Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2

Xbox 360 Live Arcade

The premise is simple—pilot your ship, shoot, don’t die—but the result is one of the most addictive and challenging titles ever released for the Xbox 360. All of the enemies are basic geometrical patterns but when they explode, they shatter into what seems like a cloud of a billion colored lights. Since the enemies are plentiful and seemingly infinite, the lightshow that inhabits the screen resembles Asteroids on acid. New game modes and local multiplayer add replay value to a franchise that was already overflowing with it. The “achievements” are considerably easier than with its predecessor and there is no online multiplayer, but you won’t notice amidst all of those pretty, pretty colors. At 800 Microsoft Points ($10) you’ll wonder why you dropped $120 for Halo 3 and GTA4.