World Clock
This multi-region clock application removes the frustration of sorting out time zones. You'll never be left wondering whether your buddy in Australia is asleep again! That is, until you realize that it would take less time to simply do the math than to load up this silly app. (200pts)
Rotormania
Rotormania is a lot like a Rubik's Cube. The color-coded puzzle is shuffled around, and it's up to you to line it all up again. It's simple and fun enough, but some fancy lighting gets in the way. Often, entire columns in the puzzle are indecipherable because they're cast in shadows. (200pts)
Karnn Age Lite
Wall-hugging is a time-tested strategy in twin-stick shooters. The developer of Karnn Age squelches this strategy through an absurd plot device - the sun gets angry when you walk on his conveniently placed sand. I don't know what his problem is, but it all makes sense when you consider you're a Duke Nukem look-a-like fighting waves of giant bugs and robots. The Geometry Wars clones may be growing painfully old, but so did Doom clones, and then Serious Sam came along and it was pretty awesome. We're just repeating history.
(200pts)
Bennu
Bennu tries to emulate that Popcap charm with a stylized (Egyptian) presentation and a solid gimmick. You're a ball, you shoot out ropes, and you swing around in order to solve a puzzle. It sounds like simple fun, but the physics and controls sap any enjoyment you might have with it. The experience quickly becomes unnecessarily difficult and imprecise.
(400pts)
Sketch
This is a pretty accurate representation of Etch-a-Sketch, complete with controls that emulate knob-spinning for all the die-hard knob-spinning fans out there. Is it really necessary to commend that?
(200pts)
Game Training Vol 1: Dexterity
In Game Training, commands rise from the bottom of the screen to a line at the top, where you follow them in beat to a song and fireworks display. Clearly, someone really liked Boom Boom Rocket. Unfortunately, few others did.
(400pts)
Gallery Landscapes
Even by XBLI lifestyle app standards, Gallery Landscapes is a disappointment. There's absolutely no magic at work here, and any dimwit could figure out how it was made. It's a very simple recipe: steal photography from Google Image Search, apply filters in Photoshop, code a front-end, and upload to Xbox Live.
(200pts)
Urban Art Gallery
Urban Art Gallery attempts to one-up Gallery Landscapes and the deluge of gallery apps with hip-hop sensibilities. Each image is adorned with wild colors, graffiti, and loose-fitting clothes. It has a style, and that's why it almost has something going for it. Too bad the fun of paying to stare at someone's random picture collection is marred by a ridiculous soundtrack. You'd expect something with a solid bass beat, some scratches, and maybe a little rapping - instead you get the greatest hits of your last dentist visit.
(200pts)
