintendo DS arcade graphics that although is nothing spectacular, it does get the job done. Some of the backgrounds are nice as are the polygon like enemies that you engage. The same can be said about the sound which suits the game perfectly with those retro sound effects. Music, pure MIDI all the way!

In conclusion, XG Blast is a good arcade shooter that doesn't try to be too clever on the DS and features some classic gameplay for those that enjoy this genre. An easy learning curve and some interesting unlockable content that works well on the Nintendo DS. If you're a fan of classic games such as Asteroid or Galaga or more recently, Geometry Wars, than you may want to check this title out.






 
 



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