Every Extend Extra Extreme

As long as you go in expecting an audio-visual feast that's good for killing some time, and not a deep shooter, you won't leave disappointed.

E4 is really one of those XBLA-defining titles in that it represents a profoundly divergent experience but still has that pick up and play feel to it that people (want to?) associate with a Live title.

E4 is way more fun than last year’s E3. We know that’s not a major feat, but it still should give some kind of indication of what Q Entertainment brought to the table in their sophomoric effort

If you never bothered with the PSP games, the improvements in this radically redesigned Xbox Live Arcade version warrant further inspection on the strength of the speedy gameplay and customizable music analyzer. Although it looks like a tech demo on the surface, what lies beneath is an altogether meatier experience.

If rhythm and trippy visuals are your thing then you'll find this bazaar shooter worthwhile.

The impressive merger of music with gameplay and sound effects is worth at least experiencing once - it certainly isn't for everybody, but you'd be surprised at how addictive it can be to see all those little pieces blow up just by pushing A... and perhaps that is E4's strongest appeal.

And if the shield was gone and the enemies were fewer, and more varied, it could have been a lot like an actual videogame, with a difficulty curve, rather than a bewildering ascent up a six-foot cliff onto an endless plateau of tedium.