Band of Bugs
Encyclopedia
Band of Bugs is a turn-based tactics
video game developed by NinjaBee
. The game includes a level editor, leaderboards, Xbox Live Vision camera support, and multiplayer gameplay. It was released on Xbox Live Arcade
on June 20, 2007 for 800 Microsoft Points
.
On December 3, 2007, a Microsoft Windows
version was released and is available for download via the NinjaBee website for $14.95 USD.
In contrast to many turn-based games where either an entire side moves at once or individuals move according to some initiative
value, units in Band of Bugs take turns. When sides have an equal number of units, each side moves a single unit at a time before ceding control to the other side. When one side has more units than the other, that side takes a proportionally greater number of moves at a time, e.g. two moves to every one of the opposition when one side has twice as many units as the other. The same unit may not be moved more than once per full turn, with a full turn ending after all units have acted. This system helps ensure that players do not spend an excessive amount of time waiting for their opponents to act.
Units vary in their statistics and capabilities, with most units having at least one special ability which can be used instead of a standard attack. Some bug types have multiple weapons or attack types (e.g., one ranged and one mêlée
weapon) which can be switched between at the cost of an action. Lastly, some bugs can make use of magic, with various spells which can be cast a limited number of times per battle.
While there are a limited number of items which can be picked up and used at a later point in time, Band of Bugs features no significant resource management elements above and beyond troop management.
Level objectives range from defeating all foes, to destroying a certain key enemy or enemy object, to simply escaping the area with one or more units. Some battles feature more than two sides, with a third side hostile to one or both of the other two sides.
After a level is completed, the player is awarded a medal
based on his or her performance. The performance score is calculated based on friendly loses, enemy loses, and the total amount of clock time taken (encouraging quick play). Players can replay any previous level at any time in order to attempt to earn a better medal.
At their most basic, maps consist of squares of different terrain positioned at different heights. Some terrain types slow unit movement, while other terrain squares damage those who enter them. Water tiles are also available, which, while having no effect on flying units, will cause ground units to drown.
.
On July 25, 2007, two map packs were released. Each included 5 new maps for multiplayer games and stand alone missions. While "Map Pack #2" was free for download, "Map Pack #1" was priced at 150 Microsoft Points
.
On August 8, 2007, a content package entitled "Red Kingdom" was released for a price of 250 Microsoft Points. This collection includes a new map tile set, a new campaign with 10 new levels, and 2 new unit types.
On October 10, 2007, a content package entitled "Ninja Sticks of Fury" was released for a price of 250 Microsoft points. This collection includes a new map tile set (snowy), an all-new campaign with 10 new levels and new characters, and 1 new unit type.
NinjaBee
are set to release Avatar support for the game on July 8, 2009 via a free patch. Also a new DLC campaign pack titled "Tales of Kaloki" based on Outpost Kaloki offering a new story, new units, new unit types, a new map tile, weapons and abilities. This will cost 240 Microsoft Points and will also release on July 8, 2009 along with a Band of Bugs Premium Dashboard Theme.
, which awarded it a score of 8/10. However, many later reviews were more critical, criticizing glitches and a general lack of strategic depth. IGN graded the game as "passable", with a score of 6.2/10, remarking that while the title has all the necessary basic elements, it lacks gameplay depth and the ability to customize units. GameSpot similarly gave the title a 6.3/10, noting that it was "too simplistic to be addictive and too frustrating for players looking for a casual strategy fix." Overall, the enjoyment of the colorful graphics and the map editor were tempered by concerns about the game's longevity for genre fans.
engine.
During an interview, the development team emphasized their commitment to Xbox Live Arcade and focusing on gameplay over graphics or cutscenes. As such, the title uses under 50 MB of storage space, despite Microsoft raising the limit for later Xbox Live Arcade titles to 150 MB.
Band of Bugs was a finalist in the 2007 Independent Games Festival
in the Technical Excellence category.
Turn-based tactics
Turn-based tactics , or tactical turn-based , is a computer and video game genre of strategy video games that through stop-action simulates the considerations and circumstances of operational warfare and military tactics in generally small-scale confrontations as opposed to more strategic...
video game developed by NinjaBee
NinjaBee
NinjaBee is a game development studio that develops downloadable games for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, handheld consoles, the Wii's WiiWare service and the Xbox 360's Xbox Live Arcade. As a sub-division of Wahoo Studios, NinjaBee is primarily involved in portable or downloadable games, with Wahoo...
. The game includes a level editor, leaderboards, Xbox Live Vision camera support, and multiplayer gameplay. It was released on 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...
on June 20, 2007 for 800 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...
.
On December 3, 2007, a Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
version was released and is available for download via the NinjaBee website for $14.95 USD.
Gameplay
The game is focused on turn-based tactical battles between groups of anthropomorphic bugs, with each player controlling a number of individual bugs. The game includes a variety of different bug types (as units), each serving in a different combat role (e.g., heavy infantry, archer, support, etc.). As the title is intended to appeal to casual gamers (among others), turns are relatively quick and combats are small in scale.In contrast to many turn-based games where either an entire side moves at once or individuals move according to some initiative
Initiative (role-playing games)
In role-playing games and some table-top wargames, a character's initiative is a statistic which determines the order in which player characters take actions, especially during combat or other forms of conflict resolution....
value, units in Band of Bugs take turns. When sides have an equal number of units, each side moves a single unit at a time before ceding control to the other side. When one side has more units than the other, that side takes a proportionally greater number of moves at a time, e.g. two moves to every one of the opposition when one side has twice as many units as the other. The same unit may not be moved more than once per full turn, with a full turn ending after all units have acted. This system helps ensure that players do not spend an excessive amount of time waiting for their opponents to act.
Units vary in their statistics and capabilities, with most units having at least one special ability which can be used instead of a standard attack. Some bug types have multiple weapons or attack types (e.g., one ranged and one mêlée
Mêlée
Melee , generally refers to disorganized close combat involving a group of fighters. A melee ensues when groups become locked together in combat with no regard to group tactics or fighting as an organized unit; each participant fights as an individual....
weapon) which can be switched between at the cost of an action. Lastly, some bugs can make use of magic, with various spells which can be cast a limited number of times per battle.
While there are a limited number of items which can be picked up and used at a later point in time, Band of Bugs features no significant resource management elements above and beyond troop management.
Campaign
The single-player campaign consists of 20 levels, which each level being unlocked after the previous level has been completed. Unlike traditional campaigns in strategy games, levels are completely disjoint from one another, with no "carry over" from one level to the next. Instead, for each level, the player is provided with a fixed set of units (at a certain experience level) and items. The levels are tied together by a brief (but humorous) story which revolves around Maal, the protagonist, and his quest to discover the true nature of the threat to his homeland.Level objectives range from defeating all foes, to destroying a certain key enemy or enemy object, to simply escaping the area with one or more units. Some battles feature more than two sides, with a third side hostile to one or both of the other two sides.
After a level is completed, the player is awarded a medal
Medal
A medal, or medallion, is generally a circular object that has been sculpted, molded, cast, struck, stamped, or some way rendered with an insignia, portrait, or other artistic rendering. A medal may be awarded to a person or organization as a form of recognition for athletic, military, scientific,...
based on his or her performance. The performance score is calculated based on friendly loses, enemy loses, and the total amount of clock time taken (encouraging quick play). Players can replay any previous level at any time in order to attempt to earn a better medal.
Level editor
One of the highlights of the title is that it includes a full-featured level editor. In fact, the very same level editor was used to create all of the campaign levels in the game. Additionally, Band of Bugs is the first Xbox Live Arcade game to allow players to share user created maps. After playing a game against an opponent on a unique map, a "Save Map" option is presented which allows the map to be stored for later use. Each map is stamped with the Gamertag of the user who first created it, so that the original author can always be identified.At their most basic, maps consist of squares of different terrain positioned at different heights. Some terrain types slow unit movement, while other terrain squares damage those who enter them. Water tiles are also available, which, while having no effect on flying units, will cause ground units to drown.
Downloadable content
As with many recent Xbox Live Arcade games, Band of Bugs supports expansion through downloadable content. Several pictures packs and a dashboard theme based on the game have also been released on the Xbox Live MarketplaceXbox Live Marketplace
The Xbox Live Marketplace is a virtual market designed for Microsoft's Xbox 360 console that allows Xbox Live members to download purchased or promotional content...
.
On July 25, 2007, two map packs were released. Each included 5 new maps for multiplayer games and stand alone missions. While "Map Pack #2" was free for download, "Map Pack #1" was priced at 150 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...
.
On August 8, 2007, a content package entitled "Red Kingdom" was released for a price of 250 Microsoft Points. This collection includes a new map tile set, a new campaign with 10 new levels, and 2 new unit types.
On October 10, 2007, a content package entitled "Ninja Sticks of Fury" was released for a price of 250 Microsoft points. This collection includes a new map tile set (snowy), an all-new campaign with 10 new levels and new characters, and 1 new unit type.
NinjaBee
NinjaBee
NinjaBee is a game development studio that develops downloadable games for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, handheld consoles, the Wii's WiiWare service and the Xbox 360's Xbox Live Arcade. As a sub-division of Wahoo Studios, NinjaBee is primarily involved in portable or downloadable games, with Wahoo...
are set to release Avatar support for the game on July 8, 2009 via a free patch. Also a new DLC campaign pack titled "Tales of Kaloki" based on Outpost Kaloki offering a new story, new units, new unit types, a new map tile, weapons and abilities. This will cost 240 Microsoft Points and will also release on July 8, 2009 along with a Band of Bugs Premium Dashboard Theme.
Reception
Band of Bugs received a favorable early review from the Official Xbox MagazineOfficial Xbox Magazine
Official Xbox Magazine is a monthly video game magazine which started in November 2001 around the launch of the original Xbox. A preview issue was released for E3 2001, with another preview issue for November 2001. The magazine is bundled with a disc that includes game demos, preview videos and...
, which awarded it a score of 8/10. However, many later reviews were more critical, criticizing glitches and a general lack of strategic depth. IGN graded the game as "passable", with a score of 6.2/10, remarking that while the title has all the necessary basic elements, it lacks gameplay depth and the ability to customize units. GameSpot similarly gave the title a 6.3/10, noting that it was "too simplistic to be addictive and too frustrating for players looking for a casual strategy fix." Overall, the enjoyment of the colorful graphics and the map editor were tempered by concerns about the game's longevity for genre fans.
Development
The team working on Band of Bugs varied from three to four individuals at the start, up to around a dozen individuals (some of whom were part-time) at its peak. The development of the game required roughly 10 months, which was partially because the engine was based on the Outpost Kaloki XOutpost Kaloki X
Outpost Kaloki X is a city-building video game for the Xbox 360 that places the player in the role of a manager, tasked with building a financially successful fantasy space station. Outpost Kaloki X is available for download from Xbox Live Arcade for 800 Microsoft Points...
engine.
During an interview, the development team emphasized their commitment to Xbox Live Arcade and focusing on gameplay over graphics or cutscenes. As such, the title uses under 50 MB of storage space, despite Microsoft raising the limit for later Xbox Live Arcade titles to 150 MB.
Band of Bugs was a finalist in the 2007 Independent Games Festival
Independent Games Festival
The Independent Games Festival is an annual festival at the Game Developers Conference, the largest annual gathering of the indie video game industry. It was founded in 1998 to assist and inspire innovation in video game development and to recognize the best independent video game developers...
in the Technical Excellence category.
See also
- Advance WarsAdvance WarsAdvance Wars, known in Japan as is a turn-based tactics video game developed for the Game Boy Advance by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo. It was released in North America on September 10, 2001, but put on hold in Japan and Europe due to the following day's terrorist attacks in the USA...
- Cloning ClydeCloning ClydeCloning Clyde is a side-scroller platform computer game developed by NinjaBee. Cloning Clyde was released on July 19, 2006 for the Xbox 360's Xbox Live Arcade and March 15, 2011 for Microsoft Windows...
- Commanders: Attack of the GenosCommanders: Attack of the GenosCommanders: Attack of the Genos is a turn-based strategy Xbox Live Arcade game developed by SouthEnd Interactive and published by Sierra Online for the Xbox 360, featuring strategic troop placement and head-to-head warfare, using such weaponry as missile launchers, bombers and infantry...
- Final Fantasy TacticsFinal Fantasy Tacticsis a tactical role-playing game developed and published by Square for the Sony PlayStation video game console. It is the first game of the Final Fantasy Tactics series and was released in Japan in June 1997 and in the United States in January 1998...
- Outpost Kaloki XOutpost Kaloki XOutpost Kaloki X is a city-building video game for the Xbox 360 that places the player in the role of a manager, tasked with building a financially successful fantasy space station. Outpost Kaloki X is available for download from Xbox Live Arcade for 800 Microsoft Points...