Let's take a moment to talk about the original Xbox.

[KayJay]

I'm going to take a moment to talk about one of my favorite consoles, the Original Xbox. (Warning: Wall of text)
Man, is this console underrated. A lot of people remember it as the "Halo machine" but it is so, so much more. This was the generation where Microsoft tried their hardest, and it shows. It's my favorite console that they've made, and i'm going to explain why.

first off, we have the popular games. Halo, Project Gotham Racing, Splinter Cell, Fable, and Tony Hawk's. Than, we have the Sega games. Crazy Taxi 3, Shenmue 2, Jet Set Radio Future, House of the Dead 3, Panzer Dragoon Orta, Gun Valkyrie, and the Otogi games. All of these haven't been ported, and the only way to play them is on this console (aside from Shenmue 2 & House of the Dead 3).

Than, we have the PC ports. KotoR 1 & 2, Jedi Knight, & Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. Than, Microsoft released a plethora of first party titles that are amazing, that a lot of people didn't give a chance. games like Crimson Skies, Phantom Dust, Mechassault, Blinx 1 & 2, Fusion Frenzy, BloodWake, and Voodoo Vince. and if that's not enough, than we also have a lot of Third Parties, like Phantom Crash, Mercenaries, Cel Damage, and a bunch of others.

Also worth noting is the amazing Fighting game lineup. Soulcalibur 2 & 3, Dead Or Alive 3, Street Fighter Anniversary, and the Guilty Gear games.

So, in short, that's why i think the Xbox deserves more love. It is so influential, it had the first mainstream use of online, downloadable games, and was a total graphics powerhouse. What do you think of the big box of beauty?

[Ghudda]

I'm relatively young and was about 9 years old when the original xbox came out, but that was definitely the first console in which I actually pick and chose my game library from. All consoles before that (NES to N64/PS1) were all shared consoles between me and my siblings and so I didn't have a huge say so in what games we bought for them, but with the xbox, it was all me.

It also highlighted the way I shopped for games at the time: going to the game store, staring at the wall, and just choosing simply what looked the most badass. Otogi defined that. That game had so much style to it. I never actually picked it up at the time oddly enough, but that game has always been burned into my head ever since I played the store demo a handful of times.

I think it was, other than maybe the Dreamcast, my first personal console. It also was my introduction to online based play with Rainbow Six and introduced me to a more broad social aspect of video games.

I think the console still, today, has so many gems that have aged very well. It's been said time and time again, but the console is probably one of the best to collect for at the moment because the price point is unbeatable for such an amazing library of games.

I picked up the launch console, halo, a memory card, and extra controller from Frys Electronics. Think I may have also gotten a DVD remote with it as well.

EDIT: good thread by the way. I feel like I could write an entire book on my time and appreciation with the console right now.

[bryan_65]

I keep hopping to stumble across one in the wild. I really want to get one for a small list of games, mainly the Sega ones. I really should just knock out my collection while things are still cheap. I love the look of the crystal clear X box and need to find a decent deal on one of those.

[KayJay]

Wrong board, Sorry! xD I'll post the message on the MS board.


@Ghudda, That's a cool story. I know what you mean, this console is AMAZING to collect for now. No one really notices, or cares, so you can get so many good games for dirt cheap.


Thanks! just wanted to share my love for the console.

[KayJay]

Oh wait, this is the right board.


I must've read "Sony" as "Sega".

Sorry bout that.

Anyways, i'm glad to hear of you guys love for the system!

[Ghudda]

I'd love to pick up some Japanese exclusives for the console. There's a JP exclusive game called Drihoo that's always looked really interesting. I havn't been able to find a copy of the game yet, but i'd like to explore the import friendly titles. That and i'm making an effort to one day have the Steel Battalion controller in my collection.

[Exhuminator]

What do you think of the big box of beauty?

I still have mine hooked up to a CRT TV along with my PS2 and GC. Personally I have had many wonderful experiences with the OG Xbox. It's a great console to experience western game design, overall. (I mean there are some Japanese games on the system but they are certainly the minority.) When you play exclusive games tailored to the OG Xbox's hardware, there's no question how much more powerful it is versus its contemporaries. When it comes to FPS, sports, realistic racers... the OG Xbox is king. However it falters in the realm of RPGs, it has a handful of quality ones, but compared to PS2 or even GC it is lacking.

The only negative thing I would say about the OG Xbox is its disc drive is flaky. Mine came with a Samsung DVD drive that failed fairly quickly, which I replaced with a brand new Samsung, which failed soon after. After that I put a Phillips DVD drive in there, that thus far is working properly... and I hope it stays that way. The only drive I have left is a Thomson and I'd prefer not to put that in there.

Overall the OG Xbox is a fine console with tons of great games with the best technical graphics to be seen during its era. This is proven by the Xbox version of multiplat games usually having the fastest framerates and nicest graphics of the bunch. There are also many wonderful exclusives for the system that too many people have not played or even know exist. It's understandable though considering during the era the average gamer could not afford to buy more than one console. And who can blame folks for buying the PS2 first?

[Thierry Henry]

I'm a fan as well.
And let's not forget it's a beast when it comes to emulation.

And I'm probably in a tiny, tiny minority here but the original 'Duke' controller was right up my alley. I don't have particularly large hands but for some reason it felt very comfortable for me.
As I said- tiny minority.

[SonicGamer74]

It's definitely a solid console. Jet Set Radio Future, the Tony Hawk games, Panzer Dragoon Orta, Grabbed by the Ghoulies, and (minority here, but) Sonic Riders are my favorite games on the system. It's a shame not a lot of people talk about the system as much as they do. I honestly get some solid SEGA Dreamcast vibes out of it (which makes sense, since SEGA and Microsoft were in the talks to have DC Backwards-Compatibility with the system, when it launched).

I can honestly confirm that the 128-Bit era of gaming is my favorite, for the sole reason that the Gamecube, PS2, Xbox, and Dreamcast have some amazing games in their library. It's so hard to pick between them for a favorite console, tbh.

[Nemoide]

I love my original Xbox and I've never even played a Halo game!
I feel like Jet Set Radio Future and Panzer Dragoon Orta alone make it a worthwhile console for Sega fans. And I know I'm in the minority but I also thought ToeJam & Earl III was worth playing - it has it's flaws but I was glad to see the series brought back to life. I also *love* the Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix series! IMO they're better than the American PS2 games plus they have a ton of DLC songs! (I have a fancy-pants "Cobalt Flux" DDR pad that can work with both PS2 and Xbox. Man, I should get back into that game.)

The only thing that makes me kind of sad is that I'm afraid of the harddrive dying at some point. I know it's replaceable but I'll be sad to lose my saved games and DLC. My first Xbox died and when I sent it to get repaired, the harddrive was wiped (or maybe the whole system was replaced). Losing my saved games from that experience inspired me to buy a memory card but I found out that a lot of games don't even let you copy the saves onto that!
I just want to back up what I have without softmodding the system and "starting fresh"...

Currently the disc-drive door is acting sticky and doesn't open all the time. Apparently this isn't a big deal and is fixed by cleaning it. Maybe I'll get around to it after it finally stops opening at all.

STILL it's a great system! I still have a big pile of games I haven't yet played that I picked up when they were ubiquitous in bargain bins...