2. Prince of Persia: Sands of Time

Price: $7.99
Rating:
IGN 9.6
Gamespot 9.0

All gamers can remember the first time they played the 2D version of Prince of Persia. It was ridiculously difficult and suffered from clunky, unresponsive controls, but none of that mattered because it looked awesome. After playing through Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, you may find yourself dropping 800 Microsoft points to play its revamped granddaddy on Xbox Live Arcade (yes, it’s still insanely difficult). Perhaps the most groundbreaking aspect of this title was that it blended three gaming genres (platforming, action, adventure). Sands of Time also allowed players to control, you guessed it, time. Well, to a certain extent. If gamers made an errant jump, they could rewind their hop into oblivion and try again. Where was this feature on level 8-4 of Super Mario Bros. when I was six years old??? In 2003, Sands of Time was an example of the cutting-edge in gaming from game mechanics to art design, and it holds up extremely well to the test of time. Just in case you missed it; you can buy Sands of Time for 2 bucks less then you can for the XBLA original. Take that and shove it on your 2D spikes Live Arcade!

Warning to gamers: Don’t get Sands of Time confused with Warrior Within. Nothing says ancient Persia like rap-metal (way to screw the pooch Ubisoft).

3. Psychonauts

Price: $12.99
Rating:
IGN 8.7
Gamespot 8.8

Born out of the hilariously bizarre mind of Tim Schafer, the premise behind Psychonauts is one of the most original in gaming history. Players platform their way through other character’s minds in this endearing title. Levels are designed to emulate each character’s personality, and players can expect insane images and environments around every turn (think giant floating slabs of beef). The cutscenes are filled with witty banter that is sure to make even the most callous gamer crack a smile. Although this game garnered much critical praise, it didn’t translate to Psychonauts making its way into many gamer’s homes. Perhaps the strange psychic premise of the title was a little too obscure when it was first released. Psychonauts provides a much needed diversion from the run-of-the-mill concepts behind most games. This is one platfomer that never gets stale and is quirky and fun from start to finish. Fortunately, none of the levels mirror the savagely AO content in most of our minds.