Heavy Weapon (XBOX One - XBOX 360 Compatibility Game)

Updated: Nov 20, 2022

Game Name: Heavy Weapon

Developer: PopCap Games

Publisher: PopCap Games

Platform: Windows, Mac OS, XBOX 360, PSN, and Zeebo

Release Date: November 24th, 2005

Price: 9.99$ (XBOX One)

Introduction

I have been playing this game for about 6 years but at the time I did not have my website and was not reviewing games at that point. When I heard that Microsoft was going to implement the XBOX 360 backwards compatibility to the XBOX One for free, I was stoked. When I looked at the list, I could not believe that this gem was on there. It may be goofy and loopy but it is a really fun game. Let's dig in!!

Gameplay

This game is very much like old school Moon Patrol on the Atari 2600 with just updated system and graphics but the same ol' fun.

Moon Patrol (Atari 2600 - World of Longplays)

I am not sure if this was the inspiration but the gameplay is pretty close. Man the above brings me back to when my uncle would bring his bag full of Atari 2600 games and my brother would play with him while I would watch. Ah, good times.... Now back to the review.

Bascially you are a tank and your goal is to get through missions. These missions get more and more difficult with as more powerful enemies emerge. Every mission ends with a boss fight. They are not super difficult but may take a few times to defeat them. It comes down to timing.

The controls are pretty good and responsive. There is not a ton of things to say. You point and shoot. That is all and try to kill as many enemies as possible. At the end of each stage you are shown of the percentage of the enemies that you shot down during the mission. That reminds me a bit of 1942 or 1943

1942 Gameplay (https://www.youtube.com/user/nesguide)

1943 Gameplay (https://www.youtube.com/user/Seahawk0027)

Graphics

The graphics hold up pretty well. Unlike Fallout or Battlefront or any AAA titles, you do not play this game for the graphics but for the actual gameplay. So the graphics are cartoonish in nature and that is the point. The explosions are over the top and that is fine. This game does not take itself seriously.

I did not notice any visual issues while playing this game on my XBOX One. Even though this game plays through an emulator, the graphics were just as crisp on the XBOX One.

Bottomline

This game is fun, plain and simple. A typical game can take 5 to 10 minutes. Your progress can be saved and you can pick up later. As much as I love the long games, short games have their place as well. This is the reason why I like playing sports games. You can pick up and play without wasting hours and hours doing nothing. For example, in Fallout 4, I spent 2 in a half hours discovering stuff without actually doing anything. So this is a nice touch and it is not that expensive. You may be lucky and get it for cheaper during sales.

All in all, IO have gone back to this game, time and time again. I think this will be a Wrecking Crew or Pole Position type of game that I will always play no matter how old and grey I get!!!

Gameplay