Okay, here's the skinny: You're Clyde .  Or are you?  Because as you run through the first level, some notes have been left for you by Clyde .  He's escaped and now he's telling you how.  But YOU'RE Clyde !  Confused, yet?  Stick with me.  As I said, you're Clyde . . .or are y--

 

Never mind that.  After accepting twenty bucks for Dupliclone, Inc. to clone you, you've now find yourself in a shut down cloning facility gone hay-wire and you need to get out.  Along the way, you'll fight freak cloning machines bent on your destruction along with exploding chickens and other grievous unnatural things.  What makes this platformer unique is the entertainment value of the puzzles.  Throughout the game, you'll need to clone yourself (multiple times when occasion calls for it) and you will at times find the need to "mutate" yourself into a chicken, frog, or even an ape.  Each one type of "Mutant Clyde" has his own set of special abilities throughout the game.  Overall, the gameplay is simple; but noting the current high scores on Xbox LIVE, it can be very addictive.

 

Believe me, though - you won't want to waste much time with the single player.  This game has the best flat-out multiplayer experience on XBLA, yet!  Get on with your friends for a Co-Op or Vs. match, locally or over Xbox LIVE.  Having so many extra multiplayer options with this game elevates it far, far above the standard XBLA fare.  Pick your friends up and throw them across the room.  Beat them down and send them back to the start of the level.  Use each other to get through some of the game's stickier portions.  The Cooperative play is the funnest yet on XBLA and will probably stay that way until we're graced with Contra!  The Vs. mode is fun, too - but I'm not sure how much staying power it will have.  The maps designed for it are simple, yet nice - and you gotta love beating your friend down while yelling through the headset, "Quit hitting yourself!"

 

The graphics are a little above the average XBLA game so far; the shading features are nice, though the textures and mapping are simple.  Admittedly, the engine for the game was in development for eight years prior to its development.  That said, they don't stand out; but they do get the job done.  They're certainly not so bad that they're a distraction.  (It should be noted that the text in the game is a very low resolution.  During Co-op with my wife, she could not read some of the script.)

 

The controls are pretty standard.  They're definitely polished and you find Clyde fairly easy to control.  Some of the commands seem "tacked on" such as the "power ninja move" that's used with the RB.  Clyde 's jump is also a little flat (hence the addition of the platform-obligatory "double jump").  These are picky, though.  Overall, the controls are easy and any of your friends can pick up and play with you immediately.

 

Unfortunately, Ninjabee dropped the ball in the sound department.  Here's a sweet game idea that could have benefited from just a few more sounds.  There is almost no music in the game whatsoever, and though what sound in the game is good, and often humorous - there's simply not enough.  In slower portions of a given level, you'll swear you accidentally sat on your remote and hit the mute button.  You'll enjoy Clyde 's "Duh" for a good while and kicking chickens never gets old.  Again, somewhat picky (it is an XBLA title after all), but one can't help but long for a little more here.

 

All said, Cloning Clyde is a welcome addition to the XBLA family.  The game isn't terribly difficult, but it makes up for it with a good assortment of maps and collectables for all you "gotta catch 'em all" people.  However, its gameplay is unique in a Wik sort of way, its controls are easy, the graphics are stylish, and the sound is tolerable.  What puts this game over the top in value is its multiplayer.  Being simple, it's easy to get non-gamers involved.  You'll probably feel guilty with how much time you waste playing through the various modes with friends.  Ninjabee has given us the solid indie game we've been waiting months for.