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Metal Slug 3 Conspicuously Absent from XBLA 2008 Award Nominees

metal slug 3 for XBLA - gameplayReleased January 2nd 2008, Metal Slug 3 from Japanese developer SNK PLAYMORE CORPORATION, with its fast-paced, multi-path action and gorgeous post 8-bit graphics brings both outstanding and consistently fresh gameplay and legitimately humor entertainment to the XBOX 360 Live Arcade and yet it is conspicuously absent from Microsoft’s own year-end gamers’ polls.  Maybe it is somehow considered a 2007 release, or a an original Xbox re-release, but technically it is a 2008 XBLA release and should have figured in this year’s awards.  Plus playing as a blood-spewing zombie rules.

Braid was an excellent, innovative platform, no doubt about it, as were n+, Portal and the brilliantly conceived Castle Crashers.  In the biggest year ever for Xbox Live there was a lot of stiff competition.  But how did Boogie Bunnies get on the list and Metal Slug 3 not appear even once? For shame!

If someone has the official explanation, we would love to hear it.

Here are all the nominees for the Second Annual Xbox Live Arcade Awards

Best Overall Arcade Game
Braid
Castle Crashers
Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2
Street Fighter II HD Remix
Portal: Still Alive

Best Original Game
Castle Crashers
N+
Braid
Penny Arcade Episode 1
Schizoid
Age of Booty

Best Family Game
Boogie Bunnies
Roogoo
A Kingdom for Keflings
Lost Cities
Meteos Wars

Best Co-operative Multiplayer Game
Castle Crashers
Schizoid
Bionic Commando Rearmed
N+
Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2

Best Competitive Multiplayer Game
Street Fighter II HD Remix
Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2
Soul Calibur
Meteos Wars
Age of Booty

Best Solo Game
Braid
Mega Man 9
Penny Arcade Episode 1
Rez HD
Portal: Still Alive

Best Innovation in XBLA
Braid (time travel)
A Kingdom for Keflings (use of Avatars)
Fable II Pub Games (retail game integration)
N+ (level sharing)
Duke Nukem 3D (dynamic replay)

Best Graphics
Street Fighter II HD Remix
Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2
Braid
Castle Crashers
Bionic Commando Rearmed

Best Classic/Remake Game
Bionic Commando Rearmed
Street Fighter II HD Remix
Mega Man 9
Galaga Legions
Rez HD

Whatever the case may be, cough up the 800 Microsoft points and download Metal slug 3 today.  You can thank me later.