Splosion Man is the latest XBLA release from developer Twisted Pixel and one thing is crystal clear from the get go. Like their previous Live Arcade release, The Maw, 'Splosion Man packs more character into its tiny downloadable frame than most 40 hour self-proclaimed-epic games could ever hope for. Sporting an aesthetic that lies somewhere between a Saturday morning cartoon and Earthworm Jim, the vibrant colors, vivid environments, and firecracker of a main character (I swear that was the first and last bad joke for this review) make the gaming experience pleasing to the senses.

If I had to describe 'Splosion Man's gameplay to someone who had not seen or heard anything about it, I would say that it is something like a puzzle platformer. The controls are simple, press any face button to explode your escaped-science-experiment-main-character.  'Splosion man can explode up to three times before he has to recharge. Exploding not only acts your jump but also, once airborne, allows you to somewhat stop and control your forward momentum. Located throughout the stages are different types of exploding barrels which will be used to propel your character forward.

Each level is set up like an obstacle course; pitting you against lasers, rocket launchers, giant robots, and more in an increasingly difficult timed run to the finish. So difficult, in fact, that the later stages of the game become a constant trial and error situation as you learn how to perfectly time your 'splodes off of one barrel and control 'Splosion Man's body movement in the air to hit the next one just right. In a sense, there are many similarities to a rhythm game buried underneath the platforming exterior. Finally completing a level, however, gives you a real sense of accomplishment. The people at Twisted Pixel were merciful, though, and allow you to skip a level if you die eight times and even reward you with a pink tutu to wear for a whole level afterward.

The sheer variety of puzzle elements that game throws at you really surprised me. With this many different tricks, many developers would choose to abandon some of the simple parts in favor of the more complex one in later levels. Twisted Pixel, however, managed to factor in each and every puzzle element introduced from the very first level through to the end of the game, making for some rather lengthy sequences. What may have been two exploding barrels and a wall jump in an earlier stage becomes two exploding barrels, a wall jump onto a moving platform to another wall jump to 4 more exploding barrels in between spikes with rising water underneath you that will kill you instantly. That is not an exaggeration. However, the game is so finely tuned that when done right everything feels very fluid. 

As well polished as 'Splosion Man may be, it is not without its flaws. The environments, as vivid as they may be, more or less stay the same throughout the 50 single player levels. There are minor alterations based on what portion of the game you are in, but for the most part you are left with the gray walls of a science research lab. Another gripe I had were the boss fights that are stuck at the end of each of the three areas. While most stages had you running and blasting along at high speeds through lengthy courses, in boss fights you are suddenly stuck on one static screen trying to defend yourself in a more action-oriented combat situation. The boss difficulty also seems to be largely based in frustration rather than actual difficulty and left me wondering why they were even included to begin with.

Overall, 'Splosion Man is an enjoyable -- if slightly patience-trying way -- to start off Microsoft's Summer of Arcade. The single player campaign clocked in at around 6 hours for me, so at 800 MS points it felt more than worth it for that alone. Add the time trial mode and a separate multiplayer campaign and you have a game packed with enough content to make many retail releases jealous.

Pros: Extremely polished, wide variety of puzzles, overall character

Cons: Tedious boss battles, unchanging environments

[This article originally appeared on GameTopius.com]