April was a solid month for handheld, mobile and downloadable games, which more than made up for the relatively thin showing on the major home console platforms. For the first time in a long while, both IGN's Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 editors chose "nothing" as their game of the month rather than bestow the coveted award on an unworthy game. Such an occurrence makes endangered bamboo-eating quadrupeds unhappy, but don't blame us – blame the game publishers who decided not to release very many good Xbox 360 and PS3 games in April. Seriously, give them a call.
So which games sucked up the IGN editors' time in April when they should have been working on their income tax returns? Keep reading to find out. And make sure to let us know in the comments section if you disagree with our choices. You're entitled to an opinion, even if it's wrong.
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While Braid may have scored higher in April, it was basically a port of a game we had seen already. It's safe to say that we hadn't seen anything quite like Zeno Clash, ACE Team's impressive debut. This first-person action game, built on Valve's Source engine, has a wonderful and original look, as well as a satisfying sense of combat, as you often get to pummel your opponents using your fists or makeshift clubs. It's like Fight Club meets a fever dream. |
With E3 on the horizon and it being April, there's not really much to choose from. In fact, we'd say that April is probably best spent playing whatever games you didn't get to from the end of last year, or browsing through some PSN titles that you may have missed before. At least you'll save some cash this month. |
There is no Game of the Month in April. Sure, we could have gone for the over-the-top Ninja Blade, but it just wasn't good enough to recommend. So what should you buy this month for Xbox 360? Nothing. For April Xbox 360 isn't the fool, it's just one sad panda. |
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The unofficial sequel to Excite Truck, Excitebots Trick Racing from Monster Games is an intense, relentlessly fast racer overrun with big jumps, big tricks and flooded in surreal level designs. The clean visuals and frenzied gameplay mechanics complement an experience that you won't want to end. |
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A dungeon-crawling RPG in the style of Shadowgate, The Dark Spire is a game designed strictly for the religiously hardcore. And that's what we like about it. The first-person crawler is heavy on style, stats and party management but light on new-school fundamentals. Nostalgic and engaging. |
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Hammerin' Hero is truly a Japanese game. Representing a long line of straight-forward side-scrollers, Hammerin' Hero mixes the charm of Japanese culture with the simplicity and purified gameplay of platforming. Different job classes and plenty of replayability make this a must-have. |
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The tower defense "genre" is a staple of the PlayStation Network, starting with the sweeping hit of PixelJunk Monsters and continuing on with games like Savage Moon. Developer Pelfast added to the mix with Comet Crash, a slick little number that gave players much more control of their own offensive, as opposed to keeping things strictly passive. If you're itching for some downloadable goodness, don't pass this one up. |
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Banjo-Tooie is one of the biggest experiences you can download from Xbox Live Arcade.If you played Banjo-Tooie back in the day it's worth a revisit to remind yourself how good this game was and earn a few achievements. And if you've never played Rare's masterpiece it's high time you found out why it is considered a high point for the genre. |
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April showered even more great games on iPhoners. Bookworm and Tornado Mania were fantastic, outshone only by Gameloft's ambitious Assassin's Creed. Visually, it puts the DS to shame and proves the iPhone is a powerful rig. And it plays well, too, thanks to good virtual controls and fun, explorative staging. This is a new benchmark for bringing console-style games to the App Store. |