Console of the Month (April 2022): XBox 360

[alienjesus]

Hi everyone,

Somehow we've made it to April, so it's time for the next entry in Console of the Month. So far we've covered a Sega console, a Sony console and a Nintendo console, so it's time to look at the last of the 'big 4' console manufacturers - Microsoft. After going old-school with the Game Boy last month, we'll be going to something reasonably more modern with the XBox 360, Microsofts gen 6 competitor to the Nintendo Wii and PlayStation 3. Only relatively modern mind - the system launched in 2005, meaning it's almost 17 years old now

XBox 360 is Microsoft's most successful system to date - selling 84 million units worldwide, thanks to it's pricing compared to Sony's competition, and it's relative ease of development meaning it was often the lead platform for HD games that generation. It also helped to usher in the rise of online gaming perhaps more than any other console - it wasn't the first, but was perhaps the first to really popularise it amongst a high proportion of the user base.

Feel free to discuss your thoughts on the system here. Did you get a red ring of death (or more than one)? Did you own one at the time? Any hidden gems worth playing? Did you buy into the Kinect hype? Whatever you want to discuss related to the 360, here's a great place to do it!

[dsheinem]

One thing worth mentioning about the 360 is that it is probably the all-time best shmup console. Most of Cave's best stuff is available in NA (or via a region-free release), and there was a constant stream of new shmup releases and shmup remasters coming out for sale digitally for the system. Here's a fairly decent (if not entirely comprehensive) list of games in the genre that were available for the system (it misses some stuff that is available in compilations, for example).

https://www.giantbomb.com/profile/jayc/ ... ups/56970/

There are certainly consoles with more shmups (the PCE/PCE-CD comes to mind), but the quality and range of titles that are available on the 360 and that were ported specifically to that console is still, I think, quite impressive.

I don't think I have need for this, but the holy grail of 360 shmup releases is also one of the coolest video game box sets ever - the Cave Shooting Collection: https://www.genkivideogames.com/cave-sh ... b00ae12r1k

[ZRofel]

I always forget how many import shmups I own for the 360. It really was an excellent console for importing (since region settings were typically on the software side, not the hardware side), but it's not one that I tend to think about that way.

The 360 was my workhorse console through that generation, but I'll be honest, it's not one that I think of as having much "personality", whatever that means. I had a PS3 and a Wii (and later Wii U) that I tended to use for all the unique, quirkier games, while the 360 was the console I typically used for all AAA, multi-platform titles. Don't get me wrong, I have a decent sized 360 collection, and I played a lot of great games on it. But I guess in my mind the original Xbox felt like a successor to Sega's brand of consoles in a lot of ways (quirky, edgy in a kind of immature way, and not always incredibly well thought out), while the 360 definitely feels like a Microsoft device (functional, reliable, but utterly generic). But, as I observed above, it clearly had a more interesting import library than I tend to give it credit for. I think it really is just a perception issue, since while I did enjoy CAVE's output on the system, by pure volume I played way more titles that were PC ports or multi-platform titles.

I never really used Xbox Live and I only really downloaded a handful of digital games like Castle Crashers and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game, that I couldn't get physically anywhere. My original white console did red ring after a number of years, but I replaced it some time later with one of the slim models that is still chugging along to this day. I will say, the 360 is, in some ways, one of my favorite consoles to collect for presently. It's massive success in the U.S. means tons of people had it, and thus most games had huge print runs and significant exposure. Which means that most stuff is still fairly easy to find and affordable (outside of the aforementioned import shmups), so whenever I stumble across a new game that sounds interesting, I can usually add it to the collection without a lot of hassle. And 360 games are still pretty easy to find at thrift stores and yard sales, which is fun.

[SpaceBooger]

I almost skipped this generation. My first two kids were born in 2008 & 2009, I had the Wii but focused my money on my 2007 wedding and family and just stuck with my Wii and was catching up on the GameCube games I missed (I didn't have a GC until the backward compatibility of the Wii). I ended up getting a PS3 around 2009-10 but never got the 360. Not being a fan of FPS there were not too many exclusives on that system and the free PSN kept me away. Since we now have an XBONE I have slowly collected a few 360 titles.
This generation seemed too similar to me, an outsider just barely paying attention, that I almost skipped the whole thing... I am excited to read this thread to see what I missed out on and I hope it doesn't start a new collection spree for me.

[Anapan]

It's genetically prone to failure, all models differ. I've had three fail and always swore to get back my money through modification. I had a slightly successful mod work in an early mod on a gen.2. It could boot burns but it was flaky. It died.
I don't like its interface, and I despise its embedded ads.
I have a stockpile of working 360s that I will systematically experiment on until I can successfully block in-game ads on billboards inside the game while still playing online.
I have a couple of large Ziploc bags full of the most insidious looking probing tools. I aim to zap the 360s brain to find out which horrible signal feedback it hates the most and I will permanently install this so I never have to deal with the shit interface Microsoft installed on it.
I will make it play games off a SATA drive hanging out of the top hard-drive port.
I only care to play the games I bought digitally. It's not possible for some of them to boot right now. Not an easy fix, but a vendetta I will win. I have all the mod hardware and a grudge.

[lwcook]

It's genetically prone to failure, all models differ. I've had three fail and always swore to get back my money through modification. I had a slightly successful mod work in an early mod on a gen.2. It could boot burns but it was flaky. It died.
I don't like its interface, and I despise its embedded ads.
I have a stockpile of working 360s that I will systematically experiment on until I can successfully block in-game ads on billboards inside the game while still playing online.
I have a couple of large Ziploc bags full of the most insidious looking probing tools. I aim to zap the 360s brain to find out which horrible signal feedback it hates the most and I will permanently install this so I never have to deal with the shit interface Microsoft installed on it.
I will make it play games off a SATA drive hanging out of the top hard-drive port.
I only care to play the games I bought digitally. It's not possible for some of them to boot right now. Not an easy fix, but a vendetta I will win. I have all the mod hardware and a grudge.

Definitely RGH mod it, slap Aurora dash as default on it, load it up with all the games on a big SATA drive, and never deal with the MS ecosystem again. So much better once you bypass all of it.

[Gucci]

I’m copping out and being lazy here: below is a copy and paste job from my post on Ziggy’s 360 thread but maybe it’ll spark conversation. One thing I’ll say differently, or at least emphasize more here, is that BC is a big part of the Xbox ethos now. There’s a shit ton of games you can buy physically and digitally that can be played on the following two generations after the 360 era. So when hunting for games, I’d recommend cross referencing lists on BC games to see if the game your buying can be played on a console you plan on picking up in the future,

The Xbox 360 is up there as my favorite home console to date, and by extension, so is the One.
I haven’t read everything here but i wanted to throw some information out there for you that could be useful.

Most of the games you buy digitally on the 360 are transferable to the One and Series in the future so if you are not opposed to buying digital, at least of you buy it now, you have it as part of a starting library for the next two consoles in the future (under normal circumstances).

Sonic games are huge on the Xbox family of consoles. You have access to Sonic 1-3, CD, Knuckles, the two Adventure games (the enhanced GC versions are via DLC), and Generations. If you like strategy games, XCOM Enemy Within is an option. Sticking with strategy games, the two Toy Soldiers games are RTS games that resemble the old school table top games where the first game is modeled after WWII (i think) and the second is Cold War era.

Microsoft did this Summer of Arcade thing during the console’s hay day with digital games: ‘Splosion Man is an oddball take on a platformer where jumping and attacking are relegated to you actually exploding. The sequel Ms. ‘Splosion Man is good too. Shadow Complex came out of that program too. It’s a great take on the Metroidvania formula in 2.5D. Trials HD is another one where it’Ll test your precision with those triggers. Get the sequel Evolutions too.

All three Geometry Wars games are excellent with the last one being my favorite for the sheer variety. If you have a hard time finding a physical copy of the Orange Box, get the digital version of the first Portal. It has extra content not available on the Orange Box. Portal 2 is another recommendation. Ninja Gaiden Black on the oXbox is available with the second game an easy recommendation. Stay away from the third entry. It is not great.

The physical versions of Ikaruga is quite expensive. Thankfully the digital version is not. All three games of the Dead Space series are recommended even though the last entry is the weakest one where they went too hard on the action and left horror behind. There’s Dead Space Ignition which is a puzzle game set between DS 1 and 2 and there’s a six episode short that you can download for free where it covers the events before DS 1 (you should find this under trailers for the first game in the marketplace).

That’s all i got for now. I can write another two posts this long but I don’t wanna get carried away.

[PretentiousHipster]

Hot take: the kinect sports games and kinect adventures were decent and a fun way to work out.

I will be going through more of the console soon. I tried out blue dragon which has fantastic graphics, but it's making me realize that turn based JRPGs might not be for me. I think there is a snoop game for it as well?

The best part is that now these games are dirt cheap. I own maybe 70 360 games and spent around $50 for them. Just a few weeks ago a video game store was having a "buy 1 get 2 free" sale for 360 games.

Also, playing Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts. Easily one of my favourite games.

[Gucci]

Don't forget the two N64 Banjo games, with the elusive Stop 'n' Swop secret implemented. Highly recommended!

[fuctfuct]

360 is my fave console right now. Games are currently very cheap too.

I'm literally playing Dante's Inferno ATM. I got it for $4 CAD. Playing it on a Slim E console that I got for $35 CAD complete in box. I retired my old Falcon phat 360.