Thinking about getting an original X-Box..worth it?

[Never_Scurred]

The Xbox is region free or nah?
When I did have one, there didn't seem to be anything worth importing at the time, but I was a different person back then.

[Ed Oscuro]

The Xbox is region free or nah?
When I did have one, there didn't seem to be anything worth importing at the time, but I was a different person back then.

It's not region free, though some games are. Don't know much about details. Unfortunately I haven't found a good list of region-free games, besides this which only seems to list NTSC/U releases anyway (and is so of no use unless importing to NTSC/J).

I've been spending a ton of time on the original X-Box lately. Funny how modding a system brings back the appeal of said system I've had for 12+ years. Besides the stuff already mentioned:

Nightfire - Still the most solid Bond FPS since Goldeneye and TWINE.
Enclave - Brutally hard TPS? Check.

Enclave is on PC and should be roughly similar there, if not improved. Nightfire, it's worth mentioning, got a very different PC release (which is hard to run well these days, sadly). Arx Fatalis is also on PC and I'd say that is likely to be the preferred platform as well.

PsiOps: The Mindgate Conspiracy - Tragically overlooked TPS. Needs a follow up.

This is one of the Midway releases that did little for me, but YMMV. I hated Edgar and his flashbacks, but as other people noted, watching his hair styles change was a nice touch to distract from the constant whiplash of constantly being pulled back into the past. Area 51 and the two The Suffering games are roughly similar in quality and content. All have been available at one time or another for free on PC (the US Air Force, strangely, had a promotion on that.)

There were some legal proceedings about Psi-Ops in particular, too:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midway_Gam ... tcy_filing

[lilmanjs]

Since I thought I bought the wrong system since I'm like wanting shmups out the ass, I found in my time of owning an xbox that its worth it. Both Project Gotham Racing games are worth having. Even if PGR1 plays more like the Metropolis Street Racer Dreamcast game, they both are worth having an xbox for. Everything else I've not really played that's been mentioned, but xbox version of Burnout 2 has some extras not found in the other versions. Black was multi-platform, but I've had a ball with it, and going through it again on a harder setting. No real reason in owning the first Forza game, but it has point to point races in it which are quite fun to do. Rallisport Challenge 2 is an exclusive that is a must have. Ohh man, I've beaten that game a few times. What is different about Ninja Gaiden Black than the original? I've got the original xbox version and am curious.

[D]

Panzer Dragoon looks glorious

Spikeout is an extremely underrated 60FPS, 480p & widescreen hardcore arcade brawler. It's extremely difficult, yet versatile.

c2c is much better looking than any of the ps2 versions. It kind of blows the mind how much underpowered the ps2 is for these games.

Get the Outrun2 Japenese release for better bonus Scud Race tracks than the Western versions.

Haven't played Amped 2 that much yet, but it looks and plays great and in 720p and it looks like a ps3/360 game.

Shame the US Xbox got only the first Mashed game, but I doubt you can go wrong with any Mashed.

Get the second one. It plays great in 480p.
It's called 'Drive to Survive'
http://www.gamefaqs.com/xbox/926180-dri ... rvive/data
It might just be the best single screen (no split screen) 4 player game on any system!!! Everybody who plays it, falls in love with it.

As for shmups. Are there only these bullet scraping ports?
-Psyvariar II
-Shikigami No Shiro
-Shikigami No Shiro II
So not much shmup love on the ox, then?

In short, get an oxbox because it is without a doubt the cheapest console you can get right now. It does not have 100's of great games like the ps2, but it will have enough to warrant a buy.
The only thing expensive is the official HD Advanced pack, component cables. If you buy 3rd party you will soon find out you should have gotten an official microsoft component cable, which you will then cursing.

That also goes for any console 3rd party cable. There are no good ones.

[Ed Oscuro]

Great post D, I will look into some of that stuff when I get the chance! I never took a gamble with the third party component box - the Monster Cable version, this one, has a few possible disadvantages over the original: Possibly flimsy construction. TOSLINK optical connections need to be connected to the cable via a dongle, a dumb design, especially if reliability is a problem. Finally, it was apparently more expensive than the first-party product originally.

The official Microsoft XBox High Definition AV Pack has a variant: this. From what I understand, it differs from the original in that there's no box to disconnect cables from. The original version is this, and you can use the component/rgb cables (any cables probably will do, I just bought a relatively expensive and inflexible one just because but don't believe cable hype) to plug into the box. I don't think there's any disadvantage to the newer all-in-one version; in fact it's probably better because you're not only forgoing the extra connection and cable length, but it's just simply more durable. Who needs a loose male-to-male component cable, anyway?

What is different about Ninja Gaiden Black than the original? I've got the original xbox version and am curious.

Me too. Black has a (reportedly) slightly tougher default difficulty mode, Ninja Dog and Master Ninja difficulties, and all the content of the Hurricane Packs (which you can't get anymore, of course) is right there. It makes me feel psuedo-nostalgia sometimes for the changes I didn't notice. The camera control in Black just feels pretty good; I'm having a hard time imagining the game without it now (not that players can't cope).

I originally played through most of the game, back in the day, on the original version. I got to that field of flowers boss fight which I assume was very close to the endgame, and just ended up drifting off to other things. More recently I've played a bit of Black, and while it's definitely possible to get torn up with ease and enemies will block skillfully, I don't feel like it's too tough, or tiring to play with the enemies blocking a lot. It probably just expects you to play a bit better. I'm still in Tairon, though, so maybe that difficulty bump makes some things like the waterways boss much harder.

[neorocker]

a friend of mine is tossing their original XBox my way and this thread is full of useful information. thanks all!

[FRO]

Not only is the Xbox cheap to pick up these days, but they're relatively easy to mod, and a fair bit of great exclusives. I'll echo the one post that mentioned Crimson Skies - great game. Also, I'll throw even more love at Panzer Dragoon Orta, it's fabulous. It's also super cheap to collect for right now. I've been buying CIB PS2 and Xbox games at a pawn shop not too far from me for $2 a piece, and picking up some cool stuff like Nightcaster, Indigo Prophecy (aka Farenheit), The Thing, Brute Force, Advent Rising, a ton of racing games, etc. Great stuff, and connected to a modern TV via component, it still looks pretty good as well.

[broken harbour]

Nobody has mentioned Dreamfall - very interesting adventure game, moves kinda slow but the story is interesting, and it has a creepy talking stuffed purple gorilla.

Also Knights of the Old Republic... If you're into pseudo-rpg's.

Chronicles of Riddick - Escape from Butcher Bay blew my little mind back in 2004 or whenever it came out.

All the Timesplitters games are good.

The first Spyhunter game, the one without the Rock in it is quite underrated as well.

*** Also, my neighbor has a Modded Xbox and he's got MAME on it, so maybe its a cheap way to get MAME on your living room TV.

[HydrogLox]

the Monster Cable version, this one, has a few possible disadvantages over the original: Possibly flimsy construction. TOSLINK optical connections need to be connected to the cable via a dongle, a dumb design, especially if reliability is a problem. Finally, it was apparently more expensive than the first-party product originally.

The Monster Cable version isn't flimsy - in fact it's so "sturdy" that its stiffness can become a problem when you are trying to route the cable. It is most definitely overpriced - I seem to recall an MSRP of $70. The biggest problem are the ridiculously stiff gold-plated RCA connectors. On most consumer displays the component RCA sockets aren't mounted with a massive strain relief, so when connecting/disconnecting this cable there is the real risk of detaching the display's RCA sockets. Typically one would simply widen the connectors shield shell for a looser fit. However the shell isn't simply sheet metal but some kind of cast metal that won't bend - it will simply break once you apply sufficient force. They are supposed to give you a more reliable physical connection but they are only really usable in a "connect it once and never touch it again" environment.

The official Microsoft XBox High Definition AV Pack has a variant: this. ... I don't think there's any disadvantage to the newer all-in-one version; in fact it's probably better because you're not only forgoing the extra connection and cable length, but it's just simply more durable.

... I was a bit skeptical but it seems they actually integrated the TOSLINK socket into the multi-AV connector (just like with the original Xbox 360 hybrid composite/component AV cable) - in the original High Definition AV Pack they also included an optical cable (in addition to the component and audio cables) which I suspect isn't included in the updated version.

Currently I'm using a "BOX" (rather than "XBOX") clone of the component breakout box - seems to work well enough though I have no idea whether the TOSLINK even works.

I still regret passing up the opportunity some years ago to pick up the "Microsoft XBox High Definition AV Pack" last time when I ran across it in a retail store - I already had the Monster Cable and the "BOX" and I got "sensible".

As for shmups. Are there only these bullet scraping ports?
-Psyvariar II

"Psyvariar 2: Extend Edition" also works on a Japanese Xbox 360 (with harddrive for backward compatibility).

[broken harbour]

I also have the monster cable component cables and will second that they aren't flimsy at all, in fact they are too overbuilt, its irritating if I have to unplug it and route it through my A/V furniture.

I also forgot about Republic Commando.. easily the best FPS for the system.

Psychonauts
Beyond Good and Evil
Jade Empire
Conker Live and Reloaded
Sega Soccer Slam
Jet Set Radio Future

If I recall there's a competent port of Taito Legends.

Damn i've forgotten how many classics are on the system, may have to dust mine off soon.

[HydrogLox]

I also have the monster cable component cables and will second that they aren't flimsy at all, in fact they are too overbuilt, its irritating if I have to unplug it and route it through my A/V furniture.

Typically with a "connect the console du jour" setup I find the breakout box design more convenient as you can simply route standard component and audio cables to "the 'swap' slot" in the AV furniture - swapping the console is then much simpler. With a plain component AV cable you have to use 5 RCA couplers (and find space for the excess cabling) - which is still simpler than routing the entire AV cable every time to a more centrally located switcher or display.

If I recall there's a competent port of Taito Legends.

If the Xbox is modded to play titles from all regions then Taito Legends 2 (which was only released in the PAL region) is the one to get. Not only does it contain standard "Taito Legends 2" titles like: Darius Gaiden, Gekirindan, Grid Seeker: Project Storm Hammer, Gun Frontier, Metal Black, Space Invaders '95, Space Invaders, Super Space Invaders '91 but also RayForce (aka Gunlock/Layer Section/Galactic Attack) - unfortunately it is missing G-Darius and RayStorm.

I also like Capcom Classics Collection Volume 2 for "Varth: Operation Thunderstorm" and "1941: Counter Attack" (both limited to Yoko though but at least they are in 480p).

Some may find the following useful:
Article: The Ultimate Xbox Game list (for the Original Xbox)
Google Spreadsheet: The Ultimate Xbox Game list (for the Original Xbox)

[lilmanjs]

Nobody has mentioned Dreamfall - very interesting adventure game, moves kinda slow but the story is interesting, and it has a creepy talking stuffed purple gorilla.

That's because like Syberia, it is way better on the PC. Still if you need an adventure game on the xbox, it is better than the Syberia ports. Those ports had bad controls, well at least the first one, but it was enough to make me buy both games on a GOG sale.

[Ed Oscuro]

Thanks for the corrections / updates on the component cable business.

I should also note that for the original Microsoft cables, the exact name of the cables matters! The "High Definition" cables came in the same kind of box and has the same general box-on-a-cable design as the confusingly named "Advanced AV Pack," which is just composite and s-video. The transparent shell of the "Advanced" packaging will show the traditional color-coded red/white/yellow RCA connectors and a female S-Video connector below them. I don't know if Microsoft reissued the Advanced (S-Video) cables into an all-in-one design like the High Definition ones, but I would look carefully at any all-in-one component cables.

[Austin]

The original XBOX is great for the compilations alone. The Midway and Capcom ones in particular load faster, run nicer and look smoother than their PS2 counterparts. The ones I can think of off the top of my head are the two Capcom Classics Collections, the three Midway Arcade Treasures packs, the two Taito Legends comps (Part 2 being a Euro release), two Namco Museum compilations, and the Tecmo Classic Arcade disc. Not arcade, but you've also got the Mega Man Anniversary collection and Sonic Mega Collection+ if you're into that sort of thing, both great packs. Another small compilation is the Pro Pinball Trilogy which includes nice versions of Fantastic Journey, Big Race USA, and Timeshock (another Euro release). I also still keep DOOM 3 CE disc around because it's a good way to play the original DOOM and DOOM II on a standard CRT television (both are included on the CE disc).

[evil_ash_xero]

Yeah, I've had the Monster component cables in my hands. Very very thick and well built. A bit over-so, as mentioned above.

[evil_ash_xero]

Well, I ordered the system, that S controller, some component cables, and am talking to one of my modders about getting it region freed.

I went ahead and ordered Otogi and GunValkyrie.

Can anyone give an opinion on GV? It seems the main issue is some people absolutely despise it's control layout. Is it just hard to get used to, or does it just suck?
I'd like to think of myself as a hardcore gamer, so I can certainly work on "getting used to it".

[evil_ash_xero]

I got this in a while back. Have not modded it yet. A friend is sending me the stuff I need to do it.

It was a late model, so it came with a S Controller, which is much nicer than the old ones.

Otogi is cool, but not quite as good as I thought it would be. This is a bit more hack n' slash, than I thought it was. But I do like it.

GunValkyrie...now, I can see why this has mixed reviews. As for me, I have gotten used to the controls, and do like a lot of aspects to them. It actually kind of makes the game more interesting. But they could have smoothed them out, or added some configuration options, so it wouldn't throw people off so much. But a cool game.

I hear Otogi 2 is better than 1. Any opinions? I have it ordered already, since it was so cheap.

[Zeether]

I've thought of getting an OG Xbox for Phantom Crash but looking up the modding tutorial it seems to be a bit much for it (you need some way to connect USB, plus a specific game...granted one of those games you can use is MechAssault )

And of course I have to play Metal Wolf Chaos...

[evil_ash_xero]

No, there's a simpler way to mod it.

This is one way. http://www.xboxmodders.50webs.com/Softm ... torial.htm

Thanks for pointing out Phantom Crash. I hadn't heard of it before.

[Ed Oscuro]

I hear Otogi 2 is better than 1. Any opinions? I have it ordered already, since it was so cheap.

I started with part 2, played it a bit, hung it up for many years, got back into it on my "new" system, and then played through part one to the finish. I've yet to finish part 2.

Overall, I feel like that's actually not a terrible way to get into the series; part 2 just feels a bit mysterious when you start and playing through the original will flesh out some backstory for you. The original game isn't bad by any stretch of the imagination, and has a lot of slick levels and items, especially in the later game. So far my worry for part 2 is that there won't be enough maps to let every character shine; there's quite a few and they all can be upgraded.

Without knowing what you don't like about the original game, it's kind of pointless to say that I think it's better than you think it is. I don't know. I will agree that part 2 is better, in at least certain ways - but mainly it's "more of a good thing," with a few important tweaks here and there.

The major thing to know about the sequel is that there's still a time limit due to magic, and there's still quite a few annoying bits carried over - but less of the "you must stay aloft all the time" type levels from the original game, as far as I can tell. If you don't like the sound of that, and you don't like air combat, it might not be your thing. However, they did try to improve things with a number of characters that are more agile or easier to handle in one way or another.

Bottom line is that Otogi 2 is still cheap enough that everybody should have a copy. The eBay price is peanuts for what you get, even today.

[Zeether]

No, there's a simpler way to mod it.

This is one way. http://www.xboxmodders.50webs.com/Softm ... torial.htm

Thanks for pointing out Phantom Crash. I hadn't heard of it before.

Sweet, sounds simpler. I came across a more ridiculous process on Instructables and it involved connecting a USB device to the Xbox in some fashion.

[apatheticTurd]

Speaking of mech games, I got Gungriffon Allied Strike in the mail today and played through the first three missions... It's a pretty hardcore step down from Gungriffon Blaze in every respects, but there's a good game burried under the bad production values and obvious technical incompetence.

[GaijinPunch]

Jet Set Radio Future

I'm going to get around to getting one. My Japanese one took a shit before I moved here. Anyone know where to buy a modded one?

Not sure how I"ll hook it up to my TV. HDMI only right now.

[evil_ash_xero]

No, there's a simpler way to mod it.

This is one way. http://www.xboxmodders.50webs.com/Softm ... torial.htm

Thanks for pointing out Phantom Crash. I hadn't heard of it before.

Sweet, sounds simpler. I came across a more ridiculous process on Instructables and it involved connecting a USB device to the Xbox in some fashion.

I've seen the exact same thing. I was like "whoa, I'm gonna need someone to do this for me". But my modder told me that it wasn't necessary.

Jet Set Radio Future

Did Smilebit make that too? I already have two games made by them, for the Xbox.

[GaijinPunch]

Jet Set Radio Future

Did Smilebit make that too? I already have two games made by them, for the Xbox.

Fuck yes, and it's awesome. Logo in the corner.

[Ed Oscuro]

FWIW, if you're going for the Smilebit games - and a couple others - do be aware of the video incompatibility with the last production Xboxes. Edit: Bad info on last revision / date edited out, see below.

[evil_ash_xero]

Say what?!

There's always something.

What is this problem? GunValkyrie is running fine on my Xbox. I think it's a 1.6, as it was made in October 2004, and even came with the revised controller. I can't know for sure, since I didn't open it up....but it was a late in the game system.

On a side note...poor Sega...what the hell were they thinking making so many games on Xbox? I mean, the system was not popular at all in Japan, and in the U.S., the fanbase only cared about FPS.
No wonder they're in the situation they are in now. Platforms are important, guys (note to Platinum).

[Ed Oscuro]

Whoops, I stuffed up both parts of my information. You're right, 1.5 isn't the last revision, and 2005 isn't the last manufacture year.

The real information is here:
http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=367210 - for the geeks only, but gives some details on the mysterious 1.5 revision. Most of us with '04 Xboxes probably have 1.4 variants. 1.5 might not even exist, according to Jonathan Harbour.

http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopi ... 52&t=42971 - details of what is incompatible on the last "1.6" Xboxes and ways of mitigating the issues.

[o.pwuaioc]

On a side note...poor Sega...what the hell were they thinking making so many games on Xbox? I mean, the system was not popular at all in Japan, and in the U.S., the fanbase only cared about FPS.

They probably had some sort of deal, considering the Windows CE/Dreamcast thing. At this point too, and this is just speculation, Sony was "the devil" that put Sega out of the console business. Even Nintendo (which got Sonic Adventure 2 as well as Sega games on its handhelds) hadn't really been a threat/wasn't seen as a major threat.

[evil_ash_xero]

I soft modded the system tonight, and it works like a charm. I can even change the region of the system (helpful for Panzer Dragoon Orta, which has some really odd difficulty, in the U.S. version).
I did it differently, from the link I provided. I had to install Linux and a Splinter Cell save, thru the memory card. Then I had to run Splinter Cell, and had to go through some menus and install this and that. It was pretty easy. Easier than modding the Wii. You just gotta have the files, and the game.

Metal Wolf Chaos is pretty righteous, so far (and hilarious). I'm gonna check out Jet Set Radio Future, and see if it's up my alley.

It's a shame....there's some pretty cool games on here, but I'm sure they sold about 2 copies. Except for Ninja Gaiden Black. I'm pretty sure that was a hit.
The secret world of Japanese XBox games...ooh...

I also liked this era of gaming, so it's nice to play some more games from this time period.