So, yeah. With 300+ unfinished games going by feel was just too stressful. I've chosen a completely arbitrary delineation to my backlog: I'm going to beat my games alphabetically. First up: 'Splosion Man.
(Here's the full list)
I bought the Xbox Live Arcade Triple Pack last summer, so I've had 'Splosion Man for about 10 month (
wow) but today was the first time I sunk some serious time into it. It's a hardcore platform/puzzler in the vein of Super Meat Boy, but where that game evoked Super Mario Bros, 'Splosion Man is more in the Sonic or Donkey Kong Country vein. It's definitely on the slower and more deliberate side that Meat Boy, but for whatever reason it's giving me a lot more trouble than that game did. Something about the way your triple "jump" (really exploding) works just doesn't feel natural to me. Overall, it actually reminds me the most of Dust Force, another game I need to spend some more time with. I just beat the seconds "world" in 'Splosion Man.
I'd just like to point out that Twisted Pixel has done a pretty excellent job infusing this game with character. Your avatar bursts into Crash Bandicoot-style idle animations within seconds of being left alone, and between the nonsensical noises he makes and the upbeat soundtrack everything sounds great. I don't know if I'm really craving more 'Splosions enough to pick up the sequel, but I have The Maw on the backburner and I'd certainly pick up The Gunstringer if the Kinect appealed to me. Probably the smartest third-party acquisition Microsoft has made this generation.