Ask anyone; the biggest thing that Microsoft has going for it when it comes to the Xbox 360 is its excellent Xbox Live service. Xbox Live has been a staple in the 360’s market strategy from day one, offering much more than online play, but a sense of community, insofar as providing a marketplace for people to download games on to their system for a fee. The Xbox Live Arcade has been a very lucrative endeavor for Microsoft, and has provided some very unique and fun experiences that generally wouldn’t be seen on a console in a different form. Now, some of the best and brightest from the Live Arcade have been compiled for the Xbox Live Arcade Unplugged Vol. 1.

Presumably the first in a series, Xbox Live Arcade Unplugged Vol. 1 takes six full version games that are currently available via the Live Arcade and puts them into one package. While some of the best games from the service are in the package (like Geometry Wars and Bejeweled 2) are included, most of the games are geared more towards an online experience. While there’s nothing wrong with this in principal, the collection assumes that you have no other means of purchasing these games (ie via Xbox Live) meaning that you’re not online. This renders a few of the games (like Texas Hold’em) not terribly fun, as the whole point is to play with people online. However, the collection is still pretty fun if you have no other way of getting these games, or even if you’ve held off on buying them individually (the collection retails for cheaper than buying each game on its own).

Unplugged Vol. 1 features six games from the Live Arcade: Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved, Bejeweled 2, Texas Hold’em Poker, Wik: Fable of Souls, Hardwood Backgammon, and Outpost Kaloki X. Most of them are well suited for single-player play, but some are much better in the online environment, as I stated earlier.

Xbox Live Arcade Unplugged Vol. 1 doesn’t require you to install the games on your hard drive, which is great if you’re like me and your HDD is cluttered with demos and assorted crap. Once you put the game in the disc drive, you are automatically sent to the Xbox Live Arcade tab on your dashboard and all six games will show up in your roster. Then, all you have to do is pick one out and play.

Geometry Wars is possibly the most solid game of the bunch, an extremely addicting and visually-pleasing shooter. Bejeweled 2 is also a great version of the massively successful puzzle game, Outpost Kaloki X is a fun strategy game with loads of personality, and Wik: Fable of Souls is a quirky and engaging puzzle-platformer. These titles work fairly well on their own, but Hardwood Backgammon and Texas Hold’em fall a little flat without the online component (once again, going off the assumption that the person buying the collection doesn’t have Xbox Live and therefore can’t purchase them on their own). Backgammon works best with someone to play against, and the easily-read AI in Texas Hold’em makes for a slightly weak single-player experience.

So, the main question is this; who will this game work for the most? A couple of things must come into play: A) You must have Xbox Live, but haven’t purchased any games from this collection, and B) You must love each and every one of the six titles offered. If one or both of these don’t apply, then chances are you won’t be getting the most out of the collection. However, if both apply to you, then this collection is a great deal and a worthy purchase. 

Gameplay: 7.5
Unplugged Vol. 1 offers a nice blend that showcases what the Live Arcade has to offer. However, if you haven’t bought the titles you want already over Live, chances are your Xbox 360 isn’t connected with a Gold account, thus limiting the fun you’ll have with games in the bunch like Hardwood Backgammon and Texas Hold’em.

Graphics: 7.5
The games are varied in graphical merit, but each one has it’s own sense of style and works for it’s content.

Sound: 7.0
The sound effects are good, with subtle sounds and music in “quiet” games like Texas Hold’em, and a bit more intense sounding in games like Geometry Wars.

Difficulty: Medium

Multiplayer: 9.0
Each game has it’s own multiplayer elements, be they scoreboards or online play, making for a great Live element. Then again, that’s pretty much what these games were made for.

Concept: 7.5
If you plan on purchasing each title here but haven’t purchased a single one yet, then this is a good value. Otherwise, you’d be better off getting the ones you want individually through Live.

Overall: 8.0
A fun mix of Live Arcade titles, Unplugged Vol. 1 is a great collection, even if its value as a purchase may be a little suspect.