I spoke a little bit about a shnazzy little game called Groov during Midwest Gamer Podcast Episode 6. I wanted to re-visit my thoughts on it before it's long forgotten within my laundry list of 2009 games.
Groov is a twin stick, music based space shooter from Funkmasonry Industries. As far as I can tell, this is Funkmasonry's only game project thus far. The game will set you back 200 Microsoft points and consists of three different modes, two of which are unlockable. The initial playable mode "Original Mix", is by far the most satisfying way to play the game. "Original Mix" grants the player several lives and pits you up against waves of enemies that each behave in a different way. Upon death, these enemies add a single musical note to a constantly evolving soundtrack. Subsequent modes are unlocked by achieving a preset high score. Beating the "Original Mix" high score unlocks "Expert Remix", a single life survival mode, and after beating the "Expert Remix" high score, players unlock a extraordinarily useless "Jam Session" mode.
I've heard alot of talk about how this game is a Geometry Wars ripoff, and to be honest, upon first playing Groov, I had never played a Geometry Wars game. So after hearing this, I downloaded the trial version of Geometry Wars Evolved and gave it a try. After playing it, I can definitely see where people are coming from, there are plenty of similarities, and Geometry Wars is a far more polished game in many ways. In spite of this, I still feel like Groov sets itself apart and proves it's worth, even in the shadow of the more popular Geometry Wars.
The way the player is able to actively take part in the manipulation of the soundtrack is incredibly satisfying. This creates a completely different experience each session and makes up for the lack of gametype variety found within the rest of the game. Groov kindly introduced me to this music creation type of gameplay and I have since sought out and found games with similar mechanics (ex. Lumines). I mentioned the enemy behavior earlier. I feel like this is one area where Groov really shines. Each enemy has it's own unique behavior, movement pattern, and respective sound/musical note for quick identification. All of these mechanics combined create a considerably difficult gaming experience, but somehow Groov manages to be one of the most relaxing games I've ever played. If for nothing else, Groov should be required playing material after a grueling N+ session. (Please consult with your family physician before using Groov to combat any unpleasant N+ side effects)
Matt - Midwest Gamer Podcast (http://midwestgamerblog.blogspot.com)
GamerCheese got our Groov on while talking to Julian Kantor, creator of Groov, to discuss his inspirations, his future goals, and where he sees the Indie game market heading as the next-gen consoles arrive.
Edge: Julian Kantor is the man behind Groov, a dual-stick shooter with a musical twist, that's one of the Community Games channel's standout pieces. As part of the background to E202's Creation Myths article, an in-depth look at the state of play on XBCG that we'll be posting on the site on Monday, we caught up with Kantor to ask about the origins of the game and his involvement with XNA, as well as look back over the period since the game launched.
In the premier episode, Dan talks with XNA developers Aaron Teplitsky (Snake 360) and Julian Kantor (Groov) about the trials and tribulations of developing games for Xbox 360.
