It’d be easy to overlook any of the independent games that are listed on Xbox Live’s Indie section. However, there’s a series of titles,
developed by Arkedo that are not only cheap, but also entertaining, accessible and good-looking as well. The deceptively-simple platformer “Pixel” is one of them.
The third in an ongoing series of indie games, “Pixel” tells the tale of a simple house cat who decides to leave the comfort of his home for reasons unknown. Much like any cat, really. Pixel’s adventure takes him from the living room, to the forest and beyond. His goal, like most protagonists, is hindered by various enemies, both ridiculous and familiar. From sentient acorns to psychotropic mushrooms, Pixel goes through a lot of trouble to get what he wants. However, he isn’t without the means to defend himself. As with many platforming heroes, Pixel’s main method of defense is the tried and true “hop ‘n bop” which dispatches most of his foes rather handily. After several successful defeats though, the feline adventurer acquires a second mode of attack: A handy and powerful sonic “MEOW!,” which can destroy villain in it’s path. But that’s not all you’ll be doing. The left trigger button toggles a magnifying glass, which when trained onto certain blocks, enemies and certain specialty objects, will transport you to a maze mini-game. In these segments, you’ll have to search for an orange block which bears a remarkable similarity to one of the genres most famous series.
On the surface, “Pixel” is a game that seems simple. It’s certainly no Grand Theft Auto in terms of controller dexterity, but you’ll be too worried jumping from platform to platform, avoiding spikes and, in a somewhat original twist for the genre, negotiating mazes in order to move forward. While the general control scheme is simple, the challenge in “Pixel” is negotiating your way over, under and through each of the six levels. Thankfully, Pixel controls exactly the way you want him to, so any miss-timed jumps and digital evisceration via
spikes are entirely the player’s fault.
Speaking of faults, there’s almost none to be found. Most issues with the game will simply require a leap of faith on your part, both
literal and mechanical. Experimentation is encouraged and while curiosity may indeed kill the cat, both you and Pixel will more often
be rewarded for exploring. While the game is short, it’s very fun and you may even find yourself wanting more. I highly recommend giving
“Pixel” a try. Like most offerings from Xbox Live’s Indie Game category, it’s cheap and won’t take up much space on your console
(perfect for the Xbox 360 Arcade). Even if you don’t have to worry about space though, “Pixel” is like the slice of ginger next to sushi:
A palette-cleanser from the heavily-convoluted and often overtly violent world of modern gaming.
If you have fond memories of old-school 2D platformers, or just enjoy a good game, there’s no doubt you’ll enjoy Arkedo’s “Pixel”.
- Ivan Williams, game contributor, TheBlackBoxOffice.com
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