Help me decide on a XBLA game

[PGchris]

Ive got 1800 points to blow and Im stuck between getting Braid and galaga or Castlevania: SOTN, galaga and doom...or should think up a third option. I wish I had 200 more points Id get Braid and Castlevania.

[Flak Beard]

All are decent choices, but I would go with SOTN, Galaga and Doom. Don't get me wrong, I liked Braid but it was a bit pricey.

[PGchris]

Isn't there some way I can scare up 200 microsoft points online??

[TheyCallMeTheSwede]

I love Braid to death, but I would personally pick Castlevania, mainly because its cheaper than the PS1 version (its rare), the only downside is that it got rid of most the CG clips (its not really that important anyway) and some sounds are slightly down sampled. Other than that its a faithful port.

[lordofduct]

I don't know... I go the other way.

When it comes to the XBLA, I'm not a big fan of the old school re-releases. Most of them are just direct ports and look kinda shotty at the XBOX's higher resolution... really it looks exactly like an emulator on your PC... because that's what it is.

Doom I'd say no to because it's been ported so many times as well (I'm assuming you mean Doom 1). I mean come on, how bad do you really need Doom???

There are some good ports though that come with extra bonuses. Like Rez on XBLA is awesome! It's got a fully remastered soundtrack put into 5.1 DD. The resolution has been upped to look even more beautiful. And the difficulty has been tweaked to start out slightly harder the the DC did and ramps up much faster (I personally like that). Amongst a few other things. Of course the original version is still included in case you don't like this stuff as well.

Lumines on XBLA is great as well. Though I'm certain its a freakin' expansion pack download scam. There are a ton of expansion packs to it. But man, if you like Lumines, the XBLA version is the BEST version. Online battle, new packs (some are free), higher resolution, surround sound, and the 360 controller is sweet at it... feels a lot smoother then the PS2 and PSP versions.

Ikaruga - another awesome port. And they actually translated the text to English this time!!! It's not much different from the GC or DC versions, but none the less it's a faithful port and plays crisp as all hell. If you don't have the other versions, it's well worth it (as long as you're a sh'mup kind of guy).



as for other games I personally have:

Braid - awesome, short, sweet, a little pricey but worth it. It's a great indie project and the cost makes up for it. Let the indies keep working!!! And the puzzles really are some teasers man! Don't use GameFAQs and you will leave it totally satisfied!

Space Giraffe - most people hate it... I LOVE IT. If you're into groove games... I call them that... cause it's a game that you can ONLY play in "the groove" or "the zone". It's all about just falling into the simple mechanics and playing. The game tries to mess with you though. The psychadelic colours get so out there that it makes it very hard to see what is going on. But the sounds cover this... you can hear everything happening. You'll find yourself recognizing stuff merely by its sound effects. "DANGER DANGER" oh snap, spike ball on the loose... where is it!? fuck... jump jump... there you are... little bastard!

... blah

[RadarScope1]

Agree with everything LoD said, except about Doom. Yeah, it's been ported a zillion times but if you like Doom, this version is pretty sweet thanks to the 360 controller. The controls feel like cutting through butter with a hot knife. I bought it at 800 points and got a lot of playtime out of it (I'm also not currently a PC gamer, and I hadn't spent any time with Doom for years). If you buy it let me know and we'll deathmatch. Gimme achievements!!!

I really liked Braid a lot, but for the money I'd say SOTN. Have you ever played it before?? If so, it might be better go with the fresh experience Braid provides. But if not, then I'd say go with the stone-cold classic of 2D - SOTN.

[MrPopo]

I'd say skip Doom and get Duke Nukem 3D if you're going to get an FPS on a console. Both are from the era of not really needing a mouse to do well, and I figure if you're actually serious about those games you'd get them on a proper PC with a source port instead.

[Ramatut4001]

All good advice, but if you haven't played SOTN you really should!

[Mozgus]

Castle Crashers. I want a PC port so bad.

[PGchris]

ah! still can't decide I really want to play SOTN but I loved the Braid demo, spent like three hours looking for some sort of internet promotion to try and scare up 200 points. Probably just going to go out tomorrow and buy some more points, do they have 10 dollar cards?