PGR 1 and 2 now 360 compatible

By Kristan Reed Published 13 July, 2007

And OutRun 2, JSRF, Morrowind...

Admist all the E3 hype and fluff, Microsoft snuck out the latest of its Backward Compatibility updates, with some of the very best Xbox games ever made now fully compatible with the Xbox 360.

Top of a lot of people's (i.e. Tom's) list will be OutRun 2 and its delightful follow-up OutRun 2006: Coast To Coast, but even better (in my opinion) is the news that Project Gotham Racing and Project Gotham Racing 2 have finally joined the BC list. About time too. Really.

Elsewhere on the list, Oblivion fans looking for another Xbox RPG fix might want to check out The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. We gave it a respectable 8/10 upon its PC release five years ago, and many RPG fans rate it extremely highly. I picked up a copy on Xbox for £3 recently, so have a poke around in the bargain buckets and see what you reckon.

Also worth checking out is the original Burnout - but maybe only to remind yourself just how far the series has come. Other items of interest are Doom III: Resurrection of Evil, Full Spectrum Warrior: 10 Hammers, Jet Set Radio Future (which was supposed to work last time around, but didn't), Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders, Marvel Vs Capcom 2, Mech Assault 2, MotoGP 2, Silent Hill 2, and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2X and 3.

In total, the list has grown by almost 70 titles, although, to be honest, most of these newly compatible games are ones you'd never want to darken your doorstep ever again. Blinx 2? Without Warning? Rogue Ops? Bloodrayne 2? Auto Modelista? Nurse!

For the full list, head to the official site, though bear in mind this is the US list. No-one's bothered to update the UK list yet, but they're generally identical from our experience.

We really do wish someone from the BC team would finally sort out Project Zero for Europe, though. Are you reading Microsoft? What about Rallisport Challenge 2? Psi Ops? Kung Fu Chaos? Freedom Fighters? Oddworld Stranger's Wrath? Otogi? Midtown Madness 3? Galleon? Indiana Jones? Voodoo Vince? Deus Ex Invisible War? TOCA Race Driver 2 or 3? [Explodes]

Picture of Kristan.

About Kristan Reed

Kristan is a former editor of Eurogamer, dad, Stone Roses bore and Norwich City supporter who sometimes mutters optimistically about Team Silent getting back together.

Read more articles from Kristan by visiting the Kristan Reed archive page.

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Comments (80) Latest comment 5 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Xerx3s #1 5 years ago

    Morrowind ftw! \0/

    Loading times haven't improved though. :(

  • S.J.Rogers #2 5 years ago

    Bugger....

    Sold them..!

  • themagicaltaz #3 5 years ago

    Will I get to download Paris and Long Beach again for free ?

    Not thatI can test it since my 360 had a nice ROD after 30 minutes of Forza2 after just being back from repair...

  • kangarootoo #4 5 years ago

    Morrowind?! \o/

    /heads off to ebay to find a goty version. Never did check out those werewolves and loved them in Daggerfall.

  • Merefield #5 5 years ago

    Is there generally any improvement in the visuals on these things?

  • Eighthours #6 5 years ago

    Yes! PGR2!

  • jonsaan #7 5 years ago

    "Not thatI can test it since my 360 had a nice ROD after 30 minutes of Forza2 after just being back from repair... "

    Oh, but I thought MS now know what the problem is and can actually fix the ROD.

    /smacks forehead..

  • Machetazo #8 5 years ago

    Guilty Gear X2:Reload works, now. But, the fact they added Morrowind also is tops, along with KuF: Crusaders - the first console one.

  • speedjack #9 5 years ago

    Cool.

    Just picked up outrun 2 on Amazon marketplace for £2.22 !

  • trav #10 5 years ago

    JET SET RAAAAAAAAAAADIO!

    \o/

  • ccfb #11 5 years ago

    "We gave it a respectable 8/10 upon its PC release five years ago, but many RPG fans rate it extremely highly."

    The implication being an 8/10 isn't high?

  • brooza #12 5 years ago

    WHERE'S PRINCE OF PERSIA?!?

  • pinchofsalt #13 5 years ago


    Nowt wrong with the Blinx games - they keep my 3 yr old amused so they're worth every penny.

  • kangarootoo #14 5 years ago

    @Merefield

    Generally not. I think the option is there (as in, supported by the bc tech) for devs to update textures and so on, but I wouldn't expect it as the budget for such things won't exist in the majority of cases.

    I would see BC as simply a way of being able to put your old XB in a cupboard somewhere AND play the older games in a higher res (not sure if the 360 does any smoothing though).

    One thing I have found about 360 bc that is a bit annoying is the lack of widescreen support from most games. The originals ran fine in widescreen, but on the 360 they mostly run in 4:3 only. Not a big issue though and I've still been happy with the BC support (except Sniper Elite, which doesn't work despite being on the list; booting to the menu but freezing on level launch does not count imo).

  • lambtron #15 5 years ago

    errr Galleon? Why would you care if that worked or not ;)

  • onyxbox #16 5 years ago

    Oh, but I thought MS now know what the problem is and can actually fix the ROD.

    Despite the 3 year warranty thing, these things will still break, it's still going to spend more time in the garage as it gets older.

    I reckon the *only* true fix will be to buy the 65nm 360 next year (god help them is they screw that one up too).

  • mazzl #17 5 years ago

    PGR2 YESSS :)
    was about to give all my xbox games away, now i get to keep pgr2 just untill 4 comes out

  • kangarootoo #18 5 years ago

    Galleon is good fun. Not as great as the hype suggested, but for the manhours invested its very good (the history of that project is many things, but lack of talent is not one of them).

  • krudster #19 5 years ago

    From ancedotal chats, many of my Morrowind loving friends thought it was a 10, a 9 minimum. 8 is by no means a low score...

  • kangarootoo #20 5 years ago

    @onyxbox

    I think the later 360s have much better reliability. The 65nm version is not the first version to get a lot of the problems ironed out. IIRC any systems dated after June 06 have a much healthier failure rate.

  • kangarootoo #21 5 years ago

    @ccfb

    8/10 is high, but not extremely so. Extreme technically means something along the lines of "furthest removed from the average".

    Regardless, I think Morrowind definitely qualifies for the old "add 1 to the score if you like this sort of thing".

  • menage #22 5 years ago

    Couldn't they fix Panzer Dragoon, it keeps locking up at level 4.

  • ostrasized #23 5 years ago

    Ha. Try playing Thief III on your Xbox 360. It claims to be backwards compatible, but what's this? Oh look, every transparent particle is drawn over the top of the world.

    Destroys the game, to see the glimmering candle flames and fires through the world, like you've got specific x-ray vision (but nowhere near as cool).

    Unless it works perfectly it doesn't work, Microsoft - take it off your list ;-)

  • 2099net #24 5 years ago

    Well I was excited: Justice League Heroes and Evil Dead: Regeneration! Wow! But, sadly, neither will work on a VGA lead.

    Sort it out Microsoft! Sort it out!

  • fiery_jackass #25 5 years ago

    (pointless snipe)
    Outrun 2 is undoubtedly top of the list? A list with PGR1 & 2?

    nope.

  • Yossarian #26 5 years ago

    still no BG&E :'(

  • SBfistfun #27 5 years ago

    Outrun Coast to Coast was dogshit

  • ccfb #28 5 years ago

    @kangarootoo:

    My comment refers to the use of the word "but" instead of "and", but nevermind.

    Also, lol @ "a much healthier failure rate." MS's marketting dept have nothing to fear! :)
    Edited by 1 at 13/07/07 @ 10:22

  • Singularity #29 5 years ago

    errr Galleon? Why would you care if that worked or not ;)

    Yep, 'cos it was awesome. ;P

  • Caimbeul #30 5 years ago

    "Is there generally any improvement in the visuals on these things?"
    There most certainly is! upscaling and Anti-Aliasing!

    Outrun and Jet Set Radio Future! Yummy

  • TheRealBadabing #31 5 years ago

    Anyone know if there is a list of 50hz only BC games? Tried Thief 3, Psychonauts and some other stuff and they don't play through a VGA cable because of this.

  • bioreit #32 5 years ago

    So where's all the PS3 guyys who were saying "at least the software PS3 BC still gets updated, unlike the crappy old 360 one. hur hur hur."?

    Come on, out you come, so I may mock thee.

  • krudster #33 5 years ago

    At this point, apart from the few odds and ends I listed, most of the great Xbox exclusives are now covered off. For the multi platform stuff that doesn't work, most of them were developed for the PS2 and ported to Xbox lazily anyway, so I think I might finally be able to retire the old black box soon...

  • Carpathian #34 5 years ago

    JSRF !!!! Finally !!!!!!!!

    (sorry for the enthusiasm - I've been waiting for ages)

    (thinks)

    (actually, just remember my brick is ROD'd in a Prague repair centre so enthusiasm = 0)

  • DerFlange #35 5 years ago

    Chronicles of Riddick! pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease.

  • dr_swin #36 5 years ago

    I think it is a travesty that they have not made strangers wrath compatible. that game looked such a labour of love.

  • dave06 #37 5 years ago

    aw man what about metal gear solid 2 and soldier of fortune 2, i wanna play em bad. you do know there re -releasing chronicles of riddick with like 50% new game play and better graphics don't you?

  • Toothball #38 5 years ago

    Outrun! So happy! I think I'll buy another copy and run link games between the Xbox and 360.

  • Gurgeh #39 5 years ago

    Ahh Jet Set Radio Future. All I can say is

    "Extra sugar, extra salt
    Extra oil and msg"

  • peasoup #40 5 years ago

    cant see them doing chronicles of riddick seeing as the rehash is coming out.

  • Khanivor #41 5 years ago

    Good to see you put Voodoo Vince in amongst the titles still badly needing to be b/c. Such a fine, fine game.

  • neuroniky #42 5 years ago

    Finally Outrun 2! If only my 360 wasn't dead in Germany...

  • Vin #43 5 years ago

    Christ, how did they manage Morrowind?

    Major props due, there.

  • DUFFKING #44 5 years ago

    GIVE ME RALLISPORT CHALLENGE 2 DARNIT!

  • Malek86 #45 5 years ago

    JSRF! It finally works! Oh, how I longed for this moment,i it's been since my original Xbox broke down in July 2005... two years from now, how peculiar.

    Some starting: JSRF works fine, even with the VGA cable (I was afraid it didn't..). Morrowind would apparently work fine, and even the GOTY Edition doesn't get the "incompatibility" message. However, I couldn't start it because it doesn't work with the VGA cable. Too bad, but I already have it for PC. What matters is that JSRF works even with VGA. Lookin' sharp, too, if a bit pixelated.

  • neil_likes_bums #46 5 years ago

    \o/ OutRun 2 \o/ I knew I kept it all this time for a reason.

  • alasdairm #47 5 years ago

    Mashed Fully Loaded works - its on the list as Drive to Survive - the US title

    Also - Shadow Ops is not recognised and won't play at all - no major loss

    Doom 3: RofE won't let me access the content download

  • TheStranger #48 5 years ago

    "Morrowind ftw! \0/

    Loading times haven't improved though. :("

    Agreed on both counts.

  • Penguinzoot #49 5 years ago

    Great news about JSR. Riddick would be nice (although unlikely suppose), but RSC2 is now my most wanted.

  • dynarama #50 5 years ago

    \o/ YEEEAAAAHHHHHHHHHH

  • Malek86 #51 5 years ago

    By the way, looks like they haven't fixed that problem with stuttering in JSRF. Stutters much more than on the Xbox.

  • krudster #52 5 years ago

    Mashed Fully Loaded? That's great news.

  • spongebob #53 5 years ago

    They're slowly but surely getting there. Kudos for MS. Just give the people what they want and patch the biggest Xbox titles. It'll be all good then, albeit unnecessery at this pace.

  • inomine #54 5 years ago

    For those needing to know which EU games support 60Hz and hence work with the VGA adaptor, wikipedia has a list:
    [link url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Xbo x_games_compatible_with_Xbox_360
    ]http://en .wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Xbo...[/link]
    Although with this being released today it'll need updating.

  • Turrican #55 5 years ago

    Rallisport 2 is the kicker they need to port, as its one of the best racing games ever.

  • Xerx3s #56 5 years ago

    It would have been nice if they included some sort of 0 point achievements or something in those updates. I don't see why it can't be done and it would definitly add to my urge to play morrowind yet again.

  • krudster #57 5 years ago

    Hrm. Gotham 2 emulation seems a bit duff. Black screen on car selection and locked up before starting a race...

  • mechamonkey #58 5 years ago

    Mechwarrior 2 and Marvel Vs Capcom 2 , \o/


    Not looking forwards to opening everything on MVC2 again..
    Edited by 1 at 13/07/07 @ 15:08

  • Agent_Llama #59 5 years ago

    Morrowind! YAY! Outrun 2006! YAY! Now I want Rollercoaster Tycoon!

  • LeSpank #60 5 years ago

    Very happy about OutRun2 and OutRun Coast to Coast... they are great games.
    Edited by 1 at 13/07/07 @ 15:29

  • BBIAJ #61 5 years ago

    @mechamonkey:

    Good luck playing Marvel Vs Capcom 2, it's seriously borked!

    Oh, and Mechassault 2 has been BC since April!

  • squeakyg #62 5 years ago

    Until that Wikipedia list gets updated, can anyone say how many of these work with the VGA cable? I'm so sick of getting excited about certain games being added to the BC list, then find out they don't work with VGA.

  • Scimarad #63 5 years ago

    WOO-HOO!!!

    At bloody last!

  • TheCooler #64 5 years ago

    Ooooh - PGR2 - the best of the series by far!

    I hope PGR4 will be more like PGR2 than PGR3 :)

    And JSRF as well - my most played game ever on the Xbox - the counter stuck at 99 hours of gaming time, and I played a lot after that.
    Edited by 1 at 13/07/07 @ 17:53

  • ProtoformX #65 5 years ago

    Marvel vs Capcom 2?! With that title sorted out all my Xbox games now work in my 360. I proclaim this to be a Good Day.

    Edit: Less of a Good Day. I can't quite describe the problem, but the character sprites are slightly buggered.
    Edited by 1 at 13/07/07 @ 21:18

  • Bulbatron #66 5 years ago

    Does the Game of the Year Edition of Morrowind work? Also very pleased about Silent Hill 2 and Doom 3 - RoE.

    There are just 3 more left I'd like to see:

    TimeSplitters - Future Perfect
    ObsCure
    Legacy of Kain - Defiance

  • Razorus #67 5 years ago

    I was sooo annoyed to find that Chronicles of Riddick is not on the list yet. I tried it out today and my 360 updated and it even read the disk on the dashboard (eg, it said "Riddick" on the disk read part) but then it said this game is not compatible. Someone here said they can't see them doing it cos of the remake/expansion coming later but they should still include the original, it really isnt fair as its easily one of the best Xbox games ever.

  • Ryze #68 5 years ago

    Now all you 360 owners can get ur arses over to the Outrun 2006 eurogamers club.

    See you on the track soon.

    ryz.

  • Malek86 #69 5 years ago

    @Bulbatron: my GOTY Morrowind gives me a PAL-50 error message - because it doesn't work with the VGA cable. I can't try with Component, but I assure you that that message can only appear if the game is already compatible. So, ease down. Of course, maybe it would be better to await confirmation from someone who can actually start it... but I'm sure enough it works. If you have Component.

  • Bulbatron #70 5 years ago

    Cheers, Malek86. I'm just using an ordinary television, so in theory it should work.

  • Malek86 #71 5 years ago

    You're welcome.

    Also, I've updated the wiki page posted before with info from all the games I have. Not many, but maybe it can help. I hope more people will do the same, with time.

  • Bulbatron #72 5 years ago

    Godammit to hell! I can't get Silent Hill 2 to work! Of all the games - that was the one I was most looking forwards to!

    I can't get any picture at all - only sound (I can hear the music from the 'mid-title-screen' movie. No picture though. It's just completely black. Don't think it's my setup, since I'm just using an SD TV.

    I can get Doom 3 - RoE and Morrowind GOTY to work fine - so what's the deal with Silent Hill 2? Does anybody know how I might be able to get round this - or have Microsoft screwed up on this one?

  • squeakyg #73 5 years ago

    Bulbatron:

    I've seen someone else complain about that problem with Silent Hill 2 as well, so it's not just you (unless it was you on another board, heh). Shame.

  • MAX99 #74 5 years ago

    i gather they never bothered fixing the level 3 crash on PAL panzer dragoon orta?

  • Bulbatron #75 5 years ago

    It probably was me, Squeakyg! I think I've whined about this on every forum on the whole internet!

  • Duds2k #76 5 years ago

    It's worth pointing out that the dodgy titles are not added deliberately. It's simply that when getting another game to work, other games may suddenly work because they relied on the same functions.

  • davisorle #77 5 years ago

    "to be honest, most of these newly compatible games are ones you'd never want to darken your doorstep ever again"

    FFS dude! Why would i want to play any other crapy games that arent for the current console I got? I understand for the PS3 owners since the PS2 games are better ( and almost none PS3 originals ) but why play xbox games on my freaking 360? Enough said and heard about this subject. Glad im joining the army in 2 weeks. This is sad

  • Xerx3s #78 5 years ago

    PRG2 is so dull

    kthxbye.

  • NegativeZero #79 5 years ago

    JSRF is still one of my favourite games. Threw it on to give it a test and ended up playing for about two hours. My only gripe is that there's some nasty slowdown. Most of the levels are pretty solid, but 99th Street's central area with the dragon seems to run at half the framerate of the other areas. I recall that part having some slowdown on the Xbox, but it was never that bad.

  • NthSimulachum #80 5 years ago

    A notable lack of Timesplitters 2. One of the most awesome four player fpses to grace the last generation.