How to Score 9,000 Points in 48 Hours (That's 3 Points a Minute!)

Rack up 9,000 Xbox Live achievement points in just 48 hours, and find out which Live Arcade games are good for quick points and which Xbox 360 games are tougher for getting points.



When the Xbox 360 launched, few people expected achievement points to become such a driving force for people to play games--even games they didn't particularly like. Last year, we showed you how you could boost your gamerscore by 6,000 points with as little effort as possible and then followed that up with 1,000 points courtesy of Xbox Live Arcade. Now, we're back again to help you boost your gamerscore by more than 9,000 points. That's right, in less time than it takes to beat a lengthy role-playing game, you can send your gamerscore through the roof! We've also scouted out the best new Xbox Live Arcade games for scoring quick points and identified some of the toughest recent Xbox 360 games to get points from. Let's get started!

Fuzion Frenzy 2

Points: 1,000

Estimated Time: Four to six hours

All you need to get 1,000 points out of Fuzion Frenzy 2 is patience--skill is optional. Start with the single-player game, set the "number of worlds to win" option to two, and then plug in as many controllers as you can find. If you're able to fill all four controller spots (dance pads, guitar controllers, and driving wheels will work just fine), you're guaranteed to breeze through the game with each character in no time at all. If you can't fill all four controller ports, simply set the CPU to easy, and you should have little trouble beating the game with each character.

Zak Master - 50 points
Win the main battle tournament with Zak.

Naomi Master - 50 points
Win the main battle tournament with Naomi.

Jet Master - 50 points
Win the main battle tournament with Jet.

Geena Master - 50 points
Win the main battle tournament with Geena.

Samson Master - 50 points
Win the main battle tournament with Samson.

Dub Master - 50 points
Win the main battle tournament with Dub.

Custom Master - 50 points
Win an offline custom game.

Fuzion Frenzy Rookie - 25 points
Play three types of minigames (practice mode doesn't count).

Minigame Collector - 150 points
Beat the game, and you'll have unlocked all of the minigames.

Fuzion Frenzy Master - 150 points
By the time you've beaten the game, you should have unlocked all of the minigames. Make sure you go back and play the last game you've unlocked, or you won't get the points

The online portion of the game is dreadful, thanks to an unbalanced card system and an incredibly obnoxious announcer that can't be skipped. You can get the online points legitimately with a little bit of effort, but let's face it, we're trying to expend as little energy as possible here. Find a buddy that's looking for points, set the other two CPU opponents to easy, and take turns earning achievements. If you don't have any friends that want to play, it's quite easy to find someone to help you out since the only reason people are playing the game online is to earn points.

Tournament Hero - 100 points
Win an online tournament.

Minigame Frenzy Hero - 100 points
Win 10 online battle minigame frenzies.

The First Victory - 25 points
Win one victory in the online battle minigame frenzy.

Custom Hero - 100 points
Win an online custom game.

Easy Xbox Live Arcade Points

 

Easy Points Fever!

Pac-Man

Easy Points: 170

Even inexperienced Pac-Man players shouldn't have too much trouble chomping their way to 170 achievement points. Clearing round 21 might seem like a daunting task, but this tip can make it a little easier. In the options menu, change your number of lives to five. Because you can start a game from the last level you've cleared, you basically have five lives to clear any level in the game. The only superdifficult achievement here is trying to eat each ghost four times in a single stage--that one's no joke.

 

TMNT

Points: 1,000

Estimated Time: Five to six hours

Thanks to some cheap deaths due to a lousy camera, and the Turtles yelling catchphrases every few seconds, patience is a more valuable asset than skill when you're trying to get through TMNT. The good news is that the game isn't really all that bad; it's supereasy, and it doles out points like candy for just beating a level.

Mystical Jungle - 20 points
Complete level one.

Get Your First Coin - 15 points
This doesn't mean the silver coins you collect during every level. Beat the first level quickly and without dying to earn an "A" rating for that level. Now you can go back and play it as a challenge level. Just a minute or so into the level, you'll come across a gold coin, and when you scoop it up, you'll be awarded 15 achievement points.

Clean Sweep - 50 points
Complete a level without taking damage. This one sounds tricky, but it's a piece of cake on the first level of the game. When you do have to fight, try to take on one guy at a time, mash the buttons, and you should get this one with ease.

Vigilantism - 24 points
Complete level two.

Techno Ninjutsu - 28 points
Complete level three.

Used Don's Special Move - 30 points
This achievement is unlocked in level three.

Cowabunga Carl Getaway - 32 points
Complete level four.

Used Mike's Special Move - 30 points
This achievement is unlocked in level four.

Spirit of the Forest - 36 points
Complete level five.

Used Leo's Special Move - 30 points
This achievement is unlocked in level five.

Ninja Tag Time - 40 points
Complete level six.

Family Unit - 15 points
Do a co-op move combination attack. This can be done in level six.

The Game Is the Foot - 44 points
Complete level seven.

Foot Trail - 48 points
Complete level eight.

Tower Power - 52 points
Complete level nine.

When the Slime Comes - 56 points
Complete level 10.

O Brother Where Art Thou - 60 points
Complete level 11.

Used Raph's Special Move - 30 points
This achievement is unlocked in level 11.

Bite Me! - 64 points
Complete level 12.

All Is Forgiven - 68 points
Complete level 13.

Ninjas in the Crypt - 72 points
Complete level 14.

The Mysterious Leader - 76 points
Complete level 15.

Winter's Secret - 80 points
Complete level 16.

Easy Xbox Live Arcade Points

 

Points Wrapped Up
With a Bow

Ms. Pac-Man

Easy Points: 170

Many people say that the main difference between Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man is that she's got a bow. That's the difference between the two game's achievements as well, because here you'll be getting those same easy Pac-Man points…while wearing a bow. Like you did in Pac-Man, in Ms. Pac-Man change your number of lives to five and keep plugging away, one level at a time. Once again, eating all four ghosts four times in a single level is going to be the most difficult achievement, but feel free to give it a shot!

 

NBA Street Homecourt

Points: 870

Estimated Time: Five hours

Finally, a game with easy points that's fun to play, too. You can get 1,000 points with ease if you've got the time to level up a second baller and find someone willing to take the online bullet, but even if you don't, you can get 870 by just playing through the homecourt challenge mode and playing 10 games online. The fastest way through the game is to set the difficulty to easy and then play the games that require the fewest points possible to win. You'll only want to play games to 21 or higher if you're trying to do things like complete four gamebreakers in a game.

Ash Park Champ - 50 points
Win the Ash Park tournament.

Rupert Bell Champ - 70 points
Win the Rupert Bell tourney.

Cloverdale Champ - 100 points
Win the Cloverdale tournament.

Ultimate Journey - 150 points
Finish the game by beating Carmelo Anthony in the Air Jordan gym.

Freaked - 40 points
Earn a freak skill. Your freak skill is awarded to you after you reach level five. Pick shooting, and you'll be unstoppable from behind the arc, burying two-pointers with ease and finishing games in no time at all.

Mastered - 80 points
Earn a master skill. You get this when you get to level 15.

GB Insanity - 50 points
Successfully complete four gamebreakers. Pick a game that goes to a high score, and this should be no problem. If you're having trouble getting four gamebreakers in before you win, make sure you're not doing too many tricks during the gamebreaker--you don't want to score too many points. Also, let the computer score some points here and there. If the CPU is close, you're less likely to turn the ball over.

Named - 50 points
Earn a nickname. This is given you when you reach level 10.

Dunkalicious - 50 points
Complete five jump-off dunks. When one of your teammates crouches at the top of the key, jump off his back and dunk by pressing the B button. You can usually just dribble around and wait for him to crouch, but if he's not cooperating, you can press down on the D pad and he'll assume the position.

Dialing Long Distance - 50 points
Score seven baskets from beyond the arc. Once you've got your shooting-freak skill, pick a game that goes to at least 14 points and fire away from behind the two-point line.

Tricked Out - 50 points
Complete 10 trick moves in a game. Get near an opponent and press the trick button (X or Y), and eventually you'll pull off a trick. You probably won't have to try very hard to get this one, but if you're having trouble, you can play a longer game or wait until you've got better players who are more adept at performing tricks.

Ultimate Finish - 50 points
Win a game with a gamebreaker.

Doubling Up - 50 points
Complete three double dunks. This one takes a little practice: You've got to hold down the dunk button until the meter is full to perform a double dunk. If you hold it too long, you'll clank the dunk. This is a little tricky at first, but by the end of the game, you'll have the timing down and you'll be double dunking with ease.

Online Showdown - 30 points
Play 10 games online. You don't have to win the games; you've just got to play them.

If you've got some extra time on your hands, these points aren't terribly difficult, but there are faster ways to earn points.

King of the Court - 70 points (Slightly More Time-Consuming)
Win 10 consecutive games online. This can be earned along with the "Play 10 Games Online" achievement, but you're going to need the help of a buddy.

Seeing Double - 60 points (Slightly More Time-Consuming)
Level up two different created ballers to level 10. This isn't hard, but it requires too much time for just 60 points.

Easy Xbox Live Arcade Points

 

The Race for Points

New Rally-X

Easy Points: 200

By now, you may be noticing a pattern here: Namco's Live Arcade games have some easy-to-get points. New Rally-X is no exception. You'll get most of the game's points by the time you've finished round 16, but that's no problem since you can restart from the last level you cleared. This ability will also help you easily earn what should be the game's most difficult achievement. The "No-Miss (Round Seven)" achievement requires you to beat the first seven levels without losing a life, but hey…that would take extra work, and that's not how we roll. Here's what you do: Once you've gotten to, or past, the seventh round, go ahead and lose. Then, choose round seven as the starting level and beat the level without dying. When your game's over, you'll be the proud owner of 40 shiny, new achievement points.

 

Cars

Points: 775

Estimated Time: Six hours

Like TMNT, this game isn't difficult, but it can test your patience since the races get pretty boring after a while. Be sure the game is set to the default difficulty since you won't get any achievements if you choose the easy setting. This easy game is made even easier if you enter the code VROOOOM in the cheats menu. This gives you unlimited boost. You don't actually get the ability to boost until a few races in, but if you've entered the code, you'll be able to boost as much as you want. You can't use the boost in the Piston Cup races, but those are supereasy, so it's not much of a problem.

Palm Mile Speedway - 75 points
Finish in first place.

Motor Speedway of the South - 50 points
Finish in first place.

Ornament Valley - 75 points
Unlock Ornament Valley.

Sun Valley International Raceway - 75 points
Finish in first place.

Tailfin Pass - 75 points
Unlock Tailfin Pass.

Monster Truck Mayhem - 50 points
Finish in first place.

Rustbucket Race-O-Rama - 50 points
Finish in first place.

Smasherville Motor Speedway - 75 points
Finish in first place.

Radiator Springs GP - 50 points
Finish in first place.

Ornament Valley GP - 50 points
Finish in first place.

Tailfin Pass GP - 50 points
Finish in first place.

LA International Speedway - 100 points
Finish in first place.

It's hard to leave 225 points on the table, but these three achievements are time consuming and can be extremely frustrating to earn. You've played enough of Cars by now. It's time to move on.

Tractor Tipping - 75 points (Time-Consuming)
Successfully complete all levels of Tractor Tipping. It's not as easy as it sounds, thanks to horrible camera angles and lousy controls.

Lizzies Postcard Hunt - 100 points (Time-Consuming)
Collect all available postcards in Postcard Hunt Mode. If you simply must do this one, head over to GameFAQs and use a walk-through.

Sheriffs Hot Pursuit - 50 points (Time-Consuming)
Successfully complete all levels of Sheriffs Hot Pursuit. You're driving a lousy car and dealing with lousy controls here. Just skip it.

Easy Xbox Live Arcade Points

 

Pump Up those Points!

Dig Dug

Easy Points: 200

Here are some more easy points, courtesy of the wonderful folks at Namco. When trying to get the "Dig" achievement, where you have to dig up an entire level, make sure you leave at least two enemies alive (or the last one will leave the level). If they're giving you too much grief, pump them up a few times to give yourself some space, but don't blow them up completely. The achievement for crushing four enemies with a single rock is probably the most difficult, but it's not impossible. Try using a rock near the top of the level and dig a tunnel straight up from the bottom. As long as you've got four guys behind you, they're toast.

 

Major League Baseball 2K6

Points: 1,000

Estimated Time: Three to four hours

Ah, good old 2K Sports and its easy achievement points. This is another game where a cheat code helps us get those points even faster. Simply go to the cheats menu and enter: Derek Jeter. This unlocks a whole slew of cheats to make the points even easier to get. It's also probably worth your time to pick a team, max out its stats, and then take another team and lower that team's stats.

Unhittable - 200 points
Strike out 15 batters with one pitcher on the "pro" difficulty setting. Using that handy Derek Jeter code, turn on the option for two-strike strikeouts. This should be no problem if you've lowered the stats of the opposing team.

Super Slugger - 200 points
Blast three balls out of the park in one game with the same player on the "pro" difficulty setting. Once again, we turn to our old pal Derek Jeter. Activate the cheat that lets bunted balls travel as far as a normal hit, and then use the cheat that makes every hit a fly ball. Now, start a game and bunt with every player. If you're still having trouble: Anytime you get on base, take over control of the runner and let the CPU hit the homers for you.

Offensive Explosion - 300 points
Score 20 runs in one game on the "pro" difficulty setting. You'll probably get this with no problem, but if you're having trouble, activate the diamond cutters cheat, which awards you a run for stealing a base. With your players' stats maxed out, they'll steal bases with ease, especially if you lowered the opposing catcher's throwing ability.

Thief - 150 points
Steal an amazing five bases in one game on the "pro" difficulty setting. With your players' stats maxed out, they'll steal bases like Ricky "Wild Thing" Vaughan steals cars, especially if you lowered the opposing catcher's throwing ability.

Robbery! - 150 points
Make a wall-climb catch. This is probably the most difficult of the five achievements, but it's still not too tough. Play against a good-hitting team like the NL or AL All-Stars (you can raise their hitting stats so they'll hit the ball farther if you'd like). Make sure your outfielders have their fielding and speed stats maxed out and then use the batter-up cheat that creates all fly balls, the superdefense cheat, and the superturbo cheat. Once the game has started, move your fielders back (left bumper), make every pitch right down the middle, and when a ball is headed toward the seats, press up on the right analog stick when prompted. As soon as you've robbed the homer, you're given the achievement, so you can quit and move to the next game.

Easy Xbox Live Arcade Points

 

Achievements Attack

Galaga

Easy Points: 200

Everyone be sure to thank Uncle Namco for all the easy achievement points. Reaching stage 30 may seem like a daunting task, but like all of the previous arcade games in the list, Galaga lets you start a new game from the last level you reached. Other achievements like finding the scorpion, stingray, dragonfly, galboss, and mosquito aren't much harder than knowing what level each appears in, which, if you're keeping score, are levels 5, 8, 11, 12, and 19, respectively.

 

NCAA March Madness 07

Points: 780

Estimated Time: Three to four hours

What's this, another sports game? It sure is! The easiest way to get the achievements here is to max out the stats (and height) of one team and lower the stats (and height) of another, just like in MLB 2K6. Hey, we never said you'd be proud of how you got these points.


You can earn 155 points in one short game. Here's how:

All-American Hero - 30 points
Win a game without attempting a three-point shot on All-American difficulty. Here's the secret: Don't take any three-pointers.

No Three-Pointers for Opponent - 35 points
Participate in an entire game where your opponent has made no three-point shots. This one should be a piece of cake if the game is short enough. You can let the CPU dunk all day, but make sure you guard closely on the perimeter.

No Turnovers - 40 points
Commit no turnovers in a game.

Win on Buzzer Beater - 50 points
Play a short game, and make sure you get the last possession with the score tied. Right before the clock expires, take a short jumper (don't try to dunk), and you should get the achievement.

You should be able to get many of the following achievements in the same game by playing the longest game possible.

100% Shooter - 25 points
Have a player shoot 100 percent from the field (a minimum of 10 shots). Dunk every time down the court with the same player until he's dunked 10 times. Then, either don't take another shot with him or sit him on the bench for the rest of the game.

Double-Double - 20 points
Have a player on your team get a double-double.

Triple-Double - 35 points
Have a player on your team get a triple-double.

Quadruple-Double - 50 points
Have a player on your team get a quadruple-double.

22 Assists - 65 points
Have a player get 22 assists in a single game.

13 Steals - 60 points
Have a player get 13 steals in a single game.

100 Points - 100 points
Have a player score 100 points in a single game.

15 Three-Pointers - 65 points
Have a player hit 15 three-pointers in a single game.

Floor General Play - 15 points
Call a floor general play.

Pump Up Crowd - 20 points
Pump up the crowd.

Pump Up Team - 20 points
Pump up a teammate.

Upload Roster - 30 points
These are some of the easiest achievement points in any game. All you've got to do is upload a roster to the EA Sports locker.

14 Blocks - 60 points
Have a player with 14 or more blocks.

Now it's time for some online points. The best thing about these is that you don't have to win; you've just got to finish.

Unranked Custom Match - 20 points
Finish an online unranked match against another player.

Ranked Challenge - 20 points
Challenge another player to an online ranked match and finish the game.

Ranked Custom Match - 20 points
Finish an online ranked match against another player.

The next group of points is attainable, but they're difficult enough that it will take a long time and a fair amount of skill to earn them all.

51 Rebounds - 70 points (Time-Consuming, Somewhat Difficult)
Have a player get 51 rebounds in a single game. If you spend an entire game tossing up bricks from near midcourt, you should be able to get this one. Unfortunately, you aren't likely to get many other achievements, so it's not worth it.

30 Free Throws - 60 points (Time-Consuming, Somewhat Difficult)
Have a player make 30 free throws. If you've got a friend to sit there and foul you over and over again, this is doable, but it's really time-consuming.

20 Points From Free Throws - 20 points (Time-Consuming, Somewhat Difficult)
Participate in an entire game where your team scores 20-plus points from the free throw line. Again, if you've got a friend to sit there and foul you over and over again, this isn't all that tough, but it's really time-consuming.

100% Free Throws - 40 points (Time-Consuming, Extremely Difficult)
Participate in an entire game where your team makes 100 percent of its free throws (a minimum of 10 shots) on All-American. Forget it--it's extremely difficult.

All-American Victory - 30 points (Time-Consuming, Somewhat Difficult)
Participate in an entire game where your team wins versus the CPU, with default settings and All-American difficulty.

This Game Is a Points Wasteland

 

Giant Robots Mean
Hard Points

Chromehounds

Why it's not recommended: Great game, but points are scarce and extremely time-consuming to get.

Giant robots are awesome, and Chromehounds is a heck of a game, but it's not a great game if you're looking to earn a bunch of easy points. Not only are most of the points earned by playing tons of hours online, but you've also got to put some serious time in if you're going to earn any points at all. All you need to know is that you can spend 50 hours of your life on the game and walk away with less than 300 points.

 

NBA Live 07

Points: 900

Estimated Time: Three hours

NBA Live 07 is a lousy game, but what it lacks in gameplay, it makes up for with easy achievement points. Like March Madness, Live 07 lets you get many of these achievements in the same game session. Because only the best players have the ability to do superstar moves, your best bet is to use an all-star team.

Perform Level Three Playmaker Move - 50 points
Perform at least one level three playmaker superstar move.

In the Zone Playmaker Move - 70 points
Perform at least one in the zone playmaker superstar move.

Perform Level Three Scorer Move - 50 points
Perform at least one level three scorer superstar move.

Perform Level Three Post Move - 50 points
Perform at least one level three post superstar move.

Perform Level Three High-Flyer Move - 50 points
Perform at least one level three high-flyer superstar move.

Perform Level Three Shooter Move - 50 points
Perform at least one level three shooter superstar move.

You've got to score a bunch of points before a player gets in the zone, but once you do that, the in the zone moves are just like the superstar ones.

In the Zone Scorer Move - 70 points
Perform at least one in the zone scorer superstar move.

In the Zone Post Move - 70 points
Perform at least one in the zone post superstar move.

In the Zone High-Flyer Move - 70 points
Perform at least one in the zone high-flyer superstar move.

In the Zone Shooter Move - 70 points
Perform at least one in the zone shooter superstar move.

Four Users on One Machine - 50 points
The hardest thing about this one is tracking down four controllers. Once you've got the controllers, make sure you've got two players on each team, and then play and finish a short game.

Online Multiplayer Co-Op - 100 points
Finish a multiplayer co-op online game with at least one friend against two or more users. Before you return that extra controller you borrowed from the previous achievement, go ahead and use it to get an easy 100 points online.

Challenge an Online User/Ranked - 100 points
Challenge an online user to a ranked game, and finish this game. Feel free to lose horribly--the 100 points you get for this will never rat you out.

Play and Finish a Ranked Match - 50 points
Play and finish a normal ranked match against any opponent.

In theory, the last achievement should have been the easiest of them all, but you'll probably never be able to get it. This game is so bad that it took a concentrated effort from points fiends to get 1,000 people online at the same time. Sadly, that day has come and gone, and it's not likely to happen again.

Online With 1,000 people - 100 points (Good Luck With This One)
Be online when there are 1,000 people online at the same time.

This Game Is a Points Wasteland

 

These Points Are Dead Hard

Dead Rising

Why It's Not Recommended: Great game, but point achievements are very demanding and the save system doesn't help.

Dead Rising is another top-notch game that's a loser when it comes to earning easy achievement points. You can earn some easy points for dropping from a height of 16 feet and taking pictures of lots of zombies, but you'll have to be really hardcore to kill 53,594 zombies (20 points), escort eight female survivors simultaneously (20 points), or survive for seven days (20 points). The game's funky save system doesn't help you out much and makes it difficult to do many of the seemingly simple tasks required to earn points. On the plus side, no matter how few points you find yourself getting, it's always a blast to run over a zombie with a lawnmower.

 

Madden NFL 07

Points: 700

Estimated Time: Five hours

Madden 06 was a points bonanza, and thankfully, so is the sequel--although, it is a bit more difficult to get all 1,000 points. Nonsports fans will be pleased to know that you can earn every single achievement by simulating games. You never have to play a single down.

Create-A-Player - 5 points
Create a player.

Minigames - 5 points
Enter the minigames mode. You don't even have to play!

Are you ready to simulate some football?! Head to franchise mode, take control of every team, grab some food and a drink, and kick back for a couple hours of hitting the X button.

30 Years of Franchise - 100 points
Complete 30 years of franchise mode. You can simulate this one.

Madden Gamer Level Two - 10 points
You'll get this one while you're simulating 30 years of a franchise.

Madden Gamer Level 10 - 20 points
You'll get this one while you're simulating 30 years of a franchise.

Madden Gamer Level 20 - 40 points
You'll get this one while you're simulating 30 years of a franchise.

Madden Gamer Level 30 - 70 points
You'll get this one while you're simulating 30 years of a franchise.

Madden Gamer Level 40 - 85 points
You'll get this one while you're simulating 30 years of a franchise.

Madden Gamer Level 50 - 100 points
You'll get this one while you're simulating 30 years of a franchise.

Super Bowl Win - 30 points
Win the Super Bowl.

Perfect Season - 30 points
Successfully complete a perfect season.

Game Record - Passing TDs - 10 points
Set the single-game record for passing touchdowns.

Game Record - Receiving TDs - 10 points
Set the single-game record for receiving touchdowns.

Game Record - Passing Yards - 10 points
Set the single-game record for passing yards.

Game Record - Rushing Yards - 10 points
Set the single-game record for rushing yards.

Game Record - Rushing TDs - 10 points
Set the single-game record for rushing touchdowns.

Game Record - Receiving Yards - 10 points
Set the single-game record for receiving yards.

Game Record - Interceptions - 10 points
Set the single-game record for interceptions.

Game Record - Sacks - 10 points
Set the single-game record for sacks.

Game Record - Receptions - 10 points
Set the single-game record for receptions.

Season Record - Receiving TDs - 20 points
Set the season record for receiving touchdowns.

Season Record - Rushing TDs - 20 points
Set the season record for rushing touchdowns.

Season Record - Receiving Yards - 20 points
Set the season record for receiving yards.

Season Record - Passing TDs - 20 points
Set the season record for passing touchdowns.

Season Record - Receptions - 20 points
Set the season record for receptions.

Season Record - Passing Yards - 20 points
Set the season record for passing yards.

Season Record - Sacks - 20 points
Set the season record for sacks.

Season Record - INTs - 20 points
Set the season record for interceptions.

Season Record - Rushing Yards - 20 points
Set the season record for rushing yards.

All-Madden Shutout - 10 points
Pitch a shutout on All-Madden difficulty.

Live Opponent - 5 points
Play a live opponent game.

The rest of these points are attainable but simply aren't worth the time (or, in the case of importing a draft class, monetary) investment that it takes to get them.

Import Draft Class - 10 points
Import a draft class from NCAA College Football 07. If you've got the game, you might as well do it, but 10 points isn't worth renting the game for.

SS Season - 30 Passing TDs - 10 points
Get 30 passing TDs in a single season of superstar mode.

SS Season - 10 Receiving TDs - 10 points
Get 10 receiving TDs in a single season of superstar mode.

SS Season - 1,400 Rushing Yards - 10 points
Get 1,400 rushing yards in a single season of superstar mode.

SS Season - 140 Tackles - 10 points
Get 140 tackles in a single season of superstar mode.

SS Season - 16 Sacks - 10 points
Get 16 sacks in a single season of superstar mode.

SS Season - Seven Forced Fumbles - 10 points
Get seven forced fumbles in a single season of superstar mode.

SS Season - Seven INTs - 10 points
Get seven interceptions in a single season of superstar mode.

SS Career - 200 Passing TDs - 20 points
Get 200 passing TDs in your superstar mode career.

SS Career - 60 Receiving TDs - 20 points
Get 60 receiving TDs in your superstar mode career.

SS Career - 10,000 Rushing Yards - 20 points
Get 10,000 rushing yards in your superstar mode career.

SS Career - 500 Tackles - 20 points
Get 500 tackles in your superstar mode career.

SS Career - 100 Sacks - 20 points
Get 100 sacks in your superstar mode career.

SS Career - 20 Forced Fumbles - 20 points
Get 20 forced fumbles in your superstar mode career.

SS Career - 25 INTs - 20 points
Get 25 interceptions in your superstar mode career.

This Game Is a Points Wasteland

 

Tough Points. Sorry, Ladies.

Dead or Alive Xtreme 2

Why It's Not Recommended: Collecting points is a long and tedious process in this mediocre game.

Do you love collecting swimsuits? Well, do ya?! If so, Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 is the game for you. Forty-five of the game's 46 achievements involve collecting swimsuits. But if you love collecting easy points, you might want to think twice before trying this one. Even putting an exclamation point after their names (such as "Gather as Many Swimsuits as You Can With Lisa!") doesn't make these achievements any less tedious. Oh, and in case you were thinking that the 46th achievement might be an easy one…that one requires you to collect every item in the game. To add insult to injury, the game itself is pretty lousy--even if you're a fan of ridiculous-looking, huge, computer-generated breasts.

 

Fight Night Round 3

Points: 1,000

Estimated Time: Five to six hours

Yep, it's another sports game, but at least this is a really good sports game. And what's more, you don't even have to be a great boxer to earn all 1,000 of Fight Night's points. Here's what to do: Set the game difficulty to easy, turn off the autosave feature (that way you can simply reset the game if you lose and try again), turn on the three-knockdown rule, and turn off illegal punches. You'll still be able to perform illegal shots, but you won't be penalized for them. Nice eh? Now, head off and start a career.

When creating a boxer, it's OK to favor power over other attributes, but you'll want a fairly well-rounded boxer in the later stages of your career, so don't go overboard. Fight Night's achievements are doled out for winning sponsored fights, so all you've got to do is win--there aren't any extra points for looking good. This means you're free to dish out low blows and head-butts (using the B button) whenever you need to. You might want to turn the heads-up display on so you can closely monitor your opponents' energy levels and attack when they're weak. When you've got a fighter on the ropes, make sure you knock him down with a haymaker or a signature punch. And don't be afraid to go to the body--it's an effective tactic. Also, be sure you manually save before a big fight so you can restart the game in the event of a loss, because if you lose the BK, Dodge, Everlast, or Under Armour fights, you won't be able to revisit them again unless you start a new career.

Burger King Achievement - 100 points
Win the BK invitational fight.

Dodge Achievement - 100 points
Win the Dodge-sponsored fight.

EA Sports Achievement - 150 points
Win any EA Sports-sponsored fight.

ESPN FNF Achievement - 150 points
Win any ESPN Friday Night Fight event.

ESPN PPV Achievement - 150 points
Win any ESPN Pay-Per-View fight event.

ESPN WNF Achievement - 150 points
Win any ESPN Wednesday Night Fight event.

Everlast Achievement - 100 points
Win the Everlast-sponsored fight.

Under Armour Achievement - 100 points
Win the Under Armour-sponsored fight.

These Games Are a Points Wasteland

 

Stay on the Sidelines

UEFA Champion's League 2006-2007

Why It's Not Recommended: Solid game, but achievements are tough and will take a long time to get.

What this is: a solid soccer game with a highly addictive card-collecting component. What this is not: a game you're going to want to play for points. Even if you put the game on easy and adjust the match length, it will be a long time before you've won 300 games (30 points). Other tough achievements include winning 60 games in a row (50 points), going more than 50 games undefeated (15 points), and completing the collector's album (100 points).

Run Fast, Get Points Slow

Sonic the Hedgehog

Why It's Not Recommended: Not a great game, and it's very stingy with its points.

The primary reason you'd want to stay away from this game is because it's terrible. But if that's not enough to keep you away, you should know that it's stingy with the achievement points, too. You'd figure that Sega would have some sympathy for anyone playing this game, but that just isn't the case. If you take the time to get "S" rankings, congratulations, you've got skill and patience--but you might want to rethink your taste in games in general.

 

Open Season

Points: 1,000

Estimated Time: Five hours

Another kids' game cracks the list. This time, it's Open Season, a mediocre game based on a movie of the same name. Forty-six achievements may seem like a lot, but with the help of a good walk-through from GameFAQs, you should be able to plow through this supereasy game, earning all 1,000 points in around five hours. Unlike many games, Open Season isn't stingy with its points in the early going, so even if you give up, you'll still come away with some points in hand.

Adventure Completed! - 50 points
Complete the adventure.

Badges? We don't need no stinkin' badges. Actually, for this game you do. You can probably find most of the badges on your own, but if you're having trouble, refer to a GameFAQs walk-through.

Butterfly Badges! - 15 points
Collect all 10 butterfly badges.

Flower Badges! - 15 points
Collect all 10 flower badges.

Trash Badges! - 15 points
Collect all 10 trash badges.

Feather Badges! - 15 points
Collect all 10 feather badges.

Beetle Badges! - 15 points
Collect all 10 beetle badges.

Acorns Badges! - 15 points
Collect all 10 acorn badges.

Track Badges! - 15 points
Collect all 10 track badges.

Mushrooms Badges! - 15 points
Collect all 10 mushroom badges.

Leaf Badges! - 15 points
Collect all 10 leaf badges.

Collection Rewards! - 100 points
Once you've found every badge in the game, you'll be rewarded with a cool 100 points. Nice.

Wild Skills! - 65 points
Learn all 15 wild skills. You'll get these at the wild academy as you progress through the game. The wild academy is unlocked a few levels into the game.

Buddy With Rabbits! - 5 points
Become buddies with the rabbits.

Buddy With Skunks! - 5 points
Become buddies with the skunks.

Buddy With Deer! - 5 points
Become buddies with the deer.

Buddy With Squirrels! - 5 points
Become buddies with the squirrels.

Buddy With Porcupines! - 5 points
Become buddies with the porcupines.

Buddy With Ducks! - 5 points
Become buddies with the ducks.

Buddy With beavers! - 5 points
Become buddies with the beavers.

Buddy With All Animals! - 15 points
Become buddies with all animals.

Wild points are points you get for doing things you were probably already going to do anyway throughout the game.

Perfect Dinkelman Dreams! - 20 points
Complete Dinkelman dreams with maximum wild points.

Perfect Timberline! - 20 points
Complete Timberline with maximum wild points.

Perfect Puni Mart Picnic! - 20 points
Complete Puni Mart Picnic with maximum wild points.

Perfect for Hoof It! - 20 points
Complete Hoof It with maximum wild points.

Perfect Scare Bear! - 20 points points
Complete Scare Bear with maximum wild points.

Perfect Wake in the Wild! - 20 points
Complete Wake in the Wild with maximum wild points.

Perfect Meet the Skunks! - 20 points
Complete Meet the Skunks with maximum wild points.

Perfect Mine Shafted! - 20 points
Complete Mine Shafted with maximum wild points.

Perfect Snow Blitz! - 20 points
Complete Snow Blitz with maximum wild points.

Perfect Fowl Duty! - 20 points
Complete Fowl Duty with maximum wild points.

Perfect Hunted! - 20 points
Complete Hunted with maximum wild points.

Perfect Crazy Quackers! - 20 points
Complete Crazy Quackers with maximum wild points.

Perfect Duck and Cover! - 20 points
Complete Duck and Cover with maximum wild points.

Perfect Beaver Damage! - 20 points
Complete Beaver Damage with maximum wild points.

Perfect Rocky River! - 20 points
Complete Rocky River with maximum wild points.

Perfect Shaw's Shack! - 20 points
Have Boog the Bear complete Shaw's Shack with maximum wild points.

Perfect Start the Battle! - 20 points
Complete Start the Battle with maximum wild points.

Perfect Protect the Clan's Tree! - 20 points
Complete Protect the Clan's Tree with maximum wild points.

Perfect Tanks a Lot! - 20 points
Have Elliot the Mule Deer complete Tanks a Lot with maximum wild points.

Perfect Clear the Ducks! - 20 points
Complete Clear the Ducks with maximum wild points.

Perfect Trouble With Trappers! - 20 points
Complete Trouble With Trappers with maximum wild points.

Perfect Chain Saw Cha Cha! - 20 points
Complete Chain Saw Cha Cha with maximum wild points.

Perfect Reilly's Rampage! - 20 points
Complete Reilly's Rampage with maximum wild points.

Perfect Toothy Torpedoes! - 20 points
Complete Toothy Torpedoes with maximum wild points.

Perfect Shaw Showdown! - 20 points
Complete Shaw Showdown with maximum wild points.

Maximum Wild Points Obtained! - 100 points
Complete the game with maximum wild points.

These Games Are a Points Wasteland

 

Endless Quests,
No Points in Sight

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

Why It's Not Recommended: Excellent game, but because it's so open-ended, getting all the points will take you a long, long time.

Oblivion joins Chromehounds and Dead Rising on the list of great games with tremendously time-consuming achievements. You can easily drop 50 hours or more here and end up with just a couple hundred achievement points, thanks to a large number of achievements that require you to work through the ranks of the different guilds. You'll get 140 points for becoming an archmage and another 140 points for finishing the fighters' guild quest, but it will take a long time to do so.

Hard Points Will Tee You Off

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06

Why It's Not Recommended: Unrealistically demanding point requirements, unless you happen to literally be the world's best Tiger Woods 06 player online.

For some reason, the team that developed Tiger Woods 06 didn't consult any other EA Sports game when designing Tiger's achievements, which is a shame, because most of those other games were nice and easy. Apparently, the developers didn't use common sense, either. How else can you explain holding 200 points hostage with an achievement that requires you to be the number-one ranked player in the world in an online game mode? But at least EA discriminated against perseverance as well as skill. If you're actually able to complete 1,000 online matches, you're rewarded with 125 achievements points. Big whoop.

 

Written By

Discussion

773 comments
bgerm52
bgerm52

if you dont think of tmnt as a kids game like it is it can be actualy decent 3/5 stars fight night rocks though fuzion frenzy is a fun party game and nba street homecourt rocks. i wont play any other of those crap games

tucanbob
tucanbob

I'm pretty sure your friends would ask you how you got your gamerscore so high, then look at your achievements and notice that you have been playing cars, open season and teen age mutant ninja turtles. No offense to anyone that likes those games, but that would make me feel like a loser XD

ElementalSoljer
ElementalSoljer

I actually had a lot of fun playing TMNT, Cars and Open Season. :3

oscaromarjp
oscaromarjp

Gamespot Should Get A New Guide With More Actual Games...

knight0029
knight0029

This is something that would be great to do with a friend. Two seperate Xbox's, and both swaping over those rented games to get them both together and maybe helping eachother if the other person is stuck on something...

Cheeba_puff
Cheeba_puff

@GaLonakuka: i gotta agree. my gamerscore is better low if it means i don't have to spend hard-earned cash on playing total ass. that said, fight night 3 is good, and a really easy 1000, so hey, 1 out of 20 ain't bad.

edhc44
edhc44

Well, I'd rather waste this time playing an RPG, thanks. Only that I wouldn't be wasting time then.

CorporalKane
CorporalKane

Acheivements r 4 bragging rights, also i agree with chaoscontrol. ialso agree with sayun and finally, i dont rent games, i borrow them :-)

Voodoo2k3
Voodoo2k3

Yay for easy achievements!!!!

Astall
Astall

I love achievment points but not enough to play games I don't like for. To each their own i guess

chaoscontrol489
chaoscontrol489

lame way to bring up your gamer score, and for all the wrong reasons. Play the games you like because they are good. Not just to jack up your score. But that's my opinion

pinpals
pinpals

whts the function of the achievements?

Tomdogg
Tomdogg

Wow, that vid was soooooooooooo corny. The only funny part was with Andrew saying "But thanks for wasting my time"

smkr4vr
smkr4vr

If people want to play games for the points than let them be. Don't call them gay or tell them to get a life. What is that about? I think the points are a great idea. It keeps you playing a game instead of pushing it to the side. If you don't like the games on the list or the fact that they are easy points....fine don't play them. Some people may have these games because they like them not for the points. So don't go around judging people who play these games.

0dazubeN
0dazubeN

Silly silly silly...just way silly....I mean...where is any of the fun.

GaLonakuka
GaLonakuka

OK, it IS cool to have some achieviments on cool games, but guys, OPEN SEASON? CARS? WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU? And why would somebody get 9000 on lousy games? If you like achieviments, get'em in hard games, please

Liquid_Snake2
Liquid_Snake2

[This message was deleted at the request of a moderator or administrator]

jkwasny9
jkwasny9

With the exception of Fight Night Round 3, Oblivion and its expansion are the only games I have almost all of the achievements for. I need to beat one more fight in fight night, and go back and become the duke of mania in shivering isles. It does take a while to get all of those achievements though, because I have put over 120 hours into the oblivion game. So if your trying to do it quick, its not a good one, like they said.

Sayun
Sayun

Give me a break with the sporst games! I haet most sports games.

vidiot923
vidiot923

I love achievements but I really cant see myself wasting time and money on something like fusion frenzy.

termadoyle
termadoyle

this is a cool how-to for people like me who don't play their games more than 5-6 hours each.(I have very short interest span) thanks a lot gamespot! ^_^

Cormyre_
Cormyre_

Sure you just boosted your GS 9000 points.... but you also just dropped respect by that many... I refuse to respect gamers that have high GS due to playing children and sports games just to boost their GS. Only exception being TMNT... that game was just great back in the day and is still fun =P

Ottozero
Ottozero

darrencornwell..........Yes that is an achievement worth speaking about...I think Gamespot is just making this whole achievemnt thing for casual gamers..I'm still working on all of my games little by little.. Microft is smart they know Hardcore gamers need to boast about their skills and this is one way they have hook most of us...a la WOW honor points/completed quests/best equipment.... But What I dont like is that some people just take it toooooooooooooooooo Far!!

LRN_basic
LRN_basic

This is stupid. Achievement whores are equally as stupid.

darrencornwell
darrencornwell

Achievements are OK - it's nice to be rewarded for something, but I only cherish 1 of my achievements which took me nearly a year to get. Survived 1,000,000 on Geometry Wars - that was the one that I really wanted and I proud to have 12/12 on GeoWars.

userpie
userpie

If you have Vista, you can earn most of the multiplayer achievements for Halo 2 in about...4 seconds if you have any skill at all. Use a gamepad if you like, too.

jknight5422
jknight5422

I think Gamespot should just add Achievement Points to our profiles. They can put in a Games Completed section & we can put in all the games we have finished & be awarded 1000 points per game finished. It uses the honesty system. So if anyone wants to cheat & have millions of points, well they can do that if they want. :-)

Kabaampje444
Kabaampje444

fuzion frenzy 2... is it worth to spend 4 to 6 hours on that game for 1000 points?

neeker
neeker

What's with all the TMNT-slagging? It isn't the best game in the world, but there are definitely worse games than it. The game has flaws, yes, but personally the only thing I couldn't stand was its camera. As for the complaints about how easy it is, yeah, go check the boards and see how many people are asking about how to beat the final bosses. I can't help but feel that people are slagging it off simply because it gives a (almost) guaranteed 1,000 points than anything else. As for the article, it's just tongue-in-cheek. You only have to watch that video to know it.

nicholasnavarro
nicholasnavarro

who would actualy be willing to buy these games just for achievements

Mush_Mouth
Mush_Mouth

I don't think I want to get achievement points off of games like TMNT or Open Season - I try to avoid those games as it is. This is redundant, but why don't we get rewarded for our points? it obviously shows we spend time with the system and spend money on the games, it'd be great to get a little something in return.

Arkam_Asylum
Arkam_Asylum

Who has time for this? I have just enough time to have fun, not do this crap.

Taft13
Taft13

u freakin rock thanx but i only do this when im super bored dude its not all about the achievements have some fun when ur playin it thats why you buy the console not for the acheivements and i prefer gettin achievements on hard games because it actually feels like you earned it like gears of war and rainbow six vegas

chechak7
chechak7

hey get a life ............:)

snwboardn21
snwboardn21

This is my take on it... I think MS had good intentions when they put in gamer score, it is something to do and it adds replay value for people that have that much time on their hands, I know I must of beat Contra 100 times when I was 12. People, as they usually do, tried to make it competitive, and others base other's game playing skill with it. Which is ridiculous because you can get free points just saving it seems like. "You pressed the "A" button, well done! 100 Gamer Score points". In the end though if racking up gamer score points is what makes a game fun for you, then go for it!

saofrenzy
saofrenzy

wow this is dumb. why would you play games just for achievements? kids that do that, you REALLY need to go out and have a life. i don't even use that phrase that often.

Reali_T
Reali_T

YAY my gamerscore is so much higher now. thx GS

Abn0rm4ly
Abn0rm4ly

Articles like this make me cringe. Promoting games just for there gamerscore is absurd, and suggesting that people should go and rent games just to get achievements (like they did in an earlier article) is something I would expect from a Microsoft marketing campaign NOT from a reputable gaming website such as Gamespot. Don't get me wrong I love the idea of achievements as it gives you something cool to work towards while you are playing a game but it should NEVER be the sole reason for playing a game. Advocating playing games for achievements really just makes the whole idea behind a GS worthless.

Bloodhawk_DX
Bloodhawk_DX

I frown upon gamers who use pathetically easy games to make themselves seem like hotshots in the gaming world. It always brings me pleasure to absolutely DOMINATE people in skill based games who have massive gamer score.

Sabbath_13
Sabbath_13

Gamespot are just promoting rubbish games

13Broncos13
13Broncos13

Well with too many gamerscore points you destroy your life. Heres how you calculate it I use an example of 2500 gamerscore points. 10,000 - 2,500 = 7,500 7,500 / 100 = 75% of a life or with 12,500 gamerscore points 10000 - 12500 = -2500 -2500 / 100 = -25% of a life

confused_person
confused_person

I have a friend that got the 10k kills achievement on GoW, he told me it wasnt about the GS, he just wanted the reward of the 'Seriously' Gamerpic, which to be honest does look awsome. If there are more 'actual' rewards for getting achievements, it would be a much better system...

lem_is_cool
lem_is_cool

Hmmm, not as many "Over 9000!!!!" jokes as i expected...

masterdamage
masterdamage

I think the concept of achievements need to be thought over nd redone for the simple fact that games are not that fun anymore if people are only playing for achievements. For example I sold my box, but now play shadowrun on windows vista, so fare in half the games I played when my team finds out im playing on Vista they kill me then revive me just for the points. This has brought a bad name to the achievement system when thats all people cared about. What ever happened to just relaxing and playing a game with your friends and doing nothing else but the enjoying the game itself?

Cruzadr
Cruzadr

This could come in handy as I accidently registered as a different user for xbox live. So all my hard work pre-xbox live is going unrecognised and i have to go through all my games again racking up a respectable score but still maintain a relationship with a gf who thinks 'time together' means sitting in bed watching Big Brother till she falls asleep or gets sick of being stabbed in the back with a blunt part of my body. Handy...like i said.

pedders
pedders

naaaaah not at all, gamerscore is good, oh yeah iv played 1000 games on pro evo and completed GRAW, so what else is there to do, nice little side challenges, something to look towards

eoin-99
eoin-99

if someone has a low gamescore it just means they have a life!

GearMaster13
GearMaster13

Gamer score helped but also ruined video games because alot of people now need to get something out of them besides just fun. Another thing is i hear people getting ripped on for the sole reason that they have to many gamerpoints and no life, so get games u LIKE and you WANT to play not just for gamerscore