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It’s funny how advancement seems to take us full circle. We were once at a point where the greatest desire of any developer was captivating his audience with enthralling graphics and gameplay that were not only unique but advanced and superior to anything that came before (That’s what developers wanted us to believe anyway). But time makes fools of us all. Where we once thought that style and flash would pave the way to the future, we are now enthralled and captivated by the antiquated and retro. Games have sprung forth from the abyss, but instead of flashing their new mechanics they are flaunting their old school aesthetics and gameplay. But we like it; we accept the updated Pac-man game, the new Galaga, and even the new Super Metroid (though we preferred to call it Shadow Complex). They don’t carry that staleness that you would expect from games that predate our parents, they are fresh, new, and dare I say…fun. Bring on the Retro-revolution!
Zatacka 360 is a remake of a classic DOS computer game by the name of Achtung Die Kurve or, for everyone else, it is more familiarly referred to as Zatacka. Zatacka is a basic game in all its rights. It does nothing too exceptional and at its core is a bare bones experience that offers as much enjoyment as you are willing to take from it. Juxtapose it to games like Tetris and Centipede and you realize that you need to want to have fun in order to feel the joy behind Zatacka 360. But rest assured, if you’re looking for it you’ll find it in no time.
The game has a meager start screen with all the components you would expect from any Xbox Live Indie Game. We get a “Start Game”, “Help”, and various other menus that can be accessed from the start before going any further into the game. One of the primary lures of the game is that it is completely multiplayer (The game allows upwards of 6 players, I still don’t quite understand how). It cannot be played single player so in the case that you only have one controller or that you are an introvert and dislike hanging out with others, then this is not the game for you; don’t waste the 80 Microsoft points in change. However, if you are a party animal and love to throw your friends into random fits of gaming goodness then be my guest, its an experience that you can get into with the right mind set. One noticeable problem is the fact that there is no CPU for the game. Maybe it would take a little bit of the personality from the game but at the same time it would definitely add a bit more accessibility to those that don’t have 4 friends on the ready whenever this game springs into mind. I only had a friend ready because I stay in college dorms and my roommate was lounging about. Its just a thought in case an update ever decides to intrude into this game, I would definitely appreciate being able to outsmart a CPU just as well as I can my friends.
The objective of Zatacka 360 varies with the mode that the player is currently on. One game mode involves players trying to trap each other with elaborate designs that they create with their “snakelike” trail that they carve along the playing field. The players can control their trails with the left and right triggers which allow them to move left and right respectively throughout the playing field creating very long and rather random figures, unless of course they have an artistic eye, which does not serve them at all in the long run. Another game mode has the player attempt to capture the most squares of the playing field while attempting to avoid and trap their enemy at the same time.
Alongside the different gameplay modes the player also has access to a variety of different options that augment gameplay. Some of the modifiers increase the number of characters allowed, some increase the speed of the trails created, some increase the speed of item generation. Oh, but how can I forget about items. There are several items throughout the course of any given match, many of which are designed to achieve nefarious goals and torment your friends resulting in them flinging curses at you as you elegantly trail your “snake” to victory; the crowd goes wild…though possibly with anger at this point. These power-ups do things like cause you and your opponents to switch places, cause you to speed up, cause your opponents to stop in their tracks, and various maladies that really make the game pretty fun, especially when you take advantage of larger parties to play with.
Most of the game really is a matter of personal preference. If you are more into the new and robust style of games today then the presentation of Zatacka 360 will grind your nerves rather quickly. There really isn’t much to look at. Everything is pretty static, the colors may stand out, especially when the character moves from square to square causing them to highlight, but for the most part they do little to make the game look really spectacular. The sound is repetitive as we have come to expect from retro games but at the same time it would have been a little bit more welcoming had they added a little more of a soundtrack for the players to work with.
In the end Zatacka 360 is just standard fare. It’s nothing that’s going to make you gasp in utter amazement or shudder with delight. It is a game that can provide endless hours of enjoyment or a game that is repetitive and monotonous. It’s all about the mindset. If you like this type of game then its 80 point price tag isn’t going to make anyone cry in anguish. I recommend it for the lovers of the retro, and multiply this recommendation times the number of friends that you have on the ready. It’s just a matter of taste. Though a little bland, it just requires your own personal seasoning.
