Worms

Yes, it'd be great if all the classic weapons were back in. But there are few really egregious omissions --and Worms doesn't suffer from its age one jot. Indeed, it positively benefits from it, avoiding the numerous missteps of the series' difficult middle years and delivering a definitive, polished, and razor-sharp experience. There are few better multiplayer games in existence, and no better ones on Xbox Live Arcade. If your gaming habits ever include playing with others, online or off, Worms is utterly essential.

So to wrap up this review in a nice little package, I will say that Worms HD has it’s moments that dazzle on screen and in gameplay. Namely the online component is really where you’ll want to play; but it ends up as a great local multiplayer with your real-life friends (if you have any). The features and weapons that are missing as described above are sorely missed but take some solace in knowing that at least a few of each will return in the future. But at 800 MS points, is the game worth purchasing as is? The answer is: yes, but you may want to wait for some free content to be included before you dive in.

"Worms" mostra porque é um clássico. Sua mecânica de jogo é logicamente perfeita e só isso já garante diversão, ao menos quem consegue lidar com seu ritmo cadenciado. Trata-se da melhor produção que a série já teve, mas também perdeu aspectos muito significativos, como uma porção de armas e editores robustos. Ainda assim, o saldo é positivo, o suficiente para compensar os 800 MS Points (cerca de US$ 10) investidos.

Even with the limited themes, Worms has a lot of legs, or at least a lengthy slimy belly, and it’s a worthy addition to XBLA, especially as a multiplayer game over Live.

The limit of 50 MB does affect your enjoyment. If you are used to games where Super Sheep fly across the map, or where a Baseball bat sends Worms flying, then you will probably come away feeling slightly disappointed. Couple that with the lack of amusing voice banks, some of the humour is lost. The game is still fun and humourous, and Xbox Live play will definitely extend the attention it will get from you. Playing with friends is always best. If the game had more voices and more variety in the landscape options, I don’t doubt that the humour would be extended. As it is, you’ll enjoy playing the game, but you won’t be able to stop wondering what the game could have been without the 50 MB limit.

But assuming that last issue gets resolved in the coming weeks, Worms is a fantastic addition to your Live Arcade library.

Worms is well worth a download if just for the demo - fans of the franchise will probably want to shell out the dough for the full version as this game is every bit as fun as Worms has ever been. It loses a few points due to the price, but it's an otherwise fine game.

Worms for the Xbox Live Arcade does an excellent job of recreating the fun and excitement of the series, but it's slightly disappointing to see so many modes and weapons stripped from the experience. Still, if you're looking for a great game to play with friends or online, then you can't go wrong with Worms!

Still, what else can we say? Worms on the Xbox 360 marketplace is a match made in heaven and will undoubtedly help sell the already popular Xbox Live matchmaking service. If you only ever have 800 points to spend, then the wise would surely invest in some invertebrate madness as the reasons are simple; multiplayer has never been much better than this. It’s a shame that some of the backgrounds and voice packs seem to have been limited for that trademarked MSP exploitation later on, but even in its most basic form, Worms is still highly recommended.

Worms for the Xbox Live Arcade is a faithful adaptation of the popular series, and while it isn't without its faults, is some of the most fun you can have in multiplayer on Live. The lack of variety in terms of weapons, backgrounds, scenery and voice-packs is disappointing, but given the arbitrary 50MB limit at the time, hardly surprising, and provided any extra content is reasonably priced on the Marketplace, shouldn't be a major source of sourness.

Worms offers almost limitless level designs, great multiplayer action for 4 people online and off and a basic but vital ingredient for any game – fun! It sports simple but crisp visuals that are well done and serve the games needs nicely, now if only the sound were a little less annoying, this would be a near perfect package. Worms was a great game when I played it with friends 10 years ago, and it’s a great game online with complete strangers today.

There's nothing too surprising in the modes available in Worms, but save for a robust map and rules editor, it's pretty much everything you could want. There's a decent tutorial, a set of single-player challenges, and support for up to four players, both online and off. For all of the fan-favorite Worms content that didn't make it into this release, there's some consolation to be had in the fact that this game supports downloadable content, though that's content you'll all but certainly have to pay for on top of the 800 points (about $10) being charged for the game itself. So, it's a package that could've been handled better, but it's still Worms--a highly competent version of Worms, at that--and it's still a whole lot of fun.

Worms may lack all of the bells and whistles that purists have come to expect, but the core game (especially when played online) still holds up – and that counts for a lot.

If you've played a Worms game before, you know what you're getting here. It's just too bad that the full weapon set wasn't included or a more robust map editor. The result is a game that is fun, but feels like you don't have the full package. Where's the holy hand grenade? Where's the homing pigeon? Where's the ming vase? If these are included later as pricy downloadable packs, all of our fears of micro-transactions causing developers to leave out content in hope of scoring a quick buck later will have come true in a most unsatisfying way. For Worms fans, this will be a mixed bag of fun and disappointment. For anyone that hasn't played a Worms game before, this is a competent enough iteration to warrant a first look.

Ultimately Xbox Live Arcade Worms feels more dumbed down than watered down, and 800 points is a lot for the novelty of playing an old game in HD. Still, if you buy it, people will most certainly come out to play, and ultimately the gameplay transcends the rather sparse contents. This is not a download for hardcore Worms fans, but rather for Worms virgins and those just looking for a bit of nostalgia on their shiny next-gen consoles.

In the end, there is nothing else like this on XBLA, and you really should put down Gears of War and give this a try. The core gameplay of Worms is time-tested, family appropriate, and a riot for all non-computer players involved.

Ultimately, it’s Worms’ lack of features that is its downfall. There’s a semblance of a map editor, but there’s no real user control. Why can’t I place my own objects or shape my own terrain? Why do I have to let the computer do it? And why don’t I have access to weapons that past Worms installments have had? These questions, as well as others, are what Worms veterans will be wondering when they fire up the 800-point XBLA offering. Diehards will find enough to warrant a purchase, but others should know that there are several other Worms offerings that are better suited to first-timers.

It's not all bad though. Despite being tremendously slim, Worms is still fun, looks glorious in high definition, and the controls translate very well to the Xbox 360 pad. Worms fans will be disappointed by the lack of returning features for $10 ($7 would have been the sweet spot), but will still enjoy getting back into the 2D action.

But for a few missing weapons, then (sorry - a few dozen missing weapons), this is as close to the series' peak as we've been since the days when the novelty hadn't worn off on the PC, and given the right company you'll find it quite approachable, with simple controls and the usual potential for comedy failure. Whether that's enough though is debatable - and it's a safe bet you already own plenty of games less reliant on fluke and pratfalls to entertain.