Top 5 xbla games from past year or two

[Azhag]

So I just got a 4000 points gift card... what to buy? Give me your top 5! Currently considering Trenched, Toy Soldier: Cold War, Bastion, Limbo...

Edit, FYI fairly recent games I already have:
Lara Croft
Shadow Complex
Puzzle Quest 1/2
Peggle
Pinball FX 2

[KC]

It all depends on what kinds of games you like.  Some of my favorites include:

Monkey Island games
Bastion
Uno (I know that this is more than a few years old)
Deathspank
Torchlight
Lara Croft and the Guardian
Puzzle Quest 2
Trials
Snoopy Flying Ace

[Teggy]

Shadow Complex.

[metallicorphan]

not sure if its within the year but i quite enjoyed Dead Rising:Case Zero which is set before DR2,and it was only 400 points(not to be mistaken with Dead Rising:Case West which is set after DR2 and costs 800 points)



Beyond Good and Evil HD-800 points,i need to get back to this game

Pinball FX2-1200 points and some damn fine tables available via DLC

Chime-400 points(and i think some of that goes to charity),and it can be quite an addictive game

Hydro Thunder Hurricane-1200 this was great fun,it also has Avatar awards,if that kinda thing turns you on,and there is DLC available for it

sorry i am putting a number 6 even though i have not got it,i played the trial and loved it,and may pick it up soon myself,Costume Quest a Halloween RPG from Double Fine for 1200 points


also FWIW-Outrun Online Arcade will only be up until December and then it will be taken down,that's 800 points,but i would hardly say its the best


don't forget to trial any games that take your fancy,which is the best thing about XBLA

[Captain Caveman]

Lara Croft
Shadow Complex

And my favorite: Splosion Man (and probably Ms. Splosion Man-- I haven't had a chance to grab it yet)

[Gratch]

+1 on Lara Croft and BG & E.  I'd also add:

-  PacMan Championship Edition DX (be sure you get the DX version...the other version is pretty boring)
-  Rez
-  Settlers of Cataan
-  Vandal Hearts (some fairly mindless SRPG fun)
-  Limbo
-  Puzzle Quest 1 (which I actually thought was quite superior to 2)
-  Geomancer (Bejeweled Twist with a JRPG skin.  Not for everyone, but I had fun with it.)
-  Peggle

A few that everyone else seemed to absolutely love, but left me pretty cold:
-  Shadow Complex
-  Bastion
-  Stacked
-  Deathspank

[CeeKay]

I'll just borrow from Gratch for my top 5ish:

-  Shadow Complex
-  Bastion
-  Stacked
-  Deathspank

and add Costume Quest.

[Grimwar]

The only suggestion I have that hasn't been mentioned yet is Super Meat Boy.  It's the only XBLA game I continually go back to play.  I am always trying to get better times on the levels I have finished.

[wonderpug]

Braid

[Purge]

Castle Crashers.

Also, I've really enjoyed both Bastion and Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet.

[kronovan]

Just so you know - IMO there's no other XBL adventure games as good as Lara Croft and Shadow Complex. Those that are close in quality are Rare's 2 Banjo remakes -Kazooie and Tooie- and the Monkey Island 1 and 2 remakes. Torchlight is a very fun and good action-RPG and Bastion is a very different, but excellent, kind of RPG. Both of those have good adventure elements.

If offline co-op is something you like, Splosion Man, Castle Crashers and the new Toy Soldiers Cold War are all excellent. If you're at all into retro 90's 3D games, Perfect Dark Zero is a great shooter and Hydro Thunder Hurricaine is a decent racer sequel which bests the original Dreamcast game.

[Purge]

For 2D lovin, check out Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved

[Greggy_D]

Another vote for Costume Quest.

[Eel Snave]

I hear Bastion is great.

[EngineNo9]

Sooo, any decisions made, Azhag?  Any trials tried? 

[Azhag]

I'll be picking something up this weekend probably... have to finish Portal 2... then it'll be XBLA time!

[Azhag]

Well, enjoying Bastion so far. Hard to tell if it's going to get repetitive, but still, enjoying after 1 1/2 hours or so.