How does Clyde hold up on Xbox Live Arcade? Read on to find out.
Cloning Clyde packs all of the above into its shell with ease. Its level-based side-scrolling nature is slick and never gets boring. And despite the repetition of the genre, Ninja Bee somehow manages to make every level both enjoyable and surprisingly fresh.
At face value, Cloning Clyde resembles any 16-bit platformer. You send your character weaving though oddball levels (in this case laboratories, jungles and the like) dodging evil enemies, opening trap doors, pulling levers, pushing boulders onto switches, and so on. But the big difference, at least initially, are the graphics.
Everything looks incredibly slick here. The art style has a kind of cell-shaded look about it, and though 2D based, the visuals arc subtly to the left and right giving the game a near 3D feel, too. Simply put, the visuals are stunning, and most especially in high definition. This is easily one of the more impressive looking games on Xbox Live Arcade to date.
The second thing you'll notice that differentiates this game from its 16-bit cousins is online play. Though not the most compelling online experience out there, Cloning Clyde at least has the option, and it is fun for the most part. Certainly, for the type of game, Ninja Bee has done well to incorporate such a fun little feature as this.
So there you have it. Cloning Clyde is a fusion of retro and modern in one highly polished package you'll want to play again and again. The game retails for only 800 Microsoft Points - and at this price, the game still feels like a killer bargain. Kids, teenagers and adult will love this experience. You owe it to yourself to at least give it a try.
Overall Score:
8.9/10