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Every now and then, I come across a game that is just so much fun that I can’t stop playing it. “’Splosion Man” on the Xbox 360 is just such a game. The player takes on the role of “’Splosion Man,” a life form made entirely out of ’splosions. Yes, ’splosions. He was created in the laboratory of Big Science — an ethically questionable corporation that dared to play God — and it’s up to you to help him escape. You’ll have your work cut out for you, however, as Big Science realizes the power it’s unleashed and are stopping at nothing to make sure ’Splosion Man never gets out alive. Can Big Science put the genie back into the bottle, or will you be able to help ’Splosion Man ’splode his way out?
“’Splosion Man” is a platforming game, but more along the lines of “Sonic the Hedgehog” than “Super Mario Bros.,” so right off the bat, you know this is going to be full of big, high-speed, nonstop, total-thrills action. Of course, everything revolves around the fact that you are playing a creature made of ’splosions. For example, you don’t just jump, you ’splode into the air. Tapping the ’splode button again makes you ’splode higher and further. Tapping the ’splode button a third time gets you just a little more air and distance, but then you run out of juice and have to create friction, either by running or sliding down walls, to restore your juice for another three ’splodes. Looking around the environment, you’ll find cleverly placed barrels with volatile materials inside. By ’sploding while next to a barrel, you can shoot yourself faster and farther to places you couldn’t possibly reach before. You can also grab onto vertical surfaces and ’splode off of them, shooting you even higher into the air. Using this basic mechanic, you have to acrobatically navigate through 50 single-player levels by ’sploding from wall to wall, across huge gaps, bottomless pits, deadly traps and enemies that will do anything they can to stop you in your tracks. It’s very easy to learn — aside from the d-pad/analogue stick, the only other thing you can do is ’splode — but can get very difficult later on in the game. With a little bit of skill and practice, however, you’ll be pulling off stunts you never thought possible.
If there’s a flaw anywhere in this game, it comes, unfortunately, in the controls department. I found them to be a bit loose. ’Splosion Man just doesn’t seem to jump exactly the same way — same speed, height and distance — every time. The wall-grabbing mechanic, also, showed some inconsistency. None of this ruins the game, but it’s something I was noticing more and more as I played on for several hours over several sessions and got me very frustrated, especially as the difficulty escalates. Another thing I could have done without were the boss battles. Annoying bosses with one-shot kills that gave me no pleasure in fighting them. All I wanted to do was move on to the next set of challenges and high-flying antics that awaited me beyond these minor inconveniences.
There is a lot of charm and wit packed into “’Splosion Man.” ’Splosion Man himself has more in common with an oversized, explosive Muppet — complete with the childlike innocence and joy of having fun with nothing more than simply running around — than most characters out there. The first time you notice him stick out his arms and make airplane noises as he runs through the levels, you’ll almost assuredly fall in love with him. Even the enemies you encounter are fun and memorable. It’s well worth the price, and I haven’t even mentioned the multiplayer levels and un-lockable items that come with the game. “’Splosion Man” is just pure fun.
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