April 2009

There are roughly a bit over a hundred of backwards compatible games (games that work from the old Xbox to the Xbox 360 provided that you have downloaded the required emulator from Microsoft) that one can play on the Xbox 360. However, many of them just plain suck when crossed over. Yet at the same time there are few titles that just have never been downplayed since their glory days on the original Xbox. So, let’s take a look at my top three picks for crossover games that are still fun to play today!

Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2
One of the best skateboarding video games ever to be created—and this game added the front and rear manual tricks and the build-a-park editor. To this day I still enjoy the simplicity of this game, the tricks and the custom boards. And yes…Skate 2 rocks!

Red Faction 2
This game was perhaps the best shooter and multiplayer death match game of its time. It is now being remade into a free-world game for the Xbox 360. Read more

Do you ever recall all of those different virtual reality games that were out there floating around in the late nineties and throughout the first part of this new century. Well if you do, then – as the picture to upper left demonstrates – you would easily recall that such games required the wearing of rather bulky glasses, sometimes accompanied by gloves, a vest, and in extreme cases a sphere (see the video at the bottom of this blog post). But, unlike Nintendo, whom even bodes their current console on its semi-virtual reality offerings, Xbox 360 thus far has refrained. And if you ask me…they never will walk down that path!

Were Virtual Reality Games Just Lame?
These games always were limited. They had slower frame rates, bad graphics and terrible plots. Because of the propensity of the game itself, being that you had to see in 360 degrees around you at all times, they were by nature limited. So in answer, yes they were and are lame. Read more

This game has it all: violence, criminal enterprises, newer and more improved cars, especially the physics and how they handle, and one of the largest free-world cities to ever be created for any game. Considering that Grand Theft Auto IV is the biggest rival to this franchise, EA more than likely felt that they had to go above and beyond anything that they had ever done before in order to at least provide some form of competition to the juggernaut that is GTA and Rockstar. And guess what? They fully deliver on all levels.

Better camera angles provide much more depth to the playing field. There are more things to do, namely by allowing you to build your family, create ‘Made Men’ and constantly expand your criminal enterprise to the farthest reaches possible—not to mention plenty of new and nifty weapons to use! While the game borrows a bit here and there from the movie series, it really shouldn’t be confused as a classic game after movie title. Read more

Fallout 3 is a monster of a game that took nearly four years to make and has several games (two) that are a bit different which preceded it. Bethesda (the maker of the game) took their sweet time creating one of the largest and most graphically superb free-worlds to ever be designed. They didn’t stop there. Tons of different weapons enhance game play and the gore factor is at a max – you can even shoot heads off bodies, limbs from torsos and blow up your friends or foes into smithereens and goop. In short: Fallout 3 is the most exciting, graphically awesome and interactive free-world role playing game to ever hit the store shelves. If you have not played it yet, do so and soon! But wait…it gets better, there are now two expansions for this game…see below!

Operation Anchorage
While this expansion was rather lousy, in that you must enter a simulated version of a war and beat it, it does add more to the game. Read more