Review: PopCap Arcade Volume 2 (Xbox 360)
Release: March 31, 2009
Developer: PopCap Games
Publisher: PopCap Games
Genre: Casual Arcade
Rating: Everyone to Everyone 10+
Although they have only recently made the jump from the computer to the console, PopCap Games has released Arcade Volume 2 for the Xbox 360. Included in the pack is the increasingly popular Peggle, the family friendly Feeding Frenzy 2, and the ever necessary mindless destruction of Heavy Weapon. All three games fully support 720p HD graphics and can be hooked up through Dolby 5.1 Digital Surround Sound, so have no fear playing this collection on your big screen HDTV.
Peggle
First released in early 2007, Peggle was voted one of the top 5 most addicting games by MSNBC after only a few months. The popularity has continued to grow and PopCap has once again capitalized on this by releasing Peggle as part of the Volume 2 collection.
Peggle is a relatively simple game in which you direct the release of a pinball through a series of pegs and watch as it falls towards the bottom of the screen. The objective is to clear as many orange pegs as you can before your turns run out, but there are opportunities to get more turns through various point upgrades. During the course of every turn there is a purple peg that changes location and can be hit to multiply the number of points already collected from the other pegs during that turn. There are also green pegs that release a “magic power” depending on which “Peggle Master” you are using. As you continue through the game powers range from ball redirection, pinball flippers, multi-balls, and even random chance.
To start off the game you must play with each of the 10 Masters and learn their ability while raking up points and clearing the boards. Once this task is completed you have free reign over all of the boards and can play them as desired with whichever Master you choose. There are also various other challenges including boards where you must clear a certain number of orange pegs, which is usually a higher amount then was on the original board. Peggle also allows for gaming against others through Xbox Live, which adds to the excitement and can actually be just as entertaining as some other more well known games.
Only complaint comes from a European friend of mine who says he is annoyed by the song that is repetitively played every time a level is completed, because it holds a higher significance in Europe.
Heavy Weapon
Heavy Weapon is an enjoyable war game in which you are a nuclear tank fighting off a Russian invasion during the Cold War. There are 19 missions to play through, all the while upgrading your tank to fight stronger, faster, and meaner than the enemies. Gameplay is in 2D with the tanks motion only going from left to right, but the turret on the tank can be swung back and forth by rotating the right control stick.
This is the type of game that is enjoyable to play after getting home from a long day at work. When your coworkers have been upsetting you, simply turn on the game, push up with your right thumb and over with your left thumb, cleaving a path of destruction through your enemies. Just be careful not to shoot down your own helicopters, which aid you along the way with various upgrades and health packs.
Throughout the 19 missions your tank can be upgraded with a number of distinct weapons. There is a flack cannon, laser, some protective orbs, and rockets to name just a few. By the end of the game, using your cumulative point total, your tank and arsenal keep you pretty well protected. Just be sure to keep your eye on all of the ever quicker enemies you face.
Bosses can be somewhat disappointing in this game. At the end of each level there is an encounter you must overcome to move forward, however most of them are pretty easy. Adding insult to injury, some of them make no sense, such as a giant floating head or an aircraft that looks much like an octopus. But then again, you are a nuclear powered tank that can shoot lasers, nuclear bombs, and homing missiles all at the same time.
Also, for the more masochistic types, there is an option to face only the bosses in what is called Boss Blitz. A survival mode and co-op option wrap up the extent of this game.
Feeding Frenzy 2
The final game in this trifecta of awesomeness is Feeding Frenzy 2. It took a while to get into this game, as it is somewhat different from the others. You are a fish that eats smaller fish till you grow up and can eat the larger fish. While that task sounds simple, it can prove difficult when sharks and jellyfish are swimming all around.
Feeding Frenzy’s plot revolves around fish attempting to understand some interesting events going on, or at least that is the background story. Mostly each level is the same and the objective is to eat a lot while not being eaten. Throughout the more than 60 different levels you start out as different kinds of fish based on where you are on the map of the ocean, starting first with a small fish and then over time starting with ever larger fish. However, your competition gets larger at the same time.
Breaks in the action of story mode come from bonus levels sprinkled throughout in which you must eat a certain number of fish or catch a certain number of bugs within a given time limit. Try for the triple flip above the water and you can even gain a couple of gamerscore points. For points in the game that can lead to extra lives, make sure that you eat a lot of the starfish bubbles that arise from time to time on the ocean floor. Also, and this gets easier with a sucking ability that comes into the game as you continue, eating entire schools of fish will give you big points as well.
Feeding Frenzy 2 has the option for both co-op and multiplayer but these are couchplay only. No Live action here.
Final Breakdown
PopCap is proving to be very generous by bringing some of their best PC games to the Xbox, not only through XBLA but now on a disc that retails for only $19.95. Each of these games costs that much to download individually onto your PC! Needless to say, this is a fantastic deal. Also, add in the fact that you can play Peggle over Xbox Live with friends, and you have your moneys worth. I found that out while playing for almost three hours last night!
However, releasing games that have already been on XBLA for a while seems somewhat redundant. If you have already downloaded them, do not worry about buying them again. Also, while playing Peggle over Live it also seemed that the disc version ran somewhat slower than the downloaded version. Best of all, many of the kinks have been worked out of these games because they have already been around for a few years. So when you get a chance, Peggle with the Masters, destroy aircrafts with a super powered tank, or take on a barracuda. Fire up PopCap Arcade Volume 2, it is well worth the investment.
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