The Best Exclusives On The Original Xbox, Ranked

The unique Xbox introduced in america on November 15, 2001. This used to be proper off the heels of SEGA dropping by the wayside within the console marketplace, thus making room for a brand new competitor for Sony and Nintendo’s sixth-generation programs. It used to be a daring transfer and one who raised relatively a couple of eyebrows, but in addition one with actual price.

The result of Microsoft’s resolution in the end talk for themselves. Whilst the machine didn’t promote as many devices because the PS2, basically because of having fewer video games and a loss of established franchises; the titles that it did get have been lovely spectacular. The most efficient Xbox exclusives have had an enormous have an effect on at the business, spawning multi-million greenback franchises which might be nonetheless common to at the moment.

Up to date February 22, 2024, through Tom Bowen: When Microsoft made the verdict to go into the house console marketplace within the overdue nineties, the corporate confronted a huge process. The contest used to be sturdy and the margins have been tight, as Sega would be informed only some brief years later. Armed with some inventive thinkers and a ludicrous amount of money, the corporate temporarily discovered that it wanted extra than simply robust {hardware} to face a possibility towards Nintendo and Sony and so set about securing a powerful library of Xbox-exclusive titles. No longer the entire authentic Xbox exclusives discovered their mark, however many did and would pass directly to change into massively a hit, steadily promoting tens of millions of devices and spawning more than one sequels within the procedure.

20 Fuzion Frenzy

Metacritic Ranking: 70 (Xbox)

Initially launched in 2001, Fuzion Frenzy won’t had been probably the most advanced recreation available on the market, however it equipped hours of simplistic and over-the-top antics corresponding to Nintendo’s Mario Birthday celebration collection. It won’t have had the long-lasting characters, however it arguably equipped simply as a lot amusing.

As would most likely be anticipated from a fledgling celebration recreation, it did not rating too extremely with critics, exemplified through its 70 Metascore. Then again, the sport bought extraordinarily properly; collecting just about 700,000 gross sales in america, which may be very spectacular taking into consideration the unique Xbox’s somewhat restricted gross sales.

19 Blinx: The Time Sweeper

Metacritic Ranking: 71 (Xbox)

Given the massive good fortune of collection like Mario, Spyro the Dragon, and Crash Bandicoot, it is simple to look why Microsoft used to be so prepared to protected a platforming franchise of its personal. Because it occurs, Blinx ended up being a little bit extra Bubsy than Banjo, however it nonetheless had various redeeming qualities that made it price taking part in.

The sport carried out moderately properly with critics and gross sales have been sturdy sufficient for Microsoft to greenlight a sequel. Sadly, on the other hand, the reaction to Blinx 2: Masters of Time and House used to be somewhat lackluster, which resulted in the franchise being kicked to the curb. It wasn’t the closing Xbox unique name that Artoon would paintings on regardless that, with the studio later occurring to co-develop Blue Dragon for the Xbox 360.

18 Useless or Alive Xtreme Seaside Volleyball

Metacritic Ranking: 73 (Xbox)

Useless or Alive Xtreme Seaside Volleyball stuck a large number of flack when it used to be first launched, regardless that its sturdy gross sales recommend that now not all of this used to be totally justified. It used to be for sure a recreation of its technology and, regardless that definitely a little bit risqué, used to be nonetheless a well-put-together volleyball recreation.

Of all of the preventing recreation spinoffs that exist, Useless Or Alive Xtreme Seaside Volleyball is correct up there with the most productive of them and is definitely one of the distinctive. On the finish of the day, if there’s a marketplace for this sort of recreation, then there will have to be not anything fallacious with builders answering that call for.

17 Final Combating Championship: Tapout

Metacritic Ranking: 74 (Xbox)

The Final Combating Championship model used to be some distance smaller in 2002 than it’s as of late, however that did not forestall a tie-in recreation from liberating for the unique Xbox. It featured one of the vital game’s greatest stars like Tito Ortiz, Chuck Liddell, and Frank Shamrock; in addition to, for some explanation why, 80s rapper Ice T.

Taking into consideration the 12 months it used to be launched, Final Combating Championship: Tapout developer DreamFactory did a cast activity of imposing the huge vary of combined martial arts types into balanced gameplay mechanics. They did so properly, in reality, {that a} sequel used to be launched the next 12 months.

16 Damaged Sword: The Dozing Dragon

Metacritic Ranking: 77 (Xbox)

Although arguably the worst access within the vintage point-and-click franchise, Damaged Sword: The Dozing Dragon remains to be an excellent recreation. It brings George Stobart and his on-again-off-again female friend Nico into the 3rd size and lines an elaborate tale that is stuffed with epic twists and turns.

Apparently, Microsoft handiest went so far as securing exclusivity for the name in North The united states, that means that the ones in Europe have been in a position to play the sport at the PlayStation 2 a month previous than Xbox homeowners within the States. It used to be for sure well worth the wait regardless that, because the Xbox port appears and controls some distance higher than its PS2 counterpart.

15 Metal Battalion

Metacritic Ranking: 83 (Xbox)

Metal Battalion used to be a expensive funding again within the early 2000s and now not a large number of copies of the sport exist within the wild anymore consequently. Numerous folks selected to concentrate on value on the time of its unlock, however, having a look again, it is most likely Capcom’s ambition that deserved to be the primary speaking level.

Generation is getting on the subject of providing some visceral VR reports, however the feeling of getting bodily controls simply isn’t the similar. What made Metal Battalion so nice used to be its elaborate controller that reflected that of the participant’s cockpit. The dang factor even had an eject button! It used to be onerous, however it felt excellent when victory used to be clenched on the closing 2nd.

14 Conker: Are living & Reloaded

Metacritic Ranking: 78 (Xbox)

A remake of the cult vintage N64 name Conker’s Unhealthy Fur Day, 2005’s Conker: Are living & Reloaded used to be launched completely on Xbox following Microsoft’s acquisition of Uncommon in 2002. This did not sit down too properly with Nintendo enthusiasts, however definitely helped lift consciousness of the Xbox model.

A number of the recreation’s adjustments used to be the implementation of Xbox Are living to the multiplayer mode, in addition to important graphical and sound enhancements. Because of this, many imagine it to be the definitive model of the sport and probably the most few nice video games launched through Uncommon since being received through Microsoft.

13 The Chronicles of Riddick: Break out From Butcher Bay

Metacritic Ranking: 89 (Xbox)

The Chronicles of Riddick: Break out from Butcher Bay had so much going for it in 2004. No longer handiest used to be it a tie-in to the preferred media franchise, however Vin Diesel additionally reprised his position within the recreation. Because of this, it scored an outstanding 89 on Metacritic, regardless that the sport struggled to accomplish commercially.

Fortunately, the sport’s developer Starbreeze Studios used to be a minimum of rewarded for its efforts, choosing up awards for Easiest Recreation In line with a Film and Unsung Hero Recreation of the Yr. The franchise has since light away into obscurity, however the recreation stays probably the most authentic Xbox’s highest.

12 Undertaking Gotham Racing 2

Metacritic Ranking: 90 (Xbox)

With a whopping Metascore of 90, Bizzare Creations’ Undertaking Gotham Racing 2 is not only probably the most highest racing video games at the authentic Xbox, but in addition probably the most highest racing video games of all time. It regarded and performed like a dream when it used to be launched in overdue 2003 and nonetheless holds up lovely properly to at the moment.

Similar to with its predecessors, City Boulevard Racer and Undertaking Gotham Racing, the gameplay is focused across the franchise’s implausible Kudos mechanic. Similar to a modern day in-game forex, Kudos is accrued via skillful riding and can be utilized to buy new and stepped forward vehicles.

11 Jet Set Radio Long run

Metacritic Ranking: 88 (Xbox)

After Sega failed with the Saturn and the Dreamcast again to again, the corporate determined to name it quits on consoles and as an alternative focal point on being a third celebration writer. After the fast turnaround, a large number of their homes deliberate for the Dreamcast made their approach onto the Xbox as exclusives.

Together with stuff like Loopy Taxi and Panzer Dragoon, the trendy Jet Set Radio Long run additionally made its approach into Microsoft’s thankful fingers. Not like the primary recreation, on the other hand, it has unfortunately by no means been re-released with an HD improve, that means that avid gamers must accept an upscaled enjoy at the Sequence X or S.

10 Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath

Metacritic Ranking: 88 (Xbox)

The Oddworld collection, up so far, were PlayStation-exclusive puzzle platformers. They have been amusing, however now not essentially groundbreaking. What the franchise did be offering, on the other hand, have been imaginative worlds full of nightmarish imagery that complimented the slower gameplay pacing.

Stranger’s Wrath is Oddworld meets Clint Eastwood westerns with the joys gadgetry of Ratchet & Clank. It’s a strange twist for the collection, however arguably one for the easier. It has since gained an HD improve in addition to two sequels, the newest of which got here in 2021 within the type of Oddworld: Soulstorm.

9 Ninja Gaiden Black

Metacritic Ranking: 94 (Xbox)

Granted, Ninja Gaiden used to be later ported to the PS3, however, in its authentic run, the sport used to be advertised as an Xbox unique. Extraordinary too, taking into consideration that this used to be as soon as a large Nintendo franchise. Microsoft used to be taking each and every unique it will get its fingers on regardless that and this used to be probably the most higher offers that the corporate struck.

Ninja Gaiden is brutally and on occasion unfairly tough, however not more so than the unique Ninja Gaiden trilogy at the NES. It used to be additionally a very good instance of the right way to reboot a online game franchise the precise approach; one thing that now not all builders haven’t begun mastered. If handiest the sequels had stored this nostalgia teach going.

Metacritic Ranking: 87 (Xbox)

In this day and age, The Elder Scrolls is maximum closely related to Skyrim. Earlier than 2011’s cherished access and even Oblivion regardless that, Bethesda broke into the console marketplace with Morrowind. Even on the time, the RPG had a coarse high quality to it, with the burden instances being extremely sluggish.

This used to be for the reason that recreation featured an infinite open RPG global the likes of which had by no means truly been noticed on a console. Skyrim is arguably the most productive access within the collection, however it wouldn’t be the place it’s as of late with out Morrowind. In fact, Morrowind debuted on PC, however this stays the one console model round.

7 Jade Empire

Metacritic Ranking: 89 (Xbox)

When folks bring to mind BioWare, they most probably get unhappy on account of how some distance the studio has fallen. That being mentioned, the developer’s historical past is full of masterpieces like Baldur’s Gate, Celebrity Wars: Knights of the Outdated Republic, and Mass Impact, simply to call a couple of.

Jade Empire has a tendency to be forgotten amongst the ones different large names, in spite of having that vintage BioWare attraction and gameplay. Plus, Jade Empire is sort of a Hong Kong kung fu film in recreation shape! Why precisely extra folks are not clamoring for a sequel is anyone’s wager, as a result of Jade Empire truly is a brilliant recreation.

6 Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cellular

Metacritic Ranking: 93 (Xbox)

Strictly talking, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cellular began existence as a timed unique, with the sport sooner or later being ported to the PS2, GameCube, and PC within the one year following its unlock. It even gained a remastered PS3 unlock courtesy of the Splinter Cellular Trilogy and Sony’s Classics HD collection, regardless that this model did not come with the DLC bonus missions discovered within the authentic Xbox unlock.

Even if one of the vital releases that adopted fell a little bit in need of the mark, the primary few Splinter Cellular video games have been modern for his or her technology. In conjunction with Konami’s Steel Equipment Cast collection, they helped to blaze a path for long term stealth-based video video games and are regarded as through many to be one of the vital highest video games of the early two-thousands. With this in thoughts, it is no marvel that Ubisoft determined to remake the unique recreation.

5 Halo 2

Metacritic Ranking: 95 (Xbox)

Even if Halo 2 constructed upon the sturdy foundations of its predecessor in on the subject of each and every approach, those iterative enhancements have been nowhere close to as groundbreaking as Battle Developed used to be when it first launched in overdue 2001. In fact, that isn’t to mention that Halo 2 is not nonetheless a fantastic recreation. In reality, many imagine it to be the most productive recreation at the authentic Xbox.

In all probability the most important unmarried growth on be offering in Halo 2 comes within the type of the sport’s multiplayer mode, which used to be each larger and higher than the only discovered within the authentic. Those that’ve by no means performed both owe it to themselves to test them out, regardless that, at the present time, the one approach to take action is by the use of Halo: The Grasp Leader Assortment.

4 Shenmue 2

Metacritic Ranking: 80 (Xbox)

For the reason that the 2 firms had labored so intently collectively all through the advance of the Dreamcast, it got here as little marvel to many when Microsoft started snapping up exclusivity offers for Sega’s most powerful IPs. Except for Sonic, Shenmue used to be arguably the select of the bunch, with tens of tens of millions of greenbacks having been spent at the building of the 2 groundbreaking video video games.

Similar to Damaged Sword: The Dozing Dragon, Microsoft’s exclusivity deal handiest lined North The united states, that means that Eu and Eastern avid gamers were given the sport on Dreamcast a couple of 12 months previous; albeit on the expense of an English language dub. In spite of the loss of a dub regardless that, the Dreamcast unlock fared a lot better with critics, managing reasonable ratings of 90 and 88 with GameRankings.com and Metacritic respectively.

3 Delusion

Metacritic Ranking: 85 (Xbox)

Morrowind used to be nice and all, however the most productive myth recreation at the authentic Xbox used to be arguably Delusion. It additionally had an infinite scope; a few of which it lived as much as whilst some it didn’t. The visionary at the back of the sport, Peter Molyneux, has all the time made implausible guarantees together with his tasks, however Delusion delivers on greater than maximum.

Even supposing the RPG didn’t relatively reside as much as the entire hype surrounding it, Giant Blue Field Studios’ Delusion remains to be not anything in need of an excellent recreation. Without reference to its faults, Delusion provides up a fantastic adventure and proves that now not all nice RPGs wish to come from Japan.

2 Celebrity Wars: Knights of the Outdated Republic

Metacritic Ranking: 94 (Xbox)

Previous to Celebrity Wars: Knights of the Outdated Republic, maximum Celebrity Wars video video games ranged from ok to unhealthy. There have been a couple of gemstones in there, like Jedi Outcast, however no person may have guessed {that a} prequel set 4 thousand years earlier than the occasions of the unique film trilogy may have been this excellent.

BioWare’s epic RPG can also be performed on the newest Xbox consoles with stepped forward load instances and smoother textures; at some issues, legitimately seems like a current-gen recreation. This is to mention, it holds up extraordinarily properly. Nowadays it is playable on different platforms, however it used to be a defining name for the unique Xbox at release.

1 Halo: Battle Developed

Metacritic Ranking: 97 (Xbox)

Microsoft had so much to turn out through leaping into the console marketplace. Together with Bungie, the Xbox aimed to modify what folks considered first-person shooters on consoles. Since then, Halo has made its solution to the PC and is even to be had on Steam, however not anything outlined ‘unique’ at the authentic Xbox greater than Halo: Battle Developed.

Halo very much stepped forward the style whilst additionally making a brand-new multiplayer sensation. It even spawned a fan caricature known as Purple vs Blue, which lead the way for its creators, Hen Tooth, to change into a media massive. To mention that Halo has been a hit would due to this fact be a little of a sarcasm.