After the great concept that fizzled out in the original Matt Hazard, many gamers felt as if it would be a good thing if the imaginary videogame star stayed retired. Despite the errors of the first game, D3 unleashed Matt Hazard Blood Bath And Beyond on XBLA with surprisingly solid results. Developers have a bit of fun with their failed attempts in the first game, blaming a lack of voice talent this time around on 'budget cuts and bad reviews'. In the game's conclusion, a current-gen Hazard even warns the 8-bit version of himself that when he makes the leap to next-gen consoles to be prepared for harsh reviews. With Neil Patrick Harris and Will Arnet gone this time around, they tell the story via old school text-based cut-scenes. It would have been nice to hear the original voice cast ham it up again, but you do not miss them too badly thanks to the revised 2.5D gameplay. Rather than continue down the path of mediocre 3rd person action title, developers take half a step back to deliver a classic side-scrolling shooter title in the vein of last year's successful Shadow Complex; minus the upgradeable skills and Metroid-style exploration.
The story again sees Hazard tracking a villain through his developer's servers, giving them plenty of opportunity to lampoon a wealth of classic games. They know the plot does not make much sense, and wisely advise you to not think too hard about it. The joy of the game is in the spoofed levels and classic gameplay. The first level starts as a bit generic, with Hazard traversing a luxury cruise ship and taking down swarms of enemies and helicopters along the way. Things begin looking up when you head below deck to find a homage to BioShock. Vending machines and Little Sister holes make up the scenery of the similarly fifties-esque atmosphere, as you take down numerous Big Daddies along the way. It shows off some nice level design, requiring you to flood the hull and ride large cargo crates to navigate your way to the boss. They play nice and neglect to poke fun of BioShock's ending, which feels like a missed opportunity for hilarity. Other levels ramp up the parodies, offering a skipping Canadian mountee version of Elevator Action that evolves into Mirror's Edge.
If you do not see the joy in playing through a level, with guns ablaze, where Super Mario Bros is mashed up with a Wild West theme and a Back To The Future train scene, you may want to check the pulse on your inner gamer. The lone low point is the only level that drops the side-scrolling action for a frustrating lunar lander segment. The actual gameplay and difficulty feels very much like Contra, complete with weapon crate drops for gun upgrades and giant glowing bullets to avoid. The controls feel great this time around, with smart use of the shoulder buttons for precision aiming when things get hectic. Kill streaks fill your 'Hazard Meter', which ramps up the power of your weapons for a limited time. There are eight levels total, lasting around fifteen to twenty minutes each on the default difficulty, which seems about right for a downloadable title. Developers have a bit of fun with even the difficulty levels, providing Wussy, Damn This Is Hard, and F*ck This Sh*t as the options. In-game collectables and some tough achievements give some replay value, though it would have been nice to see Live co-op implemented.
As the game stands, it offers only same-console co-op, which is a disappointment given the game's classic roots. The same generic, eighties-inspired hair metal-inspired score fits right in with the gameplay to offer some nostalgia for those who remember pumping quarters into machines. The graphics actually feel like an upgrade over the retail title, with some great over-the-top ragdoll effects when enemies die; parlayed into a clever 'ragdoll pachinko' mini-game after each level for bonus points. In the end, the biggest issue with Matt Hazard BBB is the price. It is a tad overpriced at the 1200 MSP ($14.99) price point, feeling closer to an 800 MSP title without option for Live co-op play. Even without that key feature, it is still worth a look for classic game fans that will get plenty of enjoyment out of the classic game mash-ups found here. The game does enough to redeem D3 for the faults of the original, and leaves you actually wanting more Matt Hazard. Who would have thought?
