Chester | Review (XBL Indie Games)

About once every year, there is always one game that gets released that simply surprises me. You know: the type of game that sure does look interesting at first but doesn’t seem to be incredible but end up being a total blast. Last year, this game was Super Meat Boy. In 2009, it was Final Fantasy XIII. So far this year, this game might as well be Benjamin Friedrich’s Chester, a great platformer available for the Xbox LIVE Indie Games on the Xbox 360 (and part of the Indie Games Summer Uprising promotion).

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Source: thatgamerhub.com

Battle High: San Bruno | Review (XBLIG)

Battle High: San Bruno is another entrant in the now returned fighting genre, but how exactly does it fare with the increasing standards for kicking the living hell out of each other with a bunch of weirdos?

While a basic premise holds the rather lame characters together, it takes inspiration from every other fighting game in which they all want something and it just so happens, one person holds the key to it. Originality isn’t what shines in San Bruno and the text tid-bits just adds to this weird charm of lackluster-ness surrounding it.

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Source: thatgamerhub.com

Indie Games Summer Uprising Giveaway [Last Day]

REVOLT! REVOLT! The Xbox Indie Games Summer Uprising is here and some great games that you may not have heard of are trying start a revolution and make their way into your hands. And That Gamer Hub, being the rebels that we are, are trying to help them do just that. This contest is week one of two where we are giving away download codes for some of the games that are featured in the Summer Uprising.

This week’s featured Summer Uprising are Cute Things Dying Violently and T.E.C. 3001 and, as always, are simple to enter to win!

Click here to enter

SpeedRunner HD | Review (XBL Indie Games)

Fast-action platformers have been coming back into the gaming scene quite a bit recently with titles like Super Meat Boy. While these games are not built for everyone (as they can be very unforgiving), the Xbox LIVE Indie Games platform has also been hit by this wave with titles like The Deep Cave and Aban Hawkins & the 1000 SPIKES. Originally released in June 2011 as a browser game, DoubleDutch Games’ SpeedRunner HD has landed on Microsoft’s Indie Game channel. Was the transition between the two platforms successful? Let’s find out.

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Source: thatgamerhub.com

Aban Hawkins & the 1000 SPIKES | Review (XBL Indie Games)

Let’s face it: we live in a completely different video game era than what most of us grew up in. Whether we think about casual gaming or the complex and complete experiences some games offer, the old-school formula has mostly been left out. While evolution is a good thing, a good dose of nostalgia does not hurt once in a while. For those looking for this in a game, this is what 8bits Fanatics’ Aban Hawkins & the 1000 SPIKES brings to the table.

Aban Hawkins is a old-school platformer that mixes elements from classics like Mega Man and Super Mario Bros. You control Aban Hawkins, an adventurer resembling Indiana Jones, as he makes his way through dungeons to find rare artefacts. The game is composed of about 20 levels that use the same foundations: Get the key and leave through the magic gate. Sounds easy? Think again. Each level is filled with tons of traps, spikes, scarabs and other obstacles that will make your trip through the game a difficult ride. Luckily, you do not get only one chance to make it through the dungeons. Actually, you are given a thousand lives to do so. While this may sound like a lot, you will certainly end up using many of them. Also, without spoiling anything, the ending is worthy of the endings found in the best NES games.

On the presentation side, Aban Hawkins achieves what it is aiming for: the nostalgia factor. The sprites resemble what most of the best classics looked like and the 8-bit music is one that you will enjoy listening through, although it does get repetitive after a while.

As noted before, the game is very hard. It starts out with few traps and quickly starts to get complex. Dying will be necessary so that you learn the right paths and timing to use to get through each section of the game’s levels. While some gamers might be happy with the challenge the game has to offer, it will definitely scare out some players. Even for advanced gamers, the game is hard to get through and will make you curse. Luckily, for those who have a hard time on a specific level, there is a “Skip Stage” option that can be used up to ten times.

In short, Aban Hawkins & the 1000 SPIKES is a challenge. Gamers who cannot get enough of games like Super Meat Boy must buy it without hesitating since the game only cost 80 Microsoft Points (about 1$) and will give you about 5-7 hours of gameplay (depending on your skill level). As for the others, downloading the trial is your best bet. If you can get over the difficulty aspect of the game, you will find an incredible old-school platformer.

Aban Hawkins & the 1000 SPIKES is available on the Xbox LIVE Indies Games channel for the Xbox 360 for 80 Microsoft Points (1$).

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Positives:
- Perfect NES-era graphics and music
- Addictive gameplay
- Will challenge even the best players
- Low price

Negatives:
- Difficulty will scare out some players

Screenshots from 8bits Fanatics

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