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360 to play 200-plus Xbox games

Microsoft confirms that its next-gen console will play many games for its current-gen console, including Halo, Ninja Gaiden, KOTOR, Fable, GTA, and more.
By Tor Thorsen, GameSpot
Posted Nov 11, 2005 5:53 pm PT

After playing coy for months about the Xbox 360's backward compatibility, Microsoft has finally come clean. The software behemoth announced late Friday that more than 200 games from its current-generation console will play on its next-generation console.

As one might expect, Microsoft has made sure all the top Xbox games are supported, including Halo and Halo 2, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic I and II, Ninja Gaiden and Ninja Gaiden Black, and the three Grand Theft Autos: III, Vice City, and San Andreas. A total of 212 Xbox games will be playable on the 360 at launch, though Microsoft says that number will increase.

Friday also brought good news to Xbox Live addicts. Any of the backward-compatible games will be playable cross-platform between the Xbox 360 and Xbox over Xbox Live. That means would-be Master Chiefs with a 360 can still own their friends playing on current-generation consoles--although the former will see the carnage in higher resolution.

However, there is a catch. To play an Xbox game on the 360, players must first insert the current-gen game into a next-gen console hooked up to Xbox Live. The system will check whether the console has the latest emulation software. If not, it will automatically download said software, install it on the 360, restart, and load the original Xbox game. Obviously, a 360 hard drive--which comes with the Halo and Halo 2 software preinstalled--is required to store the backward-compatibility software.

For 360 owners who either can't or won't log onto Xbox Live, Microsoft offers two other solutions. First, they can go to Xbox.com, download the emulators, burn them onto a CD, and then insert said CD into the 360, which will auto-install the software. The other option is to order a free CD from Xbox.com, which will be mailed to the requestor for a "nominal" fee. However, the CD will be mailed out for free to Japanese 360 owners.

A complete list of the Xbox games that will be playable on the 360 when it ships on November 22 is below:


Alias
Aliens vs. Predator: Extinction
All Star Baseball 2003
Amped
Army Men: Sarge's War
Atari Anthology
ATV Quad Power Racing 2
Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance 2
Barbarian
Barbie Horse Adventure
Batman Begins
Battle Engine Aquila
Battlestar Galactica
Blinx 2
BMX XXX
Brute Force
Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Chaos Bleeds
Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts
Cabela’s Outdoor Adventures 06
Cabela's Deer Hunt 2005
Cabela's Deer Hunt: 2004 Season
Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth
Call of Duty: Finest Hour
Casino
Catwoman
Chicago Enforcer
Circus Maximus
Close Combat: First to Fight
Colin McRae 4
Combat Elite
Commandos 2
Conflict: Desert Storm
Constantine
Crash Bandicoot: Twinsanity
Crash Nitro Kart
Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Curse – The Eye of Isis
Dark Angel
Darkwatch
Deathrow
Digimon Rumble Arena
Dinotopia
Dead or Alive 3
Drake
Egg Mania
ESPN MLS Extra Time 2002
Euro 2004
F1 Championship Season 2001
Fable
Fable: The Lost Chapters
Fairly Odd Parents: Breakin' da Rules
FIFA 2003
FIFA 2004
FIFA Street 2005
FIFA World Cup 2002
Fight Night 2004
Fight Night Round 2
Ford Mustang Racing
Ford vs. Chevy
Forza Motorsport
Freedom Fighters
Frogger
Futurama
Fuzion Frenzy
Genma Onimusha
Goblin Commander
Grabbed by the Ghoulies
Grand Theft Auto III
Grand Theft Auto Vice City
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Gravity Games Bike: Street. Vert. Dirt.
Grooverider: Slot Car Thunder
Half-Life 2
Halo
Halo 2
Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone
He-Man: Defender of Grayskull
Hitman: Contracts
House of the Dead 3
IHRA Drag Racing 2005 Sportsman Edition
IHRA Professional Drag Racing 2005
Jade Empire
James Bond 007: Nightfire
Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
Judge Dredd: Dredd vs. Death
Jurassic Park Genesis
Kabuki Warrior
Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer
Kids Next Door: Operation VIDEOGAME
kill.switch
Legends of Wrestling
Lemony Snicket A Series of Unfortunate Events
Loons Fight for Fame
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
Manhunt
Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX 2
Max Payne
Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
Medal of Honor 3 Rising Sun
Medal of Honor Frontline
Medal of Honor: European Assault
Mega Man
Metal Arms: Glitch in the System
MicroMachines Odyssey
Mike Tyson Heavyweight Boxing
Monster Garage
Mortal Kombat: Deception
MTV Music Generator 3
Murakumo
MX World Tour - featuring Jamie Little
Namco Museum X Next Generation
NBA Live 2003
NBA Live 2004
Need For Speed: Underground 2
NFL Blitz 2002
NFL Blitz 20-03
NFL Blitz 20-04
NHL 2004
NHL Hitz 20-03
Ninja Gaiden
Ninja Gaiden Black
Outlaw Golf 2
Outlaw Volleyball
Pariah
Phantom Crash
Pinball Hall of Fame
Pitfall: The Lost Expedition
Predator
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Pro Evolution Soccer 5
Pro Race Driver
PUMP IT UP
Pure Pinball
Puyo Puyo Fever
Quantum Redshift
Rayman Arena
Raze's Hell
Red Dead Revolver
Red Faction II
RedCard 20-03
Robotech: Battle Cry
Rocky: Legends
Rogue Ops
Rugby 2005
Samurai Jack
Samurai Warriors
Scooby Doo: Night of 100 Frights
Scrapland
SeaWorld: Shamu's Deep Sea Adventures
Sega GT 2002
Shadow the Hedgehog
Shellshock:Nam '67
Sid Meier's Pirates!
Simpson's Road Rage
Simpsons: Hit and Run
Sneakers
Sniper Elite: Berlin 1945
Soccer Slam
Sonic Heroes
Sonic Mega Collection
Speed Kings
Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy
Splat Renegade Paintball
SpongeBob Square Pants:Battle for Bikini Bottom
Spy Hunter 2
Spyro: A Hero's Tail
SSX 3
Stake
Star Trek: Shattered Universe
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Star Wars: Clone Wars
Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter
Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic
Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic 2
Street Racing Syndicate
Stubbs the Zombie: Rebel Without a Pulse
Super Bubble Pop
Super Monkey Ball DX
SX Superstar
Tecmo Classic Arcade
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Terminator : Dawn of Fate
Test Drive: Eve of Destruction
Tetris Worlds
The Great Escape
The Incredible Hulk
The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction
The Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer
The Thing
Thief: Deadly Shadows
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3
Tony Hawk's American Wasteland
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4
Tony Hawk's Underground 2
Tork
Toxic Grind
Ty The Tasmanian Tiger
Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 2
Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 3
Urban Freestyle Soccer
Vexx
Volvo: Drive for Life
World Series Baseball 2K
Worms 4: Mayhem
Worms Forts Under Siege
WWE Raw 2
XIII
Yourself!Fitness

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87 Comments

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curtis_pan

Man, I just checked out http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/backwardcompatibilityqa.htm and all the questions asked are interesting, but check out the 3rd last one. That d!ckhead doesn't even give a straight answer -_-. Pisses me off. I got Marvel Ultimate Alliance (Xbox 1) for Christmas and I had played it for a little while until my xbox just stopped working :S. So then I got a 360 and I found out I can't play most of my games anyway. I hope MS doesn't overlook games that are already out for 360 as well since the game was quite expensive and I have no intention to try to return it. If they don't make that game compatable I will be outraged since they made Call of Duty 3 playable and yet it has gotten lower scores then Marvel UA! All in all, I still love my 360 .

Posted Jul 3, 2007 12:29 am PT
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RussWiggins

wwe_david I have been waiting for the SAME THING. I have Oblivion and it ...is amazing..ahh...but I still never beat Morrowind....I want it real real bad

Posted Dec 17, 2006 3:18 pm PT
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wwe_david

ok seriously they said it would include the best selling xbox games well wheres the best current gen console game morrowind? as soon as i heard it was backwards compadible i ran to future shop and bought it. in hopes i could play morrowind which wouldnt work on my **** pc. so i get home and it says its not **** compadible. seriously i have waited for mor then half a year every updates i get exited only to be put down when morrowind isnt there. i am about a week away from snaping and buying barbie, scooby doo and farely odd parents and playing them tell 8:30 at night then going to bed with a warm glass of 1% milk.

Posted Jul 23, 2006 12:20 am PT
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BigSef

hey as long as Digimon Rumble Arena made it!!!!! who even plays that? better question, what is that?

Posted May 25, 2006 3:30 pm PT
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ballz007

The Big Red One!! Online it's much better than C.O.D 2 for the 360. When is a patch availible? I need a decent online WW2 game to play while waiting for C.OD. 3 & Brothers in Arms 3 or Metal of Honor.

Posted May 14, 2006 11:36 pm PT
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h8uthemost

No panzer dragoon either. I cant believe this, they shouldve made it completely backwards compatible.

Posted Mar 18, 2006 7:55 pm PT
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SpazH3d

BUMP!

Of course there is no Psychonauts, Prince of Persia 3 or Fahrenheit/Indigo Prophecy on the list, that really sucks
Ahhh! And my precious silent hill games are not on the list either *cries*

Posted Mar 1, 2006 4:31 am PT
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shadowrecon7

I would really like to see games that have were made for all three consoles like XGRA, any of the Splinter Cell games, or any of the Spider-man games. In truth, I hope and request that the ones working on the list try to accomplish the task of making all XBOX games compatible for the X360. It is, in my opinion, that the 360 was created a little too early and should have been compatible with all XBOX games. Well, so far the X360 is cool; but I'm hoping for all games. That would be the coolest.

Posted Dec 26, 2005 10:25 pm PT
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xdaballerx

Wow, no Splinter Cell... I thought that guy said they went for QUANITY AND NOT QUALITY... Splinter Cell was one of the BEST GAMES and was also one of the BEST GRAPHICS GAMES

Posted Dec 21, 2005 10:49 am PT
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xbox360gamer46

WHERE"S AMERICAS ARMY?????

Posted Dec 6, 2005 6:43 am PT
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GoLdEnMaGiC

NO MVP WHAT THE F@UCK

Posted Dec 5, 2005 3:00 pm PT
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cj1111

I have 3 words that i think 99% of you will agree with

THIS LIST SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted Dec 4, 2005 10:42 am PT
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kindt

I just bought RUGBY 2005 for Xbox today because I always wanted to try it and it was on discount at a local software store. I bought it also because it is listed on Microsoft's compatibility list. But guess what? It plays fine on my ol' Xbox, but it gives me the usual not-compatible message when I try to play on my 360! WTH?!

Posted Dec 3, 2005 8:38 pm PT
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irishotaku

No DOA Ulitmate? No Capcom or SNK fighter? .... oh, but there is Kabuki Warriors (1.4)!!!!!!!!!

Posted Dec 1, 2005 10:45 am PT
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chrisrulz554

Why not just keep your current xbox and save up a little more money to buy this that way you will be able to play all your xbox games and still have this absolutely brilliant console. I am a bit dissapointed that nvidia went to sony as i hate ATI but hey at least what weve seen so far along the lines of PDZ has been great and thats not even running to full potential. I think if you have a hissy and dont get an xbox 360 just because of this list you are an idiot, go make love to sony for all their backwards compatibility instead.

Posted Nov 28, 2005 11:49 pm PT
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erro

Whatever happened to Burnout?!!

Posted Nov 27, 2005 9:32 pm PT
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thornpaw

I am glad Thief: Deadly Shadow is there, but why not Oddworld: Stranger's Wraith or Psi-Ops?

Posted Nov 25, 2005 8:07 am PT
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roktrman8

OK..............Microsoft is a software company with rights to all the software that is made to be added to the software made by Microsoft. So, in retrospectg, they would probably make money off the gamessss on the PC as well wouldn't they.
O......not to mention that every piece of hardware that is made by the third party companies, has to pay Microsoft a certain amount of money to make these new controllers and such..............So they will make profit, or if not, they will not lose their money!!! They have a lot of back up that no one is thinking of when they write these crazy figures down...So why don't you stop assuming and try being correct for a change. Money is money and $126 is not the same as it was a while ago. With the prices of all the accessories and games and systems and software and memorabilia and all this stuff in the long run there is not any money lost to this monster of a company. Like someone said before me "they could of gotten this hardware for cheap and not of been as much as it would be normally." The same goes for the PS3, they will not be losing money in the long run. This company has by far the most things to fall back on out most any!
This includes Columbia studios and other store bought devices!!!!! These companies don't really believe they will lose money because of their enormous size and influence and do you know what??? THEY ARE RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted Nov 24, 2005 10:42 pm PT
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urwrstnghtmare1

LISTEN TO BOB NOPE NONE!!! all these people are kinda pissing me off. If you dont buy a xbox 360 because of this list your an idiot. Just play them on your old x box anyway!! JEEZ. plus the list is gonna update. xbox 360 will own

Posted Nov 21, 2005 5:40 pm PT
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onisaiyan

damn microsoft, first i am butt raped with barbie and alias, then you pour salt with all the GTA games. You make me cry Microsoft, tears of complete disappointment

Posted Nov 21, 2005 6:50 am PT
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