There’s a special place in many people’s hearts for the work of Charles M. Schulz, creator of the seminal Peanuts series of cartoons. His passing deprived the world of a colourful character but his legacy still lives on in the body of work he left behind and the rich characters he created. Of course Charlie Brown, Linus, et al are household names, but for many Snoopy and his erstwhile sidekick, Woodstock, were the embodiment of the series. A cult classic, from his Joe Cool alter ego to the classic “Dogfight” with the Red Baron, the voiceless creation, so brimming with character, delighted many. Now riffing off the Dogfight scenario, Smart Bomb Interactive has created their XBLA title, Snoopy Flying Ace.
Adopting a World War I style, replete with flying goggles, bi-planes and derring-do, might seem like a heavy concept to apply to the Peanuts characters, but in fairness Smart Bomb have done a superb job in creating a light hearted tone that’s very much in keeping with the cartoon series. The initial adjustment of seeing Snoopy and Co. rendered in three dimensions takes a mere moment before it becomes perfectly natural.
Singleplayer is made up of various different missions in which you must engage the dastardly Red Baron, and the hoard of enemies at his command, in the skies above. There’s an inordinate amount of things to see and do, and each level has a distinct theme. Some will consist of protecting a base from a giant flying Zeppelin, or ask you to hop into a turret and dispose of waves of planes. There’s certainly a wide variety on offer and if you meet strict guidelines you’ll be awarded medals based on your performance. Controls for your bi-plane are also spot on and work perfectly, feeling so instinctive that you`ll never want to tinker with the default setting.
The time spent in the singleplayer will serve you well when it comes to the extensive online portion of the game. A lot of titles throw in multiplayer as an almost piecemeal offering, but here you have a veritable smorgasbord of modes to choose from. Everything from Team Deathmatch and variants on Capture the Flag are there, along with a few new inclusions like Dog Pile and Pigskin, a take on American Football, so there’s plenty to be going on with. The weapon sets and load-outs can be customised for personal preference and while some will come to curse the precision of the games Leech Missiles, those relying too heavily on only one weapon will quickly become exposed by those who adapt and change weaponry depending on the map they’re playing.
The inevitable comparisons will be made with that much loved Xbox title, Crimson Skies, and they’d be quite right. This is a XBLA title whose multiplayer puts a large number of the tacked on modes in full retail releases to shame. There has been some serious love and attention lavished here, and it`s hoped that people will continue to experience it long after the typical buzz around a games release has passed.
Thrown into the mix to help this extension is the ubiquitous levelling up system. Each rank unlocks new weapons and planes to use and there are also gamerpics and Avatar awards up for grabs for those dedicated to reaching the highest ranks on offer. While these enticements will cause many to dive in regardless, the rich, deep level of play on offer means people will stick around and hopefully foster a community.
The attention to detail and hooks to keep people playing even extends to rewards for kill streaks. Reach five in a row without dying and you`ll be rewarded with Woodstock as a support gunner to cover your rear, but the best of all is for achieving nine kills and the sight of Snoopy flying around atop his Dog House. If you aren’t smiling like a lunatic at this point, you clearly have no heart or are joyless to say the least.
Taking an idea or concept and applying it to a beloved animation series can sometimes be a recipe for disaster but with Snoopy Flying Ace you can see the love and care that has been lavished on it, very much setting itself apart from most Live Arcade titles and creating a new benchmark in the process. Smart Bomb Interactive have delivered a truly sublime experience and one that deserves nothing but praise.
Suppertime of Destruction DLC review, 11th September 2010 by Keith Murray
When it comes to Xbox Live Arcade titles that have a heavy emphasis on online play, today’s hot new thing can fast turn into a faded has-been in double quick time. Thankfully Snoopy Flying Ace has managed to sustain a loyal following long after its initial release. That has to be attributed, in no small part, to the impressive roster of game modes and persistent ranking system involved with online play. Now, Smart Bomb Interactive has decided to add to the overall experience with a DLC pack, entitled Suppertime of Destruction.
Suppertime of Destruction adds more modes, weapons and a couple of wacky new craft which accommodate the players’ avatar. Modes, such as Wild Woodstock (in both normal and Team variants) are about amassing a successful collection of Snoopy’s erstwhile sidekick, while Top Dogs sees players attempting to take down a heavily armoured lead plane, while protecting their own. Both help flesh out the already substantial array of modes available in the original package.
New weapons like Lil’ Yellow, which launches a wave of Woodstock’s that the player has to guide towards their intended target, are certainly welcome additions to the existing arsenal, providing something new for players to blow their opponents out of the sky with. Crucially, none of the additions effect the balance of the existing game, and you’ll find it just as likely to still be taken out by a competent player wielding a Molten Flail, as you will a Seeker.
Rounding off the package are a couple of new maps. Aces Airway, with its dark, ominous clouds (creating a literal fog of war) looks impressive, as does Kaiser`s Spike; although the latter soon degenerates into an almighty stramash as players rush head long into the mountain, looking to rack up instant kills and establish a foothold from the start.
Above all, it’s nice to see an Xbox Live Arcade title still heavily populated with players a good while on from the original release. Sure, there are some familiar faces still playing and their tactics (as well as your own) can be read almost telepathically, but there’s a nice sense of community going on within Snoopy Flying Ace which this DLC package will hopefully extend for longer.
