Worms 3D [Xbox]

Released on the PlayStation 2 and PC last year, Worms 3D is an update of a classic 2D turn-based action game. Each player (and Worms is best played with two or more) controls a team of heavily-armed worms spread across a destroyable landscape, and take turns firing amusingly-named weapons at each other. Simple, wallet-friendly, and often hilarious, Worms 3D is a multiplayer fan's best friend.

Most armaments have to be aimed, by choosing shot angle and power, and many offer multiple uses -- like landing a bazooka at a worm's feet in order to launch him into the sea. Worms, of course, can't swim.

Worms fans will find many aspects of this game familiar. The weapons, colorful style, and humorous tone haven't changed in the 10 odd years since the first title. The only real change, as the game's title suggests, is the move to 3D, and although it comes with a few problems -- an awkward camera chief among them -- it doesn't change the character of the game as much as you'd think.

Single-player isn't the game's strong point. Despite the inclusion of a campaign and challenge modes, as well as computer teams for skirmish matches, once you've got to grips with the game's aiming and strategic mechanics you're unlikely to be satisfied without a real opponent.

That'll all be familiar to players of Worms 3D on other platforms, which makes Xbox Live support the major addition to this port. It's a familiar, stress-free experience -- sign in, find a game or start your own, customize it to your liking, and then play. Four-player matches can be relatively affairs -- perhaps half an hour or so -- but thanks to the game's tendency to encourage grudges and revenge-type tactics it's tough to drop out of a half-finished round.

Like many games, it's better played with a living room full of friends than faceless Internet strangers. You can sign on multiple players with just one Xbox Live account, though, so if you can't find a full foursome (the maximum number of players the game supports), you'll be able to hop online and pick up a last player or two.

While it's not without its flaws, Worms 3D has the same simple-yet-strategic appeal as its predecessors -- and with the well-implemented Xbox Live support you shouldn't have problems finding opponents. Best of all, it's on sale for under $20; it's a bargain, and one that anyone with Xbox Live or a few friends should snatch up.