XBLA: GamerBytes Top 5 Games Launch XNA Community Games
So you've downloaded the New Xbox Experience, you're flipping through the Games Marketplace. You spot Community Games and you click on it. You're suddenly faced with over 30 different titles. You're overwhelmed! What do you do?

Here we have our handy Top 5 (+1) guide to the XNA Community Games. Now this is all just personal opinion - you should really try out every single title there right now, but we feel that this is the standout for first day downloads.
If you've missed it, here is everything you need to know about Community Games:
XNA Community Games - What You'll Be Playing On Day 1, Part 1
XNA Community Games - What You'll Be Playing On Day 1, Part 2
XNA Community Games - What You'll Be Playing On Day 1, Part 3
5 Things You Didn't Know About Community Games
How To Play Community Games When They're Not In Your Region
And now, continue reading for GamerBytes Top 5 Launch Community Games.
1. Blow
Creator: David Flook
Genre: Other
Price: 400 Points
Blow is a enticing puzzle game where you set up fans in order to blow bubbles through flowers and to the exit. The game relies on setting the speed of the fans, and whether they can make bubbles hot (and rise) or cold (and fall faster).
You may not think you'll want a puzzle game, but this game is just incredibly relaxing to play, not to mention quite fun too.
2. Weapon of Choice
Creator: MommysBest
Genre: Action & Adventure
Price: 400 Points
Feel like blowing stuff up? Than Weapon of Choice is for you. A hark back to the days of Contra and Metal Slug, Weapon of Choice lts you choose from several characters each with their own crazy weapons of choice (geddit?) blowing up a boatload of aliens.
With multiple pathways through levels and some farily difficult levels, Weapon of Choice is easily worth 400 Points.
3. BIOLOGY BATTLE
Creator: Novaleaf Software
Genre:Action & Adventure
Price: 800 Points
Biology Battle pits you inside of a giant body cell, putting you against oncoming hordes of bacteria that are all trying to kill you. It's got a whole lot of modes, and online leader boards through some tricky measures. It's quite full featured for a point based shooter, clearly going after that Geometry Wars 2 style. Definite pickup if you've got some local buddies who want more after GW2. It's got a Tron-esque line cycle mode!
4. Lines
Creator: EdAndersenUK
Genre: Puzzle & Trivia
Price: 200 Points
This may look like a Lumines knockoff at first, but its really a mix between it and Q? Entertainment's other title, Gunpey. You have to set up several blocks together, but also put the line within each block next to another, like Pipe Dream. Connecting 5 together will cause them to disappear, and you can set up combos and the like.
My concern is that you can royally screw yourself very easily - just set up two facing L blocks on the bottom and you'll never be able to get rid of them. I'm guessing that's why this game hasn't really been attempted before.
The game has online leaderboards as well - but instead of it being automatically updated, you have to go to edngames.com and put in your password.
5. Galax-e-mail
Creator: BogTurtleCarl
Genre: Shooter
Price: 200 Points
Despite the ridiculous premise (alternate universe where e-mail is sent via galactic battles), this game quite fun. The graphics, while very simple, are consistent and very clean looking.
I'm not really sure just how the game does work in terms of levels (does the game simply generate a level based on difficulty or are there 100 levels?) but for 200 Points its certainly a full experience.
You collect different power ups on your way to deliver your e-mail - expand your armada with more ships, pickup shields to keep you alive, and avoid the bad pickups, that will reverse your controls.
Special mention...
Being
Creator: Chounard
Genre: Platformer
Price: 200 Points
Being is a very simple platforming game. The entire point is just to get through its 4 or so levels. You can't attack - you're simply avoiding everything, grabbing keys and coins, and completing the level. It's the only 2D platformer of the bunch, and despite its rather mundane graphics, it reminds me of a few 1990 shareware titles I used to play. I did end up buying Being, and for the half an hour to an hour it took to finish it I had fun.








Comments
I accidentally put this in the "Part 3" post, but meant it to go here:
"As the review says Blow is one of the best games on the service right now. I would highly recommend it. I'm not sure the trial does it justice, the game takes what you learn in the first levels and ads new twists all the time."
Posted by: JamesH | November 21, 2008 6:04 PM