JellyCar for the Xbox 360: Hands-on Preview

Known as JelloCar on Windows/PC, JellyCar for the Xbox 360 was made by just one person under the name of Walaber. How will this unique game made by a one man development team turn out? Find out in this hands-on preview of JellyCar.

Graphics
JellyCar has very simple visuals. The game has been stylized to look like it has been drawn by a kindergartener. Moreover, you can change between the four graphics styles: Crayon, Graphic, Vector and Blueprint. Although it won't blow you away by any stretch of your imagination, JellyCar does look nice, especially for a low budget XNA game made by a single person.

Sound
Like the graphics, the sound in the game is also very unique and original. Basically, it is basically one guy making funny sound effects. However, it can get quite annoying after an extended period of play.

Gameplay
Walaber got the presentation part down but how is the gameplay? Fortunately, JellyCar is unique in that aspect too.

The goal of the game is to drive your car to the target area at the end of the level. What is unique about JellyCar is that every thing in the game is made of jello-like elasticity. Your car is indestructible since it can bounce off every object in the game. Your can go off-course by falling off a cliff and force a game over screen, however.

Along the way to your target location, you will run into numerous obstacles that will block your path: a gap that is too wide to jump, a cliff that is too steep to climb, etc. The game doesn't have any magical switches or whatnot that will get you through. Instead, the game is physic-based, meaning that the solution to overcoming the obstacle is usually right in front of you.

Transforming your car will do the trick most of the time. For a limited time, you can increase the size of your car tenfold to knock down huge objects and drive past wide gaps.

Levels can takes seconds to minutes depending on your problem-solving ability. You can view replays of your run after beating the level.

JellyCar controls in the following way:
Left Analog: rotate vehicle slightly
A: transform from a small car to a big one and vice-versa; play and pause during replay
Left Trigger: gas
Right Trigger: brake/reverse

The only concern for JellyCar is the lack of replay value and longevity. Once you beat a level, you can go back and try again to best your time; but since there is usually one clear path that is always the fastest that the differences may be too small to keep playing.

Final Product
Not only will JellyCar have more than 15 levels but it will also include a fully-featured level editor.

Walaber, the sole creator of JellyCar, intends to release the game for free. We will have to see what Microsoft have to say about that. JellyCar is slated to launch simultaneously with Xbox LIVE Community Games on the Xbox 360 before the end of the year.