Sloppy Potatoes

7 classic games that need XBLA treatment

Yes, there have already been quite a few games that have made it to the arcade, but  there are so many more that should be brought back. Reading that RBI Baseball was being brought to Xbox’s Live Arcade made me think, what other games need to return?

I’m not sure about the licensing issues, the publishing rules, etc., but these games deserve to be brought back. Spruce them up with new graphics or make them as is, it doesn’t matter. I’m begging, bring’em back.

1. NBA Jam
   How much would you pay to play NBA Jam on XBLA? 400 points? How about 800? Maybe 1,200? I know I’d probably pay whatever price they tacked on it. How completely awesome was NBA Jam. And, as an XBLA game, it would harken  back to the real arcade one-on-one experience that made it so amazing. If any game on this list is remade it has to be this one. Be it with new players or old, somebody needs to make this one happen.
2. Bases Loaded
   Yes, the first baseball game I remember with stats. Create your own behemoth team and watch the stats rack up. It’s the first game that really made me stop and say “wow.” As an added bonus: With teams like the SNK All-Stars, no one will be forced to pay Major League Baseball for use of team or player names. Please let this one happen.
3. Tecmo World Wrestling
   I haven’t played a wrestling game in years, but if this gem found itself on Live Arcade I would buy it on launch day and play it until my thumbs bleed. I remember Tecmo for the characters and, at the time, an unbelievable number of moves.
4. Game show games
   Wheel of Fortune in particular created a very lasting impression on me. Many hours were spent watching a very pixilated Vanna White and Pat Sajak. Maybe this one would be best with upgraded graphics, games would not have to be radical in their approach. How awesome would 10-player Family Feud be on XBLA? Yes, that awesome.
5. 10-Yard Fight
   It was a crude football game, but I would offer a money-back guarantee that this  game would sell many, many copies. There’s something very satisfying about it’s simplicity and the skill necessary to really be good at the game. Again, this would be a tremendous multiplayer game.
6. Mega Man 2
   Okay, I know Mega Man 9 is coming to WiiWare and that it harps back to the 2-D roots of the series. But it’s not going to be on Xbox 360. I will more than likely buy 9, but I would absolutely purchase 2 if they brought it back. I will not even try to count the hours I put into that game, or how many more hours I’d put back into it to play through again.
7. Double Dribble
   Double Dribble or Tecmo NBA? Double Dribble or Tecmo NBA? With this battle raging in my mind, I decided on DD simply for the simplicity, nostalgia and great multiplayer opportunities it could provide. Yes, Tecmo was awesome, but for 400 points I’d jump all over DD. Because of the stats, NBA players, etc. 400 points probably wouldn’t be the going price point for Tecmo’s offering.

Well, there it is: Seven games to bring back. What game did I miss? What game do you disagree with? Let me know by leaving a comment below.