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[Review] – Ms. Splosion Man


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MsSM-logo.jpgMs Splosion Man
Developed by: Twisted Pixel Games
Published by: Microsoft Games Studios
Platforms: Xbox 360 (XBLA)
Players: Single and Multiplayer

With a spray of champagne and a stray celebratory bow, Ms. Splosion Man opens with the accidental creation of the Ms. while the scientist are carelessly celebrating their successful capture of her male counterpart. The second game in the Splosion Series created by Twisted Pixel,  Ms.  Splosion Man runs on the famous Beard engine, making it quick to pick up for fans of the original and easy to learn for newcomers.  Ms. Splosion Man pays homage to classic arcade and console games such as Sonic, Mega Man, Super Mario Bros. 3, and of course Ms. Pacman.

 

MsSM1.jpg

Menu navigation has been simplified with a world hub a la Super Mario 3 after the first level is completed. Each successful level completion expands the pathways of the world and level labels indicate special features. For instance, red levels are harder and levels with a flashing question mark have hidden exists.  Gameplay remains virtually unchanged (Step 1: Run, Step 2: Splode, Rinse and Repeat), though ziplines and bouncing trampolines have given new aspects to the stages, which do occassionally step out of the lab for a glimpse at the Jetson-like world that Ms. Splosion Man disrupts.

MsSM2-1024x576.jpg

While the core game play hasn’t changed, what sets the Ms. apart from the Mr. is the fabulous personality and feminization.  Unlike Pac-Man, who only needed a bow and make-up to become a Ms., Ms. Splosion Man’s personality is a spastic female; animations both idle and active reflect the stereotypical ditzy female obsessions like gossip, make-up and boys. Instead of hidden cakes, Ms. Splosion Man has her own collectable:  shoes.  She even “splodes” in graceful ballet poses and quotes popular song lyrics and lines from romantic comedies.

Ms. Splosion Man has three modes of play: single player and multi-player (same as the original) and a new mode; “2 Girls, 1 Controller,” which is playable once unlocked from “The Mall” (more on that later)  As before, Single player and multi-player have completely different levels and multi-player can be played locally or online with up to four players. “2 Girls, 1 Controller” allows a single player to attempt the multi-player levels by themselves.  This mode is for lone wolf players and those hardcore achievement hounds.

MsSM4.jpg

In-game content is offered through “The Mall”, a gallery where tokens earned from completing levels can be used to purchase items such as avatar collectables, premium themes, and humorous video and audio snippets. Players can opt to speed race their own ghosts or ghosts downloaded from top players via the Leaderboards. Both of these features add much to the replay value of Ms. SplosionMan.

Fans of the original will not be disappointed with this clever sequel. And while the gameplay and puzzles will be familiar, Ms. Splosion Man is stylish, clever and most importantly fun.  Multi-player mode could become a tool in the marriage counselor’s arsenal with communication being key to solving the more devious puzzles.*

Ms. Splosion Man is available on XBLA for 800 points. It is rated “T” for Teen due to cartoon violence, drug reference, mild lyrics, and suggestive themes.

*WARNING: Twisted Pixel not responsible for broken friendships or divorce proceedings due to frequent failures in multiplayer.



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