[Mechanical R]

Screwjumper!

Published by: THQ
Developed by: Frozen Codebase
Genre: Action
Number of Players: 1-4
Release Date:
US: November 14, 2007
Europe: November 14, 2007
Australia: November 14, 2007
Features: Xbox Live, Downloadable Content, Mic/Headset Voice Support

Crazy nut jobs jump down holes…

With an alien corporation drilling massive mining tunnels into planets, now jobless miners have taken matters into their own hands. Forming a coalition of crazed co-workers to overthrow the E.A.C. Thier mission, should they chose to accept it? To throw yourself down a mine shaft. If you do so, it can only mean. one thing. You're a Screwjumper!

The general idea of the game is to jump down a mine shaft to reach the bottom. Within these long tunnels are obstacles varying from platforms you can break through, to troublesome mines and mining equipment.

Some of the few things you'll be wanting to avoid hitting on your way down the mine...

Equipped with only your dynamite to throw, you fall down towards the base of the tunnel. The main idea is that you must destroy as much as you can on your way down before you reach the floor, this can be done by accelerating through the breakable platforms and using your bombs to destroy the mines and other objects that would cause harm to your jumper if you were to hit it. If you reach the bottom without destroying a certain amount of objects on your way down, gas fills the floor and your poor Screwjumper dies leaving you to respawns at a checkpoint.


Once you’re down there, guess what? Yeah, you gotta get your free falling butt back up there in time before the whole mine explodes. Not as easy as you may think. Some of the harder levels are very hard to navigate through and go on for ages.

Remember, Green good. Red bad...

Visually the game is fun and theres always something going on around you. The game has no real need for super slick state of the art graphics engines attached but what they’ve given is a fun look to the game and made the layouts (be it long vertical tubes) look consistent and smooth.

The most thing you’ll hear with the game is some quiet bass music which is drowned out over the explosions of you throwing bombs and ploughing through platforms, luckily, if you really need your tunes. Its Custom soundtrack compatible.

My main concern with this game is the pure repetitive nature the game has. Jumping down the mines and reaching the bottom only to get back to the top in record time is about all the game has to offer. They have tried to spruce it up a little with extra modes including Race, Time and a grueling Endurance.

Does exactly what it says on the tin...

These extra three modes, though making the objective slightly different or more competitive, don’t always fill the variety needs people have and may only end up being played for small intervals to keep things more interesting.

Overall: A fun and interesting game, a breakaway from all the racing and puzzle games you usually see within the Arcade selection. However repetitive gameplay may cause people to grow bored or have to space out playing the Single Player over a series of time to keep the interest going.

My Rating: 7.9


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