looks fun and might just be my first xbox live indie game buy. Not only does it look really polished (which, is sad that most... maybe all... arn't so polished) but it looks really fun to play.
from the press release:
Today, we are trying a little experiment, by introducing the Arkedo Series. The concept is very simple (hey, we're French): we want to make a new game each month.
This will allow us to experiment quite a lot and focus on bite-sized gaming, which is basically heaven to us.
The first game of the series is already there, called "Arkedo Series - 01 JUMP!". It is available on XBL Indie, and was done by 2 guys in 35 days. We start simple (hey, we're French) with a good old platformer. The good news is that is is already well ranked: #1 in France and #4 in the US, after 6 days on the platform.
This game is great. The music and graphics hit just the right note. Some of the little visual touches they included resulted in the best modern use of retro graphics since Pac-Man CE. The nods to Pitfall and Mario are nice, and not overdone.
But the gameplay is the real reason to drop 3 bucks on this one. Simple but solid, and challenging for one decidedly retro reason: no continues. You'll have to memorize and use trial-and-error in order to beat all 31 levels in a row. I bought it last night and got up to 29 before losing out. Beating it unlocks challenge levels and I hear there is another round to unlock after that.
It's similar to the puzzle game portion of Henry Hatsworth for the DS. Colored blocks scroll up from the bottom of the screen and you have to match four colors in a row to eliminate them before they reach the top. Not very original, but if Arked Series - 01 JUMP! is any indication, I think that the series is going for that throwback style.
I really enjoy the retro style graphics, and the music is catchy, but it's not colorblind friendly which makes it a bit hard for me to play. The game just uses colored blocks without shapes or symbols. I get the greens and yellows mixed up and panic until I get them to match!
It's worth playing, and it only costs like $3, so give it a shot!
