At one point, it was almost looking as if "Battleblock Theater," the latest from the devoted team at The Behemoth, would suffer the same fate as Duke Nukem Forever. The game was featured at a number of fan-oriented events, primarily PAX East and PAX Prime, with people getting into the action and then asking about a release date, only to get a collective shrug as their answer. Who knew when it would come out?

But Behemoth knows how people have been waiting for the game, and smartly identified it when it finally released a launch trailer for it, stating that it would arrive on April 3rd, after what seems like an eternity, on Xbox Live. And lo and behold, "Battleblock Theater" is here, waiting to entertain you with its silliness and good times. And even though this might sound a little cornball, it was worth the wait.

The game takes a diversion from previous efforts like "Alien Hominid" and "Castle Crashers" and focuses on side-scrolling platforming and puzzle-solving to get the point across. A group of friends, led by Hatty Hattington, take a trip on a boat, only to get caught in a nasty storm and crash on an island. But this is no mere island, it's actually a prison run by cat guards, who have deemed Hatty their leader with the help of a special hat, which controls his mind. Hatty then demands that his former colleagues run the gamut through a series of dangerous stages, all while an audience watches in a distance, collecting gems along the way. The more gems collected, the more that can be unlocked in the game - and the closer you are to your eventual freedom.

Think "Lost" meets "The Running Man" with some ridiculous humor meshed in, and you have "Battleblock." Yeah, it's different from most of Behemoth's stuff in terms of gameplay, but that doesn't mean it fails to work. In fact, it succeeds quite well, on two different levels.

The first involves the single player. Going solo through the game, you'll encounter dangers and find a way to overcome enemies (mainly with a weapon of choice, along with punching, for your character) as you collect gems and proceed to the exit. The second is with the co-op mode, where you and a buddy team up over Xbox Live (or locally) and tackle challenges together, activating bridges and throwing each other across the room to reach otherwise unobtainable areas.

"Battleblock's" gameplay leaves a lot of room for interpretation, especially co-op. There are times you can help a buddy out, hoisting them over a ledge or throwing something to keep an enemy off their backs. But just as importantly, you can use them as a pawn, jumping on their heads while they drown to reach a ledge across the way, only for them to respawn right next to you upon reaching the checkpoint. Sinister? Sure, a bit, but it won't cost you a friendship, because you'll be laughing too damn hard at how great the gameplay is.

It's hardly perfect, as some enemies are a pain to beat with your limited physical skills (clearly you're not a fighter), and the screen zooms out way too much if the two of you are separated, making it hard to see what's going on. But "Battleblock's" chaos is controlled for the most part, and a lot of fun to play, especially if you have the right co-op partner. Solo play is very good, too, giving you the option to "free" prisoners (extra playable characters) and unlock additional skins. And there are challenges galore here, kept track of via a report card at the end of each stage.

The game's presentation is remarkable, just like Behemoth's previous efforts. The hand-drawn animation may be crude compared to most 3D efforts, but I enjoyed it, particularly the "panic" looks on some prisoner's faces and the creative level design. The additional power-ups that come into play are fantastic as well, brightening the place with creativity galore.

But, honestly, the sound steals the show. While the music is very good (a couple of tunes are off, but nothing that'll make you reach for the volume button) and the sound effects (love those fart noises) humorous, the narrator is easily one of the best we've heard in games in a long time. His snarky, hilarious commentary never gets old, and it's reason enough to watch the opening cinema all the way through, just to hear his attempt at inventing boat effects. "WHOOSH!" More games could use a voice like his.

Though "Battleblock Theater" isn't a straightforward brawler like "Castle Crashers" or a shoot-em-up like "Alien Hominid HD," it finds its own little groove, a comfortable place where you - and a friend - can cavort for hours, collecting gems and having some good old-fashioned laughs. This "Theater" sure took its sweet time opening - but what a show it is.

Score: 9

Playable on: Xbox 360; Xbox Live Arcade

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