Summary
TheXbox 360Marketplace was a game changer for the industry, being the first high-profile and successful online marketplace for console games. One of the big reasons to buy a 360 over the PS3 back then was the digital-only titles because they were that good and just trounced the PlayStation Store’s library at the time.
Even bigger titles outside the Xbox Live Arcade realm were exclusive digitally sometimes, like the 360 ports of Resident Evil 4 and Code Veronica. Sadly, the 360 Marketplace is closing down at the end of July 2024, but it’ll leave a lasting legacy that will never be forgotten.
These aren’t just Xbox Live Arcade games, as they must be digital exclusives. Quite a lot ofgames were eventually released physically, like many Capcom games in Capcom Digital Collection or a vast amount of triple packs that combined three digital games on one disc.
10Alan Wake’s American Nightmare
The Forgotten Chapter In The Alan Wake Saga
One game that’s been forgotten even in its own series isAlan Wake’s American Nightmare. For those who don’t know, Alan Wake 2 was cancelled at the time, and many of the planned gameplay mechanics ended up in American Nightmare, and it shows. The combat here is vastly improved over the original, feeling much more satisfying with more powerful weaponry.
It’s a short game, but the story’s pretty good and introduces the loop dynamic, which would be later explored in Alan Wake 2. You also get Arcade mode, a wave-based horde mode, and that’s fun to play separately just to enjoy the combat.
9Bionic Commando Rearmed
A Perfect Remake
Still, to this day, one of the greatest platformer remakes ever created has to be Bionic Commando Rearmed. A remake of the 1988 NES classic, Bionic Commando Rearmed remains faithful, but yet every update is a great change, especially the amazing music by Simon Viklund.
Platforming is a blast swinging around, and it’s never really frustrating getting to those hard-to-reach secret areas because the controls are that tight. The Xbox 360 version was the easiest way to play this game because the Steam installation doesn’t include everything you need, and the game won’t boot without external resources. With the marketplace closure, playing this title is going to be a lot harder, and it’s a shame.
83D Ultra Minigolf Adventures
The Greatest Multiplayer Minigolf Game Ever Made
3D Ultra Minigolf Adventures is a gem that does not get talked about enough. It’s truly one of the greatest multiplayer experiences on Xbox Live Arcade andthe best minigolf game, period, in terms of raw fun factor. First, the courses are incredibly well-designed, and one aspect that isn’t in enough minigolf games is the ability to get a hole-in-one in every single hole.
These are often tough to nail, but you feel like a god when you pull them off. Then the multiplayer’s out of this world with a vast amount of ways to screw over your opponents. It’s never not entertaining. The only two downsides would be the that single-player mode is pretty weak, and there aren’t a whole lot of courses to play in, but that’s about it.
7Double Dragon Neon
A Retro Revival Done Right
During the Xbox Live Arcade era, beat-‘em-ups returned in full force. A lot of this came from one infamous indie game, but even notable franchises wanted a piece of the action, and that’s where Double Dragon Neon comes in. Neon plays the nostalgia card abundantly, but it’s done with class and in a tongue-in-cheek manner.
Nothing highlights this better than the ending, which, yes, does the exact same thing as the original arcade game in two-player mode, and it’s even wilder this time due to the circumstances. The title feels great for a beat-‘em-up, and the music is equally good. There’s not as much replay value as other beat-‘em-ups on the 360 Marketplace, but it’s still a great playthrough with a friend.
6Jet Set Radio
An All-Time Great Sega Title
Sometimes, a game can be historically significant but not actually good. Jet Set Radio is a game that’s just as good as it is historically significant, being the very first game to use cel-shaded graphics. An arcade-like level-based title that forces you to spray paint over numerous areas as fast as possible and with as many points as possible, it’s great to play whether you’re a casual or expert looking for that Jet rating.
The controls do a lot of the heavy lifting in making this game so fun to play, with it being easy to grasp, but skilled players can make the absolute most of it, doing wild stuff. The 360 port runs amazingly and is a far better port than something like the 360 version of Sonic Adventure, another Dreamcast game.
5Trials Evolution
A Platforming Masterpiece
While Trials HD was the most popular Trials title on the 360, there’s no denying that Trials Evolution was the better game. Moving out of the warehouse was a huge step for the series andimproved the level design immensely, with how much more RedLynx can do now with these tracks.
Multiplayer was a lot of fun, and the community-created tracks, back when it was online, were greatness on a different level with people making stuff in completely different genres. That’s how big the options were in the level editor. Playing the official tracks now is still just as fun and rewarding, and it’s a shame the complete game is no longer commercially available.
4Super Meat Boy
The Quintessential 360 Platformer
The Xbox 360 Marketplace had tons of stellar platformers, but the most iconic, era-defying title had to beSuper Meat Boy. Released during the golden age of indie games, Super Meat Boy was a retro-inspired platformer that was tough as nails. Despite the visual style of the main characters, this title is one of the hardest on the system, but it rarely gets frustrating due to the short levels and crisp controllers.
If the controls click with you, the platforming can be an exhilarating experience where you and the game become one. Like Resident Evil tank controls, however, some might not get it at all because the slippery movement is that alien, but for most people, this game clearly shows why it earns its legendary status not only in 2D platformers butindie games in general.
3Perfect Dark
The Best Possible Remaster You Could Ask For
Replaying the originalPerfect Darkhas never been easier due to this stellar remaster. Perfect Dark was already a fantastic all-time great FPS on N64, but it had many performance problems. All of that is fixed here, and you get modern dual-stick controls, too.
This greatly enhances the experience for modern audiences, and damn, doesthe campaign for this game still slapall these years later. There’s so much depth here and stuff you won’t even realize you may do in these levels. Plus, the guns are sick, and with awesome multiplayer, Perfect Dark is an essential FPS game to play.
Yes, Perfect Dark was technically released physically on Xbox One due to Rare Replay, but it’s still digital-only on Xbox 360, so it still counts.
2Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles Of Mystara
Two Of The Greatest 90s Beat-‘Em-Ups In One Package
Capcom has a knack for releasing its old arcade games on newer hardware. The amount of Capcom arcade collections is truly staggering, but one title that isn’t available on modern systems, besides backward compatibility, isDungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara. You get both Capcom D&D games here, Tower of Doom and Shadow over Mystara, and they’re some of the best beat-‘em-ups Capcom ever made.
There’s branching paths, great sprite work, phenomenal bosses, and, of course, a leveling system matching the D&D license. It was one of the first beat-‘em-ups to actually have a leveling system and the first to do it right. This mechanic was largely abandoned in future beat-‘em-ups until one indie game changed everything.
1Castle Crashers
A Landmark Indie Title
When Xbox was first developing the backward compatibility program for Xbox One, what was the first game they internally tested? No, it wasn’t Halo 3, Gears of War, Banjo-Kazooie, or even Hexic HD. It wasCastle Crashers. This game, among several others at the time, made indie games mainstream, and as a beat-‘em-up, this completely changed the genre going forward.
Not only did you have a leveling system, but you could return to previous stages, and this stage selection template became a prominent one for most beat-‘em-ups afterward. The humor and charm were unlike any other console game, and the co-op’s fantastic. Everything about Castle Crashers and what it did for the industry makes it not only the best digital-only game but one of the greatest titles ever on the Xbox 360.
