Gaming on a Budget: Five Xbox 360 Games for $20

Posted October 29, 2012 by Esteban Cuevas in Editorials

You have 20 dollars. You have 20 unattached dollars. You haven’t had 20 dollars to do whatever you want with in such a long time and you want to get a game. You’re thinking you will probably be only able to get one game but WAIT! YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT! This edition of Gaming on a Budget gives you a quick bundle of FIVE games you can buy with only 20 dollars that are not only good but varied to keep you entertained. This edition gives you five Xbox 360 games you can get at your local GameStop for free and all for 20 dollars, tax included.

Rainbow Six Vegas – $2.99

Rainbow Six has always been a hardcore tactile strategic shooter. Vegas deviate from this formula by simplifying the controls and giving you only two other units to command. So it’s more like Rainbow Three but one thing that wasn’t lost in this game was the excellent gameplay. Unlike the previous game, Vegas is more inviting to new players without compromising the importance of getting behind cover, flanking and having a game plan ready when entering a new section of the map. A realistic difficulty exists for those Rainbow Six veterans and there are moments of intense challenge to keep you on your toes. Throw in some intense online multiplayer, and its well worth more than its $2.99 price tag.

Crackdown – $2.99

One of the first open world sandbox titles for the Xbox 360 is also one of the most addictive. Crackdown is like crack once you start jumping around Pacific City, shooting gang members and collecting agility orbs. You have cars to drive around in but your main source of travel will become jumping incredible heights and scaling massive buildings. Your skills are upgradable depending on which you use and how you complete various missions will change depending on your play style. One of the big selling points of the game is the amazing co-op that has another player jumping around with you online. The game is now super cheap but you’ll still get hours and hours of enjoyment out of it.

Pure – $1.99

One of the most underrated games to come out of Disney Interactive, Pure is an ATV off-road racing game with great arcade style fun. You’ll be sliding around corners and finding hidden paths while going off jumps and pulling off tricks to fill up your boost meter. The tracks are well design and graphics are super pretty, not to mention the high quality presentation. The game also features a story mode to go through and is just pure unadulterated, adrenaline-filled fun. Pure unfortunately never got the attention it should’ve had but the silver lining is it can be had now for pennies; 199 pennies to be precise. Pick up this grossly underrated game for less than it would cost you to rent it.

Virtua Fighter 5 – $4.99

Virtua Fighter has always been the thinking man’s fighting game. Virtua Fighter 5 is no exception. A digital only update to the fifth game in the series called Final Showdown has been released but it lacks a majority of the single player content included in the original, making the retail version still essential and perhaps the preferred version. Its simple controls draw anyone in and its complex subtlety satisfies the tournament players as well. It’s just fun for newcomers and hardcore players alike. The polish to the gameplay makes for an extremely balance fighter that’s also fast paced and intense. And don’t get me started on the beautiful graphics. Virtua Fighter 5 should just be in everyone’s collection, especially at $4.99.

Kameo: Elements of Power – $4.99

One of the last great Rare games before the developer was stuck with the task of developing Kinect Sports titles for Microsoft, Kameo: Elements of Power deserved much more than it ultimately ended up getting. This is an inventive and colorful platform title that hearkens back to Rare’s heyday on the N64 with titles like Banjo-Kazooie and Conker’s Bad Fur Day. Levels are diverse and lush with beautiful foliage and serene water. Character designs are ubiquitous with a Pixar movie and are just as appealing to the eye. Switching between various creatures gives a freshness to each level as you figure out what else you can do that what’s expected of you and the score challenges offer a ton of replay value. At a mere five bucks, Kameo: Elements of Power is well worth the expense.

Gaming on a Budget: there you have it, five awesome games for $20. Who knows when you’ll get some extra cash again but luckily these games should tie you over for awhile. And don’t you worry PlayStation 3 owners. I haven’t forgotten about you. Check out the next installment of Gaming on a Budget when I detail a bundle of great games you can get on the cheap.

Crackdown, gaming on a budget, Kameo Elements of Power, Pure, Rainbow Six Vegas, Spotlight, Virtua Fighter 5, Xbox 360

About the Author

Esteban Cuevas

Hey! I'm Esteban, my gamer handle is Colorwind, and I'm a video game blogger. As such, here's some gamer facts about me. The first game I ever played was Sonic the Hedgehog 2. The first console I ever owned was the NES. My favorite genre of games are action adventure games with fighting games being a close second. My favorite console is the Sony PlayStation. I currently own a Xbox 360, Wii, PS2, N64, Genesis and NES. My favorite console this generation is the Xbox 360. My favorite Mortal Kombat character is Scorpion with Ermac, Baraka, and Mileena being close runner-ups. I LOVE SNK fighters like Samurai Shodown, Art of Fighting 3 and Garou: Mark of the Wolves. My favorite Street Fighter title is Street Fighter Alpha 3 with Street Fighter III: Third Strike being a close second. The most obvious thing in the world is that Sonic is my favorite video game character.