In the past year ot two, the Xbox Live Arcade is feeling like that once unsightly duckling in middle school that comes back from summer break with her hair down, contact lenses in, and a chest that blossomed right along with her new sex appeal. Previously, I barely acknowledged her existence. She was an annoying background advertisement as I parlayed into my Gears of War multiplayer matches.

Not anymore.

I’ve opened my mind to her. I see her for who she really is. I’ve spoken to her and she has some beautiful insights, strategies, and unique features. Yes, I’m still talking about the XBLA - keep up, will you? The problem was; I used to think everything in it was like those $2 games in the sale bins. Those awful, waste of time flops that cry out to you for a new mommy and daddy, like orphaned puppies at the pound. You feel sorry for them so you don’t even bother to look, for fear that your conscience will get the best of you and the next thing you know, you’re sitting up until 3 a.m. playing Barbie Horse Adventures: Wild Horse Rescue. 

Well, no worries. You don’t have to fear becoming that person any longer. The XBLA now has games that are even better than many $60 games out there. First off, its games range in price from a couple of bucks to about $15. That said, you automatically don’t expect to get the same experience or number of hours that you'd want from a full retail title.

It’s about the games themselves. I’ve noticed a couple that stuck in my mind long after I placed my controller underneath my black, half-dead Ikea Poang chair. Two titles that I've been going back to long after I beat Shadow Complex for the third time.

First up is a game I must forewarn you about. Peggle’s like those drugs you’re told about as a child. You know the ones where the dealer slips you the first as a freebie because he knows that shit is so good you’ll be coming back tomorrow with a 20 spot. The Peggle demo was that freebie for me. In its simplest form, it reminds me of that mini-game on The Price is Right game show called Plinko. You drop the peg down the slot and watch as it bounces around, landing mysteriously in some random resting place for a numerical prize. But Peggle is not Plinko. It’s its relative on steroids that’s been tripping on blotter acid for the last ten years. Yes, a wonderful, 'roided up, colorful Plinko on acid. Also, it looks beautiful, showing off in 1080p.

In its simplest form, you feel like there isn’t a strategy to Peggle, but there is after your learning curve. Basically, you shoot a ball down into different colored pegs, trying to clear all of the orange ones to move to the next stage. This sounds simple enough, and at first it is, but there are so many challenges and bonuses, I don’t dare get into that right now. I’m going to remove my nose from Peggle's ass right about now.

Moving on…

Castle Crashers may be a game you’ve heard of or played some time ago. It’s gained notoriety since last year and has recently won XBLA’s “Game of the Year” title. But that’s not why I like it. I like CC due to the ridiculous flavor crystals that shoot out of the television and melt onto my face… Sorry, all of that acid talk earlier put me into some weird state of mind for a minute. Anyway, that kind of makes sense. CC is a game that is remarkable to look at and is a tribute to the 2D side-scrolling games of earlier days. It’s even challenging for that old school gamer that we all have in our hearts. There's also an added experience point rank-up system.

And CC is funny. It’s funny in obvious slapstick ways and funny in more subtle ways. For example, take a look at a screen shot from this bad boy. What do you think the music might sound like? Does a Super Mario or Legend of Zelda type of repetitive beat come to mind? Quite right, but that’s not the case here. I would only be able to describe the ever-changing music as some type of trance and house mixture. It’s a brilliant addition to this type of genre. It contrasts with the way the game looks, but goes perfectly with the action.

I’ve tried to steer clear of getting too detailed on specific game controls and mechanics for a simple reason: This is not a review. Instead, this has apparently turned into me pledging my unbridled love and devotion to the unsightly duckling that finally blossomed into the stunning, sexy woman she always knew she would be.