Gamertell Review: Avatar Showdown for Xbox Live

Title: Avatar Showdown
Price: 80 ($1) Microsoft Points
System(s): Xbox 360
Release Date: February 24, 2010
Developer:JForce Games
ESRB Rating: Unrated
Pros: Very cheap, places avatar in an interactive environment, quick fun with friends online or offline
Cons: Very few modes, no control of avatar movement, loses appeal very quickly
Overall Score: Two thumbs sideways, 70/100, C-, ** out of 5.

Avatar Showdown is an indie game developed by JForce Games and is one of the first games that allows you to fight with your Xbox Live avatar. It is currently available from the Xbox Live Indie Games store for 80 Microsoft points (US$1). I couldn’t think of a better price because, frankly, that’s all this game is really worth.

Become The Avatar

Avatar Showdown does let you take your avatar into battle but not like you would expect. You won’t be brawling like in traditional 2D fighting games. In fact, you can’t move your avatar at all. The game is all about testing your reaction time against the computer. You have to wait until a flash of exclamation points pop onto the screen and press any button to attack. If you’re faster than your opponent, you win. If not, you lose. It’s really that simple.

Fight Familiar Faces

The match will start with your avatar staring down one of many celebrity inspired avatars while they dish out slightly humorous one-liners. A Kanye West inspired avatar told me he was happy for me, but Beyonce’ has one of the best avatars of all time. You’ll also run into likenesses of The Joker, Forrest Gump, and Chuck Norris. Interestingly enough, I had the toughest time against Chuck Norris. You’ll need lighting fast fingers and some luck to get passed him. The final boss did give me a chuckle but I won’t spoil it here.

Pass The Buck

There aren’t many modes to choose from in Avatar Showdown. There are easy and hard difficulties in the single player mode, a two player mode and the ability to play online. If you manage to beat the game on hard, you’ll get a special weapon to use in JForce’s next game JForce: UNSTOPPABLE.

Avatar Showdown is a game you’ll get about 30 minutes of gaming out of if you just go for the single-player option. You may squeeze another hour or so out of it once you take it online against your friends.

Then again, it’s only $1 so we really can’t ask for much more than that. It’s good for a laugh and to see your avatar in a more interactive space. If you want to pit your Stormtrooper avatar against your friends Master Chief, go ahead and give it a try.

Purchase [Xbox Live Marketplace]