First Look - Game Room

The much-touted Game Room launched today, though according to reports it isn't functioning properly on either Xbox 360 or PC. (It's been hit and miss all morning.)

Here's how it works (when it works): The Game Room download itself is free, but serves as a shell for buying, downloading and playing classic arcade and console games. If you previously purchased a title on Xbox Live Arcade, you will need to buy it again if you want it in your Game Room. Each game offers one free demo play, and then you can either pay to play individual games (50 cents a game), buy unlimited play for it on your console or PC ($3) or get a pass for both console and PC versions ($5). As an incentive, games are offering free "mascots" when you buy them, but only for a "limited time."

Before you start, download the two Game Packs. Be sure to get Game Pack 001 first, since Game Room doesn't seem to load without it. You can customize your game space (some themes are unlockable as you achieve levels through gameplay), try a one-time free demo of any game (which is capped at 10 minutes and can only be played once - even if you quit early), or buy games and issue challenges to your friends. Once it gets started, it seems pretty full featured - though you don't walk around your virtual arcade, it's more like you scroll around.

Here is the launch line-up (now verified):

• Adventure for Atari 2600
• Armor Battle for Intellivision
• Asteroids Deluxe for Arcade
• Astrosmash for Intellivision
• Battlantis for Arcade
• Centipede for Arcade
• Combat for Atari 2600
• Crystal Castles for Arcade
• Finalizer for Arcade
• Football for Intellivision
• Gravitar for Arcade
• Jungler for Arcade
• Lunar Lander for Arcade
• Millipede for Atari 2600
• Mountain Madness Super Pro Skiing for Intellivision
• Outlaw for Atari 2600
• Realsports Tennis for Atari 2600
• Red Baron for Arcade
• Road Fighter for Arcade
• Scramble for Arcade
• Sea Battle for Intellivision
• Shao-lin's Road (aka Kicker) for Arcade
• Space Armada for Intellivision
• Space Hawk for Intellivision
• Star Raiders for Atari 2600
• Sub Hunt for Intellivision
• Super Cobra for Arcade
• Tempest for Arcade
• Tutankham for Arcade
• Yar’s Revenge for Atari 2600

We're picking up Adventure, probably Tempest (tip: don't use the analog stick, just tap left and right on the D-pad!) and maybe Scramble. What are you getting, if anything, at this stage? Any games you're pining to replay? We're hoping for Gorf, Venture and Moon Cresta...