While 2011 brought us a number of outstanding retail games, it also opened the doors for several great downloadable efforts. Xbox Live Arcade saw its fair share of these games this year, with such innovative titles as Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet, Daytona USA, From Dust, and Torchlight. Surprisingly enough, those titles in particular managed to barely JUST miss being in our top 20 Xbox Live Arcade games of 2011 list. It was THAT close, people. But the ones we did pick are phenomenal efforts in their own part, whether they’re a high-end remake of an old favorite or a brand new game that ushered in a new kind of competitiveness. They’re all wonderful So sit back, relax, and enjoy our little countdown!
20. Renegade Ops (Sega) – This top-down shooter, which reminds us an awful lot of the old-school NES game Jackal, has you controlling elite soldiers in gun-toting vehicles as they take down enemies and complete objectives. This is classic shooting fun at its best, and the graphics and dialogue really shine.
19. SkyDrift (Digital Reality) – What could’ve easily been just another lame flying knock-off is instead the best airborne combat/racing game we’ve seen since Diddy Kong Racing. Plenty of great tracks, sharp power-ups and single/multiplayer racing fun can be found here – all for $10. Talk about a great value.
18. Fruit Ninja Kinect (Halfbrick Studios) – Could the touch-screen favorite become a success with motion controls? The answer is yes. Fruit Ninja is easily one of the better Kinect efforts out there, and the fact that it’s insanely cheaper than most of the retail efforts makes it an even better deal. Slice and dice for sensei!
17. Section 8: Prejudice (TimeGate Studios) – Though the original didn’t really get much love from the hardcore community, the follow-up to Section 8, Prejudice, fares much better. The level designs are better, the gameplay has been tightened up, and the multiplayer component is much better. The $15 price point doesn’t hurt either.
16. Marvel Pinball: Vengeance and Virtue (Zen Studios) – Though it’s really more of an expansion than a full-on sequel, this Marvel Pinball sequel still has plenty of tilt behind it, between four new tables, plenty of online leaderboard action and lots of fun for dedicated Marvel fans. Hope these guys work on a Gears of War table soon.
15. Hard Corps: Uprising (Konami) – It was kind of odd for Konami to turn to the studio behind Guilty Gear, Arc System Works, to produce a Contra game. But man, did it pay off. Uprising looks amazing, and has great gameplay to boot. Plus, like any good game in the series, it’s tough as nails. Just try to survive in one play through. Go on. Try it.
Our look at the top 20 Xbox LIVE Arcade Games of 2011 continues on the next page, please click Page 2 below to read more.
