Small Arms XBOX LIVE ARCADE Review

Small Arms Review



This is one of the bigger disappointments of Videogames that I have faced in awhile. Not because this game is awful, but because if tweaked here and there, it could be great. Small Arms is a rip-off of Smash Bros...one of the best brawlers around, sadly it does just enough right to remind you of the heavenly Nintendo Series while making blunders along the way. It comes up short in just about every category as I will get into. On the bright side, the characters are quirky and deliciously wacky, the graphics are good, the sounds are good, but it all just doesn't come together in a great gameplay package...simply OK.

Gameplay: 5/10
Pros: Smash Brothers Like, frantic multiplayer brawls and platforming elements, Great LIVE battles
Cons: Several things are wrong with Small Arms Gameplay... First, the jumping is not there and it is too hard to save yourself from a fall. Second, melee attacks are pointless and you are better off running for a new gun then bothering to press the B button. Third, the one player game is cheap and short. The CPU is programmed to just team up on you and I beat the 1 player mode in about an hour. Some more maps and characters would really add to the value as well. Finally, there is no defense or I have yet to figure any out...there needs to be a way to shield yourself from attacks or block or something!

Graphics: 8/10
Pros: Character Designs are great and all the characters exude personality. Bullet and Gun effects look SWEET! Backgrounds are 3D or prerendered and look Nice.
Cons: Animations and Characters are sometimes lost in the gunfire and zooming, I would have also liked to see the put in some pseudo-3D effects and scaling. Example: Having a Coloseum or other type of Circular Level where the Action scrolls around you and you can see fighting in the distance etc (not sure how well I explained that...oh well).

Sound/Music: 8/10
Pros: Guns and character sounds are excellent and fit perfectly into the game's presentation
Cons: Bland Techno Music

Lasting Appeal: 5/10
Pros: If you like it, you'll have a blast online with the frantic battles and zany characters
Cons: Every Character has a unique weapon but every weapon can be picked up during a match so....the characters don't differ as much as they should. If you like Smash Bros. like I do (even though I suck) you'll just think of all the ways this game could've improved itself to live up to its inspiration. Short Single Player experience (almost nonexistent) and more levels and characters would have only helped.

Average: 65.00%
Tilt: - 5.00%

Small Arms isn't an awful game, it just leaves something to be desired. It could actually be drastically improved by a patch which extended guns battery life and extended the dash distance. As it stands now, it is worth a demo download to see if you like the gameplay mechanics. If you're having a party soon, it could warrant a purchase, but otherwise spend your xbox LIVE points on something better like Cloning Clyde or Marble Blast or even Street Fighter II if you really need a fighter.

Verdict: 60%