Review: Snoopy Flying Ace (XBLA)

Snoopy Flying Ace is the best arcade air combat game since Crimson Skies. And, it may actually be better. Don't let the Peanuts license scare you off; Snoopy, Charlie Brown, and all of their friends have little to do with the actual game. You may find a tad more enjoyment if you are a Peanuts fan, but coming from someone who couldn't care less about the license (aka moi), the game is just pure fun.

Flying Ace does play very similar to the old Crimson Skies games, but I actually believe it plays better; however, I haven't played a Crimson Skies game in quite some time. The controls are easy to learn and yes, easy to master. It is really nice to see a flight game with controls that don't get overly complicated with controller inputs that don't feel natural; Dark Void says, "howdy partner." Please don't ask why Dark Void talks with a southern twist.

The visuals are much better than I expected. The art style is nice and cartoony, but like the rest of the game, it doesn't scream Peanuts. The game is colorful, includes avatar support (which I always appreciate), and features a surprisingly nice bit of variety. My only issue with the art is a longstanding issue with Peanuts: why is Snoopy 100% white (with black ears)? Snoopy is supposedly a beagle, but I must say, I have never seen an all white beagle in my entire life. P.S. I do know all white beagles exist on extremely rare occasions.

There is plenty of content in Flying Ace, but it is really hard to fully recommend the game if you don't plan to play online. There is a short "story" mode that is essentially an extended tutorial and offline co-op/multiplayer (with bot support), but the real meat is in online play. There are ranks to unlock, leaderboards to dominate, and gamertags to murder. It is a lot of fun, but I wonder (and worry) if Flying Ace will grab a hefty community down the line. Flying Ace has the content to warrant said community, but only time will tell if it manages to obtain it.

In all honesty, Flying Ace is more fun than any Peanuts related game should ever be. The game is very forgiving in single-player (unlimited deaths) and the mutliplayer is fun even if you die more than Kenny from South Park. The game is a steal at 800MS Points ($10) and a nice break from the slew of online shooters. Just remember, Flying Ace is fun playing solo, but the real joy comes from playing with guys and gals across the magical interwebs.