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This weekend Project Spark, the game creation tool for Xbox One and Windows 8, celebrated one year since the launch of its alpha.
Since then lots of marvellous creations have seen the light of day. Thankfully Microsoft’s News Wire has put together a list of ten of the best user creations you should take a look at.
A Cotton Tail
The story of a small squirrel trying to escape a desert environment, this is one of the prettiest “Project Spark” creations to date. It’s a nice, enclosed world with more than simply enemies to kill; your job is to run, jump, and not get eaten, all in an attempt to escape the desert.
Oakvale: Fable
This is a full recreation of the very first quest in Lionhead’s classic Xbox title, “Fable.” It includes the entirety of the Oakvale map and all of its inhabitants-even including all of their original dialogue. It’s no surprise that the fantasy stylings of “Project Spark” are right at home here, but you’ll still be shocked at how much detail the creator has managed to wedge into it.
Halo HUD and Enemies
More of a “proof of concept” than an actual game, this is exactly what it sounds like: a strikingly convincing recreation of the original Halo, down to the number of bullets remaining displayed on the HUD of your assault rifle. Expect to see some familiar enemy faces.
Block Blitz
Another simple-but-effective concept, the goal here is to help your little white square avoid attacks from all sides by bigger enemy squares. The results are surprisingly fun, with an impressive amount of polish for a user-made game.
Dakotris
Yep, this is pretty much “Tetris,” expertly executed using the “Project Spark” tools. You’ve played it before, certainly, but it will only take about 20 seconds to remember why you want to play it again.
Bubbles
In “Bubbles,” your job is to guide like-coloured bits toward each other; once they’re close, simply click them, and they disappear. The goal is to clear the whole screen, and the experience is a bit like popping packing bubbles-just way more colourful.
Anti Smasher
This conceptual, twitch-based puzzle game demonstrates that you are definitely not limited to fantasy fare in “Project Spark,” and can definitely veer into abstract territory. Basically, when you move the white block in “Anti Smasher,” the black one moves in the opposite direction… it’s that simple. There are only five levels at the moment, but this is smart, addictive stuff.
Pinball Raid 2
Pinball, anyone? “Pinball Raid 2” takes you to a rather historic-looking miniature village, with interactive scenery that your ball can activate or destroy. Very slick!
Blaze Jumper
This 2D platformer recalls the Xbox Live Arcade “Super Meat Boy.” It’s minimal, stark, and tough-as-nails.
Gradius Fox Complete
A mash-up of some pretty classic space shooters, this sidescroller is akin to “Gradius.” It’s chock full of weapons and power-ups, and features a multitude of cool nods to the games that inspired it.
If you’re yet to give Project Spark a try the game is now in open beta on Xbox One.
Source: Xbox Wire
