Matt Hazard is back…Again! This time the old school hero returns on XBLA and PSN for some side scrolling action. After poor reviews and the original (?) game ‘Eat Lead’ ending up in bargain bins, the game explains that budget cuts have taken place and this 2D action is all Matt’s developers can afford. This series started by making fun of other game franchises and it would seem that even their own work is not safe from parody.

Matt Hazard: Bloodbath and Beyond may not have the high budget of its predecessor but is superior in so many ways. Much like Shadow Complex, ‘MH:BBB’ is a 2D game with gorgeous 3D levels, a side scrolling shoot-em up with a variety of weapons and something resembling a plot worth taking note of. The game feels solidly made with all the bells and whistles expected of bigger developers on the downloadable arcade scene. Gone are the failed mechanics and poor controls that plagued ‘Eat Lead’, Matt Hazard has gone back to basics.

It turns out that Matt’s arch nemesis has gone back in time to kill the original Matt so that future Matt will not exist. After some curious pondering on the physics of this plot Matt is sent back to follow the villain through gaming history. Now the great thing about the ‘Eat Lead’ was that the parodies of previous games were actually funny to anyone who got the reference, ‘BBB’ brings this back with style. The first level starts out as a simple level romp over a cruise liner, but soon you enter into the bowels of the ship and a very strong, in your face, look of certain ‘Rapture’ becomes apparent, down to the big daddies. Mirrors Edge, Mario and Team Fortress 2 are some great examples of the many games this simple title journeys through, it’s worthy of a smile.

Game play is pretty simple; you have shoot, grenade and jump, combine these to win. However, BBB doesn’t pull its punches; in fact it damn well swings at you like an enraged baseball player. Even on the normal difficulty getting past level 3 was a challenge using all of my continues. Admittedly I’m out of ‘Contra’ practice and on my next attempt at any failed level my lives stayed up and the level moved quickly. However, BBB does have some heinous design choices at points. Platforming in side scrolling shooters has never been a strong element for most games in the genre (metroid and clones excluded), BBB goes one step further and rewards you with instant death should you fail a very delicate jump, which most are. Just a touch bigger platforms that weren’t rounded on the edges would have felt more enjoyable and remained challenging.

Put the platforming aside and you have some pretty solid action. A large variety of weapons drop from fallen enemies or broken crates, including ice guns and rocket launchers. Grenades are plentiful for those tough situations or when you just want to progress a tad faster. Unlike Contra you have a health bar, but it doesn’t take a lot to see it empty, hope to come across a health pick up and not die before you blindly dash for it. Staying alive also rewards you with a build up in your ‘Hazard’ bar, which can be activated when full making you invincible and change any gun to a 3 barreled weapon of death (the shotgun is my favorite).

Enemies come in all shapes and sizes; variety comes with each level as you progress. If the Mounties on mechanical moose’s don’t get you then the killer penguins will. Even the animations are unique to the level, giving each a distinctive character. Learning how to deal with the tougher enemies on each level is the key to survival, of course lots of minions will assault you, so balance in your fire is essential. As with all games of this type, shooting enemies below you is a pain and a number of deaths will result from simply trying to jump and aim at them while under fire. Much like Shadow Complex enemies will also appear in the background adding a layer of depth to the combat; a quick pull on the shoulder button will soon have you aiming at these long range cowards and for the ones that do get close the shoot button changes to a quick knife kill.

Easily the toughest part of Matt Hazard: BBB are the bosses. Mentioning level 3 again, the boss here seems to have no discernible attack pattern that will keep you safe from harm, unless you give it multiple attempts your gaming experience could end here. Perhaps a patch will sort out the balance of these hilarious yet infuriating situations, but as it stands it’s the only real turn off for the game. On the other hand, 2D side scrolling shooters are renowned for their difficulty, so perhaps this is the way it was meant to be.

Matt Hazard: Bloodbath and Beyond is a great step forward for a parody series that suffered on it’s first attempt and has shown that the series has potential. A few niggling issues prevent you from enjoying it as much as you should, but with great attention to detail in the graphics and perfectly placed references to other games there is something in this one well worth playing. The demo is currently available on XBLA and PSN, allowing you to experience 3 levels on a timer, which is enough to get a taste of the whole experience. If this review hasn’t sold you or only piqued your interest, give it a go and see if this out of retirement gaming hero can win you over.

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