Rocket Riot Review

In today’s gaming world, what is most important to you? Graphics? Audio quality? Generic games with no real imagination and flawed execution? To me, the most important thing in a game is the answer to the question, “Is the game fun?” Did I spend my X amount of hard-earned money on something that will entertain me and will keep me coming back for more? With Codeglue’s breakout hit Rocket Riot, the only answer to those questions is a resounding YES.

Imagine flying around a pirate ship/warehouse/CPU Tower with an infinite rocket cannon attached to your arm and multiple enemies gunning for your pixels. Sure, they aren’t the brightest ever, but they too have rockets and know how to use them. They all have awesome names like Eddy, Joe, Frank, Alex and yes, even Bob. Honestly, I can’t follow the plot. Something about the nefarious Blockbeard taking over your home and you fighting for it with delightful explosive vengeance. That’s not what makes you want to play for hours on end. It’s the unlimited chaos and retro fun that makes this game a true gem.

If you have the ability to remember back to your early days of gaming then this explosive piece of retro goodness will have you salivating with nostalgia. The graphics are pixelated in a visually pleasing 3D rendering. Every piece of the map and every little character explodes into millions of pieces at the simple flick of your thumb. Not only is this stimulating to the eyes, it is also very satisfying. It’s just like the glory days of the 8-bit to 16-bit consoles, only I like to think of this game as 80 million-bit, due to the amount of virtual confetti that rains from the aftermath of a well placed rocket. Even though every character is small there is no shortage of them. Pirates, robots, zombies, ninjas, construction workers named Bob…. if you can think of a nerdy stereotype for a character, it is selectable in this game. On top of many selectable and unlockable characters, you are able to customize the color and armor to create a pretty unique look.

There isn’t anything negative to say about the game’s audio. It suits the graphic style well and the techno beats mesh perfectly with the super fast gameplay. Like the graphics it really brings you back to the old days of gaming. The main theme is fast, with cheesy (yet funny) lyrics and a beat that makes you want to stand up and do this for hours on end. The main theme can be downloaded at www.rocketriot.com.

You will spend spans of 5-10 minutes forgetting to blink as you try to destroy about 80 enemies before they can blow you to smithereens, and that is what really hooks you with this game. The controls are easy enough to master, given that you only need to use the the sticks to maneuver (left stick) and fire your rockets in a full 360 degree radius (right stick) and use the A button to activate your various power-ups (which include everything from allowing you to “ghost” through parts of the map, to giving you giant nukes that decimate half of the map). It can be a bit difficult to aim at first, but after a few rounds, you will be able to take enemies out from halfway across the map…which comes in handy when using said giant nuke (yes, you can blow yourself up).

Rocket Riot is the most addictive game I have played since Peggle. The seemingly countless characters and power-ups make it hard for this game to get old. It is well worth the 800 Microsoft Points, and I would even venture to say it would be worth more. The only complaint I have with the game, and it’s not the developer’s fault, is the lack of people on Xbox Live. It has improved over the weeks, but there really needs to be a bigger online presence for a game this fun and addicting. Well, one more complaint: Rocket Riot can get INSANELY difficult in the later levels. You have been warned. That said, I highly recommend it to anyone with a connection to Xbox Live, and will gladly play it with you any time of day. Show some love to the hard working people at Codeglue and buy their explosive title!