Here at Meodia we're doing a countdown of the greatest 40 games to be released on the Xbox 360. The countdown consists of both retail releases and Xbox Live Arcade titles. It should be noted that all the games listed I have played thoroughly, some I admit more so than others, but still - I've played all of them.

 

This is article one of four, as the way I will do this is by posting ten of the hottest titles on the 360 every other day, starting today. Feel free to leave your comments below, or give a shout on the forums.

 

 

 

"Stylish" would be the best word to describe this sequel to Rockstar's popular franchise, Midnight Club. The premise of the game is simple enough: You're an out-of-towner looking to take over Los Angelas' street racing scene. So from the very beginning, you're looking out to prove yourself to the "best of the best" of Los Angelas. The game's difficulty is very harsh to non-racers, not allowing much room for error. Those looking for a simplistic Need-for-Speed esque' arcade title needs to look elsewhere, because Midnight Club: LA demands that you take it seriously. Online is a blast as well, though it's kinda a pain in the ass trying to find a legit race. Most players simply do free-roam, often denying any challenges. There's also a car show room for those who want to sell/buy different cars from around the world. The vinyl editor is great, and allows the player to be as original as he wants to be. Overall, Midnight Club: LA, though in theory not as good as Midnight Club: Dub Edition, is still one of the premier racing titles on Xbox 360.

 

 

 

Like Duke Nukem 3D, UMK3 is essentially the exact same game from the original. Nothing has been changed save for a few updates to the dashboard. But the gameplay is still the 2D masterpiece from the '90s. If you were like me growing up, then you would loved the over-the-top violence Mortal Kombat used to give us. I mean, in what other could of turned into a skinny Asian dude into a full fledged green dragon eating the upper torso of a reptilian creature? Nowhere, I imagine. Well, the charm is still there in this port, and although it's still around the edges, it's still a lot of fun to play. Especially online. You'll meet a lot of funny dudes on there, I swear.

 

 

 

I know a lot of people were put off by this game due to its kid-like nature. But those who actually took the time to play this game found an overwhelmingly addictive game. Basically, the presents you with a garden. What you then need to do is make the garden awesome. In order to do this you must buy seeds, which then turn into flowers/trees; catch pinatas (animals), which then breed; as well as simply maintaining the garden. I know by theory it shouldn't appeal to the hardcore gamer, but after playing it initially I found that to be wrong. It'd take a serious gamer to some of the harder challenges in the game. I don't recommend this game to people afraid of their Xbox Live image, but I do recommend it to anybody looking for a different style of game.

 

 

 

Saints Row 2 sold itself as an alternative to GTA IV. Where GTA IV was a story-driven UBER serious crime story; Saints Row 2 was the game that allowed you to be a transvestite. It also allowed you to shoot shit everywhere in a dump truck, let you use a pimp-cane as a shot-gun, and generally let you anything & everything GTA IV couldn't. And it was because of this that a lot of people jumped on the Saints Row 2 bandwagon. Because people do enjoy games that don't take itself too seriously, like myself. Though in retrospect, GTA IV is/was a better all round game, but Saints Row 2 was a lot funner. And that's what games are all about, right?

 

 

 

You're simply not going to get much better than this on XBLA, as far as online shooters are concerned. It is the best shooter available on Arcade. Those looking for a simple team deathmatch on a huge map with only 3 classes to choose from; look no further. Battlefield 1943 was designed specifically for online play. As a matter of fact, there is no single player campaign to be found. The game is brilliant in its simplicity -- those getting tired of juggernauts, stopping power, and martydroms, can easily play Battlefield have good-old fashioned FPS fun. The game is spread out of 3 maps, all of which offer the players a beautiful island landscape. The graphics are just stunning. God knows how many times I got killed just looking at my surroundings. The game is features 4 vehicle sets as well -- Jeeps, Tanks, Boats & Planes. You can also call in airstrikes if you're quick enough. Mastering all vehicle classes, maps & weapons will take some time. Like I previously mentioned; Best shooter on XBLA. Period.

 

 

 

Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts doesn't cater to the old-school platforming fans of yesterday, instead it caters to, imo, the hardcore gamer. In the surface, Nuts & Bolts looks like your typical Banjo-Kazooie game. It's bright, it's colourful and stock full of witty dialogue. But once you delve into the game, you'll start to notice that this game is not what it seems. The game is intensely difficult, yet very doable. The game demands that the player invest time into car modifications, because in the later missions you're going to need to. Can be very unforgiving otherwise.

 

 

 

To be totally honest, I haven't had the opportunity to complete the single player campaign yet on this game. But from what I gathered so far by playing 3/4 of it, I like it. The character's have chemistry with eachother, though they can be a little annoying at times. The online is what puts this game @ 24, though. I truly believe that Battlefield is the only game to rival Call of Duty online. The online is massive, and doesn't shy away from classic Battlefield type of play. My only problem with it is the bad connections I seem to always get. Though that's my fault for living halfway across the world I guess.

 

 

 

Easily the best car racing game on the 360. I know a lot of people think that title should go to Forza 3, and while that is awesome as well, nothing beats PGR4. The cars, the locations, the events... Everything just works. Online is dead nowadays though, so if you're looking to play other people you're going to need to be patient. So with that said, the game hasn't aged all that well, and some of the elements have been outdone, but still: PGR4 is the best racing experience you can get on 360.

 

 

 

Left 4 Dead is built for co-op play. Fighting the zombie infection may be cool by yourself, but doing with 3 other people is cooler. The game doesn't sell itself with "brand new FPS elements that are super awesome!", instead it just delivers a very simple game with an unlimited variety on how to play. So strategy is the key to success if you plan on making it out alive.

 

 

I can imagine a lot of people disagreeing with me putting Dead Rising over Left 4 Dead, but I personally had more fun in my first playthrough of Dead Rising. I also found Dead Rising to be one of the funnest games ever made, if a little irritating at time. I mean, the A.I. was just horrible. But besides that, the colour, the shops, the boss battles, the story, the zombies, the weapons... Everything was just fun.

 

Again, this is article one of four, the second part, as the way I will do this is by posting ten of the hottest titles on the 360 every other day, starting today. Feel free to leave your comments below, or give a shout on the forums.