I enjoy platforming games so I was quite excited to hear that ‘Splosion Man was a pure platforming title on XBLA. Bypassing the demo completely, I downloaded the game straight to my 360 based on some recommendations from other gamers I know. The verdict…they were right about ‘Splosion Man. It lived up to the pure platforming fun I was expecting. But they are two sides to every coin.

The game has a simple concept, get to the end. There’s no story or cutscenes involved, just pure platforming. All you have is your wits, in-game music, and some goofy noises that ‘Splosion Man makes while playing. ‘Splosion Man is given 3 jumps or ‘Splodes’ in order to get to higher locations or bounce off some walls. The jumps are recharged after a few seconds so you’re not limited. There are also no special moves or weapons so the game is extremely easy to control.

As I stated earlier, ‘Splosion Man is very fun but there is a downside. As you progress, the levels get harder and more complex as if you didn’t see that coming. There are a lot of “WTF” moments in the game and you will question the creators as to how the hell they expect someone to get past an area. Some spots require precise jumps or running, sometimes both and you will fail. Oh, you will fail a lot. Patience and determination is what kept me playing and beating this game. The ending was surprisingly funny and worth the hours of failures though.

In the end, ‘Splosion Man is a good purchase. It comes with a single player mode, multiplayer for either local or online co-op, time trials, and leaderboard statistics. A hardcore mode unlocks if you manage to beat the game as well. If you enjoy platforming games, you’ll enjoy this one.

I give it 9 out of 10 ‘splodes.