Xbox Originals Previews by mywifeleftm - RetroAchievements/RANews GitHub Wiki
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Like many people, growing up, I was strictly a Nintendo kid. I had no idea what lied beyond the N64 and Gamecube when it came to video games. It wasn't until I was nearly graduated from high school that I finally decided to branch out into other companies consoles. With Gamecube and possibly Wii achievements on the horizon, it wouldn't come as a shock to me to eventually see support for the original Xbox to come to RA. I was tasked with writing a preview for 10 hidden gems on the console, but as someone that basically only knows like 5 games, this was definitely a fun dive into some of the weirder and quirkier games this library has to offer. In no particular order:
1. Blinx the Time Cat
This is one of the games I remember seeing being heavily marketed in the early 2000s. Intended to be Microsoft's mascot to rival Mario and Sonic, this funny little cat apparently has a vacuum cleaner that can control the space time continuum., and uses it to mop up enemies and beat levels within 10 minutes. You can pause, rewind, fast forward, slow down, or stop time entirely. For a game released in 2002, it seemed pretty ambitious, even getting a sequel. Ultimately this mascot failed to catch people's attention and there hasn't been a game in the series since said sequel. It would assuredly have a pretty unique achievement set, with all the ways to control time, so I believe this game deserves to be one of the first claims for a potential Xbox rollout.
2. Sneak King
Did you know this is the third highest sold game on the original Xbox besides Halo 1 and 2? Did you even know this was on the original Xbox? Because I sure didn't! This utter meme of a game was sold at select Burger King retailers back in 2006 for 4 dollars USD for about a month. There were also 2 other games, Pocketbike Racers and Big Bumpin', but they were grounded in their gameplay. Not Sneak King, though. You play as the titular Burger King™ himself, playing a faux stealth mission in people's front yards and stalking them, but instead of doing what you would normally do in other stealth games, you instead hand them a Whopper. It's an utterly bizarre game, but a part of Xbox's history that definitely deserves to have an achievement set.
3. Metal Wolf Chaos
Just watch this video of the remake that came out a couple years ago. It's the most American game ever made, from the creators of Dark Souls. It's hilarious.
4. Shin Megami Tensei: Nine
When I was looking up games for this list, I was absolutely not expecting to see an exclusive japan only Shin Megami Tensei for this console. The setting for this game apparently takes place in between the events of SMT 1 and 2, and you play as a cyber hacker, with most of the game taking place in cyberspace. It's very much a product of its time, and it was intended to be an online game of sorts before that portion getting cut during development. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to have an English translation so it might be a hard sell, but it's a pretty cool looking game that I think deserves a set.
5. Toxic Grind
This game's concept is ludicrous. Real human beings came up with this. I'm just gonna copy wikipedia's plot synopsis because I don't think I can make this up if I tried.
"In the year 2097, BMX riding has been outlawed, with violators of the law sentenced to appear on "Toxic Grind", a game show hosted by host Dixon Von Blass. On the show, contestants are injected with a deadly toxin, ensuring certain death. However, in order to enhance the show's ratings, the host decides to use time travel kidnap Jason Hayes, one of the world's best freestyle BMX riders, to showcase on the show."
It sounds really funny. Would it translate well to an achievement set? Apparently it had really wonky controls, but what experimental game didn't in this era?
6. Gun Metal
Another game I'd never heard of, but the concept makes it sound really fun. You play as a "dozens of feet" tall supersuited humanoid that not only has access to 24 different weapons, but can also transform into a plane. If my 12 year old self knew about that, I probably wouldn't have just been a Nintendo kid growing up. With 14 different missions and tons of different loadout possibilities, the potential achievement set for this game could be really creative.
7. Loons: The Fight for Fame
Ok, this has to be one of the most unknown Xbox games out there. There's barely any content or videos about it. When somebody DMed me and sent me the boxart for this game, I thought it was made up. But nope, there's a Power Stone clone on the Xbox featuring Looney Toons characters, and it's not terrible looking? I definitely would have gotten a kick out of this game as a kid.
8. Sudeki
An obscure RPG in the xbox's library, this game definitely feels like its tailor made to have achievements. Every character has their own fighting style in the sense that you control your melee characters like a character action game ala Devil May Cry, while your ranged characters go into first person mode and you control them like you're playing an FPS game. The concept is really cool.
9. Psychonauts
Maybe not as much of a hidden gem anymore, with it getting a sequel fairly recently, but the original Psychonauts is definitely an experience. A 3d platformer where all the levels take place inside the characters heads, with charming and memorable writing that will leave a lasting impact on any player. I will be shocked if this isn't one of the first Xbox games to get a set.
10. Rollercoaster Tycoon
Ok, I had NO idea there was an xbox port for this beloved PC Classic. In this game, you're tasked with saving failing theme parks, making them bustling, designing roller coasters, and definitely not creating death traps for your beloved guests. I put so so many hours into the pc version of this game, and it absolutely deserves to have a set on RA.