Should you shell out 800 MS Points for a cheap iPhone game?
I can’t claim to have played the iPhone version of Tower Bloxx, but I’ve played many games like it over the years. Essentially the object is to drop towers on top of each other to create huge towers. It’s completely one-dimensional and without any online multiplayer, you’ll wonder what there is to make the game so pricey…
The game does support avatars which feels out of place and it does have local multiplayer upto 4 players, but seriously…why no online? It seems like this game would be perfect for it. Apparently the iPhone game only costs 99 cents, so 800 MS points is rather steep considering. Oh sure, you get HD visuals and avatar support…but does it really need it? Sadly, this seems like one of the XBLA games that seem to be more about the cash than the content.
There is a small campaign mode in which you stack up towers individually on a grid, but that’s about as deep as it gets. It’s shallow and sadly doesn’t do enough to justify the price tag. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a fun game…but you can play it for much free on the web or really cheaply on the iPhone. Some will wonder what the point of it coming on XBLA really was other than a cash-in and sadly, I can’t feel any other reason.
The visuals are obviously better than the web and iPhone versions, but it’s still not amazing to look at. You would think that for the cost, they would at least make it look decent and have some great tunes, but instead it’s instantly forgettable.
The Verdict
Tower Bloxx Deluxe is a good game, but it does feel like a rip-off when you can play it for free online and iPhone for less than a dollar. If you can look past that and the complete lack of online multiplayer, then you might just have a decent time…otherwise, avoid.
