With this week’s release of the next Devil May Cry game, I am reminded of the tears shed in trying to squeeze achievements out of the last DMC game. It was, in a word: painful.
To the uninitiated, a person’s gamerscore is a running total of all the points he’s accumulated in all the games he’s played. These points come from completing certain tasks (called achievements on Xbox and trophies on PlayStation) as you progress through a game. There is no real point to them, besides bragging rights. They simply show the world what kind of gamer you are.
If you have your sights set on maxing out your gamerscore with each game, the best piece of advice I can offer is to read through the achievements before you begin. It seems obvious but many gamers miss this step. Even if you aren't shooting for completing all achievements in a game, reading the list of achievements ahead of time can give you a sense of how the developer intended the game to be played. Do they want you focusing on side quests? Or perhaps most of the achievements focus on using certain skill-based attacks to vanquish your foes? Then there are those games that require you to find scores of hidden items and collectibles.
Let’s begin with Megamind: Ultimate Showdown. This is one of those games where you might be surprised by how much fun you have playing it. Unlike most “easy achievement” games, there aren’t any hidden items to collect, which is a huge bonus. Nor is there any multiplayer or online achievements – whew! Plus, simply finishing the 10 quick levels in the game will garner more than 600 points.
There are, though, some strategies to keep in mind along the way. Make sure you play as Megamind and use the first two levels to find as many Blinkey orbs as possible, which will be easy. When it comes to the boss battles, achievement hunters aren’t allowed to die. Make sure you die just before the boss battle so that you will re-spawn and start the battle with full health. See one of the sites at the end of this guide for easy strategies on defeating them.
Next on our menu is the culinary craziness of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, in itself a wonderfully witty film blending quirk and heart with a pinch of Mr. T. The video game is a breeze. The trick here is to repeat certain environmental interactions until you gain the subsequent achievement (climb a spaghetti rope or honey-coated bread over and over). When it comes to defeating enemies, cut marshmallows, melt gummy bears, and discharge tornadoes with your trusty fork. Use your winnings to upgrade your weapons and, when combined with finishing the game, it will bring you a dainty little dessert of achievement points. Like Megamind, this game also allows you to replay levels, in case you miss anything.
After these kid games, you may be looking for a more PG experience. Transformers: Dark of the Moon is a good pick for gamerscore gurus. A quick gander at the list of possible achievements reveals a game that will require a bit more planning and skill. Your overall strategy here will be to use melee attacks as much as possible to get your multiplier up as high as possible to help max out your score on each level. The remaining achievements focus on players completing certain tasks on certain levels, such as avoiding damage or completing segments within a certain time. Simply read the list of achievements before playing each level and you'll be good to go.
Playing all the games in this guide, the old and the not-so-old, will add more than 12,000 points to your gamerscore. And there's more to be had.
Start at easyxbox360achievements.com and then use the guides at xbox360achievements.org to plan your strategies.
When he’s not teaching high school, St. Albert Catholic High School alumnus Derek Mitchell can be found attached to a video game console.
