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Assault Heroes assaulted with co-op issue
As Jerry Seinfeld might put it, "what's the deal with Assault Heroes?" We posted our favorable impressions of the game last week, and we have since encountered a serious problem. During our first play test we encountered some connection problems with co-op games. In some cases we could never get one started and were left hanging on a "waiting" screen. Other times, we've been left hanging at the same screen in between levels -- after we've already established a connection. Playing with a blogger from Joystiq today (Ludwig Kietzmann), we managed to join 1 out of 3 games. According to Kietzmann, the one successful game we played was the first one he had ever been able to join since the game's release. We haven't played the title enough to assess how serious this problem is, but if it is widespread, then it needs to be dealt with. Have any of you encountered this problem? If so, speak up.
Assault Heroes impressions: shoot it all!
We hooked up with Gamertag Radio's Godfree to play some co-op Assault Heroes earlier, and except for some connection problems, we enjoyed the game quite a bit. Assault Heroes is a top-down shooter akin to many shooters of the nineties. The only direct comparison we can thing of would be Jackal, which also involved a jeep. Assault Heroes finds players driving and shooting in multiple directions, à la Geometry Wars. You start the game driving a heavily armed jeep, not unlike Halo's Warthog. There are three selectable weapons: the minigun, flamethrower, and flak cannon. The minigun is your all around weapon; it's medium range, rapid fire, and effective against most targets. The flamethrower is powerful but has very limited range. The flak cannon acts like a gauss rifle: it's long range and causes heavy damage, but it has a slow reload time. Players also have access to limited grenades that are great for causing heavy damage to structures and bosses. Finally, there is, of course, a screen-clearing nuke.
Assault Heroes assaults XBLA today
Just a reminder from your friendly neighborhood fanboys, Assault Heroes is now available for Xbox Live Arcade. We've downloaded the trial version and look forward to blasting baddies to bits. As soon as we get a little "me"-time with the game, we'll post some impressions. We do this as a service to those that are chained to desks (office or school) and cannot try the game themselves. As for the rest of you -- the crazy ones who stay up past midnight just to download Arcade titles -- do you like it thus far?
Assault Heroes gameplay trailer
Tomorrow marks the release of Assault Heroes on Xbox Live Arcade. It also marks the third original Arcade title in a row that we've received, which is something of a Christmas miracle. But what the hell is Assault Heroes you ask? It's a top down shooter of the old school variety, full of giant enemies, plenty of weapons, and some nifty team maneuvers. Watch the video embedded after the break for a heaping helping of shootery goodness. It's unfortunate that YouTube has enfuzzinated* the picture, because the game is actually very sharp. We're looking forward to giving it a try tomorrow.
Assault Heroes coming to XBLA Wednesday
Tomorrow, December 13th, Assault Heroes will be slamming onto the Xbox Live Arcade and be ready to download. Assault Heroes is a vehicular combat game where you are part of the special forces searching for a secret underground lab and fighting to save humanity. The game also allows for campaign co-op via Xbox Live and allows quite a bit of freedom from land vehicles, to boats, to battling it out on foot. Download Assault Heroes on the XBLA for 800 Microsoft Points this Wednesday. Full press release after the break.
Will Assault Heroes revive Xbox Live Arcade?
The third original title to hit Xbox Live Arcade in less than a month, Assault Heroes, will arrive on Wednesday (for 800 points). Wanako Studios' top-down shooter (à la Commando, Ikari Warriors, etc.) will follow closely behind two insipid releases, Small Arms and Roboblitz, which have appeared on XBLA during the past three weeks. Ever since Geometry Wars stole the Xbox 360 launch spotlight, there's been a great deal of anticipation for more original XBLA titles; and Microsoft has certainly put together a fine strategy: holding them off for a holiday blitz. But the early bait has failed to earn our confidence -- our assurance that XBLA can consistently provide distinguishing experiences. And so, it's with much trepidation that we look forward to Assault Heroes' impending arrival.
X06: XBLA mini-impressions
While demos for major retail games dominated the show floor at X06, there was a small neglected corner devoted to current and upcoming games for Xbox Live Arcade. Some of the more interesting upcoming releases: Assault Heroes -- Yet another overhead shooter with dual-stick controls for movement and shooting. This one sets itself apart with vehicles and... that's about it. Graphics are impressively detailed for a Live Arcade title. Heavy Weapon -- Also a dual-stick shooter, but this one is from the side view. Co-op play has been added since the E3 demo, and the graphics have been polished up quite a bit. Simple, but surprisingly addictive -- all it needs is a jump button to be truly complete. Small Arms -- Described by the demo attendant on hand as "Super Smash Bros., but with weapons," a pretty accurate assessment. Lots of button-mashing in both long range and melee combat. Controls and balance need some touching up, but has the potential to be a great party game. Street Trace NYC -- Very early version of a hoverboard/shooter deathmatch, complete with rail slides and rocket launchers. Targeting was a mess and managing all the different weapons and functions while boarding was difficult. Needs work. No specific releases or prices were available for these titles, but Microsoft said they are all expected by the holidays worldwide. Also see: Lumines Live mini-impressions
