VideoGamer.com Plays

What we've been playing this week.

Tom Orry, Editor - 'Splosion Man, XBLA
This XBLA puzzle platformer is brilliant. It's fun, challenging, humorous and full of character, and only 800 Microsoft Points. It also came from nowhere, having jumped up the XBLA release schedule a few weeks. Any game in which the main character can make himself explode automatically gains a few plus points, but if he also recites famous movie quotes now and again you know you're onto a winner. It's worth pointing out that towards the end 'Splosion Man gets very tricky, and you'll likely lose your love for a few minutes here and there, but it's well worth sticking with. Some of the insane jump chaining you need to do will make you feel like you've actually accomplished something.

Wesley Yin-Poole, deputy editor – The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition, Xbox LIVE Arcade
On and off, I’ve been playing perhaps the greatest LucasArts classic of them all with the ball and chain over the last week or so. I played and loved Monkey Island back in the day (on the Amiga 1200, no less), so you’d think I’d be all over this HD revamp like a Grog-induced rash. But I’m not, and it’s because of the control scheme. I’m sorry, but the joypad is simply awful for point and click adventure games. Even something as simple as getting Guybrush to walk across the screen feels like a chore. And don’t get me started on item use. Slow, cumbersome, painful – it’s all these damming adjectives and more. It’s still a great game, with tremendous dialogue, but if nothing else the Special Edition proves that the point and click is one genre that’s still miles better with a mouse and keyboard.

James Orry, News Editor - Football Manager Live, PC
In my last report from the world of FM Live the club was in dire financial straits, thanks to an out of control wage bill. Within a month I would have been in debt by around £1 million. Since then I've managed to offload a few of the squad's most senior and therefore most money hungry players: Heitinga and Cejas. No doubt their departure will be a major loss for the team; in fact The Dangler's current 12th position in the Premier League indicates they are already being missed. On the plus side, the club's finances are now much healthier, with a projected cash balance of well over a million this time next month. Look out for a riveting report on the condition of the VideoGamer.com stadium next week.

Sebastian Ford, Video Producer – Peggle, XBLA
I wasn’t planning to, I accidentally skipped over Battlefield when I was scrolling through my downloaded games, but what the hell I’ll play for a couple of minutes. Nope. Another hour of my life vanished. Like a smack addicted hobo I craved more, and even if I had to stay up all night I was going to experience the exhilaration of completing the harder challenge modes. In this hour I played a whopping three levels, in an attempt to score 300,000 points and hit all the orange pegs as well. I found the trick was to use the unicorn guy, whose guided accuracy assured many 25,000 point long shots as well as sucking up the precious oranges. Sunflower guy had been my favourite in levels gone by, but his low point average was bringing me to near breaking point. Sweat, blood and tears later I retreated, a broken man, to my keep, doomed to a night of restless sleep dreaming of balls… I mean, hot chicks… Yeah.

For more on what we've been up to this week check out the brand-new VideoGamer.com Podcast.