This weekend we're gonna break out the goliath powerhouse from 2002... welcome, Xbox! It's loud, brash and chunky... and it had a remarkably good gaming library.
Most of my pals and work colleagues had migrated to PS2 by the time of the Xbox arrival. I had stuck with my PS1 since it launched back in 1995 but the Xbox had gotten me excited and, swooshing past the PS2 and GameCube, I picked up the new translucent green Xbox in May 2003. Boy, it felt powerful! An actual hard drive in a games console! Loading up Splinter Cell and seeing the god rays shining through the warehouse was an astounding moment.
In the subsequent years I gradually expanded my game collection, particularly during 2005 and 2006 when the 360 had launched and original Xbox games gained some huge price reductions. Time may have blurred the polygons of original Xbox games but most remain fun to play. Lets take a look!
The collection!Can you spot the oddity here? Clue... something is missing... FORE!
Tiger Woods 2004 doesn't have the Xbox logo on the spine... I wonder if this printing error was corrected or if they're all like this?A few favourites!Burnout 2 was the first title that I picked up for my Xbox... and I loved it! I much preferred playing the Crash Zone mode rather than the main racing game; the rush of race-crash-damage score was incredibly addictive. I like the style and sound of the game; it fits together so well. Everyone has a different opinion on their favourite Burnout game but for me, 2 remains the ultimate version!
Stubbs the Zombie: Rebel Without A Pulse gained fame for being produced using the Halo game engine and it's a funny, unusual game. Few Xbox games are "rare" or "valuable" but Stubbs is one of those that remains quite sought after.
Oh boy, this is Sega at their best! The attraction sequence - visually and aurally - is just sensational.
Understand, understand! Understand, understand! Understand, understand... the concept of love! Jet Set Radio Future is a real gaming rush. That's why I'm break-dancing in this picture
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It was incredible to see a role-playing game as vast and detailed as
The Elder Scrolls: Morrowind on a console. This Game of the Year edition also included the DLC that was available.
I had played
Star Wars: Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast on the PC but, having got the Xbox, I wanted to play it on that, too. This version is a decent port; not quite up to the PC standard but still swift and fun. It remains one of my favourite Star Wars games!
The Warriors was a later release for the Xbox and it stands out for having graphics and sound that is faithful to the style of the film. It's quite ambitious in terms of the number of large characters on-screen and it remains an unusal title in Rockstar's gaming credits.
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I hope you enjoyed this look back at the mighty Xbox. In a future Weekender I may share a few pics of the hardware... so size! Much lush!