Game (service in this case): Game Room

Platform: Xbox 360

Game length: N/A

Completed? N/A

Lead Reviewer: Shawn

Introduction
For something called the Xbox Live Arcade, the amount of actual “arcade” games released has been incredibly low since the service first launched with the 360. Most of the games we get are complete stand-alone titles, and it seems like Microsoft finally realized that fact with the release of Game Room. Game Room is downloadable through the Arcade, but it’s really its own service – the real Arcade, if you will. A total of 30 games from long ago have been launched with the service and are sure to spark nostalgia in some of us… while frustrating others.

Shawn: I feel like one of the few who went into the Game Room with an open mind. Having a virtual arcade seemed like a neat idea; one I’d at least entertain to see how it worked. Upon entering my arcade, I was able to change the themes of my rooms (which there are a lot of) and customize my space with various props that were unlocked. There is actually a fairly decent selection unlocked from the start, but the best stuff is all locked. To unlock it you have to gain levels, but we’ll get back to this in a bit. After messing around and getting some simple achievements just for checking it out, I went into the list of old games. The amount I recognized versus the amount I didn’t was about even, but Game Room has a neat little feature that gives you a 10 minute demo of a game before asking you to either pay 40 Microsoft Points for a play, or 240MSP to own it. Each demo is only available that once, so make sure you use it wisely.

After demoing all 30 games, most of which are extremely hit or miss, I made a list of those I liked and downloaded a couple of them (the Konami and Atari games seem to be the better of the bunch, but I guess that will all come down to personal preference). Once you buy a game, you are given the virtual arcade cabinet that you can place in any of your rooms. One thing you need to know is that you don’t actually walk around your arcade. It really is just a glorified menu, where you place your cabinet and then just go through the rooms and select the game without walking around. I wish they would have added more interactivity, because it does have a ton of potential… but they did drop the ball on this aspect. Once you download a game, you have the option to either play classic play for your own personal high scores, or you can play ranked play. In ranked play is where you compete with friends high scores, level up, gain medals, and issue challenges.

The medals are really interesting and will keep you coming back for more. You are given three separate challenges in most games: one for score, one for survival time, and one for total time played. You can get either a bronze, silver, or gold medal, and some of them provide a great personal challenge so you keep going back and playing. Medals are also your means of leveling up to unlock new props, themes, and achievements. Aside from medals, the other great feature of Game Room is the challenges. These can be sent to any friend that owns the same game, and you can compete for either the highest score, or longest survivor. This can be an excellent way at extending gameplay and I’ll be one of the few to come out and say I have NO issue with the pricing structure. $3 for an arcade game that will give you some decent amount of playing time is not unacceptable… but there are things in Game Room that aren’t okay.

For one, visiting a friend’s arcade doesn’t work how it should. The concept is there, but the execution falls flat on its face. If I visit a friend’s arcade, I should be able to break their high scores and compete in challenges while I’m visiting. Not unlocking medals is fine, because they would give the player incentive to buy it on their own. However, when visiting a friend’s arcade, you have to use tokens. Tokens are given to you when you first enter Game Room and you can earn more by people visiting your arcade and so on. This fails because it costs five tokens for a single play on a friend’s game, but even with this, those five tokens only unlock the same 10 minute demo mode that you originally played upon going through the game list. So, what If you do want to play a legit round on their cabinet? Well, it’s going to cost you 40 Microsoft Points for your trouble. Um, how about no Microsoft? The other issue is the fact that it costs 40 Microsoft Points for one play. There’s no reason it can’t be 20MSP, and this is the one place where I feel like this is just a money grab in the long run.

Conclusion?
When it comes down to it, I really like Game Room. It’s not forcing anybody to buy something they don’t want, but for older gamers looking for a place to play old classics… say hello to an absolutely fantastic service. Having to only spend $3 on games you wish you could still play is a steal, because guess what? You don’t have to only dream about playing them anymore. They are here, and more will be coming. If you grew up in the arcades, or playing old classics, this is a must buy. For newer gamers who won’t even know these games existed, you’re probably going to want to stay clear of this. The games will be borderline unplayable for you, I’m sure.

I do need to make one last point, though. Hey Microsoft! Don’t you think it’s about time you release an arcade controller, or stick, that enhances the experience of the Live Arcade, and now Game Room? We think it is.

Worth it?

Yes (as a service, it was pretty much a “yes” or “no”)