Xbox 360 BC: 10 Most Wanted

The Xbox titles we'd love to see running on 360.

Feature by Kristan Reed Contributor

Updated on 15 Jun 2006

Shenmue II
SEGA/AM2, Gamepage, 480p support

Back when Tom was about 10, he reckoned that Shenmue 2 was "probably the best swansong the Dreamcast could hope for". But little did he know that AM2's "mind blowing" [oh god - Tom] achievement would eventually be released onto the Xbox with such a muted fanfare at a time when SEGA's presence in Europe was skeletal at best. It didn't sell particularly well, so it's possibly not a huge surprise that nearly five years on we're still waiting for SEGA to move the epic Shenmue story on. Admittedly, this version doesn't come across as particularly accessible to being with, throwing players in at the deep end and forcing much trudging around labyrinthine street asking endless questions. Eventually, though, the game comes into its own, and denying poor 360 owning folk the chance to see this game running on their fine console would be a great shame.

The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay
Vivendi-Universal/Starbreeze, Gamepage, 16:9 and 480p support

Having already impressed many with the largely ignored Enclave, Starbreeze still managed to catch most of us off guard when Riddick burst out of nowhere in mid 2004 to universal acclaim. Somehow managing to make Vin Diesel appealing, the first-person shooter-brawler-stealth-adventure-mech combat extravaganza was not only a pot pourri of gaming styles but blended them to stunning effect, with a level of technical trickery that truly showed the Xbox off in the best possible light. We ranted that "Riddick deserves to the pivotal moment when movie games changed forever", and "there really is no excuse for licensed rubbish any more" but that was before we got to play crap like X-Men. Unfortunately, the derided sci-fi movie flopped, ensuring that only hardcore gamers that could look beyond their distaste for the shaven-headed self-parody that bothered to pick up the game - and for the second time running a decent Starbreeze game failed to set the charts on fire. If Microsoft could just do the decent thing and make it work on the 360, we'd love to see if it really does put most titles on the platform to shame.

Beyond Good & Evil
Ubisoft, Gamepage, 480p support

Another disastrously low-selling game of such brilliance that it hurts our faces to keep recollecting how good it is. Michel Ancel stunned those that bothered to play this with a "game of real personality and individuality" that "leaves you feeling warm and happy every time you finish playing it". Starring Jade the freelance photographer, it involved snapping creatures on your journeys, bombing around in a hovercraft and stealth elements, but somehow it's far more lovable than it could ever sound. Given that almost all of Ubi's line-up of Xbox titles run fine on the 360, it breaks our heart even more that this one was overlooked. But given that being overlooked has always been BG&E's fate, we shouldn't be surprised if this is one of the last games to be made compatible with the 360. Come on Microsoft. Prove us wrong.

OutRun 2 (or OutRun 2006: Coast to Coast)
SEGA/Sumo Digital, Gamepage, 16:9 and 480p support

Another celebrated SEGA Xbox exclusive (one of loads on the platform), this superb revival of the old arcade racing classic was curiously ignored on its release in September 2004 as everyone bought Need For Speed Underground 2 instead. Critically misunderstood and admittedly a weak alternative to the competition at face value, Tom was one of the game's more vocal advocates, extolling the virtues of the game's "speed and immediacy". In fact, he rightly points out that the game rattles on "at the sort of velocity that lot of 'arcade' racing games have long since forgotten about". It might not have the range of cars present in other games, or even the variety present in titles like Burnout, but, somehow the amount of fun to be had screeching around an impossible bend at 150mph just works. Except, of course, it doesn't work on the 360 at all, and Tom will continue to wear a frown until Microsoft's emulation ninjas do their stuff and let us live our dreams.

Kung Fu Chaos
Microsoft/Just Add Monsters, Gamepage

One of the most charming Xbox exclusives ever to grace the platform, but also one of the most bizarrely ignored by all and sundry. Coded by Just Add Monsters (now known as Ninja Theory - the ones behind Heavenly Sword on PS3), this comedy beat 'em up takes the Powerstone template, adds a unique visual touch (that you'll either love or hate), layers on a barrel load of laughs and tasks you with acting out several 'scenes' of a movie to perfection. "In many senses this is the Super Monkey Ball of the beat 'em up arena," we gushed, throwing in lots of "instantly playable" remarks in the vain hope that anyone was actually reading at the time. But back in the days when we had somewhat less readers than we do now (cheers, by the way), giving a game like this a good review wasn't enough. It stiffed, and our remarks about it being a "cult classic" were all-too-prophetic. Let's hope Microsoft gives its one of its own games the love and attention it deserves, because this is one game we're never going to trade in. It's good. Like two shoes.

Oddworld on Xbox 360? Stranger things have happened.

Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath
EA/Oddworld Inhabitants, Gamepage, 480p support

It's not often we disagree with our own reviews, but, well, we're human. It happens. Given a slightly grumpy 7/10 on its release last year, we've since grown to admire Oddworld Inhabitants' blend of platforming and charming first-person action more than we did at the time of its (rather muted) release. What was not in doubt was what a stunning visual tour-de-force the game really is, putting to shame most of the current 360 line-up with some of the most delightful and artistic environments seen in any game, never mind the Xbox. With bags of charm, humour, a great storyline and a wholly original feel about it, it's time Microsoft went to the effort of making this great game work on our 360s so we can enjoy it all over again on our HDTVs.

And the rest

Of course, we could ramble on all day about the dozens of other games we'd love to see working on our 360s, which kind of reminds us what a great catalogue of titles there really is on the Xbox.

Here's a quick run down of some of the other Xbox titles we think should join our Most Wanted list, and for the sake of convenience we've divided them into exclusive and multi platform.

The Xbox exclusives (inc. console exclusives)