The New Arcade

In the early 1980’s, we had Dig Dug, Frogger and Donkey Kong. These early arcade classics helped kick off the initial video game craze and established themselves as legendary titles that will forever appeal to nostalgic gamers. Arcade consoles were put up in commercial businesses, restaurants, movie theaters and other places where people may need to kill a few minutes time. They were a commodity technology that created some immortal titles.

The 1990s brought us Virtua Cop and Mortal Kombat, initiating a new wave of arcade games that were extremely complex, technical and pushed the content boundaries compared to the titles of the previous decade. Graphics improved, expectations rose, and the arcade platform had to compete with increasingly intriguing home video game consoles. Fighting games took center stage with arcade success, playing to the head-to-head competition aspect that arcade gamers in the 90s relished.

These days, our concept of arcade has been redefined once again. Not only do we have modern-day versions of full-on arcade game units, but every gamer has the ability to bring a new type of “arcade” into their home via downloadable content. The new arcade – the Xbox Live Arcade – has brought a refreshed meaning to the word, and a new breed of games that could go on to become the immortal “arcade” titles of the ’00s. Today, arcade is about gaming with others in our own homes – whether locally or over the internet, via a library of games that span beyond anything we could have previously imagined.

While XBLA makes available upgraded versions of classic titles like Bubble Bobble, Arkanoid, Dig Dug and so on, developers push to create games for release that take advantage of modern technology, online multiplayer bandwidth, voice communication, high-definition televisions and instill a new sense of what “arcade” means as a downloadable, online platform. Sure, arcade machines still exist, but the identity isn’t what it used to be, and the term “arcade” is now evolving to encompass a different meaning.

Ultimately, the definition of arcade is now not so cut and dry, but represents a wealth of very individual, very unique titles that span genres and continue to innovate – often while still containing throwback elements to the heydays of arcade.

Let’s take a look at some of the most popular games that dominate XBLA, see the variety of titles that constitute the platform, and how they’ve modernized the idea of arcade:

Shadow Complex

Epic Games – 2009

Shadow Complex is a 2.5D game, meaning the player can navigate two-dimensionally in a three-dimensional world. Taking elements from side-scrollers of the past, Shadow Complex functions as a 2009 version of a 1980s concept. The idea of utilizing old-school development techniques in innovative ways is popular in the new arcade.

Small Arms

Gastronaut Studios – 2006

Small Arms is a fighting game, a platform game and a shoot em up all at once. Often compared to arcade classics like Power Stone and Metal Slug, Small Arms defines itself by being an early title to creatively use the Xbox 360’s two-joystick controller for player movement. The game is focused on multiplayer, as the player has to compete against others even when playing solo. Small Arms takes old arcade premises and applies a twist, using new control structures for classic head-to-head action.

Worms

Team17 Software – 2007

One of the most downloaded games on XBLA, the 2007 version of Worms is an upgrade to an old classic series that started in 1994. It has become an online sensation among XBLA players who want complex combat on a simple platform. While it would have made for a pretty boring arcade concept back in the 1980’s, the slow but tense pace of Worms is a perfect counterpart to many big-action retail titles, and a very popular arcade option.

Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved

Bizarre Creations – 2005

Once holding the record for the most downloaded XBLA game, this game was designed as an arcade game within a game (Project Gotham Racing 2). It has many elements of a classic arcade title in its premise – a bunch of crazy stuff happens on screen, and you move around a “ship” as you shoot the crazy stuff and attempt to survive as long as possible. The game (and now its sequel) take this concept many steps further through various game modes and playing fields that utilize modern technology to its fullest. Classic arcade fun made new.

Castle Crashers

The Behemoth – 2008

The best-selling XBLA title of 2008 and Best Game of the Year winner at the XBLA awards, Castle Crashers is an independent title that has taken arcade by storm. It’s a silly side-scrolling beat-em-up with RPG elements. Over a million people have now downloaded the title.

Castle Crashers also showcases an element of modern arcade never before possible – the add-on. Featuring two DLC packs, players are able to add to their arcade experience and build upon what was originally available with the game.

Carcassonne

Sierra – 2007

Another popular genre within the arcade are puzzle and card games, and Carcassonne is not alone here. Also in the family are titles like Uno, Catan, Marble Blast Ultra, Peggle, and Bejewled – all digitizing the classic idea of the board/card game. Carcassonne is an adaptation of a physical board game from Europe, and comes to the XBLA as a turn-based strategy board game where players compete to build the biggest cities.

The Maw

Twisted Pixel – 2009

PAX audience choice winner and (of this writing) a finalist at the Independent Games Festival, The Maw puts you in charge of an alien named Frank and a blob named Maw that rolls around the world feeding on stuff and evolving. It is a 3D action adventure game that is renowned for its beautiful cinematics, cutting-edge graphics and composed score. It is not only an example of arcade titles mirroring 3D action retail games, but shows the standard of quality that often goes into titles designed specifically for arcade use. The Maw is a lengthy game with a lot of characters and downloadable content. It is a far cry from the idea of arcade that existed decades ago, but has become a staple in the new arcade player’s library.

Braid

Number None – 2008

Braid is the highest critically-rated title on XBLA. It showcases a brilliant story, artistic imagery, completely unique controls and yet retains many traditional elements of a platform game. It is also part puzzle game, as the story unravels by the character finishing levels and receiving jigsaw puzzles that reveal the tale. Oh, and we mustn’t forget there is also time travel. What Braid excels at being is a combination of genres and innovation, bringing about a title that would have made no sense nor been possible in the past, but through XBLA can become one of the highest downloaded arcade titles to date.

Rez HD

United Game Artists – 2008

Rez HD is another title that draws on classic arcade elements and focuses on solo play. Designer Tetsuya Mizuguchi once commented on this new evolution of arcade, saying “”I always dreamed of a high-def wide screen and very good sound. Now the future has come.” That future is Rez HD. The game is a rail shooter where you travel along a path shooting objects that fly by and attempt to attack you, slowly evolving your “avatar.” Each section ends with a boss battle and then you progress. The format is very old, but the execution is very new.

Assault Heroes

Wanako Studios – 2006

Perhaps one of the most predominant games spawned from old-time arcade, Assault Heroes is a top-down shooter where you drive vehicles or run on foot through swarms of enemies, mowing them down and trying to stay alive. It’s classic arcade gameplay to the core that is very comparable to the 1987 arcade title Time Soldiers.

‘Splosion Man

Twisted Pixel – 2009

One of XBLA’s 2009 “Summer of Arcade” titles, it was selected to define XBLA as a hip, awesome new sidescrolling action platformer. It is another title showcasing extreme uniqueness in concept, control and execution for a downloadable platform. It has a sense of humor and can be extremely difficult, and made its way into tens of thousands of people’s home Xbox Arcades in its first week of release. It’s a good thing this game isn’t coin-op, or it’d cost a fortune to get through.

Portal: Still Alive

Valve – 2008

A first-person “shooter” puzzle game isn’t something that you come across every day, but that’s what Portal is. Originally released in a commercial bundle, it was ported to XBLA and had some features added, soon becoming a huge arcade success.

The cake may be a lie, but the depth and variety of titles developed for the new arcade isn’t.

Sure, big boxy arcade games will always exist. Great establishments like Dave and Busters will ensure that development for physical arcade platforms continues and life continues to breathe into the genre. But with the new arcade, digital, internet-hungry gamers can bring titles from every genre right into their consoles, game with others, and compete for that high score without the use of quarters. The new arcade allows boundaries to be pushed, technology to be utilized and genres and ideas to be crossed in ways never before possible, and it is taking gaming to an all new level.

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