Introduction

The Xbox Live Arcade has proven to be a viable source for entertainment throughout the Xbox 360’s debut year. These relatively cheap titles can keep you on the edge of your seat from five minutes to five hours, and it’s clear that this revolution has made a noticeable impact in the gaming industry. With that being said, Microsoft decided to package six popular XBLA titles along with one month free of Xbox Live into a package known only as Xbox Live Arcade Unplugged Volume 1.

What’s in the Package?

After seeing dozens of XBLA games released over the course of the last year, Microsoft certainly had a wide variety of titles to choose from. To start off, the two hit parlor favorites, Texas Hold'em and Hardwood Backgammon, can be found here. In addition, the ever popular Geometry Wars Evolved is here to deliver the most intense arcade experience to date. Bejeweled 2 Deluxe is included for the puzzle fanatic inside of everyone, while Outpost Kaloki X is a solid space-themed tycoon. Finally, Wik: Fable of Souls is a unique title that challenges you to combine wit with fast acting. Furthermore, trial versions of Uno, Feeding Frenzy, and Marble Ultra are also featured, and these are identical to the versions that can be downloaded for free on the Xbox Live Marketplace.

Inside the box you can find the game disk and the one month free trial. By booting up this disc, the Xbox 360 automatically navigates to your current list of XBLA titles and it simply adds in all of the games featured on the disc. It acts just as if you purchased all of the games individually, and once you take the disc out the games disappear. Achievement points, leaderboards, and all other features (except for the ability to download the game to your hard drive) are all included. The one month Xbox Live Gold trial is a nice touch because it allows unfamiliar gamers to become acquainted with some of the 360’s new matchmaking capabilities and leaderboards, for example.

Geometry Wars

If you haven't heard of Geometry Wars, then you're definitely missing out on the biggest success of the Xbox Live Arcade. This game allows players to control a ship with the left analog stick while firing using the right analog stick. Taking place on a square playing field, your only objective here is to destroy every obstacle in your way, regardless of what shape it is. By surviving longer you will earn upgraded weapons as well as score multipliers, and if an enemy ship is about to pull a kamikaze you can pull either trigger to wipe the battlefield clear. As simple as this may seem, it's extremely easy to become addicted on a quest to beat your personal best.


Geometry Wars requires an intuitive control scheme without explosive visuals to create an experience like no other. The booming techno beats in the background help to magnify the intensity created when enemies being to encompass your vessel. Although obtaining all 200 achievement points is very difficult and there aren’t any multiplayer options aside from comparing scores, Geometry Wars has still manages to stand the test of time simply because it’s so creative.

Wik: Fable of Souls

If you every get the craving to try out an innovative, you needn’t look any further than Wik: Fable of Souls. This game stars the gnome-like character Wik who is capable of performing amazing acrobatic leaps and can even use his tongue to swing from objects. The goal for each of the 125 levels or so is to feed a predetermined number of grubs to your trusty companion that walks across the bottom of the screen at a constant rate. You can inhale and spit out grubs in front of him to force him to eat, and dropping globs of honey in his path will slow him down for a significant amount of time. As you progress through the story mode you will also unlock the Challenge Mode and Bonus Levels, and it is even possible for four people to play locally.


Although Wik does progress a little slow and can seem repetitive from time to time, there are enough challenging levels that require fast thinking. For example, birds will often impede your progress by snatching up grubs in their beaks, so you need to shoot acorns at them before they fly away. Other times you need to master the use of the swinging technique to build up enough momentum to launch yourself clear across the map onto a narrow platform. While Wik certainly does have its ups and downs, overall it’s easy to find this as a satisfying title if you limit your playing time.

Bejeweled 2

Originally designed as a flash game for the PC, PopCap recreated their addictive puzzler for the XBLA with Bejeweled 2 Deluxe. Basically, the game starts off with a grid covered with different colored gems. You can swap gems with adjacent ones nearby, and by getting three in a row the gems will disappear. The board will shift down in the proper manner and new gems will fill in the gaps at the top. The two original modes allow you to continue until time runs out or if there are no moves left, and new puzzle and endless modes are also available. The puzzle mode consists of predetermined situations which must be totally cleared before you can continue, and as expected the levels become more difficult as you progress. Endless mode simply lets you play for as long as you want, which can easily last for hours if you have too much free time on your hands.


While this isn't an exceptionally necessary game considering most hard drive owners already have the similar title Hexic HD, Bejeweled 2 Deluxe can be a long lasting title if you're in to this type of game. Whether you're determined to align massive combos or if you just want to journey through the entire endless mode, this game will take you on a journey accompanied with traditional sound effects and visuals reminiscent to the PC release.

Texas Hold’em

Ever since ESPN began televising the World Series of Poker, card games like Texas Hold’em have been on the rise. As an alternative to getting together with friends over a table while chugging down beers, Texas Hold’em lets gamers satisfy their card playing fix without the risk of losing their hard earned money. The single player portion allows you to play standard games against computer AI, and there are even certain scenarios that challenge you to attain victory in underdog situations. Texas Hold’em is a lot more fun when playing online, however, because human opponents are much less predictable (and much more fun to smack talk). Online tournaments can become especially heated as more and more players become eliminated, and all the while it’s nice to see that your overall bankroll is always being updated.


Sure there are plenty of gambling sites that offer the same type of gameplay for free, but that doesn’t prevent Texas Hold’em on the Xbox 360 from being a great party title. It’s incredibly easy to setup your own table with custom rules, and anybody on your friends list can easily find you too. This is one of those games that doesn’t necessarily impress you with its unconventional gameplay or cutting edge graphics, but instead it delivers a wholesome Xbox Live Arcade experience that can really help you appreciate the simpler things in life.

Outpost Kaloki X

Clearly the most peculiar title in the bunch, Outpost Kaloki X is a space tycoon simulator that puts a welcome twist on a familiar genre. As a space mogul, your objective is to upgrade space stations with various attractions to generate income. It isn’t that simple though; you need to have sources of energy to keep your station running and you need to hire assistance to make sure nothing breaks down.  As a result, you need to spend a fair amount of your funds on solar energy solutions and whatnot, and it also helps to have a few janitors on hand just in case the inevitable meteor strikes your hub. You can adjust a fair amount of aspects for each building, such as raising the price for certain attractions or having your power plants produce more energy, but you always run the risk of having unhappy customers or product failure. By mastering such experimentations, you can make your way through the game's story and scenario modes. Of course, a sandbox mode is also avaialbe with no limitations at all.


There is plenty of depth here because it can be very difficult to manage a station with over fifty ports. As you play more it becomes easier to understand to what limit you can customize your station to make it the most profitable, and it can be very rewarding to have a station that receives steady profits. The presentation is especially interesting because the developers really built upon the space atmosphere. Ships are also buzzing in and out of your station, and it’s nice to see that there is a strong sense of environment here.

Hardwood Backgammon

Finally, Hardwood Backgammon offers a straightforward backgammon experience. The gameplay is pretty self-explanatory, and if you aren't familiar with backgammon there is even a nice tutorial to walk you through the basics. You can play against the computer, a local friend, or even over Xbox Live. The controls are simple as well; one button rolls the dice, and then you can cycle through all of the legal moves using the analog stick. There are several different backgrounds, but the presentation as a whole is rather dull. The soundtrack isn't all that inspiring either, so your best bet is to break out the custom tunes for this title. Hardwood Backgammon doesn't bring anything new to the table, but if you ever have the urge to roll some dice and move some checkers then it's nice to know this game is always there for you.

Conclusion

The Xbox Live Arcade Unplugged Volume 1 collection carries a varying worth depending on your existing collection. If you already downloaded Texas Hold’em when it was released for free it’s already less valuable, and chances are if you use the XBLA you are one of the many to already own Geometry Wars. This package is clearly aimed towards new gamers to the Xbox 360 scene that are interested to see what the XBLA has to offer, and for that it does an excellent job. With six full games, three trials, and one month of Xbox Live Gold free, roughly $40 USD is definitely a fair price compared to the value of each item individually. It would’ve been nice to see a little more substance, but as it stands anybody with an insufficient collection of arcade titles needs to check out this anthology right away. 

Gameplay	16/20
Graphics	15/20
Sound	15/20
Value	16/20
Preference	15/20
Overall	77/100