For $99, this piece of hardware is built a lot better than what I would've expected. I like the "sand-blasted" aluminum and just the overall design and form factor of the Ouya. In addition, I found the controller to be of equal build quality. I recognize that the controller has seen some revisions and changes but the retail version is really nice. The aluminum face plates feel nice and cool and just add an overall solidity to the controller. As much as I love the PS3 controller, it feels light, cheap, and screams a lot of plastic in comparison to the Ouya controller. However, my biggest complaint with the Ouya controller is the absolutely crappy touchpad that is nearly useless and thankfully not needed all that much.
I didn't have any snags with setup of the Ouya and on launch day I was welcomed with a system update. The content on the Ouya store (discover option) grows every day and I am discovering new games to play on a daily basis. The Ouya store is presented in a basic way sorted by categories but there is an interesting category called the Sandbox. This is where a lot of games will end up first until they generate enough downloads, likes, and interest to show they are proven to be in the featured categories. I have discovered some neat games through the Sandbox category but nothing mind blowing and mostly what you expect from one person development.
I have downloaded close to 20 titles and obviously it is great being able to sample all of the games for free in some way. As of right now, I have only paid for one title (Knightmare Tower - $3.99) and the Ouya has provided me with a week's worth of entertainment roughly 3-4 hours per night. Speaking of Knightmare Tower, this is easily my favorite single player game on the Ouya. The gameplay is addicting, fun, polished and complimented with great art style. Here's an excellent review about Knightmare Tower: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013- ... uya-review
Some of the other single player titles that I have enjoyed so far include Super Crate Box, Muffin Knight, Vector, Canabalt HD, Dubwars, Beast Boxing Turbo, and Puddle THD. There is still plenty more that I haven't even loaded and tried yet such as Chronoblade, A Fist of Awesome, The Ball, and Final Fantasy III.
On the multiplayer front, the Ouya is really bringing back the idea of couch gaming (it even has a category on the store). There are some real gems that are a blast to play with friends and family. I know these names have been tossed around before but Towerfall and Bombsquad are easy recommendations. In fact, I played only the free version of Towerfall last night with my wife for 4 hours straight, which makes it a must buy. I'm looking forward to playing that one with 4 people.
Bombsquad is also another excellent multiplayer game that supports up to 8 players! Not to mention, the Ouya supports PS3 and Xbox 360 controllers so you don't need to worry about buying additional Ouya controllers. Bombsquad even has the option to let gamers use their iPhones as additional controllers! I've also enjoyed games like Bombball, Ice Rage, and Hidden in Plain Sight as additional multiplayer choices.
Honestly, anyone purchasing an Ouya and believing or thinking that this is meant to be on par or compete with Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo offerings are only deluding themselves. However, if you enjoy the Ouya for what it is, you will find a nice little package here that certainly has some value at a measly $99. Ouya is great if you prefer to play iOS and Android experiences on a big screen with a controller. In addition, Ouya will certainly have its share of unique indie content as well as some more popular indie titles while really bringing back the couch gaming experience. Finally, Ouya has a lot of tinkering potential such as working emulators up until the N64 and PS1 era, media options such as XBMC, and even a side-loaded Onlive for those that use the service.
Ouya goodness on 92":
Looking forward to it!
