Top 5 Xbox Live Arcade Releases of 2008

There have been a lot of great games and a lot of lame games released on Xbox Live Arcade this year. Today we'll look at the five best in no particular order. These five games represent the best that Xbox Live Arcade offered this year.

A Kingdom for Keflings

NinjaBee has created quite possibly the most laid back game on Xbox Live Arcade. You play as a giant in the land of the Keflings. Your job is to help them build a medieval city by training them to harvest resources and then refine them. You then can use the resulting refined products to build your village into a thriving city. Unlike most city building simulations there is no time lime, no destructive forces, and no enemies. You are free to take your time and design your village however you want. You can also invite three of your friends to join you and help build your village. While you do technically "win" when you are able to completely build your castle the game never ends. Even after your castle is built you can build more buildings, paint the ones you have already built, and change the layout of your village until it is exactly how you want it. A Kingdom for Keflings is well worth getting with its fun, bright graphics and open ended design.

Castle Crashers

The Behemoth has recreated the feel of a lot of classic arcade games with their side scrolling beat'm up Castle Crashers. In Castle Crashers you play as one of four knights. Each knight has a unique special attack and they all have the same standard combos you unlock as you play. Castle Crashers goes beyond the normal beat-m-up by adding some RPG elements. As you progress through the game you earn experience that can be used to upgrade your health, attacks, magic, and armor. Castle Crashers supports playing 4 cooperatively with four people in the game. Castle Crashers is fast paced beat'm up action with a great cartoonish graphical style.

Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2

Bizarre Creations sequel to their popular Geometry Wars quickly became for more popular that the original ever was thanks to the inclusion of six unlockable game modes. Geometry Wars 2 is a two stick multidirectional shooter where your left thumb stick controls your ships flight and your right thumb stick controls your weapons. One of the single most addictive parts of the game is that in the top right corner it shows your friend's high scores. Between the addictively simple game play and the constant quest to try and top your friend's high scores it is easy to loose hours of your time without even realizing it.

Braid

Created by independent developer Jonathan Blow Braid is part platformer and part puzzle game. Unlike most platform games where puzzles then to be based on timing your jumps correctly Braid's puzzles are completed by controlling time. Each level has a unique way that time can be controlled. While the levels and puzzles seem simple at first they quickly get harder and more original. While at times you may be frustrated by not being able to complete a puzzle the reward when you do complete one is well worth the brain twisting frustration that precedes it. Braid is probably the most unique Xbox Live Arcade game released this year and beyond the puzzles and platforming you figure out the first time through there are options for speed runs and hidden items that keep you coming back to play it again and again.

Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix

Backbone Entertainment has remade the classic fighting game Super Street Fighter II Turbo with high definition graphics and full surround sound. Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix remains true to the original with a classic mode and the original character roster. There is also a remixed mode that rebalances the game as well as 8 player tournaments and multiplayer matches of Xbox Live. In keeping with the original feel of playing in an arcade they also included a "quarters" mode that lets people spectate and then play the winner of a match. Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix is a great remake of a classic fighting game with great new graphics and online support.