Xbox Live Indie Games Hit With The Red Ring Of Death

Need proof that Xbox Live Indie Games are reviewed and approved by the community, and not Microsoft? How about a recently released platformer that plays on the console’s eternally embarrassing hardware failure.

The Red Ring of Death, by FourthDimensional, is a platform/sidescrolling shooter that places your tank in charge of stopping a RRoD meltdown. Per the game’s narrative: “Prevent the game console from crashing. Pilot the Binary Utility Device to the CPU before a Red Ring of Death occurs. Beware user inputs and bugs in the software. Hurry B.U.D. there is no time to stop!”

FourthDimensional, in a blog post a week ago, expressed some reservation about the game attracting the attention of Microsoft, branding it “a satire of a Microsoft headache”.

Dear Microsoft lawyers. In no way is this game an attempt to slander your name. Since we never have original ideas, we rely on internet memes to create games that have instant name recognition. We feel by using the term Red Ring of Death we will only be helping you guys make more money.

As for actual Microsoft symbology among your enemies, all I could spot was a red (not green) A button icon, and something that looked vaguely like the Xbox 360 logo, with a Y instead of an X. The rest of the game is somewhat conventional – with your propulsion automatic, your left stick is used for aiming and firing, with the face buttons for jumping and other powerups.

Jumping is the biggest challenge in the game’s early levels; many will require you to drive to the end of the platform before leaping, and then you’ll be served with a shorter or obstructed jump. You’re given a ton of lives, and your health is very robust; I never died from having it depleted, only from failing a jump.

The game is 80 Microsoft Points.

The Red Ring of Death [Xbox Live Indie Games]


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