Verdict: nice and simple

In a Nutshell: You are a pyrotechnician in this rhythm game.

(from the game’s EA website)

“Set off an amazing display of fireworks with Boom Boom Rocket. As rockets fly against a spectacular cityscape, time their detonation to the beat of the music to unleash some awesome pyrotechnics. Featuring four game modes including two multiplayer modes, mesmerizing graphics, and a great soundtrack of remixed classics with a contemporary beat, Boom Boom Rocket is the explosive must-have game for Xbox Live Arcade.”

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And the winner is . . . . .The MAW!

• ESRB: E10
• Players/Mode: Single-player
• System: XBox360
• Developer: Twisted Pixel Games
  
• Website: http://www.mawgame.com/

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Verdict: yellow spacemen are annoying!

In a Nutshell: Can’t say that I’ve seen anything quite like Strange Attractors 2. Closest I can get is pinball of the distant future meets cosmic wooden labyrinth puzzle.

(from the game’s website)

“Strange Attractors 2 is an evolution of its original one-switch predecessor. In it you use your ship’s gravity drive to navigate and escape from complex labyrinths full of secrets, hazards, and antagonizing screaming spacemen.

While the game’s controls have grown to include an “Anti-Gravity” button, and a “Shockwave” attack (bringing the number of inputs to a staggering three!), the game is still completely playable (including menu navigation) with a single switch.”

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Verdict: The more I play this game, the more I like it.

In a Nutshell: Audiosurf is a rythm arcade racer with tracks built from your music library.

(from the game’s website)

“Audiosurf is a music-adapting puzzle racer where you use your own music to create your own experience. The shape, the speed, and the mood of each ride is determined by the song you choose. You earn points for clustering together blocks of the same color on the highway, and compete with others on the internet for the high score on your favorite songs.”

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Verdict: More, please?

In a Nutshell: Polarity is a short, concept proving side-scroller with an,  ahem,  “attractive” twist.

(from the game’s website)

“Polarity is a 2D platforming/puzzle game based on the concept of magnetic forces.

The goal of the game is to navigate environments and solve puzzles by using your suit’s magnetic properties in interesting ways.  you cna attract to and repel from objects, instantly switch magnetic polarity, or even boost the strength of your magnetic field for added abilities”

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Verdict: cute

In a Nutshell: The Amazing Brain Train is a collection of logic and memory mini-games.

(from the game’s website)

” All aboard! Power up your intellect and embark on an epic quest aboard The Amazing Brain Train!

Fueled by your mental energy, Professor Fizzwizzle’s Brain Train will take you on a brain-boosting adventure! Put your mighty mind to the test and see how far you can go!”

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Verdict: wicked smart

In a Nutshell: This is a casual puzzle/platformer where the solutions require your current self to plan moves for your future self/selves, then to go back in time so that your past self/selves have cleared the path for your current self . . . ouch.

(from the game’s website)

“It’s about a robot that goes back in time for some reason. (His best friend is a talking pie!)
Use your time machine to interact with past versions of yourself in this puzzle/platformer!”

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The 2008 Penny Arcade Expo has come and gone from the Washington State Convention Center. I’m finding it difficult to sum up in words my experiences of this past weekend. I’m glad today was a holiday because I definitely needed some recovery time. But even though the respite was welcome and very beneficial, I’m still left with a feeling of loss.

After posting some pictures over on Flickr, a friend asked “What is PAX?” I supplied a link to the PAX site and tried to sum it up. But after thinking about it, my answer was not as sufficient as I would like. If asked again, my answer would have to be something like this:

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