Xbox Live Arcade Awards Nominees Announced

Microsoft, for the second year in a row, is asking Xbox Live members around the world (expect Japan, Korea, and Germany) to vote on their favorite Xbox Live Arcade games as part of the Xbox Live Arcade Awards for 2008. Gamers can vote straight through their Xbox 360s by visiting the Spotlight channel beginning Tuesday, March 3 at 10:00 a.m. GMT.

Votes can be placed and changed as much as you'd like up until Tuesday, March 10 at 11:59 p.m. GMT, which is when votes will be locked in and the polls will close.

There were plenty of highly entertaining and innovative titles on Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade over the last year. Below is a list of nominees to vote on in nine different categories.

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