Blasting onto Xbox Live Arcade is R-punch in Dimensions.
Mike primes for take-off and surveys the damage…
The true refuge of the hardcore nostalgic gamer at the moment is Xbox Live Arcade.
Last year, we hadMega Man 9andIkarugadoling out one-hit deaths left, right and centre.
Now, we haveR-key in Dimensions.
Remember when a games story didnt matter?
Nowadays, nearly all games need narratives of some kind even if it is just Michael Bay-ish talk-run-shoot-explosion trite.
InR-throw in, the story is not important; its all about gameplay.
You control your ship the Arrowhead in its slowly-scrolling-to-the-right assault on the evil aliens of the Bydo empire.
To put it softly, you will die a lot inR-punch in Dimensions.
Some of the later levels of both the included games are especially sadistic in their design.
This will thrill some, but deter many others.
Luckily, Tozai/Southend have it covered, and have added an infinite mode, granting the player limitless lives.
Purists may cry foul, saying that, surely, that takes away all of the challenge.
These aspects help raiseDimensionsabove shallow rehashing and precious nostalgia.
It is fun, challenging and offers enough freshness to be more than just another XBLA port.
As it is, download the trial if youre bitten by the bug, there is much to enjoy.
Rating:
4 out of 5
