Gamertell

A lot of lesser known, smaller games got their moments in the sun at the Game Developers Conference, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t any love for more established, smaller sized games. Xbox Live’s Arcade has been one of the providers of tiny games that get you and all your friends buzzing for a week and a half. At GDC 2008, the results of a community vote for 2007’s batch of Live Arcade games was unveiled. Any chance Space Giraffe took top honors?

It was Hudson’s Bomberman Live as Best Overall with just a bit of an upset over Namco Bandai’s Pac-Man: Championship Edition, which won for Best Original Game. And looks like Bungie’s magic couldn’t rub off on its 1994 shooter Marathon, as Konami’s Castlevania: Symphony of the Night was named Best Classic Game.

But it was Team 17’s turn-based Worms’ win for Most Played game, determined by gameplay data, that really exhibits how the Xbox has integrated PC and console nostalgia into one nice package.  It’s that sort of breadth among 116 titles that has no doubt added to what the press release calls a 150 percent growth in business.

The finalists in each award category were chosen by a panel of select industry journalists, and the winners for the first six categories were determined by popular vote, with the final four categories were decided by sales and gameplay data, Metacritic score and staff vote.

Here’s the full list:

• Best Overall Arcade Game Bomberman Live (Hudson Entertainment)
• Best Classic Game Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (Konami Digital Entertainment)
• Best Original Game Pac-Man: Championship Edition (NAMCO BANDAI Games)
• Best Family-Friendly Game Pac-Man: Championship Edition (NAMCO BANDAI Games)
• Best Competitive Multiplayer Game Bomberman Live (Hudson Entertainment)
• Best Cooperative Multiplayer Game Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Ubisoft Entertainment)
• Best-Selling Game Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Ubisoft Entertainment)
• Most-Played Game Worms (Team17 Software Limited)
• Highest-Rated Game Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (Konami Digital Entertainment)
• Xbox Live Arcade Staff Choice Pac-Man: Championship Edition (NAMCO BANDAI Games)

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