Xbox Live Arcade Awards voting kicks off March 3

by Randy Nelson on Feb 26th 2009 9:45PM

Oscars, Schmoscars. Microsoft is letting Xbox Live users cast their votes for the best Xbox Live Arcade games of 2008 starting on March 3. Foregoing any sort of web-based ballot, votes will be cast from within the New Xbox Experience's Spotlight Channel. Voting will wrap up on Tuesday, March 10, with users permitted to change their votes -- but not vote multiple times -- as often as they'd like, up to that point.

Have a look at the full list of categories and nominees (your "sample ballot," if you will) after the break.

Best Overall Arcade Game

Braid
Castle Crashers
Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2
Street Fighter II HD Remix
Portal: Still Alive

Best Original Game

Castle Crashers
N+
Braid
Penny Arcade Episode 1
Schizoid
Age of Booty

Best Family Game

Boogie Bunnies
Roogoo
A Kingdom for Keflings
Lost Cities
Meteos Wars

Best Co-operative Multiplayer Game

Castle Crashers
Schizoid
Bionic Commando Rearmed
N+
Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2

Best Competitive Multiplayer Game

Street Fighter II HD Remix
Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2
Soul Calibur
Meteos Wars
Age of Booty

Best Solo Game

Braid
Mega Man 9
Penny Arcade Episode 1
Rez HD
Portal: Still Alive

Best Innovation in XBLA

Braid (time travel)
A Kingdom for Keflings (use of Avatars)
Fable II Pub Games (retail game integration)
N+ (level sharing)
Duke Nukem 3D (dynamic replay)

Best Graphics

Street Fighter II HD Remix
Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2
Braid
Castle Crashers
Bionic Commando Rearmed

Best Classic/Remake Game

Bionic Commando Rearmed
Street Fighter II HD Remix
Mega Man 9
Galaga Legions
Rez HD

Source

Tags: microsoft, xbla, xbla-awards, Xbox-360

Reader Comments (33)

Best overall game: Street Fighter HD Turbo

Hmm, I am pretty sure I know which game on the "Best Co-operative Multiplayer Game" ISN'T taking that award...

I can already see Chris voting for Galaga as we speak.

How you ask? 1337 H4xx0rz of course!

Mega Man 9 wasn't a classic or a remake.

i was thinking the same thing

Yup, I was going to make the same comment. Good to know whoever made these nominations knows what they're talking about...

Most of my votes will go to either Braid or SSF2THDR, with Castle Crashers getting the easy Best Multi award.

Best Single Player game will be tough; you see, Braid was definitely the best original game released in 2007, but Portal was technically a remake of a game released previously, so while Braid will rack up most of the awards that's the one that is contested: I don't know which one is the better game to be honest with you.

Easy, Rez HD, which should also Best Classic/Remake, unless the voting public are nothing but Philistines.

Best Overall Arcade Game: Street Fighter II HD Remix
Best Original Game: Braid
Best Family Game: A Kingdom for Keflings
Best Co-operative Multiplayer Game: Castle Crashers
Best Competitive Multiplayer Game: Street Fighter II HD Remix
Best Solo Game: Portal: Still Alive
Best Innovation in XBLA: Braid
Best Graphics: Braid
Best Classic/Remake Game: Street Fighter II HD Remix

In order, despite wubbytoes valid points:

Best overall: Portal (Did they add anything, didn't see new stuff in demo, have O-Box)

Best original: Braid

Best family: ?

Best coop: tough one. Bionic was a different experience with a friend. Schizoid was made to be coop, but could never find anyone to play with, Geometry Wars 2 was pretty cool with the different ways to play, Castle Crashers was a blast with in the room friends, on fence between BC:R, CC, and Schizoid

Competitive: SFII, nature of the game man

Solo: Braid or Portal, MM9 distant third

Innovation: Braid hands down

Graphics: Meh, Castle Crashers I suppose

Classic:Mega Man or Bionic Commando.

Now you know my pics, and since everyone was waiting with bated breath, you can now go vote accordingly. I know I'm not going to waste my time. Who has the time when Joystiq is here to tell people who REALLY care

how can you pick portal as the best overall game when you havnt even played the live version of it??

Thats why asked if there was a difference. In the beginning of the demo, I noticed no difference, and thus, did not buy it. If there is a lot of differences or its a pared down version, then I would have to go with Braid, though I felt the 'philosophical' books before the worlds were a little convoluted, and the gimmick of time travel was a little stale by the end (even though it kept introducing new twists on the gimmick), it had several great ideas and was beautiful, so I change my answer to Braid.

I would have considered portal a contender for most original, had it not been a port.

Satisfied?

Portal had new levels that were not present on the OBox. The "campaign" was the same, though. New levels were added as challenges after you beat the game.

My picks:

Overall: Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2 ( Bionic Commando ReArmed should have been 'nominated'.)

Original: Braid

Family: Kingdom For Keflings

Co-Op Multiplayer: Bionic Commando ReArmed

Competitive Multiplayer: Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2

Solo: REZ HD

Innovation: Fable II Pub Games (Retail game integration)

Graphics: Bionic Commando ReArmed

Classic Remake: Bionic Commando ReArmed

Damn. I want to vote for Penny arcade, because its been my favorite RPG that ive played recently...but it's up against Braid in every category it's in...and, well, Braid is the best XBLA game I've played.

imo Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2 sucks

I like the regular one better

crap, best overall braid or castle crashers. i love them both so much.

Worth 800 MSPoints? I'm still unsure because its not so replayable I hear... I usually buy things that last a long time.

I meant is Braid worth 800...Also, no poking fun at the last bit. I didn't realise until after I posted =p

My opinion is that games like Braid are unique experiences, and thus worth buying even if you never play it again. Buy it for the experience, not the playability.

Man, another award for games? There are way too many award-giving bodies in games. None of them mean anything anymore.

Check this out: http://www.examiner.com/x-3414-Minneapolis-Video-Game-Examiner~y2009m2d23-Video-game-awards-shows

I think there is a bug in your listing. That appears to be the same set of 5 games repeated 8 times.

Braid FTW

Is it bad that I've never heard of Schizoid?

Best Overall Arcade Game
* Braid
Best Original Game
* Braid
Best Family Game
* A Kingdom for Keflings
Best Co-operative Multiplayer Game
* Castle Crashers
Best Competitive Multiplayer Game
* Soul Calibur
Best Solo Game
* Rez HD
Best Innovation in XBLA
* Fable II Pub Games (retail game integration)
Best Graphics
* Braid
Best Classic/Remake Game
* Galaga Legions

Best graphics: braid

Really? I could create those graphics in paint.

SF2hdr says hi.

My picks:

Best Overall Arcade Game: Castle Crashers
Best Original Game: Castle Crashers
Best Family Game: Write-In: Ticket To Ride
Best Co-operative Multiplayer Game: Castle Crashers
Best Competitive Multiplayer Game: Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2
Best Solo Game: Rez HD
Best Innovation in XBLA: Fable II Pub Games (retail game integration)
Best Graphics: Street Fighter II HD Remix
Best Classic/Remake Game: Rez HD

Best Overall Arcade Game:Castle Crashers
Best Original Game: Castle Crashers
Best Family Game: Kingdom for Keflings
Best Co-operative Multiplayer Game: Castle Crashers
Best Competitive Multiplayer Game:Street Fighter II HD Remix
Best Solo Game: Portal: Still Alive
Best Innovation in XBLA: Braid (time travel)
Best Graphics:Street Fighter II HD Remix
Best Classic/Remake Game: Bionic Commando Rearmed

Why does everything have to stoop down to voting?
Why can't we just give awards for each catagory based on sales?

For example, if Braid is in fact a "Best Overall Arcade Game", (which I'm sure it will win, though I would not vote for it myself), it should then have the most game sales of all the titles in that catagory. Same applies to all the other catagories.

Either way, i guess this is all "for fun". I hope we see some benefit though, such as a reduction in price for the catagory winners.

Am I the only person that thinks N+ deserves a lot more praise? The online multiplayer may be a bit laggy, but local 4-player co-op is so much fun. The level editor is something you don't see in many arcade games and there are a lot of levels.
Apart from N+, I really like Castle Crashers and GeoWars 2.

i totally agree. i had a lot more fun playing N+ local multiplayer than CC.

Just where the hell is Poker Smash on this list?

Really hoping Braid takes most of the winners. It so deserves it. A brilliant game!

Sorry, you must be logged in to leave a comment.

Breaking News

The most popular posts
in the last 7 days

Vita 'UMD Passport' won't be offered in US 220 comments
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning review: A tempting fate 153 comments
David Jaffe leaves Eat Sleep Play, layoffs hit developer [Update] 107 comments
Don't call it a remake: Final Fantasy X is a 'remaster,' to be clear 95 comments
Battleship movie adapted into FPS by Double Helix 93 comments

Xbox Live Arcade Awards voting kicks off March 3

Reader Comments (33)

Posted: Feb 26th 2009 9:47PM apokalipze2 said

Posted: Feb 26th 2009 9:54PM AoE said

Posted: Feb 26th 2009 9:57PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Feb 26th 2009 10:01PM Wubbytoes said

Posted: Feb 26th 2009 11:04PM Rhamsey said

Posted: Feb 27th 2009 12:28PM Axcalibur said

Posted: Feb 26th 2009 10:05PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Feb 26th 2009 10:39PM AoE said

Posted: Feb 26th 2009 10:07PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Feb 26th 2009 10:13PM Deone said

Posted: Feb 26th 2009 11:50PM petepete said

Posted: Feb 26th 2009 11:57PM Deone said

Posted: Feb 27th 2009 10:09AM CannabisPrime said

Posted: Feb 26th 2009 10:17PM Magic Whiskey said

Posted: Feb 26th 2009 10:30PM Mognet T said

Posted: Feb 26th 2009 10:55PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Feb 26th 2009 11:02PM Rhamsey said

Posted: Feb 26th 2009 11:31PM Premature ejaculation man said

Posted: Feb 26th 2009 11:32PM Premature ejaculation man said

Posted: Feb 27th 2009 12:30AM Michelobius said

Posted: Feb 27th 2009 12:04AM Michelobius said

Posted: Feb 27th 2009 12:51AM seishino said

Posted: Feb 27th 2009 1:45AM edoglost said

Posted: Feb 27th 2009 7:34AM AwesomeTown said

Posted: Feb 27th 2009 9:14AM MisterSmith said

Posted: Feb 27th 2009 5:18PM jynxycat said

Posted: Feb 27th 2009 9:49AM John Z said

Posted: Feb 27th 2009 12:04PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Feb 27th 2009 12:43PM Axcalibur said

Posted: Feb 27th 2009 1:27PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Feb 28th 2009 2:35PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Feb 27th 2009 6:49PM germdove said

Posted: Feb 28th 2009 1:59PM Deck said

Info

Description

MSRP

Release Date

Genre

Developer

Publisher

Rating

Breaking News

Double Fine Kickstarter passes $1 million in under 24 hours, breaking yet another record

Featured Stories

Shank 2 review: Refined brutality

Ghost Recon: Future Soldier brings information warfare to the front

Rhythm Heaven Fever review: Crazy into you

The most popular postsin the last 7 days

Engadget

TUAW

Massively

WoW

The most popular posts
in the last 7 days