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Coming out of GDC today was the release of playable XNA games for the Xbox 360. After over a year, Microsoft has finally brought the software to the public in an easy-to-access download via Xbox Live Marketplace, and while the content is currently limited to trials of seven games, the quality of them shocked us to the core.

The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai, as far as we can tell, is pretty much the most badass human creation ever made. Suplexing super-samurais who partake in gruesome zombie dismemberment and secret agent gun-in-the-face executions are only a taste of what this beautiful stylized 2D action title has to offer.

Fast paced, hardcore metal helps flare up the crazy intensity of the simple, but surprisingly deep combat. While you’re only ever fighting one or two baddies at a time, don’t expect Dishwasher to be a cake-walk, even if the protagonist is the ultimate example of pure manliness.

It’s worth noting that James Silva, the game’s creator, did the entire thing on his own. Like by himself. Alone.

Right on.

The build available has one campaign level, complete with a boss fight that, despite having 16-bit era patterns, is insanely difficult. Enemy AI is out for your blood, and they want it bad. Relentless bad-guys will drive you to panic, and the boss is likely to finish you off at least once. Adding to the awesome, the final-foe features a horse riding, teleporting samurai rival.

Fighting off all of these gun toting, bomb dropping, stab-happy jerks requires skill when you start to ramp up the difficulty. When on easier, lower levels of difficulty, average newcomers will be able to happily mash on the X and Y buttons to start their own slasher flick. Those who are familiar with the genre will be racking up gigantic combos as they dash and jump around the primary enemies, who recall memories of Alien Hominid.

Dead Samurai is no stranger to crazy carnage.

The combos, reminiscent of Devil May Cry’s S, A, B, C string-of-attacks meter, are deceptively deep. Precise directional timing with the attack buttons result in very appropriate attacks of various effect, and the upshot is always incredible.

Even with little 2D sprite characters, Silva has managed to execute gorgeously smooth animations for a variety of kills. From chopping the arms off of robots and flipping on to their back for the electrical ending, to removing a soldiers grenade from his pocket and shoving it in his teeth, no detail is overlooked.

Anime fans will see hints of Afro Samurai and gamers will notice the clear Alien Hominid styles in the art, which fuse in to a brilliantly unique watercolor deco. Unfortunately, the design has bookshelves in the foreground and such things interfering with gameplay, but blood – which is in abundance and likes to stick to the camera lens – never gets in the way of your insanely fun slashfest.

This is one slick game. Fluid, gore-tastic and smooth. We’re in friggin’ love.

It looks great and it’s one of the most fun action games available. It’s also a one level demo. The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai is the reason we like games. It’s fast and it’s crazy and it’s genius – we’re practically on our knees ready to just give it to one-man-development house Ska Studios as quickly as possible.

Microsoft points. We’re ready to give him Microsoft points.