The next Xbox title to be released as a digital download via the Xbox Live Marketplace is Blitz Games' 2002 mascot platformer Zapper: One Wicked Cricket.
The game will hit the XBLM on November 17 and will set players back the standard $15. Microsoft has yet to reveal the size of the downloaded file, though it should be less than 4GB, based on the maximum size of the other titles in the Xbox Originals lineup.
While any addition to Microsoft's downloadable library of classic titles is welcome, I have to wonder what exactly drove Microsoft to select Zapper.
Certainly it can't be quality -- Metacritic has a 55 percent aggregate score for the Xbox iteration of the title-- and most gamers, even those who have been playing for decades now, would be hard-pressed to recall the title, let alone salient plot points.
Perhaps the Xbox Originals lineup is a random smattering of Xbox exclusives? Zapper doesn't fit that criteria either as it saw release on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, GameCube and PC.
Maybe someone at Microsoft saw a need for more platformers? That's the best explanation, but if that were true, why wouldn't the company opt for a better game such as the Xbox exclusive Blinx: The Time Sweeper?
Not only was Blinx (and its sequel) released only on Microsoft's platform, both titles outrank Zapper by at least 13 points, if Metacritic is anything to go by.
Microsoft Xbox Originals started life as an intriguing prospect. The company offered players a chance to conveniently replay blockbusters like Halo or cult classics like Crimson Skies, but more recently it has become a baffling repository for seemingly random games.
Here's hoping Microsoft retraces its steps and starts offering gamers only quality titles from now on.
Image courtesy Infogrames
