Although the Xbox 360 is home to some of the worlds best games, for many players theyre just too damned tough; whether its Halo 2s bewildering battles or the clairvoyant snipers in Gears Of War, 360 games often value realism over entertainment, alienating the casual players whove flocked to Nintendos Wii in droves. But for something less extreme, Monster Madness is a simple joy.
A brainless blaster where school kids battle iconic B-Movie monsters, the game blends the brisk pace of Power Stone or Smash TV with the use anything as a weapon premise of Dead Rising. And while this may sound like the stuff of nightmares, Monster Madness comes into its own with a dizzying range of multiplayer modes that recall the clear-cut camaraderie of arcade classic Gauntlet, where four gamers can play cooperatively offline, or up to 16 via Xbox Live.
A humble throwback to yesteryears classic blasters, Monster Madness wont set the world of fire, but is a welcome break from the vicious intensity of todays hard-boiled gun-toters.