Joystiq Poll: Best of the XBLA chopping block
by Ross Miller 
{ Jun 4th 2008 at 3:30PM }
After the break, vote for your Best of the Worst, and if you're so inclined, tell us why in the comments below. Results will be tallied for Friday. Oh, and stay tuned tomorrow where you get to sound off on the absolute worst Xbox Live Arcade title.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
umm....hello??? @ Jun 4th 2008 3:11PM
is this poll broken?? I voted for Contra but all of the games listed have 1 vote (2.3% for each).
CTC XBL-supapaypamawio PSN-ctclaw @ Jun 4th 2008 3:34PM
I think it's like Engadget where they need a couple of votes before the percentages work out.
Tiptup300 @ Jun 4th 2008 5:23PM
I found another problem. All the games on the list suck balls.
CTC XBL-supapaypamawio PSN-ctclaw @ Jun 4th 2008 3:35PM
You know what else deserves to be put on the chopping block? Hummingbird commercial! And no I can't use firefox.
Mr Khan @ Jun 4th 2008 4:02PM
I never bothered to get NoScript, because most of the wesbites that i visit don't have ads that are so intrusive as to hinder basic usage
Zertoss @ Jun 4th 2008 4:21PM
I've found another solution: Tools > Internet Options > Security > Restricted Sites > Add www.joystiq.com. Ensure that scripts aren't allowed to run on restricted sites (should be default).
No more hummingbird.
I'd apologize for trying to help people get rid of crap like this if I wasn't so certain that it's all AOL's fault.
danny. @ Jun 4th 2008 3:35PM
I voted Contra even though I regret buying the game. That's the only one on the list I own though, so I'm an uninformed voter. I bet there's a gem or two in there.
Kizzle @ Jun 4th 2008 3:37PM
I will always love you, Yie-Ar Kung-Fu, but I can't say you're the best of that bunch with a straight face.
Texas Hold 'Em is a perfectly acceptable card game, with camera support to boot. Maybe I'm biased because I got it when it was free at launch, but there are still enough people that play it to make it worthwhile.
Nigeria @ Jun 4th 2008 3:38PM
I have no opinion, I just like clicking buttons.
7718 @ Jun 4th 2008 3:48PM
Double Dragon is pretty fun and in my opinion worth the 400 points. The rest of the list looks pretty ready for chopping though. When do we get our XBLA DRM fixing "tool"? We aren't getting a dashboard update, are we ever going to get the DRM rool?
xFenixKnightx @ Jun 4th 2008 3:55PM
Yeah Double Dragon is really fun, great achievements, updated graphics and online co-op. Thats why I voted for it.
thesimplicity @ Jun 4th 2008 3:47PM
I think Arkadian Warriors is highly underrated. Much like a title such as Shiren, it's aiming for a very niche audience... and if you're not that audience, you'll probably hate it.
AoE @ Jun 4th 2008 6:02PM
You know... I actually gave it a shot, but the art style was so amazingly ugly that I couldn't bring myself to even try the game. It reminded me of Sudeki... I think if there's one thing Sudeki and Arkadian warriors have taught us, it's this: British developers should NEVER EVER EVER try to do things with an anime style, thier characters end up coming out mildly retarded looking, and painful on the eyes overall.
K387 @ Jun 4th 2008 3:48PM
Can't say I'm surprised by the current top 5 (in nor particular order).
Arkadian Warriors
Contra
Super Contra
Marathon
Texas Hold'em
K387
FOXHOUND @ Jun 4th 2008 3:48PM
I'm thinking if it had been any of the REAL BOUT FATAL FURY SPECIAL series, that game might've missed the block...
CTC XBL-supapaypamawio PSN-ctclaw @ Jun 4th 2008 3:51PM
I don't see them taking down some of the classics like Contra, Frogger, Pac-Man, etc. But I could see them taking down things like the hardwood games and the spyglass game.
poprocker @ Jun 4th 2008 3:52PM
Sad to see Space Giraffe and Yaris wasn't listed. They are utter trash.
Arkadian Warriors doesn't deserve to be on this list.
cath @ Jun 4th 2008 8:11PM
Every Microsoft platform has to have at least ONE solitaire game, that's why Soltrio gets my vote!
Sean @ Jun 4th 2008 3:58PM
I actually bought Soltrio Solitaire. I don't know why, I think I must've had a concussion or something.. I saw it in my list recently and wondered, "don't I own a 99 cent deck of cards?"
Dr. Strangel0ve @ Jun 4th 2008 4:01PM
Marathon's loss makes me sad. I guess people just don't get games that involve reading anymore.
theberlindoctor @ Jun 4th 2008 4:14PM
Yeah, its a shame people just dont get god awful level design, weak gameplay and vomit inducing movement..
Sean @ Jun 4th 2008 4:21PM
Marathon is crap. The only reason it's regarded so highly is because it's one of the few games made for the mac. I don't get motion sick.. but marathon made me ill after about 20 seconds of playing it.
Kizzle @ Jun 4th 2008 4:28PM
Just because it is on the list doesn't mean it will be delisted. It means it is ELIGIBLE to be delisted. If you think MS is going to actually remove every game on that list, you're insane.
I would be VERY surprised if Marathon is actually delisted.
El Capitaine @ Jun 4th 2008 4:59PM
QUOTE - "Marathon is crap. The only reason it's regarded so highly is because it's one of the few games made for the mac. I don't get motion sick.. but marathon made me ill after about 20 seconds of playing it."
------------------
Actually, I think the only reason it's so highly regarded is simply because it's made by Bungie...
------------------
QUOTE - "Just because it is on the list doesn't mean it will be delisted. It means it is ELIGIBLE to be delisted. If you think MS is going to actually remove every game on that list, you're insane.
I would be VERY surprised if Marathon is actually delisted."
No, just to clarify, NOT EVERY ONE OF THESE GAMES WILL BE DELISTED.
This is the list of games that pass the two criteria for delisting that can be easily found -
1) Been out for six months
and
2) lower than 65 metacritic score.
However, the 3rd is to have a conversion rate of less than 6%, meaning that there are less than 6 full game downloads for every 100 trial downloads.
Every one of those games is a possibility, however for example Texas Hold'em has a very high conversion rate because it was initially free, so it will likely NOT be delisted.
This is also why Yaris CANNOT be delisted, because it has a conversion rate of ∞ (however many full downloads it got over 0 trial downloads)
343 Guilty Fart @ Jun 4th 2008 6:19PM
I didn't get it mainly cause it made me feel queesy.
mkernan @ Jun 4th 2008 4:16PM
Tetris Splash... because its the only one on the list I've paid for. I mean, its Tetris... you gotta have a Tetris game on XBLA.
Courtney @ Jun 4th 2008 5:24PM
Yes, but it would be nice to have a better Tetris game on XBLA.
LeadBoxx @ Jun 4th 2008 4:18PM
Why don't they put all these on sale for a $1.00 before they take them all away?
Dirty @ Jun 4th 2008 4:33PM
agreed a sale would be a good idea. i might pick a few up that way. easy cash for them I say.
schwal @ Jun 4th 2008 4:28PM
Mad tracks is really fun. and texas holdem is decent.
Warlock @ Jun 4th 2008 4:40PM
I voted for Contra. It wasn't the best port of the game, and online could be laggy at times, but when it worked it was still pretty fun.
Obie @ Jun 4th 2008 4:43PM
Sorry I have to say all of em are pretty rotten IMO.
goboColossus (LIVE, PSN - gobopop) @ Jun 4th 2008 4:47PM
Went with Geon. Love the game, though I can never play the online portion, and I got it day one!
Don't understand why Marathon is being considered. I thought they were planning on expanding it with DLC?
Mike @ Jun 4th 2008 4:57PM
I'm surprised Marathon is on this list. I would have thought that the Bungie name alone would have given it enough sales.
I voted for Arkadian Warriors. It has its problems but it is a pretty decent hack 'n slash for the price.
Blue_Falcon @ Jun 4th 2008 5:06PM
Of those games, I only have one of them. I bought Novadrome when it came out because the previous weeks prior had consisted of several solid releases (the triple threat of Small Arms, Roboblitz and Assault Heroes in December of '06), and I more or less expected this game to fall in that category. It didn't. It was very shallow, and just not good. I won way to many races (that didn't focus on deathmatch type things) bu going off the course and finding weapons and killing the A.I. It's probably one of the few XBLA purchases that I'd really rather forget.
As for the rest of the titles, they more or less deserve getting cut. I thinks it's worth observing that a vast majority of these titles are the really really old arcade titles from way back, and in many cases suffer from being over-priced for what's included.
I bought TMNT because it's not the kind of game that gets repackaged every generation in some kind of classic arcade collection, so $5 was worth it, IMO. I also bought Dig Dug and Gauntlet because one weekend they released those two games at a reduced price of 200 MSP ($2.50) I can justify pay $5 for those two combined, but not individually. I refused to by Pac-Man under any circumstance ESPECIALLY after the Championship Edition was released (which revamped the entire game, for a game worthy of $10)
I think MS should just cut down the price of the really old arcade games down to 200 MSP, since I'd gladly buy a few more if that was the case. Although I'd be happier if they altogether replaced them with C.E. style versions of the game. I also wouldn't mind doing some collection type deals.
I don't think we'll be seeing many of the newer titles going, mostly because it makes for some nice exclusives to compare it to the other systems' downloadable games.
I wonder if MS will even publish an 'official' list once the games get delisted.
Zaius @ Jun 4th 2008 5:12PM
Arkadian warriors was a lot of fun while it lasted. it was my first 200/200 in cheesemints as well.
kftgr @ Jun 4th 2008 5:32PM
My choices for underserving of delisting:
Arkadian Warriors
Fatal Fury Special
Mad Tracks
Texas Hold'em
Track & Field
Yie Ar Kung Fu
yyr @ Jun 4th 2008 6:06PM
I voted for Scramble, one of the few games on this list that I bought and still enjoy playing.
It really is actually a very good shmup. It just looks like an old piece of crap. It's a shame that it gets no love.
Tycho Bob @ Jun 5th 2008 12:12PM
Quick Opinion:
Marathon Shouldnt even bre up there and texas holdem cmon its the game for people who dont want to see somebody waving their junk in the camera unlike some other games...(*Cough*Uno*Cough*)
Oh and anyone that plays marathon hit me up on xbl
GT = Tycho Bob
Abuzar @ Jun 5th 2008 2:06PM
Where the hell is Marble Blast Ultra?
schwal @ Jun 5th 2008 2:59PM
for a cool unscientific thing based on these polls see:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=phZdLD4qgIK7UYZ9NgY6BXg&hl=en
i took and compared the percentages of the polls to see what people overall thought were the best and worst.
worst: novadrome
best: fatal fury spacial