Twisted Pixel, the independent developer behind downloadable hits The Maw and ‘Splosion Man have done it yet again with Comic Jumper: The Adventures of Captain Smiley.

Comic Jumper follows the lives of self aware super heroes Captain Smiley and his wisecracking sidekick, Star. After their comic gets canceled, they are willing to do whatever it takes to earn some money and get their own comic back. For the gamer, this means playing though various cameo appearances in comics spanning several ages, art styles, and genres.

The gameplay is a mix of Contra, Space Harrier, QTE’s, and watered-down beat ‘em up, constantly changing throughout each level. One minute you are punching wave after wave of obese tribal locals and the next you are on-rails shooting fireball-throwing enemies in golf carts.

Above: Ten minutes of gameplay from the demo.

The humor in Comic Jumper is some of the best I have ever experienced in an Xbox Live Arcade title or video games in general. I literally had to look twice at the ESRB rating because at times I couldn’t believe they could get by with some of the dialogue in a Teen-rated downloadable title. It is witty, crude, and offensive. And I love every minute of it! To be completely honest, it’s the sole reason why I stuck with the game to the very end.

Above: The wonderful stats screen song.

Bottom line: If you’re looking for a hilarious and unique Xbox Live Arcade game and are willing to ignore the subpar controls and gameplay to experience the game in its entirety, by all means buy Comic Jumper. Gaming elitists that nitpick every little flaw and rate games a two out of 10 just because they hate everything about everything should turn back now. This game is for those capable of enjoying something despite its shortcomings.

6/10

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