Let’s face it, spending 60 bucks a pop for a video game can get pretty pricey, pretty quickly… Personally, I find it difficult to fork out $50 on a game, let alone 60, as VERY few games are truly worth that price in my humble opinion. However, there are cheaper options, and some of them don’t even require you to sit this generation of consoles out and dust off that old Dreamcast or N64. Case in point: Xbox Live Arcade.
This is the Xbox 360 counterpart to full retail games, which usually cost roughly 1/5th the price of a normal retail game, yet often times are 5 times as fun. If you don’t mind the idea of owning digital content rather than solid matter, the XBLA is really a wonderful thing. It is packed full of original games, in addition to some ports and remakes of old games sprinkled in, which represent a simpler time of gaming. Rather than rely on flashy cutscenes, most of these games stick to what gaming SHOULD be about; pure, fast-paced, arcade-style gameplay, where the goal is to get from point A to point B, or simply drive up your high score.
Strangely enough, what Microsoft intended to be more of a secondary feature, is for me, my Xbox 360′s primary function. I have bought and played a large quantity of extremely fun XBLA games, while the full retail games I will generally buy once in a blue moon. So What are the best gems I have found in a sea of 2D gaming bliss? Which games are the most fun, rich in content, and provide the greatest bang for your buck? Fear not, reader, for these questions are about to be answered. These are the 10 best Xbox Live Arcade Games, that will have you setting aside your Call of Duty and Gears of War for months on end… The coolest thing is, everything on this entire list will cost you less than the price of both of those games!
#10. Peggle
Site back, relax, grab a beer, and watch your ball bounce through a course of sporadically placed pegs. Take your typical puzzle game of “eliminate the blocks” and add some Plinko characteristics and you’ve got this extremely simple, yet highly addictive XBLA treat. The amount of real interactivity in this game is minisule at best, but don’t let that deter you. Somehow this game manages to be one of the most fun experiences the 360′s digital content store has to offer, that anyone can pick up and play. Your only move requires aiming the trajectory of the ball, and let the ricochet physics take care of the rest. Believe me when I say, there is actually a great deal of strategy involved, as just a slight degree off on your launch can mean the difference between an easy victory and a quick death.
This game manages to be one of the simplest games of all time, yet also highly rich in its content. As you progress through the game, you earn new characters, each with their own special ability that will help you in its own unique way, from fireballs that burn through an entire path of pegs, to a zen master owl that calculate the best possible angle of launch for landing you the most points. Peggle will have you spending hours upon hours as you brave the dozens of levels taking out those tricky orange pegs with your animal buddies.
Price:$9.99
#9 Braid
Braid is a VERY unique puzzle/adventure game to say the least, one that I enjoyed immensely from start to finish – and this is coming from someone who doesn’t generally like puzzle games. It is essentially Super Mario on a drug trip (well, an even STRONGER drug trip). This game seriously plays with your mind. The visuals are gorgeous, as you appear to be walking across a beautiful and peaceful painting. But Braid is anything but peaceful, as it warps your perception of what you think is reality, and will drive you insane, particularly during the trickier levels.
The name of the game is to journey through 2D levels in side scrolling fashion, kill and avoid enemies, and collect puzzle pieces in order to advance to the next world. Sounds straight-forward enough, right? HA! This is precisely how Braid fools you, drawing you in and keeping you hooked as you attempt with futility to complete the same level for 3 hours. So here’s the rub: you must warp time, and “reality” in various ways in order to complete the level, whether it be speed up, slow down, rewind, or fast forward. If this weren’t perplexing enough, you are given VERY little guidance throughout the game. It’s just you, your intuition, and the powers of time bending. Good luck!
Price: $9.99
#8 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
This game defines arcade fundementals – team up with a friend, beat up a bunch of henchmen, mash buttons, fight for survival, get to the end. This is basically what this old school classic consists of, and damn is it fun! You can quickly tell this is a true arcade port as you fight your way through its brutal difficulty, as you will constantly be killed. Clearly this game was designed for you to burn through several stacks of quarters, but lucky for you a one time payment of 5 bucks is all you need for dozens upon dozens of tries… Joke’s on you, game! Such is the beauty of arcade games – they are insanely difficult, allowing for much greater replayability and a greater sense of accomplishment.
You will CERTAINLY feel that gratifying sense of accomplishment should you and your friend somehow survive your hack-and-slash endeavors and knock off Shredder. The quality this game excels in most of all is the multiplayer, both online and off. Four players is especially fun and exciting, as all four turtles fight their way through endless streams of enemies with their respective weapons of choice. If you are looking for a great co-op game for the XLBA that provides maximum fun at minimal price, look no further than this classic! Oh and in case you’re wondering, don’t bother with the Turtles in Time remake, unless you are a major Turtles fanatic and REALLY loved the original version. The remake simply doesn’t do the original justice. Stick with the classic on this one. Or if you must play Turtles in Time, play the original version on SNES.
Price: $4.99
#7 Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved
As the name implies, this game captures all the charm and addictive qualities of retro gaming, with the evolved asthetics of HD, and mind blowing amounts of actions taking place on screen all at once. This DNA of this game consists of classic arcade shooting at its finest. Basically, shoot up a bunch of obscure looking “enemies,” each with their own physics and characteristics, and survive as long as possible, while jacking up your score.
Geometry Wars is extremely simple to understand and pick up, while paradoxically HIGHLY challenging to stay alive for any significant amount of time. And once again, herein lies the winning formula for gaming which I continue to stress; easy to learn, difficult to master. Beyond this quality, which this game absolutely nails, perhaps the greatest charm to this game for my money is the worldwide online leaderboards. As if the game wasn’t addictive enough, this feature of the game will have you playing far longer than you intended as you desperately try to best your own score and land a high ranking on the boards. How high can you rank? Play through the madness of Geometry Wars and find out. you will not regret it.
Price: $4.99
#6 Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light
First off, let’s make one thing clear. This game is a HUGE departure from the original Tomb Raider games. While the fundemental back story, environments, and puzzle aspects are all there, the gameplay itself is far different. This variation of Tomb Raider draws more similarities to dungeon crawlers like Gaunlet than it does to the franchise in which this spin-off is based on. But this is by no means a bad thing, especially if you love dungeon crawlers as I do. Throw a friend into the mix who can assist you with puzzles and destroying the foes that stand in your way, and you’ve got an extremely fun experience for yet another cheap XBLA game.
While the game allows you to play solo, giving Lara the abilities and weapons of BOTH characters, you will want to play this one with a friend, as it simply enhances what is an already fun adventure. You are often given diverging paths and tasks, as you are forced to work together not only to defeat the beasts that lurk throughout the temples you explore, but also to solve puzzles. Any task from climbing walls to get items, moving blocks, or pulling levers almost always requires teamwork. So grab a buddy and prepared to let lost in hours of classic dungeon crawling fun, and probably a few all-nighters as you strive to beat the game and find every item.
Price: $14.99
#5 Castle Crashers
Just how many side-scrolling action/fighters out there allow you to chainsaw your enemies, and come with crapping animals? If you can’t tell from the first sentence, Castle Crashers is an insane, off-the-wall sid-scrolling hack and slash adventure in the style of Golden Axe and Streets of Rage, that is not afraid to be funny. The game rarely takes itself seriously, and between the belly laughs the game provides and the simplistic, childish visuals, you would think you are playing through the mad creation of an immature 8 year old. But don’t let the exterior fool you, this game is bursting with complexity and content.
Whether alone or with friends, Castle Crashers will make it difficult for you to walk away from. You will want to see what crazy boss comes next as you level up your tiny knight and purchase new upgrades. Like Lara Croft, this game is best experienced with multiple players, as you will often need that extra sword or magic spell at your side. You even get to fight eachother for the affection of a damsel in distress. Masculinity at its finest!
Price: $14.99
#4 Scott Pilgrim vs The World
Somehow Ubisoft managed to wrap a ton of nostalgic 90s 2D charm into a game that is actually brand new. Its stylized graphics and pixelated music is deceptive in nature as the game is willingly designed to look old school. Whether or not you’ve seen the movie, this is a game worth checking out if you even have the slightest interest in 2D beat-em-ups.
As Scott, you will truly feel like it is you against the world as all sorts of enemies are thrown your way, from fellow classmates, to ravage wolves, to deadly robots. Luckily, you have plenty of defense to fight back with as you gain experience and new abilities throughout the game and defeat Ramona’s crazy super-human ex boyfriends.
Price: $9.99
#3 Toy Soldiers
Who would have thought playing with army men would be so fun? This game is sort of like Toy Story for grown-ups. You inhabit a giant toy bock as you control army men, in a fight to hold your own territory against, well, different colored army men… The premise of Toy Soldiers is as unique as the stlye. It is difficult to confine this game to one particular genre, as it really depends on just how you decide to play it.
You can get an up close and personal view, making it sort of like Call of Duty, except you happen to be made of plastic. You can zoom out and get a broader view, taking control of turret guns that you save up for as you gun down enemies, playing the game like a third person shooter. OR, you could zoom out completely, set up your armies and artillery, and let the game do the rest, playing it like an RTS. Though if you are like me, you will want to try all three styles, as they are all fun in their own way. Signal Studios really outdid themselves with this one, making for an epic experience, not only by XBLA standards, but full retail as well. This game is original as it is fun, and while it is one of the pricier XBLA titles, it is worth every penny.
Price: $9.99
#2 Shadow Complex
Think Contra/Metroid with modern game graphics and the Unreal 3 Engine, and you’ve got Shadow Complex. While the game doesn’t divert too far from the typical sidescroller shooter, sometimes it’s best not to fix what aint broken. Epic’s AAA game for the XBLA is a key example of this. You are hiking with your girlfriend in the Pacific Northwest when you stumble upon a massive underground bunker filled with men and machines that want you dead, so that their plan for a US takeover can remain in the shadows.
The formula itself is rather simple; proceed from room to room, take out a bunch of henchmen, collect items and ugrades, unlock doors, rinse and repeat. However, this game is very unconventional in various ways as well. It cleverly meshes 3D shooters with 2D sidescrolling as it has enemies in the background and foreground that you must take out, rather than having them all positioned in front or behind you. You can also sneak up on your enemies, Metal Gear Solid style. And man is it satisfying to toss an unsuspecting henchman off a cliff.. Shadow Complex is pure addiction from beginning to end. You will be hard pressed to put down the controller, wondering what sort of sweet new weapons and upgrades await you in the next room. This game is a stellar modern take on the classic 2D shooters of old. Samus would be proud.
Price: $14.99
#1 Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2
This game remains not only my favorite XLBA arcade games, but one of my favorite games of this generation. It simply has every quality that makes a great game; content, replayability, visual charm, fast-paced action, and most importantly, fun and addictive gameplay. The best thing about Geometry Wars 2 is that is like having 6 games in 1, and all of them a blast to play in their own unique way. There is of course the traditional Geometry Wars game that fans of the original remember and love, simply titled “Evolved,” complete with new and crazier enemies and items that can assist you. But in addition, there are 5 brand new game types, including “Deadline,” where you must go nuts and take out everything you can within 3 minutes, “Sequence,” where you must fight through a series of prearranged stages each with their own unique set of enemies and challenges, and the odd variation known as “Pacivism.” In this game type, you cannot shoot; you can only fly through gates while avoiding their deadly sides.
Ironically, the one game type where you cannot shoot might actually be the most fun, and it’s undoubtedly the most different. Each of these games types have their own leaderboards as well. Do you suck in one game mode? Don’t sweat it! Try another one out and dominate the leaderboards for that one! Everyone has a style that fits them best. My personal favorite is Deadline, and believe it or not I have probably played this game type ALONE more than any other of my Xbox 360 games, with the exception of Gears of War, as I’ve been fighting my way to the top of the leaderboards. I believe I am in the top 300 last time I checked. It was hard fought…
Other new features are the addition of tiny particles that float around the screen known as “geoms.” These are critical to collect if you want to get any sort of decent score, as they tack on a multipler for each one you collect. You can also play local multiplayer now, adding even more content to a game already brimming with it. Online multi is unfortunately absent, but the developers, Bizzare Creations tell us that their is simply too much going on in the game for it to function properly. And while usually I would be skeptical of such a claim, they could be on to something. The game has SO much happening on the screen, you feeling like your head might explode.. but in a good way :/
Seriously, if there was ever a better, more efficient way to spend $10 bucks, I have yet to find it. This game has provided me with literally hundreds of hours of fun, and I STILL play it.
Price: $9.99
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