Aug 11 , 2007. We talk about the classic gaming available on Xbox Live Arcade.

Last week, we looked at the great new games available on Live, but this week, we're going way back in time to the games of our youth. To a time when you would go out on a Friday night after a burger and fries, and all you cared about was getting the high score in your favorite game. And you'd enter the arcade, with the sound of electronic explosions like music to your ears, and the change of temperature as you leave the cold air outside and enter the dark hot pit of arcadom. It was truly glorious. And you can relive that with Xbox Live Arcade! Well, kinda.

We have to start with the king of 80's gaming, Pac-Man. We had Pac-Man fever, and only the high score could soothe our burning. Sadly, it just isn't as addictive without the cabinet, surrounded by people gawking at our high score, and us knowing that our curfew was hours ago. But still, we play it on Live and it's one of our favorites.

Double Dragon was another of our favorites many years later after Pac-Man. It was just the best beatem-up at the time. It's not as fast as Final Fight, but you had more moves and you really had to work to keep them from ganging up on you.

Probably the best 2D top-down shooter ever created, Smash TV was all about weapons and action. There was no time to think as you're constantly overwhelmed by enemies. It raised the intensity of gaming to a whole new level.

Maybe not an arcade game, but Castlevania Symphony of the Night was probably the best 2D action platformer of all time. It had a great story, great bosses, and a wide range of weapons and powers. Not to mention gorgeous artwork that hasn't been matched in a 2D game to this day.

The last game is the only one that can come close to Pac-Man as a true arcade legend. It's Streetfighter II, and it opened the floodgates for 2D fighters. The Xbox arcade version is our favorite before they added the super meter. We know alot of people like the super meter, but we think the super meter is just an excuse to allow a losing player a chance to catch up and maybe, win the match if they're close enough to drain your health completely.

Xbox Arcade Live has shown us that it has great titles. Now if you're saying to yourself that most of these games aren't worth their price today, you're probably right. We actually prefer to play these games in the arcade. But can you find an arcade with these games now? Can you even find an arcade? So go buy these games on Xbox Live and live the memories. These games are still entertaining because they represent our youth. And that's worth more than their price.