The Arcade Grade

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They're easy, they're cheap and they're yours on demand - but are Microsoft's downloadable games worth the cash?

When Microsoft launched Xbox Live Arcade in late 2004, people laughed. Who would pay five bucks to play PC freeware and old coin-op games on the Xbox? Oh, how times have changed. Now everybody's got at least one guilty pleasure lurking on their Xbox 360 hard drives, whether it be a frantic shooter or a maddening puzzle game. The games areeasy enough to obtain, but why should you drop your hard-earned Microsoft Points on just anything? We're crashing through every Xbox Live Arcade game on 360 to bring you the final word. Check back all week long to see which games you need to download now - and which ones aren't worth the demo.

Day 1
Hexic HD
Jewel Quest
Robotron: 2084
Hardwood Backgammon

Day 2
Mutant Storm Reloaded
Bankshot Billiards 2
Joust
Wik: Fable of Souls

Day 3
Marble Blast Ultra
Smash TV
Astropop
Hardwood Spades

Day 4
Bejeweled 2
Gauntlet
Crystal Quest
Hardwood Hearts

Day 5
Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved
Feeding Frenzy
Outpost Kaloki X
Zuma Deluxe

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