Ok! ...My Bad.

So... I haven't exactly been the epitome of responsible with this blog. ... my bad. So, I left you all hanging last week with a competitive game. So, THIS week I'm going to (attempt to) redeem myself with two cooperative games. By the way, did anyone get my almost nonsensical, poorly conceived double entendre last time? In case you missed it, here it is again:

Make-Up Sets: (Haha!)
Castle Crashers
This is a stylish cartoon brawler available on XBLA. It allows four players to play as adorable little knights on a quest to save four adorable little princesses (all wearing corresponding colors) and to save the kingdom from a nasty (yet still cute) gang of villains. Each knight has a unique weapon and a special set of magic. The blue knight controls ice, red fire, orange lightning and green poison. On your quest you discover new items such as improved weapons, a bow and arrow, a shovel for digging up hidden items, a boomerang, and more. There are also animals throughout the game you may capture and tame that give you different bonuses: a giraffe allows you to jump higher, a sea horse allows you to sprint through water, and a giant floating eyeball shoots lasers ...so there's that. As you progress you level up your character in several different areas: strength, defense, speed and magic. All this customization gives you the chance to create a unique playing style that works for you. What's great about the game is that it hides a lot of depth in simple, accessible gameplay. For the most part, the game plays like a beat em up. Mash the X and Y buttons and you'll get far in the game. Learn how to block, when to use your magic, and how to use teamwork and you'll get even farther. And you'll do it faster. With more... flair. All this accessibility and it's incredibly funny. It's a very charming world with delightful characters and the levels are short if your lady friend doesn't like long stints of gaming. One problem is that the game is designed for 2-4 player co-op which is great for date night but not as fun when she goes to bed and you want to play "just one more level" (lies beget more lies, guys). Also, when there are four players on screen the action can get a bit chaotic.

Here's a clip of the first level showing four player action, leveling up, the animals, weapon swapping, two bosses and the humor. Oh shit! Did I mention the humor?!



You can download the game on your Xbox for $15 or download the trial on Xbox.com. It's worth every penny. Trust me. There's also two pieces of dlc available that offers new characters, weapons and animals that are also available on Xbox.com.