The Six Best Downloadable Games on Xbox Live Arcade

Out of the many games available on Xbox Live Arcade, there a few that are exceptional and come near the quality of a triple A retail release. In this article I will list and describe the games that I feel are the best available in the Arcade.

Braid
No list of great downloadable titles would be complete without including Braid. Braid was seen by many as the first true art game. Braid is a 2D platformer/puzzler that uses the manipulation of time to solve puzzles. There are five different game worlds, each with a unique and enjoyable twist on how time works, forcing you to think in a totally different way for each world. Although you must sometimes make some tricky jumps, it never gets frustrating due to its inclusion of a rewind mechanic. The level design in this game is amazing, with watercolor backgrounds and perfectly chosen music combined with tons of completely original puzzles and no filler content. When you include the cryptic story that you never fully understand you have a truly amazing game.

Portal: Still Alive
When Portal was first released as a part of the Orange Box, it was met with rave reviews from critics and gamers alike. With its combination of clever puzzles, hilarious lines, and memorable "characters" such as the companion cube, it made an already great deal into a must buy. Valve decided to release it separately to the arcade with the inclusion of a few extra challenges to entice those who had already played the other games in the Orange Box to play Portal. Their plan worked and Portal sold very well while getting great reviews.

Battlefield 1943
Battlefield 1943 was released in the beginning and quickly became fastest selling arcade game yet released due to its addictive and accessible gameplay, epic feel, and low entry price. It has recently reached over a million sales and has been on the Xbox Live top games since release.

Shadow Complex
The most recent release in the summer of arcade, Shadow Complex has been given great reviews. Although I can't say I've beaten it yet, I have played enough of it to know this is going to be remembered as one of the best games on XBLA for a long time to come. Inspired by Metroid and Castlevania, it is a very fun 2D shooter and platformer with RPG qualities.

Trials HD
Another member of the summer of arcade lineup, Trials HD was released with tons of hype and was able to meet all expectations. This has been one of my most played games recently because of its easy to pick up and hard to put down 2D gameplay. It also has great graphics and at higher difficulties is devilishly hard, so it has tons of replay value.

Rez HD
Rez was originally released on the Dreamcast and PS2 where it quickly became a cult favorite that became increasingly difficult to find. Fortunately Sega released it as Rez HD soon after the arcade was introduced to gamers. It quickly became one of the most popular games on the arcade due to its interesting take on on-rails shooters that had gamers produce the soundtrack with each enemy destroyed. The game comes with four areas, but many different game modes and different features are unlockable. This game was one of my first arcade purchases and definitely one of the best available.

Next time you are bored, and looking for a fun game to download, make sure you remember the titles on this list and check one out.