Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit - Xbox 360

Hell Yeah has much in common with other indie games: it’s a 2D platformer, it has simple, sprite-based graphics, and it features large quantities of meat exploding outward from defeated enemies. The similarities stop there, however, as Hell Yeah reaches heights of sheer, unadulterated exuberance that few indie titles ever manage to reach.

Hell Yeah is the first properly published game from indie studio (are they indie anymore?) Arkedo, whose previous spirited efforts are found of the Xbox Live Indie Games platform. Those simple, intuitive games have given way to proper “Metroidvania” adventure, replete with upgradeable abilities, exceptionally angry bosses, and a ludicrous story.

The player controls a prince of Hell, who seems to have a…well…thing…for his rubber ducky, Duckator. An embarrassing video of said prince and said ducky is filmed, and uploaded to the Internet (Hell comes with a fiber optic network, apparently), where exactly one hundred demons have seen it. The only solution? Kill those one hundred demons, to restore his honor and pride. The story is obviously ludicrous, and the developers have noted that any plot sequences inserted into the game simply serve as a chance to tell a few jokes.

The gameplay is sharp, quick, and to the point. The prince is initially defenseless, but soon gains access to a spinning jetpack sawblade…thing...which can hover in the air and slice through enemies with great ease. Closing off passageways to further areas are doors that only open when all major demons in the area have been defeated. Each of the hundred demons is a unique enemy, and upon death, the game will insert one of thirty “death mini-games” to finish the creature off: some sort of rhythm-based timing exercise, perhaps, or a Simon-Says like memory sequence. They’re simple, but quick, and add a nice bit of flair into the proceedings.

The jump arcs and physics feel a bit off at the moment, but we’re confident Arkedo will deliver a polished, beautiful product in the end. If you love indie games, Hell Yeah is one to keep on your radar. The game will be released “September-ish” on Xbox Live Arcade, the PlaySation Network, and Steam.