That should be on XBLA: Bubble Bobble
One of the absolute best features of the Xbox 360 is undoubtedly the Xbox Live Arcade. We've already seen some great games for the service, some originals (Cloning Clyde) and some retro classics (Street Fighter II). Naturally, we're all over original content. Castle Crashers just may be the most anticipated title at X360F (according to Chris Grant after it was announced, "I mean, Castle Crashers? How f*cking cool is that?" So, yes, XBLA will surely be a font of great original content, but there are still those among us who pine for more companies to sell us our youth. As such, we've decided to pick a game that's ripe for XBLA: Bubble Bobble. For those unfamiliar with the game, Bubble Bobble puts you in the shoes of two boys (named Bub and Bob, natch) who've had their ladies stolen away. As if that weren't enough, the boys are subsequently turned into dragons, and not kick ass fire breathing dragons either. Nope, these dragons blow bubbles.
These bubbles, as you might imagine, are the primary gameplay mechanic. They're used to trap and kill enemies, and also as platforms. The game has a very strong puzzle dynamic and gets insanely difficult as you progress through the 100+ levels. And, of course, like all great games, Bubble Bobble features cooperative play -- and the most annoyingly catchy music ever to grace a videogame.
In short, it's a simple, fun game that's easy for anyone to pick up and play. Make sure it has local and Live multiplayer, add leaderboards and some sweet achievements, and you've got the perfect candidate for XBLA. Do you, our loyal readers, agree? What other great games would you like to see on XBLA? Give us some ideas in the comments and we'll post a new candidate every week or so. Try and keep them realistic, obviously we won't be seeing any Mario on XBLA. Believe or not, companies do read our blog and they keep track of what people are saying. So, join us and we might even influence a little Live Arcade history.
