Every few weeks we here at Kotaku make a selection of some of the best indie games that Xbox Live has to offer. These are our latest favorites.
You'll be able to find the list here for reference, or in the "Kotaku's favorites" channel in the Indie Game section of Xbox Live's Games Marketplace.
Vidiot Game (80 MSP): Picture an alternate universe where the WarioWare games first appeared on the Sega Genesis in 1991. Vidiot Game is the realization of that vision. The game has psychedelic art, an ever-changing "story" that can easily be described as insane, and a flavor that's been lacking in games since the 16-bit era. Gameplay is broken down into mini games (which involve such things as falling down a steep hill or outrunning a dust storm or flying a jetpack) and choose your own adventure style choices. Vidiot Game is silly, trippy, dumb fun contained in bite-size snippets.
Super Ninja Warrior Extreme (80 MSP): Super Ninja Warrior Extreme is an arcade platformer that is equal parts Super Meat Boy and Ninja Gaiden in terms of gameplay. The game has you wall-jumping through giant metal blades and slashing enemy ninjas to bloody pieces over the span of 30 levels. While almost ever other enemy you meet can be taken out in one hit, there is a recurring boss at the end of each level which takes two. A handful of times, I was able to make it through the level only to slip up and get killed by that boss at the end. The game is a little on the short side, but it only costs a dollar. If you're craving a little retro platforming action, give Super Ninja Warrior Extreme a try.
We Are Cubes (80 MSP): We Are Cubes is a shoot-em-up with a twist. You control a cube, and your goal is to destroy all of the geometrical shapes that would do your little cube-self harm. Your enemies don't shoot at you, but rather hurtle themselves directly towards you. If you get hit, you lose a life. If you shoot them, you get points. If you dodge them, they will bounce back to the top of the screen until they reach the bottom again. At times, the game plays a bit like an air-hockey match, with shapes bouncing off of walls all over the screen. Oh, it also has two-player multiplayer, which adds to the hectic fun. It might not be fast-paced, but We Are Cubes. is a solid shoot-em-up none the less.
Red Invasion Tower Defense (80 MSP): The tower defense genre is arguably something that is best left to PC's and mobile platforms, but Red Invasion Tower Defense is proof that a tower defense game can hold its own on a console. As you can tell from the name, the game has a few not-so-subtle tips of the hat to the Command & Conquer: Red Alert series, including the music and the voice of the announcer. The game looks great; the enemies, towers, and landscapes are all extremely clean. Gameplay wise, it's a standard tower defense game, with multiple towers to build and upgrade and waves of varying bad guys to fight off. Tower Defense games can sometimes be sloppy or graphically confusing, but Red Invasion Tower Defense is sleek and easy to get the hang of.
WoOOPuP (80 MSP): Are you sick of Breakout clones? Me neither! WoOOPuP is what you'd expect from the breakout genre; you control a paddle and hit a silver ball into blocks to smash them and earn points and power ups. To break up the monotony, a few stages diverge from the standard block-ball affair, such as a stage modeled after Space Invaders or one which first contains a single, gigantic block. It If you don't feel like dusting off your old 2600 and want something a little more concrete than a flash version, WoOOPup should do nicely.
MegaCity (80 MSP): MegaCity is a great puzzle game that puts the player in the role of a city planner. You're presented with a queue of buildings that you have to place on a grid. To score points, you need to place houses and apartment buildings. By themselves, however, these buildings yield nothing. You need to place them next to specific other types of buildings such as police stations, schools or libraries. Other types of buildings, such as landfills, prisons and power plants give negative bonuses. By clearing lines, you can unlock 10 additional buildings to use in your cities. It may sound confusing, but seeing the game in action makes a lot more sense. MegaCtiy is also available for iOS.