Eets: Chowdown

Added May 1st, 2007 by LightK

Eets, the popular indie PC game from early 2006, has now been ported to the 360 XBLA. But is Eets: Chowdown by Klei Entertainment worth 800 Microsoft points?

In this cartoon-styled game, you control Eets, a white marshmallowy monster. The objective is to guide Eets to different puzzle shards. You cannot directly control Eets, but instead are given items to place that will influence his actions. These items include a prankster whale that propels Eets sky high; pigs that shoot explosives from their rear ends; ginseng factories to alter Eets mood and more. Each item works in a unique way to manipulate Eets to the puzzle shard. Thankfully, you begin this 2D puzzler with a short tutorial.

The control scheme took a bit to get used to. LT changes Eets’ speed, while RT causes the action to begin and/or stop. LB bestows hints and LT moves the cursor (which you use to place items on the playing field). The d-pad is for fine-tuning movement; right thumbstick controls the camera view; Y button rotates the items placed; X button accesses your items box; B button is your trash and the A button selects items.

There are 120 levels for you to assist Eets with his mission. You place your items at the start of each level and then press RT to cause Eets to begin walking. The fun lies within discovering if your items will guide him to the puzzle shard. I found myself pressing RT multiple times to adjust the placement and/or the direction of the items. This can become quite frustrating, especially if you’re not looking 3 or 4 steps ahead. As the levels progress, the puzzles become more challenging.

As you advance through the levels, your item box will contain more and more items for your use. If you can complete that level with objects still remaining in your item box, you’ll score bonus points. You’ll also gain additional points by finishing under a set par time. I didn’t notice any penalty for using the hint function. You can also restart each level as often as you wish without any apparent decrease in score.

In addition to the puzzle solving game, Eets: Chowdown also comes with a mini-game, Marsho Madness. In this mini-game, your goal is to destroy the swarms of marshmallows that are advancing towards you. To accomplish this, you’ll need to press the correct buttons that match the icons above the enemies and then pull the trigger to fire. I doubt you’ll spend much time playing this mini-game as it becomes old very quickly. Sadly, the only multi-player action you’ll find is local. No online play is a downer.

The visuals are what you’d expect in a title such as this – cartoonish, but well-drawn. Eets’ different emotions will have you chuckling. I didn’t notice any problems even with multiple items on screen.

The music fits the game perfectly. In fact, you may find yourself driving to work or heading to school humming the theme song in your head.

Summary:

The game is rated E for Everyone. As in every XBLA title, you can boost your Gamerscore by 200 (12 achievements). The achievement objectives range from completing a level with at least 1 remaining item and smacking Eets with Ginseng 20 times. There is some mild cartoon violence that fits perfectly for the game. The puzzles are challenging without becoming stressful. Simply put, this is a must have for all puzzle lovers.