Since its release, one of the best features of the XBox has been the XBox Live Arcade. With weekly releases, it currently has a huge database of available games online. Let’s take a look at the best games it has to offer.
The ten best XBox Live Arcade Games
10. Eets: Chowdown
The weirdest puzzlegame on the XBox Live Arcade. It bears the most resemblance to The Incredible Machine and Lemmings, but even that is a stretch. It combines a cute cartoony look and a strange sense of humor and includes a huge set of puzzles.
09. Duke Nukem 3D
With all the amazing first person shooters being released lately, this remains one of the best despite its age. First released on the PC in 1996, the witty sense of humor displayed by the title character Duke Nukem made this game an instant classic. Twelve years after its initial release it’s still a fantastic game.
08. Worms
Even though it only contains a small amount of weapons and environments, Worms is a great game. There is a large group of people online, so you’ll always find someone to play with. The limited choice of weapons makes the game more strategic, which might actually be a bummer to those looking for the kind of mayhem the super weapons create.
07. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Probably the best game from the Castlevania series. It’s huge, has a great atmosphere and is quite challenging. Its more gory boss-fights might not be everyone’s cup of tea, though.
06. Zuma
Zuma is a highly addictive action/puzzle game that will keep you playing for a long time. Looking at my own community, this game seems especially popular amongst girls.
05. Hexic HD
Yes, this is that game that comes pre-installed on the Xbox 360. It’s from the same developer as Tetris and it deserves a mention here just for that fact. It’s also a highly challenging and addictive puzzle game.
04. Castle Crashers
Great beat-em-up, perhaps the best currently available on the Xbox Live Arcade. It follows the story of four knights and their battle against an evil wizard and his army of monsters and barbarians. It can be played by up to four players and most resembles classics like Golden Axe and Double Dragon.
03. UNO
This game is a classic and great fun online. It is based on the card game UNO which last year celebrated its 25 year anniversary. People outside the US might not be as familiar with UNO, but worldwide there are very similar card games played with the standard deck of cards (Mau Mau in Germany and Brazil, Pesten in the Netherlands and Belgium, but it is also known under the names Black Jack, Spoons, Swedish Rummy or Switch).
02. Braid
The best platform game on Xbox Live Arcade. It’s filled with challenging puzzles where you have to change the flow of time to find the solution. It shook up the Arcade world when it was released because of its style and gameplay and quickly became one of the most popular games on the Xbox Live Arcade.
01. Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved I and II
If you’re into high-speed action games, the G_eometry Wars_ games, by Bizarre, are the best picks on the Xbox Live Arcade. Its retro style and psychedelic effects show what a real arcade game should look like these days. It is easy to get into, but hard to master and because of this the best the Xbox Live Arcade has to offer.
