Be it backwards compatibility or stuffed somewhere in the Games on Demand service via Xbox Live, these are titles that shouldn’t be missed, regardless of being on the Xbox or not. So, sit back, relax and get ready for a brief lesson in what exactly a classic is and why you should spend some hard earned points and time investing in them. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.

10. Manhunt - Carcer City was a terrible place as it was, throw waking up there with “The Director” in your head and being tasked with snuffing out the hunters before they get you, and that just made it a downright nightmare. Coined as a third-person stealth action title, Manhunt allowed you to do what Solid Snake couldn’t, snuff people out in some of the most gruesome ways possible. Visceral in its design and utterly terrifying for the main character, a former-death row prison inmate trying to rescue his family, the game is easily discernible as a Rockstar title. Increasingly immersive was the ability for gamers to distract those hunting the main character by speaking into the Xbox microphone on the headset, effectively reminding players to pause before sneezing. Despite being somewhat eclipsed by the unwarranted controversy its sequel garnered, Manhunt is still immeasurably fun to play and shouldn’t be missed.

9. Mortal Kombat: Deception - The last great Mortal Kombat title before Midway truly started going downhill; Deception distinguished itself in the realm of replayability as few of its predecessors could ever hope to do so. Konquest mode, which follows the quest of Shujinko, gave an epic feel to the entire Mortal Kombat universe. While it was criticized for poor voice acting, the overall action and fleshed out storyline of Konquest gave single players an alternate option from Arcade Mode. Furthermore praised by several publications for its tight controls and concise stringing of combos together, Deception easily captured several “best fighting game” awards. In addition to amount of playable characters and the ability to select between various fighting styles made the game really damn fun and in comparison to some later iteration of the series, still stands up very well.

8. Jet Set Radio Future (JSRF) - Some years ago there was a game called Jet Grind Radio on the Dreamcast and this is as close as you’re ever going to get to it if you want to play it on a 360. Set in a future where free expression has been outlawed, playing as a skater who goes around town tagging, tripping up guards and generally causing mayhem is a lot more fun than I originally thought it could be. But it is, and it really doesn’t get old, even after the credits roll. The music is great, the art style is spectacular and the gameplay is something that I could put next to Tony Hawk’s Ride and still walk away playing JSRF.

7. Panzer Dragoon Orta - Panzer Dragoon was always an amazing series and regardless of the nostalgia factor in its favor, any self-respecting gamer has to play this game at least once. One of the best rail shooters I have ever played, the game follows Orta, a young girl who rides a dragon that can fire homing missile. Yes, the dragon can fire homing missiles. It can be expounded upon, but the basics are now covered. The mechanics are well done, allowing players to shoot to their hearts content, boss battles make the player feel a bit cramped but are overall well done. Received relatively well, there is no reason why this game should be forgotten.

6. Fable - While not the title that Peter Molyneux promised it would be, the game is still of great quality in its own right and now with Fable III on the horizon it would be interesting to go back and see where it all started. Stepping into the boots of an orphan rescued by a hero after your village is destroyed by bandits it’s clear to see that Fable doesn’t have the most original of introductions. However, what it does possess are some amazing moments and a really great time. The karma system for good and evil doesn’t exactly leave too much wiggle room on the moral gray areas, but the gameplay fills in the blanks pretty appropriates. More often than not I wasn’t concerned with being nice or not, just how many things I could kill with my lighting at once.

5. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - More than just another Star Wars game, Bioware took this role-playing game and made something special out of it. Taking place 4,000 years before any of the events that have situated themselves into our pop culture in regards to Star Wars, you play a character who starts the game waking up on a Republic ship amidst a Sith attack. If this isn’t enough you get to add people to your party as you progress and the branching dialogue trees, which helped sway your alignment between light and dark, were pretty well done for the time. Combined with incredible storytelling and chained to the Star Wars universe in the best way possible, short of not enjoying rpgs, this game is vastly difficult to not enjoy.

4. Phantom Crash - Easily overshadowed by Mechassault, which unfortunately isn’t backwards compatible or available via Xbox Live, Phantom Crash was still exceptional in its own right. Comparable to a Forza except with mechs and instead of being like Armored Core was actually fun, there was little that couldn’t be had in Phantom Crash. Able to assume views from 3rd or 1st person were incredible given the detail and everything to be seen in game. The combat was fast while still satisfying along with the customization that shined in comparison to other titles at the time. Genki hit a home run with this title and I sincerely wish they would do a next-gen version.

3. Psychonauts - Nothing I can really say will do this game the justice it deserves. Tim Schafer knows how to make a fun video game. This will probably sum it up.

2. Crimson Skies - What if the United States not coming out of the Great Depression caused something really cool to occur, like say, the rise of sky pirates? Not just regular pirates, but freakin’ sky pirates. Crimson Skies pretty much nailed what a fun flight experience should be. Flying through missions, being able to land and man gun turrets on the fly, causes this game to be my number two selection if for no other reason than being one of the greatest lengths of fun I have ever had clutching an Xbox controller. Still in my collection to this day, I’ll occasionally find myself playing through the single player again at some dead hour of the evening. The storyline is something I would expect to coincide with Indiana Jones, the voice acting is spot on and the game mechanics are some of the most solid I have ever encountered. If FASA had been more spot on, they may have very well been able to collapse the universe in fun.

1. Halo / Halo 2 - Once upon a time there was a small company in Chicago named Bungie. They made a game that was so amazing that Microsoft bought them, moved them to Redmond and eventually constructed them as the main support structure of their entire Xbox experience. While Halo felt, at times, repetitive and was by no means perfect, it single-handedly gave Microsoft the legs to stand and fight in the console wars. Halo 2 added the multiplayer aspect, unforgettable and capable of staying power, even today years after even its sequel has released. But let’s face it; Bungie owed us an ending after Halo 2. Ultimately, being of the mind that there are no perfect games, there are few competitors to the paramount these two games are combined.

Bonus Round – The game Microsoft should port: Mechassault - Anyone who has played it will never forget it. Mechassault was the quintessential Xbox Live title. Yes, eventually Halo 2 would seize that spot and remain fixed as the Xbox Live game to play, but when Live was young and there weren’t as many games as there are now, you could always find a quick match in Mechassault. And yes, they were matter of the quick and dead. You either knew what you were doing or you didn’t and the single-player, while fun, was an introduction to give the player the skills to survive on live. Dear Microsoft, if you can hear me, bring this game over to Games on Demand. It wouldn’t be that difficult and I guarantee there is at least one person who would buy it.

--Andrew

i miss that huge controller