Download Games Roundup

If you added up all the downloadable games across Steam, XBLA, PSN, Minis, WiiWare, DSiWare and even the foolishly overlooked Xbox Indie Games Channel, how many games have been released to date? 4000? More?

Whatever the actual figure is, perhaps it's strange that so few of these games have been bundled up for retail release. Microsoft issued an XBLA showcase compilation a few years back, and PopCap is getting in on the act right now with two four-game volumes on Xbox 360. But apart from those, who else is bothering?

The point is, while it's easy to grasp the motivation for keeping literally thousands of titles locked onto a download service at the same price for years on end (money money money!), a large proportion of the potential audience presumably remains unaware of the cheap gems out there.

Boxed compilations may not work for everyone, but at the very least there needs to be a more aggressive attitude to pricing in general, with Steam and App Store-style offers to tempt people into actually taking the plunge on games that often look pricey at their default levels.

Acceleration of SUGURI X-Edition

• PSN - £7.99

I see someone finally got around to building the long-mooted genre-fusion random generator. The first fruit of its labours? May I present to you a bullet hell beat-'em-up, where two boggle-eyed anime lovelies slug it out in blizzardous fury over issues of great import.

One of the marvellous things about this technology is its (possibly accidental) ability to graft earnest exposition regarding pudding onto the edges. In developer Rockin Android's world, it's only possible to settle such trifling matters with a volley of rockets and homing missiles to the face. But don't worry, because the ammo's infinite.

Maybe there's a perfectly rational explanation for all this, but it's a place where dainty ladies have total command over gravity's pull, and can launch themselves forward with a bat of their lashes. Can't they just talk it over?

As you alternate furiously between confusion and excitement, the explosive gaggle never lets up even for a moment. You'll launch a curtain of certain death, dash, homing missile strike, dash. Dash dash. Laser in the face. Die! WHY WON'T YOU DIE?

And so it goes on until one of your life bars runs out. But do you continue to fight another day, or move on to a game less likely to infect your dreams? I suppose that rests squarely on your ability to argue about cake.

5/10