Xbox Live Arcade Awards voting kicks off March 3

Oscars, Schmoscars. Microsoft is letting Xbox Live users cast their votes for the best Xbox Live Arcade games of 2008 starting on March 3. Foregoing any sort of web-based ballot, votes will be cast from within the New Xbox Experience's Spotlight Channel. Voting will wrap up on Tuesday, March 10, with users permitted to change their votes -- but not vote multiple times -- as often as they'd like, up to that point.

Have a look at the full list of categories and nominees (your "sample ballot," if you will) after the break.

Best Overall Arcade Game

• Braid

• Castle Crashers

• Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2

• Street Fighter II HD Remix

• Portal: Still Alive

Best Original Game

• Castle Crashers

• N+

• Braid

• Penny Arcade Episode 1

• Schizoid

• Age of Booty

Best Family Game

• Boogie Bunnies

• Roogoo

• A Kingdom for Keflings

• Lost Cities

• Meteos Wars

Best Co-operative Multiplayer Game

• Castle Crashers

• Schizoid

• Bionic Commando Rearmed

• N+

• Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2

Best Competitive Multiplayer Game

• Street Fighter II HD Remix

• Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2

• Soul Calibur

• Meteos Wars

• Age of Booty

Best Solo Game

• Braid

• Mega Man 9

• Penny Arcade Episode 1

• Rez HD

• Portal: Still Alive

Best Innovation in XBLA

• Braid (time travel)

• A Kingdom for Keflings (use of Avatars)

• Fable II Pub Games (retail game integration)

• N+ (level sharing)

• Duke Nukem 3D (dynamic replay)

Best Graphics

• Street Fighter II HD Remix

• Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2

• Braid

• Castle Crashers

• Bionic Commando Rearmed

Best Classic/Remake Game

• Bionic Commando Rearmed

• Street Fighter II HD Remix

• Mega Man 9

• Galaga Legions

• Rez HD