Note: There are more games announced than just these, but these titles are just some we're especially looking forward to.
NFL Blitz - EA stumbled a bit with the retail release of NBA Jam, but the XBLA follow-up, NBA Jam On Fire Edition, was just about a perfect arcade basketball game. We expect similar things from the XBLA release of NFL Blitz. Some folks are disappointed that late hits (a Blitz series trademark) have been removed for this release at the request of the NFL, but we've always been more interested in the fast pace and high scoring possibilities of Blitz than the brutality, so we're okay with it.
The Pinball Arcade - One of our favorite under appreciated X360 games is Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection. The pinball is just about perfect in that game, and it was incredibly fun. For the follow-up title, instead of releasing a new retail pinball collection, however, developer Far Sight Studios is instead making an XBLA pinball title that will be continuously updated with new tables throughout the year. This should be a great one.
Alan Wake's American Nightmare - We liked Alan Wake, but it had some definite pacing and gameplay issues. Hopefully developer Remedy Entertainment learned from those mistakes and Alan Wake's American Nightmare can live up to the massive potential the original release squandered. It looks to be the same light vs. dark gameplay focus, with its own twisted tale in a new setting. It will certainly be one of the more ambitious XBLA releases of the year, and we can't wait to play it.
I Am Alive - The oft-delayed, once cancelled, and now completely redesigned action game from Ubisoft where you explore and try to survive in a toxic wasteland after a cataclysmic event might finally, maybe, be seeing a release in 2012. It will be a mix of third-person navigation and first-person shooting and will focus on survival (collecting resources like food and water) as well as dealing with other survivors you come across.
Skullgirls - An all-girls over-the-top fighting game sounds good to us, but Skullgirls claim to fame has as much to do with its innovative fighting engine as it does with its sexy cast. This isn't just a pretty face, it is a real, hardcore, fighting game that is focusing on character balance as well as interesting player controls over how the game plays (custom assists, dynamic input windows, etc.). It should be fantastic.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive - PC gamers might roll their eyes at another attempt at console Counter-Strike, but we're looking forward to it anyway. As much flak as the Counter-Strike release on the OG Xbox got, it was actually really popular right up until the servers were shut down for original Xbox games in 2010. Valve has said it wants to try and expand the classic Counter-Strike gameplay with Global Offensive, which sounds good to us.
Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown - Virtua Fighter 5 has stood as one of the best 3D fighting games on Xbox 360 ever since its release in 2007. The arcade version of VF5 has seen some substantial revisions since then, however, and now 360 fight fans will finally get to play the definitive version of VF5 with Final Showdown. It will feature online gameplay, tons of characters, and the great Virtua Fighter gameplay all in an XBLA package.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD - We still have fond memories of when a new Tony Hawk's Pro Skater release was the highlight of our year. Of course, those days were more than 5+ years ago. But we remember! After releasing a string of turrible Tony Hawk games, Activision is going back to what made the series great by releasing a new title for XBLA that combines classic levels from THPS 1 and 2, the classic 2 minute timer and goals, and gives them a new high-definition coat of paint. It may be stuff we've played before, but we can't freaking wait to play it all again.
