Top 10 Best Xbox Live Arcade Games

1. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is one of the greatest games ever made, and even though it is ten years old, it is still very impressive. It features amazingly satisfying action/exploration gameplay, tons of secrets, and one of the best soundtracks ever to grace a videogame. This is a fantastic oldschool game that hardcore gamers will really appreciate. Castlevania: SOTN is highly recommended.

2. Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved

Geometry Wars is so simple, yet so addictive. You can spend hours just playing this little game. The game includes the original version that first appeared in Project Gotham Racing 2 along with the Evolved version that includes pumped up graphics. For just 400 marketplace points, this is an incredible value.

3. Hexic

Hexic came free on your hard drive if you got a premium Xbox 360 system so you can’t beat the value. The game is a slick puzzle where you swap gems around in order to make them disappear but it is much more than that. Very addictive. Very fun.

4. Uno

Uno is easily one of the best games available in the Xbox Live Arcade. It is easy to learn, fun to play, and just good all around. You can listen to custom soundtracks and chit chat with other players while you are playing and it is just a ton of fun. Sure it seems odd to have a $400 system and a fancy HDTV just to play Uno, but that is part of the charm of the game.

5. Worms

Worms is a turn-based strategy game where you pit teams of worms against each other in all out warfare. Bombs. Guns. Sheep. Anything is fair game to be used as a weapon. This unique and funny take on turn-based combat has proven to be a cult hit on the PC over the years, and now it makes an appearance on the Xbox Live Arcade. It is a bit bare bones compared to some of the other versions of the game out there, but it is still amazingly fun and worth the 800 points.

6. Alien Hominid HD

Alien Hominid HD is a quirky little arcade-style shooter that is fast, frantic, and very fun to play. Think of Contra or Metal Slug and that should give you a good idea of what the game plays like. The graphics are gorgeous, and it provides the perfect mix of challenge and fun to keep you coming back for more. This XBLA game is definitely worth the 800 point investment.

7. Doom

Doom is a classic game that actually holds up fairly well even today. It is fast paced, filled with cool weapons and monsters, and is just plain solid in every respect. This version includes the great single player campaign along with co-op and deathmatch so you really can't go wrong here.

8. Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3

Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 holds up surprisingly well even all of these years later. The MK series has never been known for deep gameplay, and that is no different here, but there is something that is still appealing about buckets of blood and fatalities that makes MK fun and different. One thing that has to be said is that UMK3 is actually a far superior game to the newly released Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. If you are looking for your MK fix, the XBLA UMK3 is the way to go.

9. Lumines Live

Lumines Live! is a hard game to review because we aren't really getting the full game for our 1200 point ($15) investment. You have to pay extra to fill out the included modes and buy new skins, and that makes getting the whole package pretty darn spendy. The key here, though, is that you don't have to buy everything, and buying the "full game" when it is all finally released isn't really necessary to fully enjoy Lumines Live!. Try the demo first, and if you like it, buy it.

10. Catan

Settlers of Catan is a popular strategy board game that comes to the Xbox Live Arcade titled simply, Catan. In Catan, you must gather resources, build settlements and cities, and try to outwit your opponents with superior management and strategy. It sounds complex, but after a few games you get the hang of it and will likely end up hopelessly addicted. Catan is a great addition to the Xbox Live Arcade, and is well worth the 800 MS point pricetag.