Rocketmen: Axis of Evil is a downloadable top-down shooter

Shoot 'em up

Shoot 'em up is a subgenre of shooter video games. In a shoot 'em up, the player controls a lone character, often in a spacecraft or aircraft, shooting large numbers of enemies while dodging their attacks. The genre in turn encompasses various types or subgenres and critics differ on exactly what...

 developed by A.C.R.O.N.Y.M. Games and published by Capcom

Capcom

is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...

 for the PlayStation 3

PlayStation 3

The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...

 and Xbox 360

Xbox 360

The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...

. The game is based on the constructible strategy game

Constructible strategy game

A constructible strategy game is a tabletop strategy game employing pieces assembled from components....

 called Rocketmen

Rocketmen

Rocketmen was constructible strategy game produced by WizKids and released in 2005 and discontinued in 2006. Part of its marketing included animated adventures based on the character of Nick Sion, a rebel and adventurer facing the evil alliance of Terra and Mars.Recently announced by Capcom,...

 from WizKids

WizKids

WizKids, Inc. is an American New Jersey-based company that first made its mark in the game industry producing collectible miniatures wargames. WizKids was purchased by and is a subsidiary of National Entertainment Collectibles Association. The company was founded in 2000 by Jordan Weisman, a...

. It supports 1-4 person cooperative play either online or offline.

Story

Rocketmen: Axis of Evils story is based around a possible treaty between the "Legion of Terra and Mars", and the Alliance of Free Planets (Mercury Venus and Earth). The Axis of Evil kidnaps the leader of the alliance, after which the player must explore multiple planets and space stations in order to free her and save the day.

Gameplay

In the game, the player can choose from three races including Human, Mercurian, and Venusian as well as three classes including Warrior, Engineer, and Outcast. The player travels through 10 different levels in a linear fashion, the only nonlinear thing being the secondary objectives. The entire object of the game is to go around picking up weapons and shooting the enemies, using the control sticks to move and shoot.

Character Creation

The Game starts off at the character creation screen. The player first chooses a gender, followed by a race. The color is then chosen, the default being a skintone pigment but ranges from bright pink to black. Throughout the gameplay, each character will gain experience points that can be used after each level to upgrade weapons, skills, and attributes and raise the drop rate of certain weapons.

Weapons

The thing that separates this game from most shooters is that the weapons are not bullet-limited; they are time-limited. When someone picks up a weapon, that player can shoot it as much as they'd like until the timer runs out. There are a few different weapon-choices. The starting pistol is slow and weak, but it is really only a stand-in until a better weapon is found; The shotgun is the next weapon found, and it utilizes a powerful scatter shot; The Razor fires sawblades which bounce off of walls and wreak havok; The laser shoots slow bullets that travel through anyone they touch; And the Vulcan fires a quick, double stream of bullets. There are also secondary weapons such as landmines and rockets that allow for additional tactics.

Reception

Critics picked this game up to be mediocre at best. IGN

IGN

IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...

 gave the game a 5.7 out of 10 and GameSpot

GameSpot

GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...

 gave it a 6.0 out of 10. Eurogamer gave it a poor rating of 3 out of 10. 1UP gave it a grade of B.

Rocketmen: It Came From Uranus

A followup, Rocketmen: It Came From Uranus, appeared on the ESRB

Entertainment Software Rating Board

The Entertainment Software Rating Board is a self-regulatory organization that assigns age and content ratings, enforces industry-adopted advertising guidelines, and ensures responsible online privacy principles for computer and video games as well as entertainment software in Canada, Mexico and...

 ratings, rated E10+ as well. A removed post from Capcom's blog stated the expansion would release on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 for Xbox Live Arcade

Xbox Live Arcade

Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...

 and Thursday, May 15 for PlayStation Network. The expansion which will be sold for 400 Microsoft Points

Microsoft Points

Microsoft Points are the currency of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Games for Windows - Live Marketplace, Windows Live Gallery, and Zune online stores. The points allow users to purchase content without a credit card and to reduce the number of small credit card transaction fees, which Microsoft would...

($5 USD) will include 3 maps, 3 main weapons, 2 secondary weapons, and new enemies.