Got an XBOX 360 yesterday!!...

[dave4shmups]

Exploration/adventure-based exclusives that are worth getting? I'd definitely recommend Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, which has crappy presentation, hiding an astonishingly open, freeform and entertaining game underneath. Quite honestly one of the best, most imaginative games this generation.

Other than that, though, I'm a bit stuck. Most are multiplatform, it's just that I've gone with the 360 version for them because that was the lead platform and, as a result, the PS3 ports were inferior. That seems to be changing now, though. Bayonetta notwithstanding.

Just DON'T play Banjo on a CRT, because the text is even smaller and harder read then it is in Mass Effect.

If you love driving games, then the Forza series and Project Gotham racing games are awesome. No disrespect to Gran Turismo, but I find the Forza games to be a lot more accessible.

If I ever decide to connect to XBL, where should I buy the hard drive (and other needed accessories) to get my Arcade there? Hard drives seem pretty expensive at GameStop.

[BulletMagnet]

Just DON'T play Banjo on a CRT, because the text is even smaller and harder read then it is in Mass Effect.

I vaguely remember hearing that Rare patched in a fix for that, but I might be wrong.

As for hard drives, I haven't exactly been scouring everywhere for 'em, but they seem stupidly pricey just about anywhere I've looked.

[brentsg]

If you're going to pay a stupid price for an Xbox hard drive, consider the new slim version with the 250GB HD for $250 at ToysRUs currently.

I'd rather do that than spend a chunk upgrading an Arcade unit.

[sjewkestheloon]

After the most recent update you can use USB pen drives of up to 16GB each on the 360. Much cheaper than the official hard drive and games run very well from them.

[StarCreator]

After the most recent update you can use USB pen drives of up to 16GB each on the 360. Much cheaper than the official hard drive and games run very well from them.

Too well in some cases... I heard if you install Otomedius on a flash drive, it loads so quickly that you don't even get to see the results screen between stages (and as a result, you can't get the groping achievement).

[dave4shmups]

After the most recent update you can use USB pen drives of up to 16GB each on the 360. Much cheaper than the official hard drive and games run very well from them.

Yeah, but will that allow me to get on XBL?? I thought you had to have a hard drive for that?? The new model 360 with built-in wireless looks sweet, but I just spent a good deal of money on an Arcade model, and I don't want to drop another $250.

[Cuilan]

Yeah, but will that allow me to get on XBL?? I thought you had to have a hard drive for that??

To get on XBL you just need some kind of storage device (HDD, memory unit, built-in memory), which every 360 ever released so far comes with.

[StarCreator]

A hard drive was never a requirement to get onto XBL - any storage device will do for that.

I am left wondering exactly how patches and the like get stored if a USB device is your only form of storage though. I don't really have any to spare to do some experimenting with...

[Cuilan]

I am left wondering exactly how patches and the like get stored if a USB device is your only form of storage though. I don't really have any to spare to do some experimenting with...

USB drives are formatted by the system to function as if they were 360 memory units, so things like game patches save onto them normally like they would on a real memory unit or HDD.

[sjewkestheloon]

Yep it pinches a section of your drive for that purpose. My 16GB drive can store about 14.5GB of stuff after the formating.

You will be perfectly fine to connect to XBL with an Arcade console and a USB stick as I believe the Arcade console even comes with a small amount of built in storage space. This was the case with one of my friend's recent new Arcade consoles so I would imagine that it's the same across the board.

It would be an elegant and cheap solution.

[dave4shmups]

Yeah, but will that allow me to get on XBL?? I thought you had to have a hard drive for that??

To get on XBL you just need some kind of storage device (HDD, memory unit, built-in memory), which every 360 ever released so far comes with.

Ok, GREAT news!! You just saved me a a lot of money! Now, regarding wireless adapters; we have a wireless router and Comcast high speed internet-do I really need the new Wireless N Networking adapter, or would the older one (which has one antenna) work??

[brentsg]

Yeah, but will that allow me to get on XBL?? I thought you had to have a hard drive for that??

To get on XBL you just need some kind of storage device (HDD, memory unit, built-in memory), which every 360 ever released so far comes with.

Ok, GREAT news!! You just saved me a a lot of money! Now, regarding wireless adapters; we have a wireless router and Comcast high speed internet-do I really need the new Wireless N Networking adapter, or would the older one (which has one antenna) work??

The G wireless unit will be faster than your broadband connection. Only really need N for moving files around on the local network.

[StarCreator]

If you have to go wireless and can't find a good price for the wireless adapter (I think I got my wireless-G adapter on sale for around $20 at Sears), it would be worth looking into more generic wireless bridges/access points - they require their own power and aren't quite as integrated a solution, but they're far more versatile. I have a bridge attached to a 5 port 10/100 switch in our family room to supply a network connection to all the home theater devices (never thought I'd have to plug a TV into the network!) and it works great without saturating the air with wireless devices.

[dave4shmups]

If you have to go wireless and can't find a good price for the wireless adapter (I think I got my wireless-G adapter on sale for around $20 at Sears), it would be worth looking into more generic wireless bridges/access points - they require their own power and aren't quite as integrated a solution, but they're far more versatile. I have a bridge attached to a 5 port 10/100 switch in our family room to supply a network connection to all the home theater devices (never thought I'd have to plug a TV into the network!) and it works great without saturating the air with wireless devices.

What does the one you got at Sears look like? I've seen some on Ebay that have installation discs, and I don't even know if that would work.

[brentsg]

If you have to go wireless and can't find a good price for the wireless adapter (I think I got my wireless-G adapter on sale for around $20 at Sears), it would be worth looking into more generic wireless bridges/access points - they require their own power and aren't quite as integrated a solution, but they're far more versatile. I have a bridge attached to a 5 port 10/100 switch in our family room to supply a network connection to all the home theater devices (never thought I'd have to plug a TV into the network!) and it works great without saturating the air with wireless devices.

What does the one you got at Sears look like? I've seen some on Ebay that have installation discs, and I don't even know if that would work.

The Xbox one hooks into the USB port on the back. I think some of the discount ones do that as well, but you can also just get one that connects to your device via ethernet. So you set that up and then can use it with any device which has ethernet but not wifi.

[StarCreator]

Mine was the official Microsoft G adapter, so it was a white box that attaches via USB and is configured within the Dashboard menus.

The part I was insinuating as another option would probably be what you've seen, where it attaches via Ethernet and has an installation disc to configure the adapter on a PC. The idea there would be to get it working on a PC, then just swap it over the 360.

[dave4shmups]

Mine was the official Microsoft G adapter, so it was a white box that attaches via USB and is configured within the Dashboard menus.

The part I was insinuating as another option would probably be what you've seen, where it attaches via Ethernet and has an installation disc to configure the adapter on a PC. The idea there would be to get it working on a PC, then just swap it over the 360.

OK, I see, thanks! I'd love to get Deathsmiles; it looks like a side-scrolling Espgaluda, from the gameplay videos I've seen.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

I saw an official XBox 360 250GB HDD for $179.99 USD at a local Fry's Superstore that is compatible with the 360 Arcade & Elite variant consoles. I've seen the smaller 60GB and 120GB 360 HDDs as well but they are all still quite pricey indeed.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[E. Randy Dupre]

Remembered another exclusive that's well worth picking up: Project Sylpheed. Excellent X-Wing/Tie Fighter-style space combat game.

Has nothing in common with previous Sylpheed games, btw.

[dave4shmups]

Remembered another exclusive that's well worth picking up: Project Sylpheed. Excellent X-Wing/Tie Fighter-style space combat game.

Has nothing in common with previous Sylpheed games, btw.

Yeah, I know about that game, but the game uses everything on the 360's controller, right? That seems intimidating to me.

Oh yes, I should mention in this thread that I am only interested in XBL for the purpose of downloading XBLA games-no Netflix, online play, or anything else. So, in addition to the internal memory on my arcade model, would an additional memory unit be fine for that? Because I don't know how much space most XBLA games take up.

[Cuilan]

Oh yes, I should mention in this thread that I am only interested in XBL for the purpose of downloading XBLA games-no Netflix, online play, or anything else. So, in addition to the internal memory on my arcade model, would an additional memory unit be fine for that? Because I don't know how much space most XBLA games take up.

If you want to download a bunch of XBLA games, you'll definitely want to get some extra storage space. You can either get a 16gb USB flash drive, or if you can find a 20gb 360 HDD that would be enough.

[sjewkestheloon]

Just get a USB drive and if you find you need more space later you can just get another one for the second slot.

[E. Randy Dupre]

Remembered another exclusive that's well worth picking up: Project Sylpheed. Excellent X-Wing/Tie Fighter-style space combat game.

Has nothing in common with previous Sylpheed games, btw.

Yeah, I know about that game, but the game uses everything on the 360's controller, right? That seems intimidating to me.

It isn't. A lot of the controls are either unnecessary or things that you only ever do once in a blue moon - issuing commands to wingmen, for example, or changing your weapon types. It's not the sort of game where you lose track of what each button does, or your hands get into a muddle over where they are because of poor control layout - in fact, the controls become pretty transparent very quickly.

[dave4shmups]

Remembered another exclusive that's well worth picking up: Project Sylpheed. Excellent X-Wing/Tie Fighter-style space combat game.

Has nothing in common with previous Sylpheed games, btw.

Yeah, I know about that game, but the game uses everything on the 360's controller, right? That seems intimidating to me.

It isn't. A lot of the controls are either unnecessary or things that you only ever do once in a blue moon - issuing commands to wingmen, for example, or changing your weapon types. It's not the sort of game where you lose track of what each button does, or your hands get into a muddle over where they are because of poor control layout - in fact, the controls become pretty transparent very quickly.

Good to know, thanks! Update on storage; a friend of mine from Church gave me an extra 20gb hard drive for free (I didn't ask him for one, or anything!), and I just popped it in!! I deleted all of the content, but for some reason, it says there's 13.8gb available? I know I erased everything. My 360 didn't prompt me to move my profile, and game saves, to the new hard drive, so I'm guessing that's not required for anything.

[Cuilan]

I deleted all of the content, but for some reason, it says there's 13.8gb available? I know I erased everything. My 360 didn't prompt me to move my profile, and game saves, to the new hard drive, so I'm guessing that's not required for anything.

Only 13.8gb is usable by you after the HDD is formatted. The rest of the space is used by the system for other things (system files, Xbox1 backwards compatibility, update files for games, etc). 13.8gb is enough for XBLA games though, and you still have enough room to install the current disk-based game you're playing.

No, you don't have to move your other stuff to it, but you can if you really want to. It's recommended that you keep at least your profile on the internal memory (flash memory is faster than the HDD, so your profile will load much faster this way).

[dave4shmups]

I deleted all of the content, but for some reason, it says there's 13.8gb available? I know I erased everything. My 360 didn't prompt me to move my profile, and game saves, to the new hard drive, so I'm guessing that's not required for anything.

Only 13.8gb is usable by you after the HDD is formatted. The rest of the space is used by the system for other things (system files, Xbox1 backwards compatibility, update files for games, etc). 13.8gb is enough for XBLA games though, and you still have enough room to install the current disk-based game you're playing.

No, you don't have to move your other stuff to it, but you can if you really want to. It's recommended that you keep at least your profile on the internal memory (flash memory is faster than the HDD, so your profile will load much faster this way).

OK, thanks! So, do can I just play Xbox1 games on my 360, or does that require getting online??

[StarCreator]

Backward compatibility with original Xbox games aren't guaranteed - I think there's a compatibility list somewhere, but it's nowhere near 100% of the catalog. I also believe online support for original Xbox games has ceased, as it was holding back long-needed improvements to the Live architecture.

[BulletMagnet]

So, do can I just play Xbox1 games on my 360, or does that require getting online??

You don't need to be online to play original XB games on a 360, but even for the games that "work" the compatibility is really dodgy - I'd honestly recommend just picking up a cheap used XBox instead.

[nZero]

So, do can I just play Xbox1 games on my 360, or does that require getting online??

You don't need to be online to play original XB games on a 360, but even for the games that "work" the compatibility is really dodgy - I'd honestly recommend just picking up a cheap used XBox instead.

Don't you need to get online the first time you play each game so the 360 can download the back-compatibility patch update for it?

Definitely right that most of the games that aren't Halo or Halo 2 seem to have a lot of issues on the 360 though, and it's a shame they never bothered trying to get Rallisport Challenge 2 running.

[E. Randy Dupre]

That's sort of half right - you need to be online the first time you play an original, compatible Xbox game, but after that you should be fine for any of the games on the list, as the forced update contains the relevant patch info for all of them.

Um, I think, anyway. I'm pretty sure that some of the Xbox games I've tried out in the past have worked first time, without the machine having to find the update, and I can only presume that this was because it downloaded everything needed for backwards compatibility in one go.

It's fairly rubbish, though, as others have said. An original Xbox is more or less a necessity if you're interested in last-gen games, because even when they do work on the 360 they have a tendency not to work properly.