Null Divide
Developer: Apoxxle
Genre: Action & Adventure
Available On: XBLIG
Co-Op Mode: Local (2 players)
Price: 80 MS Points ($1)
Demo w/ Co-Op Available: Yes
Of all the games I've looked at over the course of Indie-Ana Co-Op, there has been only one other one (Protect Me Knight!) that has given me as big of a retro gaming feel as Apoxxle's Null Divide. It's to the point that I almost believe I should be holding an old Atari joystick in my hand instead of an XBox controller while playing.
The game starts simply with the title splashed on the screen in big pixilated block letters while a thoroughly 8-bit chip tune plays in the background. If the first few simple notes don't stoke the fires of your retro-gamer heart, diving into the game definitely should. From the simple graphical depiction of your ship (in two exciting shades of grey), to the blocky layout of the abandoned base you find yourself exploring, Null Divide invokes the days when game credits rolled with names like "Taro" or "Ban Ban" instead of the actual developer names. It's the kind of thing that brings utter joy to anyone who grew up playing video games on TVs that still used RF switches to connect the console to the screen. Best of all, while the presentation of the game bears such a striking resemblance to the games of yore, the gameplay doesn't suffer from many of the gameplay drawbacks that they did.
Navigation about the space station feels very smooth and there are no artificial gravity mechanics to muck about with that cause you to keep going forward into enemy fire or a harmful barrier. Returning fire is handled like many modern twin-stick shooters with the right-stick controlling your aim (complete with a helpful red line to indicate exactly what direction in which you'll be firing), and the right-trigger actually fires the gun. Of course, this takes place after you unlock the functionality. You see, as you explore the abandoned space station in your ship, you collect power-ups, keys, and new abilities along the way. There's a very Metroid vibe to the way things are handled, right down to the secret areas you can discover by flying through seemingly solid walls and it all works very well.
Some of the enemies even look like old NES controller directional pads. Nostalgia+1
Co-op play in Null Divide is local only, but it's also drop-in/drop-out. When the second player joins, he is given a white ship to control that has all of the same abilities that have been unlocked by the first player. So if the first player can now boost and perform some other rather nifty tricks, then the second player can, too. Both players also share one life bar so should one player die, then both die. Fortunately, save points are well placed and flying over one completely restores the players' life. The one downside to all this, though, is that it can produce a little bit of a learning curve for the second player if he hasn’t been playing any of the game so far. The game also doesn't allow each player to freely explore the station on his or her own; should one player get a bit too far away from the other, he or she will instantly be teleported next to the other. This does help keep things co-op friendly, but can also be a bit surprising if one person isn't paying attention and suddenly is teleported into the path of a bullet.
Drop-in/drop-out co-op was one of those features that never really seemed like a big deal to me. Most of my gaming is done either online or in pre-arranged local sessions, so it wasn't ever really an issue. With Null Divide, though, I can't imagine playing the game without it. It's so completely retro in almost every other aspect, that the ability to have a friend hop in, hop out for a bit for whatever reason, and then hop right back in without having to stop the game to go to a lobby, just completes that picture for me. It takes me back to the days when I sat on the couch and played games with my family; a feeling I rarely get nowadays with any other game I play. Null Divide doesn't do anything new in any of the main areas folks typically look at with games: graphics, gameplay, audio, or innovation. But in the end, that's really the point; it is pure, simple old-school fun through and through.
Wrap-Up
Null Divide is For: Everyone. Seriously.
The Co-Op Experience: Each player controls his or her own ship as you explore an abandoned space station in search of a way out. Life and ship abilities that have been discovered/unlocked by the first player are shared, and drop-in/drop-out is fully supported
Tobe's Vertical Adventure
Developer: Secret Base
Genre: Platform
Available On: XBLIG
Co-Op Mode: Local (2 players)
Price: 240 MS Points ($3)
Demo w/ Co-Op Available: Yes
It seems like a majority of the co-op games available today, whether they're AAA or indie, generally fall into a few typical categories: FPS, action/adventure, twin-stick shooter. So I was eager to go through as many indie titles as I could until I found one that didn't fit with that model, and was pleased to discover Tobe's Vertical Adventure.
Whereas games like Null Divide and Protect Me Knight! were designed to expertly invoke that old 8-bit gaming feel, Tobe's Vertical Adventure takes its cue from the 16-bit heyday. The story starts off with some very well-drawn story panels that introduce us to the titular Tobe, a gamer deeply drawn into the game he's playing, and his friend Nana, a lady that discovers a treasure map and wants Tobe to go on a real adventure. There's a little 4th-wall, tongue-in-cheek humor, and then things get going. Tobe and Nana set out on their adventure across 4 different islands, spanning a total of 16 stages total. In each stage, Tobe will have a variety of obstacles and dangers to overcome, including great heights from which to fall, enemies, and spikes. Of course Tobe has his own bag of tricks to help him out, such as being able to collect balloons to ease descent, ropes that he can attach to any ceiling, and a host of rolling/jumping/climbing tricks.
As Tobe navigates the stage, there will be gems and treasure chests to collect, and little chickens to rescue (no real reason given for that one). Collect enough of these and you'll be given codes to access additional content from the game's site, such as the game's art book and the soundtrack. While that covers all the basics, let's focus on the "Vertical Adventure" part of the title. Levels are laid out in a largely vertical fashion, though occasionally there are gaps in the walls along the edge of the screen that allow the player to cross over to the other side. Upon reaching the bottom, Tobe will discover a great treasure to collect.
If a jump's too high or far for you to reach, get a little help from your partner
This is where the fun really begins as, and I feel like this is a little bit of a spoiler, once Tobe claims those spoils, the entire level will begin to collapse and our hero must now make his way all the way back up to the top while racing against a clock. After the initial surprise clears, you start looking at each level a little differently as it no longer solely becomes an issue of "how do I get down there", but also one of "how do I make my way back?" This is where a co-op partner makes the game just that much better.
Despite the fact that Tobe has his friend Nana by his side, the second player actually just plays a clone of Tobe. This little bit of character oversight aside (one that's remedied in the upcoming PC version of the game), two Tobes do more than just run and jump alongside one another. Tobe's head seems to be made of sturdy rubber as the players can bounce off of one another's to act as an aid in reaching new heights. Upon reaching that height, the player who had his or her head trounced upon can leap up and be grabbed by the player hanging from the ledge, and then be flung on top of the platform. These mechanics really make navigating back up to the top of the level feel like it was intended to be played with two players, something we certainly won’t complain about.
I set out looking for a game that was a little different than the usual co-op shooter/adventure fare, and I definitely found it in Tobe’s Vertical Adventure. From the hand drawn storyboard cut scenes, to the excellent platforming mechanics and co-op maneuvers, this is a game that should be at the top of every co-op gamers’ downloadable title list.
Wrap-Up
Tobe’s Vertical Adventure is Geared Towards: Platformer fans who miss the days of Sonic and Mario, pre-3D
The Co-Op Experience: Each player controls a Tobe whilst running, jumping, floating, and head-bouncing his way down to the bottom of each stage, and then making it back up again