Metascore
79 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 16 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 16
  2. Negative: 0 out of 16
  1. Assault Heroes will leave you giddy with its freewheeling, high-score chasing bliss. [Issue # 16, p.114]
  2. 87
    With three difficulty levels -- and believe me, this game can be very tough at some points -- Assault Heroes is a challenge and one of the best XBLA titles to date.
  3. Just as solid as the gameplay in Assault Heroes is the way in which it looks. This is what an arcade-style shooter on a next-gen platform should look like.
  4. 85
    One of the best arcade games on the XBLA and, for many, it may be the single best arcade game available. While not legendary in length or completely memorable for years to come, the awesome action is coupled with a great coop mode that will give the game serious legs.
  5. Assault Heroes is easily one of the best original Xbox Live Arcade titles to date; the graphics are awesome, the action is intense and the gameplay is tough but enjoyable.
  6. 80
    Visually, Assault Heroes blows away most of the arcade offerings on the marketplace. Wanako Studios has made great use of bump-mapped and reflective surfaces to add some pop to the environments and vehicles.
  7. Beautifully thought through, has wonderfully coloured and varied levels and crazed bosses. [Mar 2007, p.92]
  8. 80
    It's cheap, fun, and nostalgic, without being shoddy. Excellent action, superb dual stick controls, and plenty of fun for one or two players, this is one of the best traditional 2D shooters around.
  9. Assault Heroes takes several cues from the great arcade shooters of the '80s and '90s but manages to spin all of these influences into a unique-feeling product.
  10. For only 800 points ($10 US), you can't go wrong, but do think of it as an extremely fun three-day weekend rental, and not as a multi-month long quest like Zuma or Geometry Wars.
  11. The game actually plays like many top-down shooters of yesteryear, but it also includes some fun online co-op and surprisingly good visuals to make the package worth a download.
  12. Not quite the new "Geometry Wars" then (or the new anything-older), but a solid effort, and definitely one of the best original Xbox Live Arcade titles since Bizarre's opener.
  13. A solid shooter, and comes complete with three different difficulty levels and both single-system and online co-op play. It's definitely worth the $10 price of admission.
  14. Simple and attractive, this can be seen as the 'scrolling shooter for the rest of us,' requiring neither the lobe roasting reactions of a Japanese infant nor a great investment of time to see it through. [Issue 21, p.56]
  15. Assault Heroes is a no-nonsense blaster with plenty of co-op chaos and a lust for making hordes of things go boom. [Feb. 2007, p.77]
  16. 60
    If you already have Smash TV (which is basically the same but 400 Points cheaper), then I cannot stress enough that you do not need this game. If you don't have Smash TV, then Assault Heroes would be better option, but even then, you will tire of it quickly.
User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 13 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 4
  2. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. AjJ.
    8
    Bears some similarities to Heavy Weapon, but I found myself playing this game far more often. The cooperative mode is especially fun if you play with a friend. Full Review »
  2. SeanC.
    9
    A well made arcade shooter, with surprisingly a lot of depth. Worth checking out.
  3. Syc
    6
    Fun at first and the price is right but lacks the style, control and elegance of a Japanese shooter rendering it nothing more than a throwaway after a few hours. A bit like going for sushi at 7Eleven when you could be having it prepared for you by a sushi chef at a Japanese restaurant. Full Review »