The Top 5 best downloadable games on PSN and XBLA.

Ever looked at the online store of your favourite games console but not known where to start, hopefully this list of 5 games will be a good starting point for you but remember this is merely my opinion and there is an abundance of fantastic games available online nowadays.


5) Braid: Metacritic Average 93

Braid, released on Xbox Live and Playstation Network is a puzzle platformer with an emphasis on time manipulation. It takes many cues from classic platformers of old including stomping on 'enemies' like in Super Mario Bros. The game involves increasingly challenging puzzles that are solved by rewinding time to change aspects of the landscape to make things easy to reach like pullies or platforms. It is a game that should be seen to be believed and the ending twist is a real shocker.

4) Monkey Island 2 LeChucks Revenge Special Edition: Metacritic Average 87

Monkey Island follows the continuing adventures of Guybrush Threepwood and his pirate activities around the tri-island area in the carribean. This is a remake of the original LeChucks revenge released in the early 90's and features voice acting and greatly improved graphics. The point and click adventure genre may seem outdated nowadays but the humour and writing is as fresh today as it was upon its first release all those years ago and Guybrush is probably the most endearing gaming protagonist ever created.

3) Bejeweled 2 Metacritic average 74

I don't think much needs sayin about Bejeweled 2 suffice to say its Metacritic average does not reflect its popularity. Bejeweled for those who don't know is a puzzle game that involves matching 3 colours. Sound simple, well yeah thats because it is and thats ultimately its biggest charm. Bejeweled can be played by anyone, its simple intuitive fun that everyone whether hardcore gamer or casual toe dipper should have played.

2) Joe Danger: Metacritic Average 86

Joe Danger is a motorbike stunt game that is weirdly enough a cross between ExciteBike on NES and Sonic The Hedgehog. Its simple gameplay and quirky charm are what make it such a fantastic example of downloadable gaming. It controls wonderfully and is just enough of a challenge to be enjoyable without being frustrating.

1) Grand Theft Auto 4-The Ballad Of Gay Tony: Metacritic Average 89

While almost everyone enjoyed GTA 4 one of the few criticisms aimed at the game was that it lacked the fun factor of previous titles, particularly San Andreas. This was rectified in the second downloadable episode for the game 'The Ballad Of Gay Tony' which follows the story of Luiz Lopez, the right hand man of the afformentioned 'Gay Tony' the nightclub king of Liberty City, that is until debt collectors and other unsavoury characters come knocking on Tonys door. This is where Lopez comes in using ever more lavish ways to keep the wolves from the door, including invading a luxury yacht and gunning down the owners and his henchmen from a helicopter to skydiving, base jumping, car chasing and dancing (yes dancing!!!). It really is a nice change from the dark and melancholic story in GTA 4 and remains the best thing you can download from the 2 major consoles online stores.