Gun

Those looking forward to taking gunslinger Cotton White through a few Xbox 360 Wild West adventures might just want to stick to the more affordable Xbox version of the game. As far as we could tell, the Xbox 360 version offers very little improvement over the Xbox version at 480p.

The environment looks marginally better, with improved textures and additional shrubbery here and there, but it's still very difficult to see any real differences between the 360 and Xbox versions at normal resolution. The game also appears unexplainably dark on the 360 (the shadows engulf poor Ned in our 360 shot). The game definitely looks better at 720p, but stay away from the Xbox 360 port if you don't have an HDTV--it's pure snake oil at standard resolution.

Xbox vs. Xbox 360 - Mouse over image to compare the difference!

Need for Speed Most Wanted

Need for Speed Most Wanted for the Xbox 360 is exactly what a next-gen console launch game should be. EA has made illegal street racing even more fun by giving the game high-resolution textures and a whole new dynamic lighting system.

Normal maps on cars and street surfaces function as the next-gen secret sauce, smothering the game in specular-lit goodness. Technical problems with the Xbox version forced us to take the Xbox shot using method that produced a higher quality image. The 360 screenshot may not look as sharp in comparison, but the new lighting effects absolutely stand out when the game is in motion (note: images do not show the same car or track).

Xbox vs. Xbox 360 - Mouse over image to compare the difference!

NBA Live 06

Just one look at the finely detailed player models and the sharp basketball courts can tell you that NBA Live 06 is special on the Xbox 360. The game sports a brand-new game engine built to take NBA graphics to the next level. The 360 game doesn't have all of the features available in current versions just yet, but EA promises to fill out the gameplay in future franchise updates.

Players still look good at standard resolution, way better than on the Xbox, but frame rates can be inconsistent, and player animations sometimes pop between actions for uneven play. Text is also noticeably more difficult to read at normal resolution.

Xbox vs. Xbox 360 - Mouse over image to compare the difference!