The Indie games section of the Xbox LIVE service has gone through several iterations over the years to develop into the XNA powerhouse voting system that it is today. The unfortunate side effect of this community voting system is that anyone who has bought an XNA community membership can approve any game to get it onto the console. While the approach does serve to encourage creativity, in the same vein it has also brought a lot of crap to console.

Many people do not bother wading through the numerous releases on the XBLIG section of their console, simply because there are so many bad games. This is really one of the downfalls of the platform because a lot of great games go unnoticed, simply because they’re “shelved” with virtual shit. So allow me to be Virgil to your Dante, while I guide you through this hell that is the Xbox Indie Game section.

My first group of indie gold mined from the depths of the XBLIG section all have one thing in common: they’re shooters. That general description is where they leave their similarities behind however and I guarantee there is something for everyone who has ever guided a ship with an analog stick, so check out these three titles available in the indie section and perhaps give them a try. They all have demos, so you have nothing to lose.

1. Flotilla

Flotilla is an amazing combination of turn-based tactical strategy and off the wall humor. It’s like your weird Uncle Sal who always tells gopher jokes decided to journey through space and tell you about it, only his story changes every time he tells you and you aren’t sure whether you should wash your hands after he death-grips you into his story for 45 minutes.

In fact, that’s Flotilla exactly. The turn based aspect of the game is extremely well done and easy to grasp, since it doesn’t leave you feeling as though you should have thumbed through a 400 page manual before you installed it. It is one of the few turn based systems that I actually had no problem using, since it it straight forward and does not change once you learn the mechanics.

The game is played in adventures and offers a split-screen co-op mode, so you can take a buddy along for the weird ass ride with you. Since all adventures are dynamically generated the minute you hit the adventure button, no two plays will be exactly alike. It’s a combination that works well for the game and I find myself starting it up occasionally when I have nothing better to do, sailing through space murdering space hippos and rescuing toucan babes. Yep.

Price: $10
Developer: Blendo Games
Availability: Xbox 360, PC

2. Shoot 1Up

Mommy’s Best Games has created gamer crack with this one. Instant gratification has always been at the top of the list for pleasing gamers, which is why achievements and trophies are so popular. They’ve combined this concept into a shoot ‘em up that rewards you by letting you play all of your extra lives at once. Pretty bad ass, huh?

As you add ships to your flotilla (hon hon hon), you can change the formation so that you maximize your fire power, or focus it to defeat a few pretty badass challenges littered between the different levels. I’ve never really been a fan of this type of game myself, but the fact that it’s all or nothing as you play brings a certain level of challenge and reward to actually making your way through the game.

For it’s 80 point price tag, Shoot 1Up is definitely worth the price. I mean, you’d have to spend like $5 worth of quarters at an arcade to get this many lives on a play-through and, wait.. you don’t know what an arcade is? Damn whippersnappers! Get this game! Now!

Price: 80 MS Points
Developer: Mommy’s Best Games
Availability: Xbox 360

3. Beat Hazard

Audio Surf really hit on something with the ability to race to your music. It’s something I still load up and play every now and then, but of course, the strategy of collecting colored blocks while you listen to Celine Dion is only challenging for so long. This is where Beat Hazard comes in. It took the concept of Audio Surf and applied it to a thumb stick shooter like Geometry Wars and it blows both of those titles out of the water.

Imagine, if you will, Audio Surf and Geometry Wars getting really drunk at an indie games party and neither remembering anything afterward, but nine months later, out comes Beat Hazard. The entire game is trippy and as Mark Davis so candidly put it, it should be the new epilepsy test for anyone who is concerned, seriously.

If you loved either Audio Surf or Geometry Wars, you’re going to love Beat Hazard. The best part is that it is no longer just an Xbox indie title, as it recently saw release on Steam as well. Since this makes it a bit easier to play your own music instead of having to add your massive music collection to your dwindling hard drive space, I’d highly recommend getting it on PC over 360. It’s 360 controller compatible and it has achievements, so you aren’t really missing anything in that vein.

Price: 400 MS Points; $9.99
Developer: ShadowRage
Availability: Xbox 360, PC

I’m a sucker for platformer games. I’m also a sucker for puzzle games. So what happens when the two genres come together and make a big fat baby that cries and demands my attention at all hours of the morning, leaving me with only two hours of sleep and a hellacious cranky attitude in the morning? P.B. Winterbottom, I suppose. I held off buying this title on the 360 despite the urging of Mark Davis and a good friend of mine. However, when the game released on Steam this past week, I hastily picked it up in order to experience my own brand of plundering pastries with a portly gentleman of no paltry prestige.

The design and music immediately struck a chord with me, and I commented to Sarah that the music had a similar feel to that of Max and the Magic Marker, though the two games are of an entirely different genre. Playing through the various levels, I was reminded of Braid, but in a different sense, since P.B. uses clones of his previous self in order to assist him in his pastry-raiding escapades. With the ability to create a clone of himself on the fly, and the number of clones available to you limited by the level you are on, stages of P.B. Winterbottom that require complex jumping and whacking of clones feels almost like you are orchestrating your own Rube Goldberg machine in order to achieve your goals.

The silent movie feel of the game is especially enjoyable and the fact that the story is told in rhyming lyrics only adds to the charm of the game. Spanning five levels of pie hi-jinx, P.B. Winterbottom has absolutely consumed the time I’m not spending working to the point I have to ask myself, is this really healthy? Probably not, but there’s nothing healthy about a dastardly devious scoundrel nabbing pies, either.

Difficulty-wise, I found that P.B. Winterbottom scales well and introduces you to the elements you will need to complete each level at a decent rate, but some of the more advanced levels that contain pie timing are nearly impossible to complete without geometric perfection. The time trials included add a nice touch and the achievements for completing them add incentive, but once again some of the later levels had me wanting to chuck my controller in frustration, despite enjoying the atmosphere and the storyline.

Puzzle-platformer veterans like me will probably love the game, while others will laud the difficulty level and the thought that goes into placing your clones, since you can only delete your last created clone and back. If you find you need to delete a previous clone but you cannot reach it, you’re pretty much out of luck. This means in some cases, you will have to set up your “machine” all over again, which can definitely be frustrating.

For its price-tag, P.B. Winterbottom is a definite must for anyone who enjoys a challenge. The graphics aren’t going to blow you away and the black and white nature of the game can seem drab at times, but the joy of finishing a puzzle you were cursing only moments before is one of the true achievements in gaming. Kudos to you, The Odd Gentlemen. Dare I say, I tip my hat to your pie-pilfering prowess.

P.B. Winterbottom is available on Steam and Xbox 360.