Texas based game developing company Twisted Pixel has raised themselves into XBLA hall of fame with it's critically talked about games such as The Maw and 'Splosion Man. They are at it again, with their upcoming release Comic Jumper: The Adventures of Captain Smiley for this fall's XBLA line-up and I am sure this character will also be remembered as one of the legends in XBLA as time goes by and will jump (get it?) to your 360 consoles in less than 2 weeks. 

Comic Jumper  presents itself as a big challenge because it's called for a lot more content. There has never been so much character dialogue, or as many storylines and references in a Twister Pixel game. (EVAR.) It's like they packed it so much that it's about to explode with references. In the game's first party -- setting in the "official" Captain Smiley comic -- you will indulge in some intense 2D platforming (not unlike that fund in 'Splosion Man), mixed with some old-fashioned beat-em-up and bang bang! (shootings). I would say the best example to describe it would be Contra and Gunstar Heroes heck even Metal Slug to describe the ranged combat, in which you use the right stick to aim and shoot. While Comic Jumper is much silier than either of those fantastic classics, the comparison is up to par.

While 'Splosion Man has a distinct giggle and certain grunts through out gameplay and all his levels, Captain Smiley, and his awesome star-shaped sidekick are 100% voiced, as are all of the characters you encounter through out the game as well as your enemies, and the one-liners in this game hits you so hard that you might even miss some of it due to the fast pacing of the game. (but, this entails more play throughs) This is one of the big selling points of the game: You're not just beating up people, or smashing into their skulls with your awesome Captain Smiley attitude, you're also being entertained through in-game dialogue as well as random jokes through out each level.

Also, Fans can pretty much look forward to seeing different kind of references hidden all over the game's levels, from Twisted Pixel's own gags (there are live videos of the company's employees playing in the background of your home base) to the subtle references where they are pretty much a nod to the video game, and comic parodies hidden in the various themes of the stages themselves.

I saw someone play through a level inspired by Silver Age, which is the sci-fi comic books. The game's graphics as weird as this may sound captures the essence of the classic Jack Kirby four-color filtered look, with Smiley pretty much dodging and running bullets and asteroids as he hurtled through the abyss of space. Later on, in the black-and-white manga levels (which takes place at a school named "Hent High" LMFAO. -- complete with a sports team dubbed The Tentacles), Smiley pretty much wields a sword that's bigger than he is during melee battles. When he switches to his pistol, the game moves to a almost Panzer Dragoon- style point of view. And when Smiley dies, he explodes into flashing concentric circles, Mega Man-style.

So, when you are beating the various stages (and of course some extra in-game challenges contained within each of em') will earn you some cashiola that can be used in Smiley's HQ to unlock an overwhelming amount of purchasable items. These includes character concept art, and models (including 7th grade Josh Bear's original Captain Smiley sketch), upgrades for Smiley himself, behind-the-scenes mockumentaries, and even extra levels and content for Twisted Pixel's other XBLA games.

For the Fans of "Donuts, Go Nuts!" can also sing and praise, as there are at least two freakishly catchy new songs to find in the HQ of Captain Smiley including one that seems to be called "My Ringtone Jam." Which was the ringtone gag at PAX, where everyone had it as their ringtone. 

For the last remarks regarding this fantastic inside look on Comic Jumper: 

Josh Bear creator of Comic Jumper is worried that it may not click with the gamers who check it out. "This guy is supposed  to be a generic superhero," he admitted. "He's supposed to be a little whiny guy." Bear is concerned regarding the creation of a seventh grader might not be enough to hold a big XBLA release all together for a larger audience, but I feel like he doesn't need to worry about anything. Comic Jumper is clearly a labor of hard work, good laughs, and love, and it's a pretty sure thing that anyone with an interest in any of the genres or mediums it so awesomely spoofs will find a lot of fun. Plus, aside from that it's backed up by one of the famous developers of XBLA games Twisted Pixel. 

Comic Jumper: The Adventures of Captain Smiley launches on October 6, as part of Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade Game Feast promotion.