Microsoft's debut console is nearing its 18th birthday and as this has made me feel nostalgic (and Old) i decided to take a trip down memory lane and list my top ten favourite games for the mighty Xbox!
Just a few things before the list starts, this is MY list, its not the definitive best games list of anything like that just 10 games i loved for the console and it goes without saying but i didn't play everything!
Now without further a do....
10. GTA: San Andreas
I can already hear the disgust at this being so low on my list but honestly it just shows the quality that the console had. San Andreas really ramped up the size and scale of the franchise with its massive open world, huge number of side attractions and big budget acting talent. Story wise it is still one of the best in the series with lots of twists, turns and truly unforgettable characters. Train mission aside its still a pretty fun game.
9. Blinx 2: Masters of Time & Space
The Xbox was very much a transitional console for myself. For the previous decade i had always been a staunch believer of the cartoony platformer. I loved Sonic and Crash not Snake and Chris Redfield. But even as GTA and a lot of the games later on this list began to change my tastes, i still had time for a cartoon time travelling cat! Blinx is a funny little series because it really should have been the mascot for the family friendly side of the Xbox but despite two pretty good games Blinx disappeared after this one. You're a cat with a time manipulating vacuum, think Luigi's Mansion crossed with Prince of Persia and you use these powers to beat puzzle/platforming levels. Its simple but it's a ton of fun! I hope pappa Phil finds room for Blinx in the future.
8. The Lord Of The Rings: Return of the King
Remember when Movie Tie in games were not only actually pretty great but also a way to see glimpses of a film before the DVD release? Well back in the pre Youtube days of the Xbox, games like this and Revenge of the Sith were how i got my glimpses of films i simply could not afford or find the time to go and see at the cinema. Return of the King is a 3D Co Op Beat em Up that is simple yet incredibly fun and polished. It contains tons of Easter eggs and lore for the hardcore fan as well as a great retelling of the events of the film for those who were just into the films and i highly recommend it to any nostalgic Tolkien fan.
7. V-Rally 3
Ok, so if you've ever had a conversation with me about Rally games or have read this blog before you will know of my love for V-Rally 3. I fully admit, Colin McRae is a better game with better graphics, physics and content BUT V-Rally 3 has the best career mode of any racing game. The Arcade style of driving is also a personal favourite of mine but... there you go, i've indulged.
6. Call of Duty: Finest Hour
The Xbox era of consoles were really the dominant age for WWII Shooters. The excellent Medal on Honour: Frontlines was perhaps the most memorable with its outstanding D-Day landing mission but overall Call of Duty: Finest Hour with its excellent presentation of war footage gave it an almost documentary feel, smooth shooting and interesting mission set pieces got COD off to the start on Console that few seem to remember.
5. Conker Live & Reloaded
As i have mentioned earlier in this list the Xbox was the transitional console from family friendly platformers to adult themed shooters and no game better describes that than Conker Live and reloaded. A beautiful remake of the cult N64 game by Rare, Live and Reloaded still looks amazing today. I Know people criticize the censorship but it really is very minor. The online was also pretty great with its Terminator spoof motif and its class based third person shooting.
4. Halo 2
The best selling game on the console, a cultural phenomenon and the foundation of Xbox Live.... What more can you say about Halo 2? It improved on the first game in almost every way whilst expanding the lore along the way. Its Online multiplayer was a revolution and really that is what this game did the best. For a console to have the Ranking system, DLC and player count of Halo 2 in 2004 was crazy. The game wasn't perfect though which is why i only put it at number 4, its campaign was great but weird difficultly spikes and the mother of all sequel bating endings left a very slight bitter taste in my mouth. Still a must buy though, even today.
3. Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: Sith Lords
Although Bioware's original classic is...well.. classic, i actually prefer the much overlooked sequel. Buggy as it was, Sith Lords expanded greatly upon the first games combat and squad relationship dynamics while also delivering a story of twists, turns and shocking betrayals. Its shame KOTOR 3 never happened but as you can play this on Steam or Xbox One right now, it deserves another look.
2. Project Gotham Racing 2
Another genre that really peaked during this Gen was Racing games and man did the Xbox have a ton of greats. Forza, Burnout, Juiced, Midnight Club and Midtown Madness may of missed out but there was no way i wasn't putting PGR2 near the top of my list. Its mix of simulation physics with arcade Kudos mechanics made for a fast and exciting racer that at the time could not be topped at the time. Online multiplayer was frenetic fun too in the early days of Xbox Live. Although its two sequels were great games PGR has sadly gone the way of its Developer Bizarre Creations and its a thing of the past.
1. Halo: Combat Evolved
The game that defines the Xbox, The killer app, the game of the decade, etc Halo has many titles and accolades but for me it was THE game that got me into both shooters and more adult orientated games. Its sprawling landscape and epic sci fi music were mind blowing at the time. Its twin stick combat was perfect and still holds up tremendously today. Its level design in places wasn't perfect i admit (Oh The Library) but Silent Cartographer more than makes up for that. Although it pre-dates Xbox Live the Multiplayer experience was still amazing. I recall playing this in 8 player LAN at Uni and just losing hours to the mayhem.
The craziest thing about Halo is that i bought it on a whim. I remember shortly after i got my Xbox that i went into Gamestation (RIP) with my parents to pick up a few games. I wanted Kung Fu Chaos (A party fighter set in a Kung Fu Movie set....if you're curious) but i didn't know what else to get. My parents pushed me to hurry up so as i had played a PC demo of it before i decided to take a chance with Halo.... and wow, what luck.
