Feature: Live Arcade for Windows: Five Games We Want Subscribe to this RSS feed
Rumors are flying about that Microsoft is readying a version of its super-popular Live Arcade service for Windows. Here's what the company should do with it and what games it should provide for it.
I'm fairly certain everyone's heard the "Xbox Live Arcade for Windows" rumor that's been floating around for the last couple of days. Like most of you guys, I'm fairly certain there is a large chance the rumor is true. Considering most Live Arcade games have already been emulated on the PC in some form or the other, it wouldn't be much of an issue to provide these commercially through Xbox Live downloads at all.
Question is, would anyone buy them? No offense, but I don't see 90% of people paying for commercial ROMs that run on Windows Vista. I'm sure Microsoft is aware of this as well, and has already worked out something that will diversify Live Arcade releases on Windows Vista enough from Xbox Live Arcade games. But what could this workaround be?
Honestly, speaking, I have no idea what they will go with. However, I do know what I would do, were I in their place. Something that would be attractive to Live for Windows subscribers as well as for people who own already own a 360 in addition to Windows Vista. To put it in a nutshell: Classic PC releases. (And no, Final Fantasy VII for PC does not count)
I'm talking about the PC games of old. Not old. Old.
Seeing as everyone loves lists so much, let's make a list to illustrate the kind of content I have in mind:
Toonstruck: I thought it appropriate that a classic, unheard-of adventure game should be first on this list. Well, not completely unheard of. There are people who have of Toonstruck, but there aren't too many of them.
Putting you in the lead role of cartoonist Drew Blanc (Played by Christopher Lloyd.), Toonstruck mercilessly throws you into a world of Drew's TV set, occupied by his own crazy creations. From there on out, you (as Blanc) and your loyal sidekicks Flux Wildly and Fluffy (also Drew's creations) are tasked with hunting down the game's protagonist and his evil weapon of devastation.
While it sounds kind of corny, Toonstruck is one of the few games that have actually managed to make me laugh. Full of humourous dialogue, crazy characters and an attitude that's sure to make you grin, Toonstruck is a fine example of what adventure games should aspire to be. With its minimalist, simple design and finely hand-drawn art, this title would rock on Live Arcade for Windows.
Wolfenstein 3D: Come on, you didn't really think the original Wolf 3D wouldn't make it on to a list of classic games, did you? Hey, if you can put Doom on Xbox Live, you can put Wolf 3D on Windows Vista. Nothing says "hardcore" better than duking it out with Hitler in a robot suit. Sure, there's no multiplayer mode to speak of, but who cares? It's one of id's finest early attempts at a shooter, and the game that caused the wave of popularity the genre has been enjoying for so many years now.
Heck, if I had my way, I'd even put Spear of Destiny, the sequel (actually a prequel) on Live for Windows. And no; no touching up the graphics or any of that B.S. It's Wolf 3D. It deserves to be played the way id intended it for it to be back when they developed it.
