'Splosion Man is frustratingly tough at times, but its wacky humor and clever design will keep you coming back for more.
'Splosion Man has a very unique control setup where jumping and attacking is mapped to the same command: 'sploding. Using any of the face buttons, the combustible character detonates, which allows the guy to jump or deliver the 'sploding to enemies, environmental objects, or items. The trick is that 'Splosion Man can only 'splode three times in sequence before having to recharge his 'sploding energy. What that gives the player is a solid triple jump. In addition to the simple jumping mechanics, 'Splosion Man can wall-jump up corridors easily. Other environmental objects change the 'sploding dynamics well, like steam, which makes the hero unable to 'splode, or fire pipes, which lets him 'splode more in sequence. The environments also show off plenty of dangers as well. The hyperactive hero will encounter rising tides of water or acid, powerful security robots, and laser turrets built to recapture 'Splosion Man. Each of these hazards has its own tricks to avoiding or destroying, and many of them demand some quick thinking to overcome.
Actually, "quick thinking" is an understatement. 'Splosion Man is a very fast-paced game, but not so much in the character's speed or control. It's more in the game's intense demand for quick reflexes. Different obstacles appear extremely quickly and require quick thinking and pitch-perfect 'sploding. You may be wandering into a room and the walls randomly start closing or the pool of water below starts rising. Completing a stage first try is a feat in and of itself, so don't expect to finish every stage without a bit of area memorization and trial-and-error. By the end of the game, every second counts and the difficulty skyrockets to insane levels. This will turn off some gamers who like to be a bit more analytical and precise in their puzzle platformers, but 'Splosion Man's refreshing pace does make it feel new and interesting. On the whole, however, what Twisted Pixel has constructed in 'Splosion Man's abilities is remarkable: an extremely accessible control scheme that works with the deep and creative level construction. The fast pace is a unique shift from the more traditional platformers, and even after a considerable amount of deaths by acid, water, or robot attack, you'll keep playing if only to see what crazy trap the scientists devise next.
Though it only has fifty stages spread throughout three levels (with a boss at the end of each level), 'Splosion Man has plenty to do in between. Speed runs are critical to the replay value and contribute to the point count at the end of each stage. Leaderboards are available for those looking for a community challenge and hidden cakes are scattered across the levels for bonus points. For those looking for 'sploding with friends, the multiplayer in 'Splosion Man is cooperative for up to four 'Splosion Men. Being able to detonate your hero off another player's detonation, the co-op campaign (which is an additional fifty levels) demands absolutely precise coordination. That being said, it's best to stick with friends during the co-op campaign, because in a game with this much demand for precision, teaming up with a random player online will just lead to trouble. As far as content goes, 'Splosion Man isn't the most comprehensive of XBLA titles, but the amount of replay value is respectable for the 800 Microsoft Points asking price.
'Splosion Man's aesthetic of a hazardous laboratory riddled with traps and dangerous obstacles is wacky on its own, but the game's sense of humor truly lies in its extremely well-crafted protagonist. 'Splosion Man is a riot to control. Simply letting the manic hero run around and listening to his airplane noises is funny every time. The few cutscenes showcase the protagonist's crazy attitude and playful character, even when avoiding the dangers of the Big Science laboratory. The scientists who aim to re-capture 'Splosion Man are panicky upon the hero's approach. The fact that the hero's explosions cause the scientists to disintegrate into piles of packaged meat is unexplainable, but always entertaining. The quirky moments such as when 'Splosion Man picks up an overweight scientist (where an odd background tune about donuts starts playing) to block incoming fire all feel appropriate in 'Splosion Man's world. Humorous parodies of films and Twisted Pixel's near-obsession with Portal all come together to create a game that wants you to laugh at every opportunity, and there's a very good chance it will.
Aside from 'Splosion Man himself and his crew of wacky scientist antagonists, Twisted Pixel's downloadable platformer really isn't too keen on aesthetic diversity. Though there do exist occasional glimpses of unique cosmetic design in the stages, the constant grey walls, pools of acid, and metal doors do tend to run a bit dry after a while. The sound design suffers from this the most and the repetitive level themes aren't as catchy as other platformers'. There are some bonus songs included, though, many of which make up for the level themes' quality with pure ridiculousness. The voice acting is mostly composed of 'Splosion Man's manic one-liners and excited babbling. Sonny Strait (best known as Krillin in Dragon Ball Z) really pulls it off well, stepping into a wackier light than the many serious roles he's played in the past decade. 'Splosion Man gets by with a constantly humorous tone, but it could've been a bit more daring in its presentation, both graphically and for sound.
Pros
+ Ridiculous humor and a likeably wacky main character
+ Great amount of diversely constructed stages
+ Challenging gameplay demands sharp reflexes
Cons
- Cooperative gameplay requires pinpoint coordination
- Not much variety in the aesthetic department
- Trial-and-error gameplay won't please everyone
XBLA has found a brand new video game star in its library. 'Splosion Man's mechanics are some of the easiest to jump into, but also the deepest to explore. The overall design of Big Science isn't the most aesthetically diverse, but the gameplay feels tuned to the quirky experimental world that 'Splosion Man has such fun tearing apart. The gameplay does demand more memorization and coordination than other platformers in its market genre, but so many of the antics that the hero goes through are crafted with intense fluidity. It's also a fierce challenge, one that will truly test your mettle by its conclusion. If you're after a good deal, 'Splosion Man will deliver, with a nicely sized campaign and a tough, but deep cooperative gameplay mode. Twisted Pixel's weird sense of humor has long since permeated their offerings, but 'Splosion Man never feels lowbrow in its bizarre, goofball antics. It's a stylized and riotously funny outing that distinguishes itself without compromising its structure. For a mere 800 Microsoft Points ($10 US), there's no better time to get out there and start 'sploding.