The Xbox Live Arcade on the Microsoft Xbox 360 is filled with a great selection of both classic and original games. Just because these titles ring in at under twenty bucks does not mean that they are of any lesser quality than full retail releases. Just look at great offerings like Braid, Castle Crashers, and Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix.
Continuing with this success will be a series of both first-party and third-party titles for the Xbox Live Arcade in the months that follow. Check out the gameplay footage compilation below for Joy Ride, Shadow Complex, Splosion Man, Marvel vs. Capcom 2, and Trials HD.
Now that you’ve had a taste of what’s to come, let’s dive a little deeper into those five upcoming XBLA games.
Joy Ride (for Free!)
What do you get when you combine the insane driving physics of Crazy Taxi, the quirky creativity of the Xbox Avatars, and the cartoony desert made famous by Wile E. Coyote? The apparent answer is Joy Ride, a quirky racing game on its way to the Xbox Live Arcade. And the best part? It’s free to download. Yes, free. Upgrades, like new vehicles and tracks, will be available as paid DLC.
Similar to what you would get with Mario Kart, the racing experience with Joy Ride is not meant to be a simulation. There are no turtle shells to toss, but you do ride around on a desert-themed track with your Avatar behind the wheel. Microsoft said that people seem to really enjoy Avatar games, so they wanted to expand that experience with a fun racing game.
Joy Ride is meant to be incredibly accessible by anyone, regardless of age and experience. You really only need to deal with one button (gas) and the analog stick (steering), though you can execute mid-air tricks and take advantage of the boost feature as well. Some tracks even involve half-pipe configurations for you to grab some air, so to speak.
Shadow Complex from Epic Games
Does the name Epic Games ring a bell? It should if you are a fan of the Xbox 360, because that’s the development studio responsible for the now legendary Gears of War franchise. Rather than creating a new first-person shooter for the 360, Epic has put together an interesting side-scrolling adventure for Xbox Live Arcade called Shadow Complex.
Despite its name, this game isn’t terribly complex. Using the Unreal Engine 3, Shadow Complex has a distinct retro side-scrolling feel to it, but with modernized graphics. You explore the 2.5D environments in two dimensions, picking up a series of weapons and power-ups.
The gameplay isn’t quite the same as a beat-em-up like Final Fight. It’s also not quite as hectic, at least in the stages that I saw, as a game like Contra. Think of it more as a FPS viewed from the side.
Splosion Man Is Mind-Blasting
Developed by Twisted Pixel Games, ‘Splosion Man is quite the unique take on the classic platformer. On the surface, you’d think that you’re getting into a Mario or Mega Man like experience, but there is one very distinct feature about the protagonist that sets him apart from the rest of the crowd. He blows up. On purpose. Over and over again.
With most platformer games, you can typically expect one button for jumping and another for attacking, but our friend ‘Splosion Man has one button to explode. This explosion sends him flying forward and upward, beating enemies along the way and propelling himself onto the platforms. He can explode up to three times, after which you have to wait a few seconds for him to fire back up again.
In order to progress through the game, you’ll need to make full use of these self-explosions, bouncing off walls and finding interesting ways to make it to seemingly unreachable platforms. There’s also a multiplayer element to complete the package.
Marvel vs. Capcom 2 Lives Again
It’s not secret that I’m a fan of fightin games. Perhaps you already saw my other E3 Expo 2009 article, where I wrote briefly about the pending release of Tatsunoko vs. Capcom on the Nintendo Wii. Well, that whole “versus” franchise is hitting up Xbox Live Arcade as well.
Marvel vs. Capcom 2 on XBLA is exactly like how you remember it in the arcades and on the Sega Dreamcast, except you don’t have to go through all the effort to unlock all of the characters. The massive roster, which includes everyone from Juggernaut to Akuma, is positively mind-boggling.
Unlike what they did for Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, Marvel vs. Capcom 2 has not been pumped up to high-definition. You can think of this more as a direct port, but there is one very important feature that will make all the difference: online play. Given the breakneck speed of Marvel vs. Capcom 2, however, I hope that the lag is kept to an absolute minimum. Online play here is supposed to be built on the same framework they used for HD Remix.
Trials HD Stunting to Your Living Room
The goal in Trials HD for Xbox Live Arcade is quite simple. Get from point A to point B within the allotted time limit. The challenge is that you happen to be riding a BMX bike and the track is littered with all sorts of obstacles.
You are presented with what appears to be a highly detailed 3D indoor arena (like a warehouse), but the action is completely on a two-dimensional plane. You ride your bike across over 50 versatile tracks, hopping your way over boxes and jumping across ramps. And some of these extreme tracks involve crashes, injuries, and even explosions.
An Arcade from the Comfort of Your Living Room
I used to make a near-weekly excursion to the local arcade armed with a roll of quarters and several hours to kill. These days, I’m armed instead with a bunch of Microsoft Points and a range of both old and new titles to enjoy through Xbox Live Arcade. And I couldn’t be a happier gamer as a result. Check out the Futurelooks YouTube Channel for more videos and live demos from E3 2009.