Let's take a moment to talk about the original Xbox.

[CD AGES]

Are there any exclusive anthology / collection releases for the Xbox? I'm always going to go with PS2 in those cases, but not sure if there's unique ones to the system.

I only know of Tecmo Arcade Classics.

And i'm usually more prone to go for the OXBOX ports for compilations. They tend to run a bit better than PS2 versions.

[retrosportsgamer]

I want to say the Taito ones may be slightly different from ps2 also (I know 2 did not come out here on Xbox, only ps2), but otherwise Tecmo is the big one.

[Exhuminator]

Wow, Battlegrounds 2 is going for a lot online, but I'm pretty sure I just saw it at the Vintage Stock I hit up for like $5-15, somewhere in that range. Is this game fun solo?

I think you're talking about SW Battlefront 2? I imagine it's fun solo. I beat it on Xbox via co-op splitscreen with someone else many years ago. We had a lot of fun doing that. I'm not sure what it would be like single player... it might still rock. Never messed with the SW Battlefront stuff online, but I knew a guy who was straight up addicted to it.

>Also saw Republic Commando I think for $17.99 or something.

As far as tactical FPS challenge goes, it's really good at that. Granted I played the PC version so the AI might be better on PC. The game kind of just ends out of nowhere though, so don't go in hoping for a good SW story or whatever.

>I was on the lookout for Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth

The Xbox version of that game is extraordinarily expensive, even used. If you can find it on Xbox cheap go for it. Even if you don't like it, you'll turn a profit selling it.

>Maybe I'll just get Obscure 2 sometime then and go backwards if I enjoy it.

If you enjoy those campy horror movies where teenagers get killed in gruesome ways, you'll probably enjoy Obscure II. I beat it co-op and it was pretty good. It's 7/10 kinda material though. That was one I beat on PS2 btw, but the Xbox version is probably fine.

>Is Instincts different and better than those?

I don't know, I didn't play the 360 sequel or whatever that was. I was really impressed with what Far Cry Instincts did on the OG Xbox though. Incredible graphics and great gunplay. HOWEVER there are mutants that show up later in the game, and they kind of are annoying. But it's nowhere near as bad as the Trigen were. I mean the game was made by Ubisoft Montreal, not Crytek.

>I'm guessing Instincts is a bit more linear.

Yes it's quite linear. The levels have room to explore, but it's not an open world game. Far Cry Instincts Evolution is basically an expansion pack to it.

>I remember when Project: Snowblind

It's not super great, but it's not super bad. It's pretty OK if you're into sci-fi shooters. I beat it on PC (should have done PS2) and I thought it had some decent moments. You get some cool gadgets and the gunplay gets frenetic at times... but the story is junk. The PC version is glitchy as hell and crashed very often.

One more time I want to stress getting this:

It's the best FPS on Xbox, and is one of the funnest FPS games I've ever played period.

Other Xbox exclusives you should get if you haven't yet:

Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge (pretty fun flight combat)
Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes (very solid hack'n'slash dungeon crawler)
Gungriffon Allied Strike (if you like mech games)
Gunvalkyrie (very unique third person shooter)
Kakuto Chojin: Back Alley Brutal (underrated fighter)
Metal Wolf Chaos (it's an import though)
Ninja Gaiden Black (not an exclusive but I think OG Xbox version is best)
Panzer Dragon Orta (amazing graphics)
Phantom Crash (if you like mechs)
Phantom Dust (truly unique game with great graphics)
Quantum Redshift (fun future racer)
Spikeout: Battle Street (beat 'em up)
Steel Battalion (if you like mechs and spending lots of money)
Tao Feng: Fist of the Lotus (underrated fighter)
Unreal Championship 2: The Liandri Conflict (one of the best arena shooters ever, even against bots)

Also if you enjoy mech games, the Xbox version of this is worth nabbing:

Yeah I like the ol' Xbox a little bit.

[prfsnl_gmr]

Are there any exclusive anthology / collection releases for the Xbox? I'm always going to go with PS2 in those cases, but not sure if there's unique ones to the system.

Yes. There is a Tecmo compilation that is Exclusive to the Xbox. Also, the second Taito compilation on the Xbox has some games that are not available on its PS2 counterpart (and vice versa), including Cadash and Raystorm. Taito Legends Volume 2 was not released for the Xbox in North America, but it is region-free. Accordingly, if you are interested in it, you will have to import it.

[Xeogred]

Yeah that's two votes on that Tecmo compilation, and it looks awesome.

Exhum: I'll make Black a priority.

I'm a big fan of the old Rainbow Six games, so I bet I'd really dig Republic Commando. I'll definitely give Far Cry Instincts a shot. I AM a fan of mech games, heh. Looks like the Xbox has a good chunk of them.

Ninja Gaiden Black is the best version of Xbox Ninja Gaiden for sure. I hate Sigma, more loading times, screen tearing, and the Rachel segments were super bad.

A lot of those you listed I just saw in one of MetalJesus' videos haha.

Is Breakdown a weird survival styled game? Like you're in the middle of some natural disaster or something. Seeing clips of the player throwing up in first person looks familiar, but maybe I'm mixing this up with another weird obscure game I'm trying to recall.

EDIT: I might be thinking of Disaster Report... which I guess is not first person.

One random nitpick, why were gamers so harsh on the physical cases and games this gen? Maybe there's bound to be some 360/PS3/etc garbage cases piling up in the future, but I've noticed this a lot more with the PS2/Xbox/Wii era. I don't really care if the manual is missing, but it definitely bugs me if you end up with some ugly case or ones that have stickers plastered all over the damn thing.

[Exhuminator]

Exhum: I'll make Black a priority.

It'll be fun to read your opinion of it.

I'm a big fan of the old Rainbow Six games, so I bet I'd really dig Republic Commando.

It's not that hardcore. You command your squad in real time using simple commands, mostly telling them where to hold position or advance. The game does get tough later on, it's the most intense Star Wars game I've ever beat insofar as actual challenge.

If you're looking for great realistic tactical combat games on Xbox, these are your best bet:

You've also got Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2: Summit Strike, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3: Black Arrow, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Lockdown, and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Critical Hour... all on le OG Xbox.

I AM a fan of mech games, heh. Looks like the Xbox has a good chunk of them.

Aside from the ones I mentioned before (Gungriffon Allied Strike, Phantom Crash, Metal Wolf Chaos, Steel Battalion, Battle Engine Aquilia), Xbox also has:

Gun Metal
MechAssault
MechAssault 2
Metal Arms: Glitch In The System
Murakumo: Renegade Mech Pursuit
Robotech: Battlecry
Robotech: Invasion
Steel Battalion: Line of Contact

Is Breakdown a weird survival styled game?

Not really. From Wikipedia: Although Breakdown is a first-person action game, it integrates elements of a fighting game and uses auto-lock for shooting enemies. The viewpoint is always the player's, and interaction with objects is realistic: ammunition is picked up by looking down and grabbing it (instead of walking over it), doors are opened by grabbing the handle, key cards used by swiping them over a scanner and ladders climbed by using one's arms. Health and energy are replenished by consuming energy bars and sodas.

Breakdown is like a first person beat 'em up, but it also has guns. It's a really unique experience. There are monsters and creepy environments at times which leads to the survival horror aspect, but sometimes you're just fighting humans in normal environs as well. If you can get good at it, you'll feel like a real badass. I've never played anything else quite like Breakdown. It was the reason I bought an Xbox actually.

Breakdown's E3 trailer:

>EDIT: I might be thinking of Disaster Report... which I guess is not first person.

I can see how your brain made that relation, but the games play quite differently.

>One random nitpick, why were gamers so harsh on the physical cases and games this gen?

Because most gamers see gaming as a throwaway "whatever's hot at the moment" hobby. They have no incentive to take care of their gaming materials because as soon as they're done with the game, it's junk to them. Collectors who try to archive games and take pristine care of them for posterity's sake are a real rarity, unfortunately. That's true today as much as it was during the OG Xbox's era I think.

>it definitely bugs me if you end up with some ugly case
>or ones that have stickers plastered all over the damn thing.

I'll admit stickers are more prevalent from that era, because the OG Xbox existed during an age where game rentals were still a big thing. And we all know that rental stores were notorious for plastering stickers all over the cases and even the discs themselves.

Here's an Xbox hidden gem that not too many people know about:

GameFAQs: Step into the shoes of Magnus Tide, a young fighter pilot who must defend his home and way of life from enemies. Your fighter ship--the Sagittarius--can fire a variety of weapons and switch between hover and jet modes. The ship's maneuvering capabilities allow you to dive into canyons, soar over mountains, and explore different landscapes. Equally advanced are the enemy ships, which range from agile fighters to larger battleships and carriers.

If you enjoy space ship combat, it's worth getting. It also came out on PC, but no other consoles got it other than Xbox.

[samsonlonghair]

One random nitpick, why were gamers so harsh on the physical cases and games this gen? Maybe there's bound to be some 360/PS3/etc garbage cases piling up in the future, but I've noticed this a lot more with the PS2/Xbox/Wii era. I don't really care if the manual is missing, but it definitely bugs me if you end up with some ugly case or ones that have stickers plastered all over the damn thing.

I'd call that the Gamestop effect.

I remember in high school I had an acquaintance who kept all his Playstation and XBOX games in a big ol' CD binder. I asked him where he kept his cases and manuals.

"Oh, I just throw 'em out after I buy the game. Who keeps that crap anyway?"

[Xeogred]

Haha, I knew a few people who had CD binders for games too. But I don't know if they threw away the cases like that... yikes. Admittedly that was so cool to me being able to carry so many games at the time, grew up a Nintendo kid so CD consoles were always this weird cool unique thing to me growing up haha.

Exhuminator: I recall checking out one of the Full Spectrum Warrior games out at a friends. Weren't they on the 360 too though? Might be mixing them up with something else.

I got a laugh out of the Tom Clancy listing, but seriously I think I'll have to grab all those Rainbow Six games. I'm so bummed the new one is multiplayer only, ugh. I thought the new Vegas games were cool, but they were nowhere near as tactical and cool as the earlier titles.

I listed owning MechAssault earlier, but had no idea the game had a sequel. Picked that one up, looking forward to it. I thought the first game was a blast. Those Robotech games rocked, I'll have to grab them.

Good call on rental stores being a bigger thing in the PS2/Xbox/GC era. Also I guess I can recall there being way more trade in stores here too back then, back before Gamestop killed everything. Sigh, I miss those options.

Does anyone know if the Xbox Splashdown is different than the PS2 one? This is like the most hyped up Metal Jesus game I've ever seen lol, but I think he always covers the PS2 version. I didn't know there was an Xbox one until I saw it on Amazon. They have completely different covers, so I'm not sure if they differ or not.

EDIT: I seriously can't believe how cheap 90% of this stuff is on Amazon. While I'm sure that's for like case-less listings, it really seems like I should be able to hit up Vintage Stock or some other stores and find most of these for dollars. Well, I guess like me last year, hopefully some people keep hating on the Xbox so I can scoop up a bunch of good deals while nobody is looking.

Do you guys recommend any of the Need For Speed's?

[Exhuminator]

I recall checking out one of the Full Spectrum Warrior games out at a friends. Weren't they on the 360 too though?

Nope. They were released for Xbox, PS2, and PC. IIRC Xbox was the lead development platform. They are made by Pandemic. Pandemic also made SW Battlefront 2. Pandemic knew what they were doing and any game you see by them is worth nabbing.

I got a laugh out of the Tom Clancy listing

The Ghost Recon 2 games on Xbox are third person shooters, but tactical enough to be worth playing IMO.

I listed owning MechAssault earlier, but had no idea the game had a sequel.

As someone who finished both MechAssaults on Xbox, I can tell you assuredly that MechAssault 2 kicks the shit out of MechAssault. It's a far better game, a superior sequel. There's also a MechAssault game on DS: http://img.gamefaqs.net/box/6/0/7/73607_front.jpg

Does anyone know if the Xbox Splashdown is different than the PS2 one?

They are the same game, just different covers. The Xbox version has the edge graphically of course. If you want a good jetski game on Xbox I suggest this one though:

http://img.gamefaqs.net/box/6/4/3/53643_front.jpg

It's actually an Xbox exclusive built for the platform.

I seriously can't believe how cheap 90% of this stuff is on Amazon.

Yes most Xbox games didn't hold their value at all. Part of the reason I have about 250 is because when I was collecting them in 2007 and 2008, I could buy most of the games brand new in box for under $10 off Amazon and eBay.

[Xeogred]

How many of those 250 are beat?

Not sure if you saw my edit, but any of the Need For Speed games worth checking out? I guess I have Sega GT with that JSRF double package. Maybe there's some other good racers though.

I should probably calm down though, don't want to drown myself.

Definitely have any easy 20-30 some games I want to get now though for sure. I guess this is what happens when you bust out a console that's been stored away for over a decade. It's like brand new all over again!