Dollar Dash Review

You can usually tell how decent an Xbox Live Arcade game is within the first few minutes of playing it. Telling signs of a good example are: 1. You don’t need to force yourself to continue playing, and 2. You can see yourself playing for a while longer. I didn’t feel any of these things at first when experiencing Dollar Dash. It was confusing, it was inexplicably difficult, and to be honest, a total mess.

The newest addition to the XBLA library is a top down, multiplayer versus game where players, or robbers, try and reach the cash goal before their opponents helped by using pick-ups such as weapons, aids and defensive items. The up-to 4-player game has three different game modes: Hit ‘n’ Run, Save the Safe and Dollar Dash with each mode having the same goal of reaching the dollar target first.

Hit ‘n’ Run gives you cash for knocking down your opponent, which is easier said than done as there isn’t really a clear hit count before a foe is considered ‘knocked down.’ You can get hits on players without them being knocked down but unless you are using a more powerful weapon, it’s fairly easy to dodge the bit-damage attacks of some other weapons.

Save the Safe is a pick-up and defend mode where players hold a safe earning more and more cash the longer they hold it, much like Oddball in Halo, with the winner being the one who reaches the target first.

The third and arguably best game mode is the aptly named Dollar Dash. Robbers are pitted against each other to collect cash that’s situated on the map’s floor or dropped throughout the game to deposit and bank in the designated trucks either when they appear or when it’s possible to, depending on the map. You can hit others to collect their cash, collect and deposit small amounts at a time or be all out defensive and try to collect as much as you can in one go. The mode is well balanced, tactical and decent enough to be a game on it’s own merits. The more money you carry the slower you move, so choosing the right method of depositing the cash is key to success as well as holding the best weapons to either attack your foes or defend what you have.

The maps are varied and compliment each game style well with some maps playing better on specific game modes than others. There is also an extensive array of weapons to choose from with the ability to select specific weapons or use each and every one, which is where the game can get a little crazy.

If you don’t have any friends to play the game with, you can always compete against Bots with three different difficulty settings. Unfortunately, this is where I found the game lacked enjoyment a little. As many weren’t playing the online multiplayer at the time of this review, it would take a while to find anyone of human form to compete against. The Bot addition was a decent idea as it extends the longevity of the game slightly but the difficulty of even the weakest level Bots is sometimes a little too much to bare, making the game annoying and frustrating to play. Playing on the Hit ‘n’ Run mode with most of the weapons on and three Bots, is near impossible as their accuracy is, most of the time, too precise to dodge. Without them completely or just playing against one or two at once is fine, there’s just too much happening on the screen at one time with three Bots.

Dollar Dash has a considerable amount of customisability as you would expect with a game like this including appearance changes, victory dances, taunts and power-ups. All the money you earn in games is added to your pot which you can use to buy all these additions. The player boosts are not overpowered which is key to online matchmaking, as in some titles it’s almost impossible to have a chance against veteran players when you are just starting off. Small improvements are the best way to describe them and you can only use one power-up and one modification at the same time.

The ranking system isn’t fantastic. Players aren’t given targets of how far they are from ranking up and aren’t notified to how much experience they earn when winning or even taking part in a game. It’s a strange system that doesn’t really give anyone bragging rights when others don’t know the entire rank order, let alone the players themselves.

The 800 Microsoft Points Dollar Dash sets you back is 100% worth it on one condition; you have friends to play with. Of course, nobody knows how long this game will last with online players but if you are purchasing this with the hope of playing single player alone then you will be disappointed. Dollar Dash is genuinely brilliant fun with mates or players online but almost the complete opposite alone. Take heed of this advice and splash your cash if you see fit.

Disclaimer:All scores given within our reviews are based on the artist’s personal opinion; this should in no way impede your decision to purchase the game.