Most Xbox Live Arcade games that are of less than stellar quality barely get any attention at all, at least to the casual gamer. Amidst the blockbusters like Castle Crashers and Magic the Gathering are dozens of brilliant games that simply get no attention. Granted, popularity does some hold truths about quality- niche games appealing to very few will not be widely accepted. Nonetheless, I'm giving my top five list of XBLA games that very few gamers actually played.
Roogoo
Now a couple years old, Roogoo is a brilliant puzzle-game hidden beneath a visual style targeted at toddlers. The entire game is based around placing various colored shapes in their appropriate matching hole. It's still $10.00, and to my knowledge has never gotten a price drop. Roogoo's graphics are obviously what steer most gamers away; sad considering the puzzle mechanics could rival that of Bejeweled if given another sequel and some more content.
Rez
I'm well aware of the gigantic cult following Rez has, and the recently released Child of Eden will certainly give Rez some more attention. But most of the people who bought the HD version of Rez already knew what it was; the graphics and description are too bizarre for the average gamer to explore. With a relatively low amount of content in the game, players might wonder what makes Rez so good. Well- the sound effects and visual style are obvious giveaways, but the smooth and organic gameplay have created a lasting appeal I won't soon forget.
Space Ark
As most gamers haven't even heard of Space Ark, this should be a surprise. Take brick breaker, add in cute animals and up the difficulty to a deceiving level. Suffering from an identical scenario as Roogoo, Space Ark's cuteness is seen as a reason to avoid it. It's like Viva Pinata without the good press. Give Space Ark a real chance before dismissing it as trash, it's quite fun and definitely visually proficient.
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