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

[evil_ash_xero]

Obviously, I am thinking about getting the big black box.

I already have Panzer Dragoon Orta, and I also have Ninja Gaiden Black.

I was thinking about getting Metal Wolf Chaos, Otogi, Otogi 2, and Outrun 2006.

Is the Outrun game "Coast 2 Coast", the one with all the stages? I know there are different versions. Like the XBLA only has half the levels.
And the PS2 version is inferior to the Xbox version, so I hear.

Are the From games worth it, and are there any other Japanese games, that can be recommended?
What about GunValkyrie?

Also, is it easy to get these things modded, for imports?

[dan76]

Outrun Coast to Coast is the one with all the stages - it great.

They're pretty easy to mod, coinops is a must, it'll run virtually anything (traps Ketsui arrange modes play pretty well).

No clue as to Japanese games though...

[drauch]

I mean, for as cheap as you can get them, why not? Do it while the goings good, because as it stands the Xbox to most is a door stop. Give it a few more years down the road and the value will start to rise a bit.

[iconoclast]

Steel Battalion, GunValkyrie, JSRF, Phantom Dust, Shenmue 2, Dead or Alive 2 Ultimate (DoA3 is good too). Breakdown and Phantom Crash have their fans as well, but I never played them. There's also Crazy Taxi 3, but I didn't like it as much as the Dreamcast games. House of the Dead 3 is good, but it's available on the PS3 now. The Xbox version has a major advantage though, because it comes with the superior House of the Dead 2.

GunValkyrie and the Otogi games are good, but I need to revisit them to figure out just how good they are.

[chempop]

What about GunValkyrie?

SO GOOD

Xbox has a lot of crazy hidden gems, Iconoclast’s list is a solid starting point.

[apatheticTurd]

If you do get one, you'll probably want to remove the clock capacitor..

Exclusive JP-developed games that haven't been mentioned yet. Most of them acquited tastes at best, but if you're looking to exclusively play Japanese games on the thing...

-Airforce Delta Storm
-Double S.T.E.A.L (Japan-only, fully in English)
-Dinosaur Hunting (Japan-only, unreleased English localization dumped by a collector)
-Exaskeleton (Japan-only)
-Group S Challenge
-Gungriffon Allied Strike
-Maximum Chase
-Murakumo: Renegade Mech Pursuit
-Spikeout
-Yukikaze (Japan-only)

[Obiwanshinobi]

I own OutRun 2006 for the PC and PS2, but I'd like to play the original 2 (Xbox only) for the SCUD Race track. NightCaster looked interesting to me as one of few games to follow in the PSX Apocalypse's footsteps, but since then Robotron-like controls have come back in vogue, so now it's more like one of many.
Is SoulCalibur II on Xbox really "real" 720p? I think there was a handful of such titles.

By the way, I revisited the original Chronicles of Riddick PC port last night and while it's decidedly the ultimate version, if you don't play computer games, I'm sure for its generation it's aged just as well on Xbox. (Swedish, but if that helps - it's worth for the playable mech alone.)

[Ed Oscuro]

One of the system's foremost quirks is its large number of PS2 ports, often with upgraded features (like higher resolution). I don't know of any game ported over which suffered from significant problems (i.e., Silent Hill 4: The ROOM has none of the apparent PC port's puroburems) though there are likely to be some games with minor issues compared to the originals. Additionally, it's unfortunately the case that ports from big Japanese companies' PS2 titles (i.e., Capcom's Onimusha) don't get the full series, and so you'd still need a PS2 game to fully get into those series (especially if there were cross-game save functions). Many games were on the PC, but many well-known franchises get Xbox exclusives here. Whether you'd want to bother with Unreal Championship 2, a game which seems to require PC FPS-level reactions without aim assistance, is another question...

If you do get one, you'll probably want to remove the clock capacitor..

I would like to make a note on this: I looked at a 2005 unit (with a dysfunctional Samsung drive, the "good" one seems to have the motor burn out) and it used a recognizable name brand for the supercapacitor, and that wasn't leaking.

My crystal Blue Xbox doesn't hold time for terribly long, though, and I probably should crack it open sometime to do this.There's a lot of good stuff that would take a while to think up and mention. One thing worth mentioning in particular is that the Xbox got a scattering of improved ports of PS2 games, but occasionally you might get one that's not improved (though I don't know of one that actually has problems, like Silent Hill 4: The Room's apparent PC puroburems).

Additionally, some games (Smilebit mainly) have versions with the last (generally superior) model of Xbox with the last video encoder. They are rare titles, but they also all are ones considered very good, like GunValkyrie. I believe Racketboy's forums have the go-to thread on this.

-Airforce Delta Storm

This was most definitely released for the NA region; I played and enjoyed it quite a bit back in the day (I really ought to revisit my save file or make a new one). Wiki says (for whatever that's worth) the JP release is Airforce Delta II.

To get the best out of the system you really need 480p support, although for the majority of games I find 480i is really just fine and don't worry about the loss of resolution (I really ought to snap the PVM-20L5 back together for this, though). I still have hopes for upcoming TVs' 480p support, and we'll probably get to 4K before I feel we have displays capable of rivaling the classic CRT for Xbox titles.

As for the games in this thread so far: Some of these got howls of protest in the West; Murakumo's review on the big sites seemed pretty unambiguous that all you were doing was following something around, but perhaps the core concept isn't really so far off Night Striker or Space Harrier and it's worth another shot.

Breakdown is indeed quite fun, except where it turns into a standard-for-the-era shooter. I never got far enough into it to enjoy the time-bending areas much; I just passed one of the earliest "dreamscape" sequences and went back into relatively standard gunplay. Punching, somersaulting, and cracking open cans of soda in first-person never gets old, though - if only Morrowind had this level of visceral feedback! The only games I've played which do well on the concept are the Condemned games from the following gen.

Phantom Dust is quite fun but I'm at a point in the game where it feels quite grindy - I don't think there is any way to play this online. RIP nextgen Phantom Dust project (for now?)

Panzer Dragoon Orta also gets some good reviews. See note above about video; this is one of the affected games.

The Otogi games are must-plays. You might need a bit of obsessiveness to get the most out of them - if you don't care about hunting down destructible geometry the play length is much shorter - but still the core concept and execution are brilliant and the physics chaos element puts it on a different plane from most other action games. The only "bad" thing I can say is that the easily abused air slam maneuver wouldn't be found in a Devil May Cry game.

Rocksteady's Urban Chaos (NOT the slightly earlier open world game from the UK) is quite good, especially for a studio's first product.

Tenchu: Return From Darkness is an enhanced port of the PS2 version - don't know about visual upgrades so much, but there is some new content (which I've still not gotten to; this one takes a while to play). Pretty good evolution of the classic Tenchu gameplay, now with the benefit of high-resolution everything!

Metal Wolf Chaos and Steel Battalion (and its expansion pack Line of Chaos) are the high-priced duo; I've never been able to experience these.

There are also some quite famous games regarded as flops back in the day - Deus Ex 3: THE CONSOLIZED VERSION, Pariah (well-named in light of its reviews), Outlaw Golf, Grabbed By The Ghoulies...

I should also mention - I can't find/remember the name at the moment - there's an early JP exclusive which was considered Otogi-like. The hell was the name..? It's a reference to the sacred imperial gem or something. It looked kind of wonky from the play I found on YouTube, but possibly interesting.

For a system which had "only shooters and PC ports," the Xbox has tons of depth still. Not as much as the PS2, but it's humbling to see how much depth even console gaming had at the time.

[Obiwanshinobi]

I don't know of any game ported over which suffered from significant problems (i.e., Silent Hill 4: The ROOM has none of the apparent PC port's puroburems) though there are likely to be some games with minor issues compared to the originals.

SH2 and MGS2 ports are pretty infamous (I think both games originally utilised some PS2-specific tools extensively).

Speaking of multiplatform to begin with, other than Urban Chaos, Crash 'N' Burn is yet another quality underdog (I enjoyed both more than Black). Shame the US Xbox got only the first Mashed game, but I doubt you can go wrong with any Mashed.

[chempop]

Kingdom Under Fire: Crusaders was a crazy combination of RTS and dynasty warriors, just an unreal amount of ambition in that game, no surprise they severely dumbed it down for the sequels (I don’t think most console gamers were looking for depth and a steep learning curve in their hack and slashes).

[Ed Oscuro]

SH2 and MGS2 ports are pretty infamous (I think both games originally utilised some PS2-specific tools extensively).

What's wrong with Subsistence? It has to be quite a bit to lose a recommendation, since this is another port with loads of extra content due to the later release.

[apatheticTurd]

What's wrong with Subsistence? It has to be quite a bit to lose a recommendation, since this is another port with loads of extra content due to the later release.

More slowdowns IIRC.

[Obiwanshinobi]

Does Secret Weapons Over Normandy perform/look better on either console? PC version is drop-dead gorgeous to me, but I wonder if there are PCs out there that would render it steadily with all detail maxed out in more than 640x480 (seriously); also, split-screen is only on consoles (I don't think multiplayer SWON is quite as distinct as singleplayer, though).
As for the Xbox Crimson Skies, even if it's not as great as the PC game, chances are it's stil pretty good.

What's wrong with Subsistence?

I didn't see it on Xbox, but word is that rain (on PS2 peerless in its time) looks worse in the port. I suppose some other effects differ too. Doesn't soft light spectacle in SSX3 do? I wouldn't be surprised if, for instance, light beams in port(s) didn't have that Tyndall effect milky glow.

[Ed Oscuro]

I knew it was going to be something about rain. I haven't spent time at Subistence's controls myself, but I watched it being played a good deal back in the day - and I have the game copy to try out sometime. Overall, I think that if you want to talk about the tradeoff, there is an issue you didn't see yourself on one side which possibly affects some lighting, fog, and rain effects, versus not getting a ton of VR missions and the skating game, plus background galleries and maybe more. I don't know, seems like a really tough choice.

[Jeneki]

Also, is it easy to get these things modded, for imports?

Yes, the standard hack that allows copies to play also allows legit imports to work. I've got Castle of Shikigami 2 and Psyvariar 2 and they both play fine on mine.

[evil_ash_xero]

Thanks for the info guys. This is a lot to go over.

I've heard mixed things about GunValkyrie, but it seems like the hardcore types like it. Being that I am the "hardcore type", I'll probably give it a shot.

People seem to have problems with it's controls, or something?

Also, is there any kind of lagless adapter, that would enable me to use my 360 pad, on the old Xbox? That pad is insanely big.

[o.pwuaioc]

They made a smaller controller, and you can get a MadCatz tiny controller for pretty cheap.

All in all, I say skip it. I had my Xbox since 2003 and I finally sold it last year. To me, the exclusives weren't good enough to justify the space it was taking up. That one stage on Outrun, Orta, Otogi, nothing kept my interest that I couldn't get better elsewhere. I lose a few gems, but a few exclusives they are indeed. If you have the space out the wazoo, go for it, but you can get nearly everything somewhere else, and for me, that made it redundant.

[iconoclast]

Phantom Dust is quite fun but I'm at a point in the game where it feels quite grindy - I don't think there is any way to play this online. RIP nextgen Phantom Dust project (for now?)

I think you can still play Xbox games online if you use a tunneling service, like XBConnect or XLink Kai. I'm not sure what games are compatible, but I used to use it to play Halo CE online 10+ years ago.

It would be awesome if people could still get together and play Steel Battalion: Line of Contact. That game really was something special (when it worked). I should have played it more while I had the chance.

[Ed Oscuro]

The official name of the controller to get is "Controller S." I used to be fond of the big one, but looking at it now, it's got weird angles and big seams between the halves everywhere, problems the S type doesn't have. Not so sure about the new placement of the white and black buttons, though - these used to be in roughly the spots you'd find the third column of buttons on a Genesis controller-type design, but now they're down lower in a position that is a bit awkward to get to.

Speaking of mech games, I'm becoming somewhat fond of the Mechassault games. The original does have some quite annoying and not terribly rewarding missions, though. The second seems mostly improved over the first. The other unfortunate points: Slow, somewhat cumbersome combat against enemies with tons of health. I would have preferred things to be much quicker, but they were obviously trying to please returning fans.

[iconoclast]

The original MechAssault is one of my favorite games of all time, but that's entirely because of the multiplayer. A lot of the mechs had various uses depending on the map, mode, and team composition, the maps were great, and it had a great community. I still keep in touch with a few of the people I used to play with in 2003.

I guess the campaign is a little better in MechAssault 2, but I really didn't like anything they did with the multiplayer. Pretty much everyone I knew dropped it within a week and went back to Halo 2.

[the_last_shmupper]

The laser in my box is very iffy after having it more than a decade. Its been iffy for like 8 years. Haven't played it in 4 at least. I mostly bought it for the game collections. I've got Midway 1, 2, 3, Capcom Classics, the Warriors, RAW 2, Tetris Worlds, Evil Dead: Regeneration, Star Wars: Clone Wars, Gotham Racing, MK:DA, MK: D, MK: A, MK:SM, Soul Calibur 2, Morrowind GOTY, DDR 4 Ultramix, DOA 3, DOA2, DOAXBV, Doom 3 and ROE, GTA all of them and probably others I can't remember. I'm shocked I remembered that many.

[Never_Scurred]

I'm getting one again, mainly for in-game custom soundtracking for the Burnout games.

[qmish]

Oh, OG Xbox. Wanna get it too because it has these games:

Spoiler

Amped 2
Blinx 1-2
Breakdown
Conker Live & Reloaded
Crimson Sea
Crimson Skies: Highroad to Revenge
Dead or Alive 3 & Ultimate
Deathrow
GunValkyrie
Jet Set Radio Future
Kokuto Chojin
Kingdom Under Fire Crusader/Heroes
MechAssault 1-2
Metal Wolf Chaos
Ninja Gaiden Black
Otogi 1-2
Outrun 2
Panzer Dragoon Orta
Phantom Crash
Phantom Dust
Project Gotham Racing 2
Rallisport Challenge 2
Steel Battalion
Xyanide

[Some-Mist]

Oh, OG Xbox. Wanna get it too because it has these games:

Amped 2

amped 2 is really one of the best snowboard games ever made.

[apatheticTurd]

I should also mention - I can't find/remember the name at the moment - there's an early JP exclusive which was considered Otogi-like. The hell was the name..? It's a reference to the sacred imperial gem or something. It looked kind of wonky from the play I found on YouTube, but possibly interesting.

Is it Daemon Vector? Looks pretty shitty.

[qmish]

or Magatama, Marco gave it 7.5

[Jonathan Ingram]

I knew it was going to be something about rain. I haven't spent time at Subistence's controls myself, but I watched it being played a good deal back in the day - and I have the game copy to try out sometime. Overall, I think that if you want to talk about the tradeoff, there is an issue you didn't see yourself on one side which possibly affects some lighting, fog, and rain effects, versus not getting a ton of VR missions and the skating game, plus background galleries and maybe more. I don't know, seems like a really tough choice.

It's S-U-B-S-T-A-N-C-E. Subsistence was the name of the Snake Eater remaster. All of the aforementioned additions are also in the PS2 version of Substance. Moreover, the lousy skateboarding game is actually exclusive to it.

[Ed Oscuro]

or Magatama, Marco gave it 7.5

That's it. Never heard of Demon Vector.

@ Jon Ingram: O-K.

[ZellSF]

Worth it? When I bought an Xbox, it cost less than a new video game...

Panzer Dragoon Orta is definitely worth that.

[Damocles]

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.
Outrun 2 and SP - Duh.
Timesplitters 2 - Basically Goldeneye 2.5.
Otogi series - Duh.
Xyanide - An aquired taste.
PsiOps: The Mindgate Conspiracy - Tragically overlooked TPS. Needs a follow up.
Arx Fatalis - Weird hybrid RPG. Also an aquired taste.
Gungriffon: Allied Strike - Not stellar, but cheap and satisfies briefly.