Platform: Xbox

Genre: Party Game

Publisher: Microsoft

Developer: Presto Studios

ETA: Fall 2002

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Whacked! (Early Look)  

We’ve had our fair share of brawler-esque, mono et mono gladiatorial combat titles.  Most of this has come in the form of your average fighter, while others have gone for something on a grander scale (and largely failed).  Presto Studios seems to be going for some larger scale combat of their own with Whacked! for the XBox, albeit with a liberal dash of whacky (uh oh, bad pun alert) overtones as warriors, and I use this term loosely, face off in an all-out frenzied brew-ha-ha while collecting all manner of power-ups to help them along.  With the game only recently being announced, here’s a quick rundown of what little we know so far:  

- Unusual, yet almost cute characters (8 total). Just look at the screenshots and see for yourself.
- Various game modes, such as Combat Mode where players face off and beat the tar out of their opponents while scooping up the power-ups, Chicken Mode where players are pitted against attacking man-eating chickens, as well as King of the Hill, Grab 'n' Run, Fragfest and Dodgeball modes.
- Unusual levels including the base of a Christmas tree, an arctic pipeline, and a kitchen sink
- 40 different power-ups and weapons, including cannons, staple guns, pitchforks, and shish ka bob skewers.

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While on an aesthetic level things appear somewhat interesting or at least good for a chuckle, hopefully the gameplay will prove fun too.  All too often when developers go this route of zany looking games, that’s all they are: zany looking.  Hopefully Presto can change this, now we just wait and see.

- Mr. Nash