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"Life is short. Play more."

The original behemoth. The most powerful system of the 6th Generation. It lead the way in console design by basically being a PC in a box. Helped Pioneer online gaming with Xbox Live and its built-in Ethernet port. Since the system was very similar to PCs of the time, it received a bunch of direct ports to/from the platform that are missing on competing systems. Most multiplatform games of the 6th generation tended to have their best versions here since the system was very powerful. They also sometimes included some extras not on other systems. It's also hueg.

Due to the deal Microsoft made with nVidia over the system's GPU, they would never make a profit off the system. Due to this, MS unceremoniously stopped production and rushed its successor out the door after only 4 years on the market. It didn't dethrone its main competitor (the PS2), but did help establish the ground for the 360's domination in the 7th Gen.

Unlike the PS2 and GameCube, emulating the Xbox on PCs is not ready for primetime. There are a few emulators in development and can run some of the more popular games decently. But if you want the best experience, you'll want to get a system. There are other options for playing its games though.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Most Xbox systems (v1.0-1.5) have a bad capacitor that will eventually leak. When it does, it could kill you system by having battery acid eat away at the board traces. If you have a Xbox or get one, you should remove the capacitor AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!!! Desoldering it is the best method but just wiggling it until the legs break does works as well. Do note that the latter method could leak acidic fluid. You can replace it, but its not necessary. All it does it keeps the time of the system clock. If you have a softmoded system, XBMC4XBOX will update the system time at launch if you have it connected to the internet. The last revision of the system (1.6) doesn't have this issue but its not as common as the previous revisions and it has issues with running some games in 480p. You'll want to look up where the capacitor is since it differs per Xbox revision.

Concerning Xbox Live: On April 15, 2010, MS suspended Xbox LIVE support for all Original Xbox titles. You can't play online games or download downloadable content packs. If you're looking for an online game to play on your Original Xbox, You're out of luck. Try a tunneling program for online gaming if you're desperate, Such as XBConnect or Xlink Kai to emulate a LAN game. Shitsux. The author of the PC emulator Cxbx-Reloaded is working on Insignia, a mod free replacement. But still in development.

Backwards Compatibility[]

The Xbox 360's backwards compatibility with original Xbox games is an absolute mess. The games are emulated, so many suffer from technical hiccups. Not all games are even supported! If you're planning on playing these games on your Xbox 360 rather than the original Xbox, check this list to make sure it plays fine, if at all. In most cases, playing on an original Xbox will give you a far better experience overall.

For a time, Microsoft indicated there wasn't going to be OG Xbox support for the Xbox One. In fall of 2017, they started rolling out backward compatibility for original Xbox games. MS only released 41 compatible titles before putting on the breaks to focus on Backwards Compatibility for the Xbox Series X. All titles released are also compatible with the 360 as well. Unlike the 360, all titles thus far seem to run as good as playing on original hardware. Sometimes even better. The graphics are usually slightly better than they would be on stock hardware. On the One S, they run at four times the resolution (~1080p). While on the One X sixteen times the resolution (~4k).

Hacking[]

If you own a system now of days, you'll probably want to hack it. It's pretty easy to do so and there's a ton of advantages:

  • Upgrading your HDD (up to 2tb or up to 16tb by using Cerbios, Titan, or a Project Stellar modchip)
  • Backing up your games to the HDD and running them from it (or pirating games)
  • Run Emulators (everything through 5th Gen (minus Saturn) runs pretty well, arcade games) and Homebrew (AvP2000, Cave Story, Diablo, Doom, OpenBOR, Quake I & II, Stepmania, Super Mario War)
  • Custom Dashboards (XBMC4XBOX, Unleashed X)
  • Replacing the analog output for an HDMI mod (XboxHDMI)
  • Add more RAM or replace the CPU for double clock speeds. Not supper common, but these mods do improve emulation and homebrew performance. You might need to patch your retail games to have them run. The extra ram does allow you to run a few Sega Chihiro arcade games like Virtua Cop 3.

There's a wide variety of methods to mod your system. The most common (and easiest) is a softmod. Visit here for more info.

Installing a modchip (like OpenXenium) does give you more flexiblity. Like running custom BIOS, force 480p for XboxHDMI, and drop in HDD upgrades.

The List[]

  • Name in Italics means the game is Xbox exclusive. Some games might be on PC as well, but not PS2 or GameCube.
  • Xbonelogo Xbox One / Series Compatible
Box Art Title Genre Description
Aufxbox front 007: Agent Under Fire First-person Espionage Awesome Bond FPS. Great multiplayer.

Also available on the GameCube and the PlayStation 2.

Nightfirexb front 007: Nightfire First-person Espionage Fuck yeah Nightfire. Bitchin' story, Bondan with Brosnan, and fucking amazing multiplayer. Sequel to Agent Under Fire.

Also available on the GameCube, PlayStation 2, PC, and Gameboy Advance.

007eon 007: Everything or Nothing Third-person Espionage The best Bond game with two analog sticks. Also home of one of the best motorcycle sequences in gaming.

Also available on the GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Gameboy Advance.

4197585-alien-hominid-xbox-front-cover Alien Hominid Run 'n Gun Hyper-violent game originally conceived on NewGrounds, later expanded for a console release. Basically a Metal Slug tribute where you control an escaped alien going up against the rest of humanity in a Flash animation visual style. The Xbox port was only released in Europe.

Also available on PlayStation 2, XBLA (HD version), GameCube, and GBA (EU only.)

Arx xbox Arx Fatalis RPG Arx Fatalis is set on a world whose sun has failed, forcing the above-ground creatures to take refuge in subterranean caverns.The action in Arx takes place in one of these large caves, where individuals from such races as trolls, goblins, Dwarves, Humans &c. have made their homes on various levels of the cave.Has a ton of possible player builds and in-depth crafting/cooking/magic/&c. Drawing runes for spells is pretty awesome. Very much inspired by the first Ultima Underworld.

Also available on PC. That version's source code was released years ago and can be played on pretty much any OS.

915430 front Auto Modellista Racing Fantastic-looking, cel-shaded racing game by Capcom. JDM cars. Sadly the handling is kind of bad, but the US Tuned (JP-only) revision improves on it massively.

Also available on PlayStation 2 and GameCube.

Baldurs-gate-dark-alliance-xbox-front-cover Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance Action-RPG Diablo-style action-RPG based on the D&D Forgotten Realms setting. Has few playable characters, but a solid campaign playable entirely in local co-op.

Also available on GameCube and PlayStation 2. Remastered for PC and ninth-gen consoles.

Baldurs-gate-dark-alliance-ii-xbox-front-cover Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II Action-RPG Diablo-style action-RPG based on the D&D Forgotten Realms setting. A straight improvement over the first game, with more characters and content.

Also available on PlayStation 2 and PC, with slightly better graphics.

649089boxart 160w Beyond Good & Evil Adventure Solid action-adventure about a freelance journalist uncovering a conspiracy in a lovingly-built sci-fi world. Includes fluid melee combat, stealth sections, and photography. Short, but very high production values.

Also available on PC, GameCube, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation 3.

Xbox black Black

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First-person Shooter Single-player FPS that's all about the joy of firing different guns and watching them wreck havoc on your environment with various effects, that weren't normally seen in consoles from this generation. Has some awful live-action cutscenes.
Blinx Blinx: The Time Sweeper Xbonelogo / Blinx 2: Masters of Time and Space Platformer Very neat mascot platformer where you solve puzzles with time-based powers, directed by the designer of Sonic. Both entries are worth playing.
4168290-bloody-roar-extreme-xbox-front-cover Bloody Roar: Extreme 3D Fighting Primal Fury is NOT a port of Bloody Roar 3, it is an entirely separate game in the series, Like other games in the series it features the ability to transform into beasts mid fight offering a very unique experience, Bloody Roar Extreme on the Xbox isn't the updated Japanese version of the game with balance changes and bug fixes.

Also available on the GameCube.

G18705jmxyi Breakdown

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Action Fascinating first-person action game. Controls like an FPS but you spend most of the time punching people. Anime-adjacent, highly Japanese story. A cult-classic exclusive.
51S96JC509L. SL500 AA280 Burnout 3 Racing Pretty much any of the Burnout series games are recommended if you come across them, but this one was by far the best. It has everything the series is known for, a high sense of speed, fun arcade racing, and the best fucking crash physics ever. Also, crash mode is the most fun you will ever have playing a car-related game, ever. Sweet soundtrack.

Also available on the PlayStation 2.

515R3376J3L. AA280 Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth First-person Shooter / Survival Horror A fucking scary as fuck FPS game that takes place in the Lovecraftian universe. You better rely on logic and sanity to get through this game, because you're going to be doing a lot more detective work and running than shooting (you don't even get a gun till' around the second half of the game). The story is almost entirely based on Shadow Over Innsmouth, but takes inspiration and story-bits from many of Lovecraft's works. If you don't play this in total darkness with the video settings set to recommended, you are a casual. Having a few bros with you is alright though.

Also available on PC.

Capcom-classics-collection-xbox-front-cover Capcom Classics Collection Vol. 1 & 2 Arcade Compilation Two volumes of Capcom arcade games, including shooters, beat-'em-ups, fighters, and more. Mostly arcade-perfect, but sadly missing a ton of arcade-only licensed games. Mainly for collectors.

Also available on PlayStation 2.

Capcom vs snk 2 xbox cover Capcom vs. SNK 2 2D Fighting Very awesome fighting game with a fuckton of characters from both universes. If you want to play another good game like this go get Marvel vs Capcom 2, also on Xbox.

Note: This version is not arcade perfect. If you want roll cancels and don't want EO, get the DC/PS2 version instead.

Also available on Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, and GameCube.

Castlevania-curse-of-darkness-xbox-front-cover Castlevania: Curse of Darkness Action-Adventure Introduces "Innocent Devils" you command and evolve, inspired by JoJo stands (but feel more like pokemon in practice), and a crafting system complimented by a stealing mechanic. Improves on the previous 3D entry with actual camera control, better load times, warp rooms, and more variety in enemies, weapons, and levels (many of which are outdoors).

However, it can become repetitive and is fairly linear, and the simplified combo system may greatly disappoint big fans of Lament of Innocence. Still, Castlevania fans may find it entertaining and many prefer it over Lament. Has more humorous elements to discover compared to Lament, like joke weapons, and armor with amusing flavor text. Also, be sure to sit in any chair you find. This port is missing the Moai item from the PS2 version.

Also available on PlayStation 2.

Riddickbutcherbayfront The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay Sci-Fi FPS Play as Vin Diesel and go around shooting and stealthing shit up in one of the few truly good Hollywood-based games.

Also available on PC. HD remake on PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.

Coldfear Cold Fear Adventure Deemed an RE4 clone upon release, though it switches between fixed camera angles and over-the-shoulder perspective (when shooting). Takes place on a derelict Arctic fishing vessel. Moody, and decently fun.

Also available on PlayStation 2 and PC.

8dd9 32 Conker Live & Reloaded

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Platformer / Third-person Shooter Remake of the great N64 platforman game with better graphics and censored language. The graphics (for the character models anyway) are god-tier and still look amazing today. The original's multiplayer has been taken out and replaced with a generic (but fun) class-based shootan multiplayer mode, but since Xbox Live has been shut down playing online isn't much of an option without a 3rd party solution. Still has split screen, system link and bots though, so all is not lost.

The game transforms into a third person shooter midway through, and as you can probably guess, these sections are much better with dualstick controls then with the N64 controller. Rare Replay on the Xbox One has the original available to play too.

Crash-bandicoot-the-wrath-of-cortex-xbox-front-cover Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex Platformer A lot of people give the PS2 Crash games a lot of flak, but fuck them. They're actually not bad, even quite good. Play as Crash, travel the world and collect crystals so you can defeat Doctor Neo Cortex once more. The closest you'll get to the original trilogy and a must play if you're a fan of the franchise.

Also available on PlayStation 2 and GameCube.

Crash-twinsanity-xbox-front-cover Crash Twinsanity Platformer This game is weird as fuck and completely different from the other Crash games. It's still made by Traveller's Tale like the previous one (see above) but instead of recreating the feel of the original PS1 trilogy, they made something else entirely, with a more open-world element (kind of Jak & Daxter inspired), and pretty diverse gameplay, depending on whether you're playing as Crash, Cortex, both at the same time, or Nina, Cortex's niece. The game is buggy as hell (it's pretty much unfinished), the humor is downright bizarre, but it's very unique and if you're looking for something original in the Crash series you might very well love it (or hate it).

Also available on PlayStation 2.

Crazy Taxi 3 - High Roller Coverart Crazy Taxi 3: High Roller Racing Decent conclusion to the arcade-racing series where you take fares to their destination under a strict timer. Includes maps from CT1 and 2, as well as a new Vegas area. The Offspring returns for the soundtrack.

Also available on PC.

Crimsonskies Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge

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Action Arcade-style flight combat game inspired by 1930s adventure serials, Indiana Jones, and the like. Great ambiance, tight gameplay, and quality voice acting. One of the more unique plane games, stylistically speaking.
Darkwatch-xbox-front-cover DarkWatch First-person Shooter A mostly forgotten FPS with a big budget for its time, its Western/Gothic horror setting and monstrous characters still look kind of cool today. The story's totally ridiculous, obviously. You play as a vampire and abuse supernatural powers by night while fighting with firearms by day. A morality system determines which path you take and the special abilities you unlock as consequence. A neat and short ride worth a try, which good voice-acting and high production values.

The Xbox port featured online multi-player, but the PS2 port features local co-op, so yeah.

Also available on PlayStation 2.

Deadmanshand Dead Man's Hand First-person Shooter Underrated Western-styled FPS which is nice and refreshing. Shoot the hell out of outlaws, blow their asses with dynamite and play some poker between missions.
1093157013-00 Dead or Alive Extreme Beach Volleyball TITS / Sports DAT ASS DEM TITS HURR anyway it's just a game about beach volleyballs....and tits. But besides that you're a man....woman? Who likes Dead or Alives fanservice fighting or just want a game about volleyball with women. Go pick this up......TITS!
Doau xbox Dead or Alive Ultimate

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3D Fighting Packs the first and the second Dead or Alive games into one sweet, sweet package. DOA1 is a port of the Saturn version while DOA2 is built from the ground up using the DOA3 engine. The Dead or Alive series is, admittedly, under-appreciated though, regardless of how much sex appeal it tries to have, they're all still solid 3D fighting games.
652888boxart 160w Dead or Alive 3

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3D Fighting Exclusive sequel for the Xbox. Two words: Boob Physics and the counter system is fun in its sheer simplicity - not that DoA3 lacks any depth in gameplay. Graphics are absolutely stunning but nonetheless the package does suffer, as do most DoA games, from SNK Boss Syndrome.
Xbox deathrow Deathrow Sports (Futuristic Action) Coming from the same sporting game tradition as the Bitmap Brother's Speedball and EA's Mutant League Football, Deathrow brings us the futuristic sport of Blitz (of no relation to Blitzball), which is basically a brutal version of Ultimate Frisbee with vertically hanging basketball hoops, mechanically (and god knows what else)-enhanced players and more fighting than a minor ice hockey league. It's a lot of fun (particularly in multiplayer) and has a nice futuristic atmosphere, with gloriously early 2000s electronic music and a coat of that "mature-but-immature" paint characteristic of the original Xbox's marketing approach.

The only real issue the game has is some slightly weird joystick controls.

Defjamffny Def Jam: Fight for NY Arcade Wrestling A bunch of stupid rappers, and Danny Trejo and Henry Rollins, beating the crap out of each other. Made by Aki Corportation, the guys behind those amazing N64 wrestling games. So you know you're in good hands. Also Snoop Dogg's the final boss so it's all good. Sadly really fucking expensive despite selling a shitload of copies.

Also available on GameCube, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable.

Destroyallhumanxbox Destroy All Humans!

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Third-person Shooter / Sci-Fi Be an alien in 6 large environments. Blow up people and vehicles with advanced alien weaponry, throw them around with your psychic powers, fly around in a flying saucer to blow up buildings, and play through several dozen missions to take over the human race.

Oh, and you can anally probe people to make them shit out their brains.

Also available on PlayStation 2

Doom 3 Limited Collector s Edition Doom 3: Limited Collector's Edition First-person Shooter The Doom series made a great transition to modern gaming. Actually scary at moments, with plenty of oh shit scenes. Great controls and atmosphere, music is pretty good. The Limited Collector's Edition comes with the original Doom and Doom II.

Also available on PC, Xbox 360, and PS3.

Doom 3 Resurrection of Evil-xbox Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil First-person Shooter An expansion to the Doom 3 story with a new, even angrier protagonist. Plenty of fun to be had. Also includes Doom 1, 2, and Master Levels for Doom 2.

Also available on PC, Xbox 360, and PS3.

Xbox dw5 Dynasty Warriors 5 Hack 'n Slash / Being a Badass Arguably the pinnacle of the DW series, which are very much a love-it-or-hate-it series. Play any one of 50-odd fighters in ancient China, wreak havoc in massive-scale battles, with killcounts in the thousands. It is advised that you do not pursue Lu Bu.

Also available on PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360.

Morrowind Xbox The Elder Scrolls 3 Morrowind

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RPG The Elder Scrolls series' first foray onto the console market. Morrowind works a lot better on the PC than on the Xbox; however, if you can't get it on PC, this is just fine.  A crapload of things to do in an inventive fantasy world, all in a hybrid FPS/tabletop RPG style.  There's also supposed to be a way to load the ever-popular mods onto the Xbox. If you have the option, get the Game of the Year (no, not the Platinum Hits GOTY version) that includes the expansions. Worth it if you don't have a PC capable of running this.
Enter-the-matrix-xbox-front-cover Enter the Matrix Third-person Shooter/Beat'em'Up A pretty good Matrix game with over an hour's worth of original live action directed by The Wachowskis. Very satisfying combat system, decent enough plot, especially for the fans of the series. Two characters to play as, both with different plotlines. Goes for cheap, so pick it up.

Also available on PC, PlayStation 2, and GameCube.

Fable The Lost Chapters Fable: The Lost Chapters RPG Play through the life of a hero, from idyllic childhood, to heroic youth, to heroic not-as-much-youth. A less-than-serious action RPG where your appearance changes according to your morality and your skills. Hyped to all hell, but still fun.

Also available for PC.

Farcryinsticntsfront Far Cry Instincts First-person Shooter / First-Person Action A more linear re-imagining of Far Cry with the twist of "Feral Abilities" that allow you to fuck shit up with your fists and send people flying down cliff faces instead of just shooting among other abilities, as well as traps so you can go all Vietcong on some mercenary ass. The plots pretty decent, it has an awesome map editor for multiplayer and it's only real flaw is some horrible sound glitches on certain versions of the game that arise if you don't watch the intro movie at the start all the way through to the menu for some stupid reason.

HD remake for Xbox 360.

Fatal Frame Fatal Frame Adventure Spooky horror adventure in a haunted Japanese mansion. Attack ghosts by "shooting" them with a magical camera; photography is incorporated into survival-horror gameplay. This port includes minor extras and better visuals compared to the PS2 original. Essential for genre fans.
Fatal Frame II Fatal Frame II Adventure Atmospheric horror adventure in a cursed Japanese village. Attack ghosts by "shooting" them with a magical camera; photography is incorporated into survival-horror gameplay. This Director's Cut includes minor extras and better visuals compared to the PS2 original. Remade for the Wii (JP-only). FF3 is on PlayStation 2; FF4 is on Wii (also JP-only).
Xbox fightnightr2 Fight Night: Round 2 Sport Don't let the EA Sports on the cover push you away, this is one of the best boxing games of all time with some surprisingly strategic gameplay, a myriad of gameplay modes, decent graphics, and a really nice control scheme with some of the best usage of the analog sticks this side of Ape Escape.

Its sequel on the Xbox, Fight Night Round 3, adds upon this solid base, though Round 2 is arguably the better starting point for beginners and Round 3 doesn't have the same level of HAYMAKERS, HAYMAKERS EVERYWHERE, which honestly is half the fun - especially in multiplayer. If you don't know what Haymakers actually are, you will. Oh, how you will.

Also available on PlayStation 2 and GameCube.

Final-fight-streetwise-xbox-front-cover Final Fight: Streetwise Action-Adventure Weird 3D follow-up to the arcade beat-'em-up series. Too dark and serious for its own good, but not entirely lacking in silly moments. Makes for a halfway decent brawler if you're a series fan.

Also available on PlayStation 2.

Forzamotorsport Forza Motorsport Sim Racing Microsoft's answer to Gran Turismo, except with damage physics. Spawned many, many sequels and a spin-off series (Forza Horizon).
Ea-freedom-fighters-xbox2 Freedom Fighters Third-person Shooting / Action Underrated shooter with a similar plot to the Patrick Swayze movie Red Dawn. Noted for its fantastic squad system. Made by the same team behind the Hitman series as well as Kane and Lynch, its spiritual sequel.

Also available on PC, PlayStation 2, and GameCube.

Fullspectrumwarrior Full Spectrum Warrior

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Squad-Based Strategy Awesome modern war based strategy game where you lead multiple squads across missions against terrorists using a chess-like command system. It's kind of like a deeper futuristic Brothers in Arms. It was made by Pandemic back when they were rolling in money from the Star Wars Battlefront games.

Also available on PC, and PlayStation 2.

Fswtenhammers Full Spectrum Warrior: Ten Hammers Squad-Based Strategy More of what made the first game good, but with some slight control tweaks. The sequel seems easier to find than the original nowadays.

Also available on PC, and PlayStation 2.

Gauntlet-dark-legacy-xbox-front-cover Gauntlet: Dark Legacy Hack-'n'-Slash Classic Gauntlet hack and slash, with great gameplay elements and 4-player fun. Lots of unlockables, cheat codes, and levels make for a lengthy game. A sequel to Gauntlet Legends.

Also available on PlayStation 2 and GameCube.

600full-genma-onimusha-cover Genma Onimusha Adventure Samurai horror-adventure by Capcom, with fixed camera angles and tank controls like Resident Evil, but more heavily focused on (melee) combat. Some tough puzzles as well. Enhanced port of the PS2 original, with new content and better visuals. Onimusha 2, 3 and 4 are on PS2.
Xbox gr2ss Ghost Recon 2: Summit Strike Tactical Shooter An Xbox-exclusive "stand-alone expansion"/same engine sequel to Ghost Recon 2 centered around Kazakhstan. Takes the easier, slightly more action-based approach of Ghost Recon 2 and brings back a little bit more of the difficulty from the original Ghost Recon whilst coupled with some nicely expansive levels and a more interesting overall atmosphere.
GladiusFront Gladius

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Turn-Based RPG Awesome turn-based fantasy RPG set in Roman times. Made by LucasArts back before they sucked. The premise of the game is to recruit and train a school of gladiators in order to compete in gladiator arenas and stuff. There are 16 different classes to choose from, 15 different landscapes, and a fuck ton of different gladiator arenas. Sold like shit and hard to find now, but since it hasn't caught anyone's attention that it is a good game (despite getting really good reviews), if you can find a copy, it is most likely an inexpensive purchase.

Also available on PlayStation 2 and GameCube.

The-godfather-the-game-xbox-front-cover The Godfather Sandbox Fucking badass fedora wearing GTA clone that is really polished and has a great story. Has a level system that you can use to power up your moves or guns and it allows for a lot of open world play. Kill the dirty red, blue, and green mafia bros and take their territories. Go into shops and take over their businesses for "protection money". Sometimes they have black market businesses upstairs, such as a brothel. Rob banks and blow up safes. Basically 1940s GTA.

Also available on Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Wii, PlayStation Portable, and PC

Ghoulies cover Grabbed by the Ghoulies

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Action Silly and spooky 3D brawler by RareWare. Beat up a mansion's worth of ghouls with various household objects. A shallow, but fun and overlooked game.

Available on Rare Replay (XBox One).

Gta trilogy xbox GTA Trilogy

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Sandbox All the 6th gen GTA games. The series that popularized Open World Sandbox games and pissed off moral guardians. III and VC were originally released in a double pack while SA had an individual release. The trilogy pack is the hardest to come by.

Has the added benefit of easy custom soundtracks on the Xbox ports and less flaky graphics. Missing some minor graphical effects that the PS2 had.

San Andreas is "backwards compatible" with Xbox One, though in reality, Rockstar is just giving you the 360 port, which is based on the somewhat crappy mobile version. III and VC aren't.

Also available on PC, PlayStation 2, iOS, and Android.

Ggxx2r Guilty Gear X2 #Reload 2D Fighting It's Guilty Gear, c'mon, you know what this is. Overly complicated but infinitely deep 2D fighter mechanics, colorful and varied characters, mostly balanced combat, and more. This Xbox addition to the series sports Live multiplayer fights and a cool beat-em-up mode.

Also available on arcade, PC, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable.

GunValkyrie GunValkyrie

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Shooter Arcade-style, third-person shooter by the Jet Set Radio team. The control scheme is hard to wrap your head around, but very rewarding to master. The game is short but tough, with little story but great sci-fi visuals. A hidden gem.
250px-Halo-box Halo First-person Shooter Synonymous with the XBox, one of the most successful FPS games of all time. Rescue humanity from extra-dimensional invaders. Great single-player campaign and legendary multiplayer.

Also available on PC.

Halo2 Halo 2 First-person Shooter While the single-player campaign is generally considered a step down from the first game, the multi-player is fantastic and the story fleshes out the lore of the setting. A classic LAN party game and must-play for FPS fans.

Also available on PC.

Hitman Blood Money Hitman - Blood Money Stealth / Action Fourth in the Hitman series, Hitman - Blood Money is almost as much of a puzzle game as an action/stealth, as there are tons of ways to accomplish your goals in each mission. If you have a small attention span, look elsewhere; this game is for perfectionists. Blood Money introduces a payment system, where the amount of money you make from a mission is dependent on how well you do on your objectives. This money is then used to upgrade your weapons and equipment in different ways. Also has multiple difficulties that actually change the AI, change the difficulty, and reduce how many quicksaves you get, which allows for tons of replayability.

Also available on PC, PlayStation 2, and Xbox 360.

2414-1 The House of The Dead III Shooter Classic, arcade-style, zombie-shooting light gun action. Features more branching paths and secrets compared to its better-known predecessors, while maintaining the same goofy tone and abysmal voice acting as always. Contains HOTD2 as an unlockable.

Also available on Wii, PlayStation 3, and PC.

Incrediblehulkud The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction Action Surprisingly good Hulk game with highly-destructible environments and an unmatched sense of power. The developers would go on to do Prototype, which is on the same wavelength.

Also available on PlayStation 2 and GameCube.

Indigo prophecy xbox Indigo Prophecy [PAL: Fahrenheit] Adventure "Interactive movie" where your character actions and choices cause the story to branch off in different directions. What starts as a compelling murder mystery turns into a sci-fi mess towards the end. Worth experiencing exactly once. Directed by David Cage, of future Heavy Rain fame.

Also available on PlayStation 2 and remastered for PC.

Jadeempire cover 768 Jade Empire

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RPG Fairly underrated Bioware RPG with a wuxia/ancient China martial arts setting. Travel the world and learn new techniques while making moral choices. Stylistically a fairly unique game.

Also available on PC.

B00005u2q102lzzzzzzz Jet Set Radio Future Action Fantastic trick-skating game inspired by Shibuya and graffiti culture. Way more accessible compared to the first game, with bigger stages and more characters. Fresh, cel-shaded visuals and hip hop/electropop soundtrack by Hideki Naganuma. A spiritual successor called Bomb Rush Cyberfunk is out on PC and consoles.
914474 front Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis Tycoon / Sim The best Jurassic Park game out there. You're in control of John Hammond's organization and you have to build a theme park - with dinosaurs. Loads of attractions and tons of details which make up for an awesome and fun experience. Rare and Expensive.

PROTIP: Always check the weather forecast. If there's a tornado coming the next month, activate emergency mode immediately and hope that the tourists run out fast enough. Yes, they're that slow and if a tornado catches them it'll wreck your entire economy.

Also available on PlayStation 2 and PC. The console versions have surprisingly good controls!

Justcause xbox Just Cause Sandbox / Third-person Shooter / Sky-diving Sim One of those in-between gen games that still look amazing even on the older console. In reality this is actually a parachuting/paragliding/sky diving sim masquerading as a GTA-style sandbox game in a South American country. Fun as shit - especially if you can't get the sequel.

Also available on PC, PlayStation 2, and Xbox 360.

Xbox killswitch Kill·Switch Third-person Shooter You play as a soldier which is mind controlled by the bad guy while you go through some missions. Also, your memory has been erased and your wife is now dead, so you're seeking for revenge. Yeah, the story is shallow and forgettable, but that's not the point of the game. The thing is this game is that it's the precursor (along with WinBack) of the "cover system" used in pretty much all TPSs of the next generation. Of course, "Gears of War invented cover systems". The gameplay is based on taking cover on corners, boxes and other objects to avoid getting shot and then try to flank them. It has a nice arsenal of sub-machineguns and assault rifles, decent enemy AI, but it's linear as fuck and somewhat repetitive. Anyway, if you're looking for something like Gears of War but a little older, this is your best shot.

Also available on PlayStation 2 and PC.

The king of fighters 20022003 frontcover large c7xWfgKfdWdTA47 The King of Fighters 2002 / 2003 2D Fighter Decent ports of both KOF 2002 and 2003. Contrary to what Microsoft's website will tell you, neither of them work on the 360. 2002 has a bunch of graphical glitches that make it unplayable, and 2003 simply won't work.

Also available on arcade, PC, Neo Geo, Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation 3.

600full-king-of-fighters,-the--neowave-cover The King of Fighters NeoWave

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2D Fighting Generally considered one of the worst KOF games, if not the worst. Only for hardcore collectors and the morbidly curious.

Also available on PlayStation 2.

Kufcrusadersfront Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders RTS Awesome Medieval RTS. Combines huge Total War-style battles with the ability to control your commander directly to get up close and personal with the enemy. Deep and varied unit costomization system allows plenty of options on the battlefield. Has a partner game on the same system known as Kingdom Under Fire: Heroes, which plays like the other half of a game too big for one disc. While Heroes has more campaigns and a random skirmish mode, it assumes you already played The Crusaders in terms of difficulty and gives only broad reminders of the controls.
Xbox lotr2 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Action Fantastic action game based on the movie (not the book) with four playable characters and upgradeable equipment. Due to licensing issues, don't ever expect a port or re-release.

Also available on PlayStation 2 and GameCube.

Xbox lotr3 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Action Very similar to the Two Towers game, but now with the brilliant addition of co-op. Be aware that these two games were made based on the movies, while the Fellowship of the Ring game was based on the book, and is not good. As per usual, licensing issues have buried this game in the past.

Also available on PC.

Mvc2xbox Marvel vs. Capcom 2 2D Fighting One of the most fun (if not the most balanced) fighting games out there, with three-man tag-team battles and nearly sixty playable characters. Better than the PS2 version because it doesn't require unlocking characters, but not as good as the DC version, which is considered arcade-perfect.
MechAssault MechAssault Mech Fighting One of the best online mech sims in gaming. Sadly, with OG Xbox Live's demise, only half of it can be played now.
Mohfrontlinecover Medal of Honor: Frontline WWII FPS Remember when World War II games weren't overdone? Remember when the Medal of Honor series mattered? Remember that opening scene in Saving Private Ryan on the Normandy Beach during D-Day? There's a reason why there were 20 different MoH games last gen, and this game is that reason.

Also available on PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, and GameCube.

Mega Man Anniversary Collection Mega Man Anniversary Collection Platformer / Collection An amazing collection of Mega Man games 1-8 plus the 2 arcade Power Battle titles. Same as the GameCube/PS2 versions just with an unlockable epsiode of Mega Man NT Warrior instead of the Ruby Spears Mega Man cartoon episode on the PS2 or the G4 Icons Mega Man history episode on the GameCube. A great game for any Mega Man fan, young or old.
PAL-Xbox-Mercenaries Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction

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Sandbox / Third-person Shooter Basically Grand Theft Auto in North Korea with destructible buildings and some early not as gay brown and bloom on a sixth-gen console. A lot of fun, even despite the rather floaty car mechanics and occasional repetition. If you do not play as the guy with a mohawk you are no fun at all. Also for the love of god look up the cheat for buying anything that uses the flare to retrieve for free - this way you can save money for blowing the shit out of things with cruise missiles and whatnot.

A largely disappointing sequel, Mercenaries 2: World in Flames was released in 2008 for the 360/PS3/PC.

Also available on PlayStation 2.

Metal arms xbox Metal Arms: Glitch in the System Platformer / Third-person Shooter Basically Ratchet & Clank without any squishy non-robots. The story's pretty basic, a bad guy has taken over, and you are part of the resistance, but the gameplay is really solid, the guns are awesome, and the game can be pretty challenging at times. Also, hacking into bigger robots is pretty awesome. Multiplayer is pretty awesome, too.

Also available on PlayStation 2 and GameCube.

Metalgearsolidxboxfront Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance Action A classic of the stealth-action genre, with a notoriously subversive story that only gets more prescient with every passing year. The XBox port has minor performance and graphical issues compared to the PS2 original. Contains all extras from the Substance version, except for the skateboarding mini-game. Worth playing in any form.
Metal Slug 3 Metal Slug 3 Run n' Gun / Shoot 'em Up This is the only standalone retail version of the game released stateside. It's Metal Slug, you run, shoot, and desperately try not to die. This version also comes with some bonus missions not seen in the original arcade version.

Also available on PC, Linux, iOS, Android, Neo Geo, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.

Metalwolfcover Metal Wolf Chaos Action Arcade-style mech action game by FromSoftware. Known for its ridiculous story (you play as the President of the USA rescuing the country from his traitorous VP) and over-the-top voice acting. JP-only.

Remastered and localized for eighth-gen systems.

Midway-arcade-treasures-xbox-front-cover Midway Arcade Treasures Vol. 1, 2, & 3 Compilation A collection in three volumes for a total of 52 arcade games, including gems like Defender, Gauntlet, Joust, Paperboy, Rampage, Robotron 2084, Sinistar, Smash TV, Xybots, Hard Drivin', Pit Fighter, Mortal Kombat II, Primal Rage, Hydro Thunder, and San Francisco Rush 2049. That's some hardcore shit there.

See the complete listing here: vol.1, vol.2, and vol.3.

Also available on GameCube, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3.

Mortal-kombat-shaolin-monks-xbox-front-cover Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks Beat'em Up The PS2 era was a dark age for the Mortal Kombat franchise, with the games varying from mediocre to awlful. But a gleam of light existed in the form of Shaolin Monks, an awesome beat'em up which retells the events of the second game and features one of the best multiplayer experiences ever!

Also available on PlayStation 2.

Namco-museum-50th-anniversary-xbox-front-cover Namco Museum: 50th Anniversary Compilation A nice package of old-school gaming, with 16 arcade classics like Pac-Man, Galaga, Pole Position, Rolling Thunder, Rally-X, Bosconian, and Xevious.

Also available on GameCube, PlayStation 2, and PC.

Need-for-speed-underground-2-xbox-front-cover Need for Speed Underground 2 Racing A great throwback to the mid-2000s car tuner scene. You can customize basically every single element of the cars you own, which more than makes up for the fairly small roster. Gameplay is arcadey, but still holds up reasonably well.

Also available on GameCube, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, and PC.

Ninja-gaiden-black Ninja Gaiden Black

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Action Considered one of the best (and toughest) character action games of all time. The fixed camera angles take some getting used to, but the visuals, fight choreography, and boss battles are incredible. Ported to PS3/Vita with new content, but various performance issues.
Oddworldmunches Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee

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Platformer It's a 3D Oddworld, and one of the oldest Xbox titles. It has that Oddworld charm that everyone loves, but it kind of loses its vibe near the end. Still a worthy entry to the Oddworld series. Don't try playing it on the 360 though, the sound and visuals are fucked up.

Also available on PC, iOS, and Android. HD remake on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita.

Oddworld Strangers Wrath Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath First / Third-person Shooter Although this game is a far cry from its predecessors in terms of gameplay, it still retains the uniqueness that the Oddworld series has always had. You play as Stranger, a bounty hunter that is saving his money in order to have a mysterious operation preformed on himself. The gameplay is a blend of first and third person shooting, and adventure. Stranger has to hunt down various enemies using his cross bow that has ammunition that is literally living, with each type of ammo having a different set of abilities. Think Sadistic, first person, bounty hunting pikmin. The objective is to capture the main enemy alive, you can go all out and kill them, but you will receive less cash. This makes for a pretty original style of gameplay.

Also available on PC, iOS, and Android. HD remake on PC, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita.

Otogi1 Otogi: Myth of Demons Xbonelogo / Otogi 2: Immortal Warriors

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Action A pair of action-adventures starring an immortal samurai on a dark fantasy quest. Developed by FromSoftware. Notable for their highly-destructible environments and surprisingly good story. Otogi 2 has multiple playable characters.
Outrun 2006 Coast 2 Coast OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast Racing Definitive home version of OutRun 2, one of the best arcade-style racing games ever. Dreamlike visuals, ambiance, and soundtrack, with ultra-smooth handling and a plethora of modes. Induces trance-like states. Includes content from the OutRun 2 SP arcade release.

Also available on PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and PC.

04e949d48876dcbb54d34e214e7c84dd-Panzer Dragoon Orta Panzer Dragoon Orta

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Shooter Final entry in Sega's Moebius-inspired, arcade-style rail shooter, where you ride a dragon through gorgeous, otherworldly stages while facing off against tough enemies and bosses. Short, but highly replayable and visually entrancing. Includes the original Panzer Dragoon as an unlockable.
920341 59900 front Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie Action-Adventure / First-person Shooter That's right, a good movie tie-in! Made by Rayman/Beyond Good and Evil creator Michel Ancel. Apparently Peter Jackson liked BG&E so much he chose Michel's team to create the game!

Play in first person as Jack, or in third person as Kong himself. Really fun, really atmospheric and very faithful to the movie, with some great voice acting from the movie's cast. One of the first games to throw away the HUD and rely on visual/audio cues to let you know what's up. While it's short (4–6 hours) and could use a few more Kong levels it's a great game and worth checking out.

Also available on PC, PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Xbox 360.

Phantom crash Phantom Crash Mech Combat Nice unique mech sim with a Japanese flavour. Good times will be had customising.

Sequel available on PlayStation 2 is called S.L.A.I.

Phantom dust Phantom Dust Action Card-based combat game set in a dystopian world. Build your deck with spell cards and use them in real-time combat against rivals. A stylish and unique game that really shines in multiplayer, and earned itself a cult following.

Remastered for XB1/PC.

Prince of persia sands of time Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

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Platformer Classic re-imagining that kicked off the modern Prince of Persia series. An acrobatic action-platformer that lets you rewind time to correct mistakes. Charming and well-acted. Includes the original Prince of Persia as an unlockable.

Also available on GameCube, PlayStation 2, and PC.

Xbox pop2 Prince of Persia: Warrior Within Action Darker and moodier sequel, with improved combat but less-relevant platforming. Still very much worth a play.

Also available on GameCube, PlayStation 2, and PC.

Xbox pop3 Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones Action The conclusion to the trilogy rebalances the combat and platforming aspects with a light/dark system, but the story's confusing and plain dumb. The series continued on seventh-gen platforms.

Also available on GameCube, PlayStation 2, and PC.

PGR2 Xbox Project Gotham Racing / Project Gotham Racing 2 Racing Very solid pair of racing games that hit a balance between arcade and simulation style. Spiritual successors to Metropolis Street Racing on DC. Earn points in street races to customize your car and unlock new techniques. The sequel features deeper customization and new stages.
Psiopsxboxfront Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy Action Enjoyable action game where you use telekinetic powers to abuse the (at-the-time) pioneering ragdoll physics. Surprisingly very Japanese in tone.

Also available on GameCube and PlayStation 2,.

Psychonauts Xbox Psychonauts

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Platformer Quirky platforming adventure directed by Tim Schafer, of Day of the Tentacle and Grim Fandango fame. Unlock psychic powers, gather collectibles, and explore surreal stages inside people's subconscious minds. Not the best handling or pacing, but the humor and art direction largely make up for it.

Also available on PC and PlayStation 2.

Psyvar2box Psyvariar 2 Shmup One of the few shmups on the Xbox, Psyvariar 2 is still completely awesome despite being a big fish in a small pond. This vertical shooter has a unique "buzz" system where grazing bullets actually powers you up, has beautiful graphics and music that make Psyvariar 2 one of the more relaxing shooters despite being in the manic tradition. Well worth a play.

Also available on arcade, Dreamcast, and PlayStation 2.

5987548-the-punisher-xbox-front-cover The Punisher Third-person Shooter / Being a Badass Play as the baddest anti-hero ever. Shoot shit up with 15 different guns including a fucking awesome flame thrower. Awesome interrogation mode that lets you make an enemy's face interact with many different sharp objects(such as fan blades and buzz saws) to squeeze out info. The game makes you feel like a total badass the entire time. Also, it's made by the same guy's who made the Red Faction and Saint's Row games, so you know it's guaranteed to be fun.

Also available on PC and PlayStation 2.

Rsp2 Rallisport Challenge 2 Rally Racing One of the best off-road/rally racers in history. Stupid fun driving and a ton of tracks to race on.
Rayman-3-hoodlum-havoc-xbox-front-cover Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc Platformer / Action Rayman is back in the third major installment. Rayman has to stop André from taking over the world. This installment is more light-hearted compared to Rayman 2 and doesn't itself too serious, don't want be all DARK 'N EDGY in a children's game.

Also available on PC, GameCube, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation 3.

Raze's Hell Raze's Hell Third-person Shooter A peculiar third person shooter in which you play as an alien. Your people are being oppressed and slaughtered by a race of little cute things in colorful costumes, all because you're not cute enough, so Raze rises up to stop them. As non threatening as the enemies may look, the game can become surprisingly difficult at times. You pick up ammo from glowing plants, and regain health by sucking up the bloody chunks of fallen enemies.
Red-dead-revolver-xbox-front-cover Red Dead Revolver

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Shootan / Cowboyan Play as multiple Wild West characters and kill everyone. Multiple characters with different play-styles/weapons make for an interesting single-player and multiplayer experience. Make money and buy new weapons by playing well. Most likely the best Wild West game yet, along with its successor, Red Dead Redemption - unless you're super old and hold a torch for Lucasarts' Outlaws.

Also available on PlayStation 2.

Red-faction-ii-xbox-front-cover Red Faction II

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First-person Shooter Not as good as the first, but still a solid shooter. Multiplayer is awesome fun with a friend as games can last up to one hour.
The red star xbox The Red Star Action Fantastic, top-down arcade-action game with bullet hell and shoot-'em-up elements. Three playable characters and two-player co-op. Takes place in steampunk-fantasy Soviet Russia. Not actually released, but is available online as a full pre-cancellation beta.

Also available on PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable (official releases).

Second Sight xbox cover Second Sight Third-person Shooter / Psychic shit From those neat Brits at Free Radical comes Second Sight, a game in which you, John Vattic can pick up shit and toss shit with cool psychic powaz! This one probably won't cost you much. Also try Psi-Op's The Mindgate Conspiracy (PC/PS2/Xbox) if you like more psychic throwan and shit.

Also available on PC, PlayStation 2, GameCube.

Xbox yukikaze Sentō Yōsei Yukikaze (戦闘妖精・雪風) Flight-Sim Japanese-only Xbox exclusive based on a Japanese science-fiction novel/Anime series. It's basically the Xbox's equivalent of Ace Combat or the Wii's Sky Crawlers with a language barrier that's pretty easy to get past. Has a really nice atmosphere and decent music to boot.

Note: due to everybody using different romanization (ō=ou) it's really just easier to look up further info about the game with just Yukikaze.

SeriousSam Serious Sam First-person Shooter / Being a badass Are you some kind of nancy boy or something? This is Serious motherfucking Sam! It doesn't matter what the fuck you're shooting, it's gonna die one way or another. The story can get odd at times but honestly by the last level you truly feel like you've become a total indestructible killing machine. Recommended if you like the Doom series. Cut down a bit in the porting process.

Also available on PC. HD remake on PC and Xbox 360.

Shenmue2 front Shenmue II Adventure Sequel to the pioneering martial arts adventure on Dreamcast (only the XBox version was released in NA). Has all the detail, side-quests, RPG elements, and beat-'em-up encounters of the original, but with some truly tedious sections, and a mystical Chinese setting. Predecessor to Yakuza.

Remastered for PC and ninth-gen systems.

Piratesbitch Sid Meier's Pirates!

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Strategy Avast ye, salty dogs! The guy who made the Civilization games decided to make a strategy game involving mutherfucking pirates! Full of action and making you feel badass. One of the manliest games ever.

Also available on PC, Windows Phone, iOS, PlayStation Portable, and Wii.

SH2 xbox Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams Adventure One of the best survival horror games of all time. Heavily atmospheric, troubling and melancholy. Mostly revolves around puzzle-solving and exploration, and has multiple endings. This port includes extra content from the PS2 Greatest Hits re-release, but has minor graphical issues.
Silent-scope-complete-xbox-front-cover Silent Scope Complete Rail Shooter / Sniperan A compilation of the Silent Scope games that were released in arcades. Play as Falcon, the bad enough dude to save the President while armed with but a sniper rifle and Metal Gear references. A step-away from the usual rail shooter mantra, imagine every bit of sniper action in other games put into one solid bit of gameplay. Be prepared to cry when you miss that very final shot. The two sequels are all just as awesome.

Note: There exists an actual rifle just for the Silent Scope series for authentic arcade action, if you can find and purchase one.

The-simpsons-hit-and-run-50194.437083 The Simpsons Hit & Run Sandbox A Simpsonized version of GTA. Catches the feel of the show very well and is great fun. Lots of fan service with references to various episodes. The best Simpsons title since Konami's original Simpsons Arcade game, and way better than the semi-recent next-gen EA offering.

Also available on PC, PlayStation 2, and GameCube.

-The-Simpsons-Road-Rage-Xbox- The Simpsons Road Rage Arcade Racing / Crazy Taxi Clone A complete rip-off of Sega's Crazy Taxi series. Sega apparently agreed and sued Fox over it!

While not great it's still a fun little game and well worth playing, especially if you're a fan of the show.

Also available on PlayStation 2 and GameCube.

SniperElite xbox Sniper Elite Third-person Shooter Realistic sniping sim. Interesting take on WWII and the dawn of the Cold War and bullet-cam is just so very satisfying. Definitely one of the hidden gems of this generation.

Also available on PC, PlayStation 2, and Wii.

Sonic-mega-collection-xbox Sonic Mega Collection PLUS Platformer / Collection A great update of the GCN collection of all of Sonic's Game Gear/Genesis games with a few special guests. Better than the PS2 version because it doesn't slow down at times.

Also available on PC and PlayStation 2.

Soulcalibur-ii-xbox-front-cover Soul Calibur II 3D Fighting Often considered the high point of the 3D weapons fighting series, with an eight-way run system, a large roster, a dozen weapons for each character, a lengthy story mode, detailed character models and lavish stages. The comic book character Spawn is playable on the Xbox version. Holds up today as the most balanced and well-rounded SoulCalibur offering.

Also available on GameCube, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation 3.

Spider-man-2-xbox-front-cover Spider-Man 2 Action-Adventure The best open-world Spider-Man experience (at least until Spider-Man PS4). Adapted from the film of the same name but kinda doing its own thing, you get to play in a pretty impressive open-world Manhattan, with physics-based swinging gameplay that works really well, easy to learn but kind of hard to master, and lots of upgrades. The gameplay is most of the appeal of this game, but the story expands on the movie with new villains and arcs, and tons of side-content. It's a classic. Also the voice acting is hilarious. PIZZA TIME!

Also available on GameCube and PlayStation 2.

Spikeout SpikeOut: Battle Street Action The only console entry in Sega's arcade beat-'em-up series. Simple, tough, urban brawling with some anime flair.
11153-Splinter Cell Cover super Splinter Cell series

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Stealth Ubisoft's answer to Metal Gear Solid. You play as Sam Fisher, a black ops agent who's almost more motherfucking stealthy than Solid Snake, almost. All the games are really good, but Choas Theory considered is the best. Followed by the original, then Pandora Tomorrow, and finally Double Agent. You can't go wrong with any of games. The first game aside, the sequels have really good multiplayer games. Both competitive and Co-Op. They still works in System Link mode.

These Xbox versions are based on the PC original. The versions on PS2 and GameCube are different. Stories are the same, but levels have different enemy and item placements. They also have some additional extras. Performance is somewhat lowered.

Double Agent was also released on 7th gen consoles as well. The Xbox version is different but follows the same story. Its usually recommended over the 7th gen copies since its more similar to the first 3 games. Double Agent is getting harder to find now of days.

The first game is also the best option for softmodding your system through a save-game exploit.

Also available on PC, PlayStation 2, and GameCube. HD remakes on PlayStation 3.

A different version of Double Agent is also available on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Spongebob-squarepants-battle-for-bikini-bottom-xbox-front-cover SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Platformer / 3D An incredibly underrated platformer and one of the best out there. They got most of the cast from the show to reprise their roles (Minus Clancy Brown and a few others) And you go around solving missions to get golden spatulas (This game's equivelant to Power Stars) as you fight robots, defeat bosses, and go through levels full of platforming with FUCKING AWESOME music to back it up. If you're a fan of platformers, don't miss out on this one.

Also available on GameCube and PlayStation 2. Also has a remake on the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.

Ssx-tricky-xbox-front-cover SSX Tricky Sports This title brought "Uber" tricks, off-the-board aerial maneuvers, to snowboarding. Very non-linear level design with plenty of terrain variety combined with the excellent trick system made Tricky unique and fun as hell.

Also available on PlayStation 2 and GameCube.

Ssx3 SSX 3

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Sport Snowboardan gaem with an incredible soundtrack. Has a bit of an open world field to it, looked amazing for its time. Check it out if you have the chance.

Also available on PlayStation 2 and GameCube.

SWB2 xbox Star Wars: Battlefront 2

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First / Third-person Shooter / Action / Flight-Sim Fight in huge battles from the movies in either the Clone Wars or the Galactic Civil War. A surprisingly good shooter, with multiple classes who each have their own specialty. BF2 introduces new units (like the clone commander) and heroes, such as Boba Fett and Mace Windu. The heroes control great and can sway a match. Not to mention there's an added space combat mode which is fucking awesome.

Also available on PC, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable.

4034523-star-wars-jedi-knight-ii-jedi-outcast-xbox-front-cover Star Wars: Jedi Knight II - Jedi Outcast

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Action / Adventure / First-person Shooter Pretty good SW FPS with fun third-person lightsaber action.

Also available on PC, GameCube, PlayStation 4, and Switch

512163-jedi academy xbox large Star Wars: Jedi Knight - Jedi Academy

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Action / Adventure / First-person Shooter The final game in the Dark Forces/Jedi Knight series. In this game you don't play as Kyle Katarn, instead, you play as your own character with a few species to choose from, which is pretty cool. Otherwise, it plays like Jedi Knight II. Also, don't worry, Kyle's still in it.

Also available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Switch

Kotor xbox Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

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RPG A top 20 Star Wars game at best, largely overshadowed by its sequel, definitely not the best RPG of all time, not even close, unless it's the only RPG you ever played. KotOR is a somewhat engaging, arguably fun, and somewhat short WRPG with both classic and modern sensibilities set in the Star Wars universe 3,956 years before the original trilogy. This game set the way for games with the motif of good vs evil, light and black and no gray in-between unlike its vastly superior sequel made by a way better developer. Made by BioWare.

Also available on PC, iOS, and Android.

Star wars knights of the old republic 2 Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II - The Sith Lords

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RPG The sequel to BioWare's KotOR, The Sith Lords eclipses the original (probably because it was developed by Obisidan instead which was founded by ex-Interplay employees). Gameplay is vastly improved in all areas, and the story is not your cookie-cutter Star Wars story. Contains some of the best-written characters with infinitely more depth than the original. One of the best RPGs of all time. A must play and a classic that will be remembered for all time.

Also available on PC and Linux.

RepublicCommando Xbox Star Wars: Republic Commando

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First-person Shooter Interesting Star Wars game where you play as the bad guys. Features a squad-based system where you command teammates to perform specific tasks. Very enjoyable campaign, but mediocre multi-player.

Also available on PC and Switch.

Steelbattalion Steel Battalion Simulation The definitive mech combat simulator. Came with a proprietary controller (pictured) that really put you inside the cockpit. Unfortunately very expensive nowadays. A multi-player expansion was also released, and is still playable on XLink Kai.
Sfac xbox Street Fighter Anniversary Collection Fighter Includes the definitive and final iteration of Street Fighter 2 and Street Fighter III: Third Strike. Also comes with the Street Fighter II animated movie. DELICIOUS! But seriously its a great collection for any Xbox owner, so buy it if you love (or even just like) Street Fighter. You can't go wrong with this. Best if one does not want to muck around with Arcade emulators (which are worth it for you modded guys who haven't done it already, but anon digresses).

Also available on PlayStation 2.

Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse Stubbs the Zombie In Rebel Without A Pulse Action Silly action game where you play as a zombie with a host of corpse-based abilities and the power to "turn" hapless humans, eventually commanding a small army of the undead. Has a Happy Days-inspired, faux-fifties setting, and a great sense of humor.

Also available on PC and Switch.

256px-SuperMonkeyBallDeluxeBox Super Monkey Ball Deluxe Puzzle Ports of Super Monkey Ball 1 & 2 with some extra levels. Maneuver your monkey, who is trapped in a ball, to end the exit area. Its gets pretty hard. Even has some amazing minigames to enjoy, such as billiards, golf and flying. The controls aren't as precise as the originals.

Also available on PlayStation 2. Originals on GameCube.

Taito-legends-xbox-front-cover Taito Legends Vol. 1 & 2 Compilation Taito was one of the arcade giants back in the day, and here's 68 games to show you that! Among them you will find classics like Space Invaders, Jungle Hunt, Elevator Action, Rastan, The New Zealand Story, KiKi KaiKai, Gun Frontier, Metal Black, RayStorm, Darius Gaiden, and G-Darius.

Complete listing here and here.

Also available on PC and on PlayStation with a slightly different game list.

Xbox tenchu3v2 Tenchu: Return from Darkness Stealth Basically an expanded port of Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven on the PS2, the third game in the series of Ninja stealth assassination series. Has extra missions, better graphics and a few other extras. You can stab people to death with acupuncture needles. Enough said.

Also available on PlayStation Portable.

Test-drive-eve-of-destruction-xbox-front-cover Test Drive: Eve of Destruction Racing Very innovative gameplay compared to most racing games. Instead of driving pimped-out Civics and fast Ferrari's, you take control of rustbuckets and try to fuck up every other car in the race. Similar to the Burnout series in terms of demolition and car destruction. Has a ton of game modes from the classic demolition derby to the suicide race, which has two groups of cars going in opposite directions.

Also available on PlayStation 2.

Tetris worlds xbox Tetris Worlds Puzzle A Tetris game with a story-line (!?). Ignoring that odder than odd tid-bit, Tetris Worlds is classic Tetris you've come to expect, with many extra modes, nice backgrounds and visuals, online support, and enough extra shit to warrant whatever cheap price it is these days.

Also available on PC, PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance, and GameCube.

3141-1 Thief: Deadly Shadows Stealth Run around in the shadows sneaking past gaurds and stealing loot. Some mystical shit kicks in later in the story that depending on how easily you may scared may cause you to "NOPE" a lot.

Also available on PC.

Timesplitters2 xbox TimeSplitters 2

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First-person Shooter Spiritual successor to Goldeneye / Perfect Dark, but faster and with tons of content, challenges and game modes. One of the best FPS of the generation. Has a great single player and co-op campaign, incredible amount of challenge and arcade missions, tons and tons of levels and characters to unlock, a mapmaker mode, GOOD BOTS for multiplayer, and some great humor. You have no excuse to have never played this classic.Don't forget you can change the controls. The default scheme may feel a little odd. Oh and have fun finding dem easter eggs the devs put in.

Also available on PlayStation 2 and GameCube.

Timesplitters3 xbox TimeSplitters: Future Perfect

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First-person Shooter Although EA published this, it's still faithful to its predecessor. Once again, tons to do and unlock. You still can't jump. Campaign and mapmaker are more robust, and more weapons with more variety. Overall the game feels more polished than TS2 although loses a little of the atmosphere of its predecessor. Probably best to play TS2 before this in order to fully appreciate the little subtleties and the continued story…

Also available on PlayStation 2 and GameCube.

TOCA3 Xbox TOCA / V8 Supercars / DTM Race Driver 3 Sport Arguably the best touring car sim series of its time - Race Driver 3 builds upon that base with even more varied types of racing, from open-wheelers to auto-cross, hot-rods. Some would say the series lost focus as a result but arguably the engine improvements in this incarnation make up for it immensely.

Also available on PC, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and GameCube.

Lara-Croft-Tomb-Raider-Legend-(Xbox) Tomb Raider: Legend Action / Adventure A few years after the failure of Angel of Darkness the franchise was rebooted and Tomb Raider Legend was born. The story goes around Lara trying to gather fragments of an ancient sword. The game controls are now more intuitive and all-around better than previous entries, and it have some balanced doses of action, exploring, puzzle solving and platforming. It's a rather short game to finish, but you may still have missed a lot of secret artifacts.

Also available on PC, Xbox 360, GameCube, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and PlayStation 3 (included in Tomb Raider Trilogy).

Tonyhawk Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2X Sport One of the greatest extreme sports games, if not THE greatest, known for its easy to learn but hard to master gameplay and making a bunch of obese neckbeards try to take up skateboarding. This port has upgraded graphics, custom soundtracks (which you'll only use to put in Pro Skater 1's soundtrack if anything) not to mention the levels from Pro Skater 1 and some from Pro Skater 3 as unlockables as well.
4051470-tony-hawks-pro-skater-3-xbox-front-cover Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 Sports Pro Skater 3 is pretty good, the gameplay is a bit more classic compared to the recent games, and includes Darth Maul from Star Wars as an unlockable.

Also available on Nintendo 64, PC, GameCube, PlayStation, and PlayStation 2.

Tony-hawks-pro-skater-4-xbox-front-cover Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 Sports Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 is another great entry into the franchise. Instead of using a timer for each level, areas are able to be skated through freely. Objectives are placed throughout each level and can be accessed whenever you want. Nine levels in all, same as the previous game.

Also available on PC, GameCube, and PlayStation 2.

Tony-hawks-underground-xbox-front-cover Tony Hawk's Underground Sports Tony Hawk's Underground is rather different from the previous titles, in that it actually has a story that will make you want to punch your TV from one of the most irritating pricks in gaming ever. It's an excellent game, however, that plays really well. The sequel? Not so much.

Also available on PC, Xbox 360, GameCube, and PlayStation 2.

Tony-hawks-american-wasteland-xbox-front-cover Tony Hawk's American Wasteland Sports Remember all those weird and somewhat annoying additions to gameplay mechanics present in every game after 3? Well, they're not so annoying and actually useful here, although that makes the game a bit too easy. A first for the series, THAW is not level based and instead free-roaming, with said levels being substituted for missions. A lot of fun with it's superb character creation, decent soundtrack, and off the wall 80's punk vibe. Enjoying skating the shit out of a pseudo-Hollywood while listening to The Doors.

Also available on PC, GameCube, and PlayStation 2.

Topspin xbox Top Spin Sport Part of Microsoft's push into the sports game market under the XSN Sports banner, this game is arguably one of the best tennis sims of all time and ridiculously competitive in multiplayer. Once you've mastered "risk shots" this shit becomes incredible.

Also available on PC and PlayStation 2.

Ultimate-spider-man-xbox-front-cover Ultimate Spider-Man Action-Adventure The lesser known little brother and "unofficial sequel" to Spider-Man 2 (see above) which is a shame because it's kind of a hidden gem. It's still made by Treyarch but they did their own thing this time, inspired by the Ultimate Spider-Man series of comics. The game is gorgeous with its visual style straight out of a comic book, and the story is original. The gameplay is a continuation of the previous game, and it's still great. It's a little more kid-friendly so it's on the easier and shorter side but there's a lot of content. You also get to explore Queens in this one! And most of all: there's a whole side story where you get to play as Venom and fucking EAT people. Seriously, it's great. If you loved Spider-Man 2 and need more this is the game you want.

Also available on PC, PlayStation 2, and GameCube.

256px-Unrealchampionshipcover Unreal Championship First-person Shooter This game is so manly, it's like grinding testies and wolfs pelt into a sort of drink mix combined with shit dreams are made of...or something like that. The PC classic retooled for console. Anyway, a real good multiplayer FPS in general. But since LIVE is shut down, play it with friends or some shit. You'll love it if you're into those deathmatch type of FPS's. You'll have a blast.
Unrealchampionship2 Unreal Championship 2

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First / Third-person Shooter Hero Shooter An Xbox exclusive Unreal game that emphasized a focus on switching between first person and third person aiming modes and deadly melee combat. Each character has different stats and you can double jump, wall jump and use melee attacks to fly across the map along with a adrenaline meter that allows you to use the characters special abilities that increases based on the amount of opponents you kill. Features the Unreal Tournament announcer as well.
Voodoo Vince US front Voodoo Vince Platformer An overlooked Xbox exclusive platformer where you play as an ugly ass Voodoo doll. During the game you must hurt yourself to solve puzzles and beat bosses. If you like platformers and you like causing others pain, pick this one up.

Remaster available for Xbox One and PC

WarriorsFront The Warriors Beat-'Em-Up Awesome take on the events during and surrounding the cult classic gang movie from the 70's. Beat the shit out of anyone who crosses you, steal car stereos for money, and escape gangs that chase you as you make your way back to Coney Island after being framed for killing the leader of New York's largest gang.

Also available on PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable.

WhiplashXbox Whiplash Platformer You play as a weasel handcuffed to a bunny trying to escape the product testing lab where they were forced to have chemicals tested on them. What it lacks in innovative gameplay it makes up for tenfold in hilarious humor and pure fun.

Also available on PlayStation 2.

XIII Xbox XIII First-person Shooter Awesome James Bond style story where you play as a secret agent framed for murdering the president. It's presented with comic-book-style graphics and presentation. Team up with Adam West (yes, THAT Adam West), who actually played a big role in this game, as you try to regain your memory and clear your name. Each different level is super intense and it will keep you on the edge of your seat. Really fun multiplayer with bros (or bots for you ronery virgins).

Also available on the GameCube, PlayStation 2, PC, and Cell Phone. (Some multiplayer gametypes are exlusive to each system.)

Xbox xmenlegends X-Men Legends Action RPG Command the X-Men in an awesome squad-based real-time rpg. Everyone is unique, with tons of powers and abilities to upgrade and equipment to find. Tons of team combos.

Also available on PlayStation 2 and GameCube.

927388 66233 front X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse Action RPG Same deal as the first game, but now you team up with the Brotherhood, which essentially doubles the roster of characters.

Also available on PC, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and GameCube.

919560 48333 front Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dawn of Destiny Card Games Pretty hefty Yu-Gi-Oh! game for the Xbox, has a nice amount of cards, and like every Yu-Gi-oh! game, you build your shit up until it's good enough to wreck opponents left and right through dueling prizes and such. If you like Yu-Gi-Oh! and have an Xbox, get this shit.

Recommendation copypasta[]


Sixth Generation
Consoles Sega Dreamcast - Nintendo Gamecube - VM Labs Nuon - Sony PlayStation 2 - VTech V.Smile - Microsoft Xbox
Handhelds Nintendo Game Boy Advance - Game Park GP32 - Nokia N-Gage - Nintendo Pokémon Mini - Bandai WonderSwan - Tapwave Zodiac