Game Details

• Title: Blazing Birds
• Developer: Vector 2 Games
• Publisher: Xbox Live Arcade
• Released (UK): 20/05/2009
• Current Price: 400 MS Points
• Age Rating: 3+
• Game Type: 2D “bot”minton
• Multi-player: Local Only

Background

For the past few years microsoft have run a dream-build-play competition for people using XNA studio with the prize being having your game published as an XBLA game, and in 2007 the joint winners were Dishwasher Dead Samurai and this entry Blazing Birds.

Game Modes

While there are a number of different modes offered these are all based around the how the games are arranged in terms of scoring and points needed to win the basic mechanism is the same throughout. Blazing Birds is essentially a side on version of pong but based on badminton instead of tennis, and while there are a few twists to the gameplay for the most part what you see is what you get. The game also lacks any online component apart from leaderboards limiting it even further

Technical Stuff

There is not much to say really as the game is fairly basic and that extends to the graphics and sound. I would comment on the online multiplayer except there isn’t any!

Difficulty/Achievements

This is one of those games that is easy to learn, but difficult to master since despite it being basic there are advanced techniques to master. The achievements are fairly well designed and require you to play all of the single player game modes at the hardest difficulty in order to complete the game.

Positives

• Only 400 MS Points

Negatives

• Very Basic Game
• No Online Multiplayer

My Recommendation

Avoid – 4/10

Normally a game with this sort of rating would be “Shamertagged” as it really is more of a community game then an XBLA game however given that this game was published as a competition winner and is only 400 MS points, then I am going to be magnanimous and not do so.

The main problem I have is that the game is too basic, and I have recently learned that “old school” games normally pale in comparison to even below average modern games due to the advance in technology, and despite its recent release Blazing Birds is an “old school” game. That being said I am sure there will be some people who enjoy this game, I am just not one of them however.

If you fancy a side on updated version of Pong then give Blazing Birds a try, if not then avoid.