Games can be owned or wanted... I set my number at $30 or less new/used gamestop prices. I don't know if I can come up with 10, but here goes (also note they are in no particular order of preference)

Viva Pinata $20

Call of Duty 2 $15

Call of Jaurez $25

Far Cry Instincts/Predator $25

Earth Defense Force $25

Samurai Warriors 2 $27

Crackdown $20

Lego Star Wars II $18

Tomb Raider Legend $20

I can't think of any others... There are quite a few more sub-$30 games out there and several that are $35 that are soon to be bargain bin, but this is a list that has kept me pretty busy with just a couple I haven't bought yet. I'm liking battleship midway, dead rising, enchanted arms, and lost planet as potentials in my collection.

Also, if Microsoft really wanted to drive home the point of games, they should both highlight the total collection and also make note of how many quality "platinum" titles there are on the system.  They should have really gotten busy going into the holidays to highlight a "platinum" program.  They should have created a new box and such that would help identify platinum titles and help developers get their titles out for the holidays. 

Dead rising
Test drive
Lego Star wars
Orange Box
The darkness
Call of juarez
Call of duty 2

Dead Rising
PGR3
Prey
Viva Pinata
COD 2
Kameo
Crackdown
Lego StarWars

Didn't we have this thread awhile ago?

Anyways, in Order:

#1. The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion
$30 for GOTY RPG. Awesome.

#2. Viva Pinata
$20. Great game for both kids and adults to get into for a simfarm type game.

#3. Earth Defense Force 2017
One of the best under-rated Co-Op TPS games of 07.

#4. Dead Rising
$30. A beautiful, ingrossing adventure game. Still selling great.

#5. Test Drive Unlimited
Under $40. A great cross between sim and arcade racing. Probably the best open-world racer, ever.

#6. Kameo
$20. About 20hrs of fantastic platform gaming, and co-op mode (SMG, you stole this, didn't you?)

#7. Ghost Recon: AW
$25. Uber-reviewed, and a ton of fun. Plays as good or better than GRAW 2 and RSV. The first true next-gen TPS on X360.

#8. Crackdown
Sub $40. A inventive "verticle shooter" not the longest game ever (20hrs), but totally re-invented the sandbox game due to mario-like platforming action.

#9. Need for Speed: MW
$30. The best NFS title on the X360, and cheap!

#10. Everything else
FNR3, PDZ, TR:A/L, DOA4, NCAA FB 07/Madden 07, PGR 3, Burnout: Revenge, COD2 and LSW 2. A person could get all of these games and have months of great play for the price of maybe 3 new games.


IMO, the X360's budget/platinum title series rivals the Wii and PS3's first-string $50/$60 titles almost tit-for-tat. Please, if you haven't played these games, for a bit more than the cost of a rent, you can buy 'em. Most still have active online communities.

For the rest of the list, or complete list, check out:

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/platinumhits/

Nobody mentioning Saints Row? Awesome free-roaming game with nice graphics, awesome gameplay and a fun multiplayer. Lasted me 60+ hours. Only $30 :D

Why the hell has no one mention Dead Or Alive 4 great fighting game with kickass girls.

Puzzle quest ($15) would be on there for me.

 Orange box isn't a budget title (yet)....

I guess I'm going to have to get dead rising. It seemed kind of lame from the demo but everyone seems to think it was a great game... And, of course, I forgot Oblivion (the non goty package) for $29.99 I believe.

Mr. Stick -- I don't remember a top 10 budget game thread, but I'm so stressed out these days I can't remember anything these days. Thanks for the input and I do agree that the 360 has a "budget" list that rivals the first-runs on the PS3 at this point in time. Microsoft really should have capitalized on that going into the holidays...