Halo: Combat Evolved

Meatboyyyyyy

Who is the audience?

I voted for Shadow Complex because its the only one you can't get anywhere else. Godammit Chair, make Shadow Complex 2 already!

Bastion!

Probably just nostalgia, but I remember sinking hours into Geometry Wars when there was nothing else to play.

Start with XBLIG. After that, you can play anything on XBLA and it'll feel like a masterpiece.

Super Meat Boy

That's a perfectly fair argument and pretty much swayed my decision to Shadow Complex.

Bastion all the way. Its my favorite XBLA game and one of the best games of this generation.

And to think, I had no interest in the game at all before it came out. I've been on this site since pretty much the beginning, and I skipped all of the "Making Of" videos.

Shadow Complex, if only because all of the others are available elsewhere. Well, Trials Evolution isn't, but that sort of game doesn't greatly appeal to me so I won't recommend it.

Heh, you didn't include Braid and Super Meat Boy? They were the vanguards of great XBLA releases.

Braid, hands down; followed by SMB. They weren't exclusives, but they still did a ton to popularize XBLA, which a lot of 360 owners didn't even know existed.

Pac-Man CE DX. Everybody knows Pac-Man (or, should...), but this is just the perfect evolution of the game. I love it.

Shadow Complex, easily.

My vote would be other; as in Castle Crashers.

Shadow Complex, Splosion Man, or BattleBlock Theater, because they're the best exclusives. Of those three, I probably enjoyed 'Splosion Man the most. Just annoyed I can't beat hardcore mode.

Trials Evolution is on Steam now.

How has Minecraft not garnered a single vote?

Hm. That's a very good question. Like, my "best possible intro" to the 360 is still pretty handily "The Orange Box, a copy of Rock Band 2/Beatles/3 with instruments, a copy of Mass Effect, a copy of Fallout 3, and a copy of Super Street Fighter IV." I think that covers a pretty good spectrum of ideas and things that make this generation so awesome. Also, I'd feel pretty comfortable swapping Mass Effect for The Walking Dead, Fallout 3 for Skyrim, or Super Street Fighter IV for Mortal Kombat.

So, in a sense, I think The Walking Dead would make a pretty great intro. Alternatively, my early thoughts were Braid, Fez, Spelunky, and Castle Crashers.

It's great but there is nothing uniquely XBLA about the 360 Minecraft port.

Just one? Mark of the Ninja.

Full disclosure: I have not played Shadow Complex.

No Braid?

Geometry Wars was my intro, and that did the trick.

I went with Limbo cause it looks awesome and doesn't overstay its welcome. A good starter. Not saying it's the best game on that list or even that I'd vote for it if asked again. I dunno just went with it cause that's how I do.

Here's to hoping this year's Summer of Arcade goes out with a bang! Limbo and Bastion were incredible summer games.

Mark of the Ninja because that game is DOPE AS HEEEEEELL.

I own over 100 XBLA games and honestly I couldn't tell you what the best intro is. Just download some trials to games that look interesting to you and go from there.

Shadow Complex was so damn good.

If I'm not mistaken, Shadow Complex and Geometry Wars are the only games on that list exclusive to XBLA. So unless you've been living under a rock the past few years, Shadow Complex I guess.

Yeah I said other for this. My second choice would be Shadow Complex.

Shadow Complex. I'm still waiting for a sequel from Chair if they can get their hands off the phonecrowd for a year.

I remember when Cliffy was still at Epic that he said they needed another developer to help them finish.. http://www.vg247.com/2011/09/17/bleszinski-epic-aiming-to-find-a-partner-to-finish-shadow-complex-2/

Hard to believe it came out four freaking years ago....... SMH..... Isn't Shadow Complex one of the top selling XBLA games of all time as well?

Still no Minecraft votes.. Very surprising

Is this poll asking which of those games is the most impressive single game to have an XBL newbie play?

the real correct answer is marble blast ultra

too bad you can no longer buy it

Super Meat Boy, all the way.

Geometry Wars

but actually this:

Geometry wars the start of my understanding of what XBLA was trying to achieve, so that's pretty much the perfect example for that platform.

The sequel to Kula World we were all waiting for.

Is Geometry Wars 2 worth the money? I loved Geo Wars, but I am torn whether or not investing in Geo Wars 2 is worth it..

My vote went to Geometry Wars. Not only did it introduce early 360 adopters to XBLA, it's a simple game that can be immediately understood and enjoyed. Which I feel is the strength of many smaller games and the core of most of the best XBLA games. But you really can't go wrong with any of the titles in the poll (I can't speak to Minecraft, having never played it) or some of the other games mentioned here (Super Meat Boy, Braid, 'Splosion Man, Castle Crashers).

@skuski said:

If you loved Geometry Wars, you'll really enjoy Geometry Wars 2 for $10. Or wait til it goes on sale and grab it for $5 or less. It has some really clever variations on the Geometry Wars formula.

Alright, I'm taking the plunge... 800 MS points

Geometry Wars is the quintessential XBLA game, it doesn't have the depth or breadth of most of the other games on this list but it was easily the best 360 launch game, it defined what XBLA was and its also the prime early example of how to design Achievements. A lot of the early excitement of Geometry Wars was leader-board battles, so its missing that now but its still a great game. Geometry Wars 2 is a fantastic sequel.

Everything else on that list is totally worth playing and consists of games that were in my top 10 in the year they were released, except Minecraft, just play that on PC.