First day with new Xbox

[Gadfly2317]

I bought my new xbox today (couldn't wait until friday); and I'd already bought ten games in anticipation of getting the box. It's 3am now, gotta go to work in a few hours.

Anyway, my first impressions are this: if you are considering whether this xmas whether you should get a bunch of games for your current system of choice, or whether to pick up a second system--I'd recommend getting a second or third system. Getting a new system is a total blast, and no matter which one you pick up, it will have a bunch of games really cheap for you to catch up on.

I played a little bit on all the games that I bought. I love Pazner Dragoon. I'd already played it some, but was still overjoyed to finally be able to play it whenever I want. I cannot believe there are ten million xbox users, and only 90,000 copies of this glorious amazing game sold (how many of those 90,000 are sitting on the shelves of rental stores?) I'll probably be the lone Xbox owner with no copy of Halo. I bought it for PC, and I think it plays better there (and I'd already played the hell out of multi-player xbox version at friends house.)

Crimson Skies is beautiful, controls great, and is fun. It didn't really grab me the way a couple of the other games did, but then, if I had Live, I could see this game being a whole lot more fun.

Of all the racing games I picked up (and it was several) so far I've most enjoyed Sega GT, and especially Rally Sport Challenge. I think I'll probably be playing Rally Sport the most of the racing games for awhile. Mercedez-Benz racing is the most strange, I think I'm going to like it, but it's got a subtle charm, it doesn't just reach out and pull you in. It seems VERY simulation, not all that fast, and not easy. Yet still a very cool and unique game with very pretty cars.

The two games, not unexpectedly, that I've had the most fun with so far are Voodoo Vince and Oddworld. I loved Oddworld on PS1, and I'm digging finally getting to play the 3-D sequel. I'm already looking forward to the next Oddworld coming out in 2004. Voodoo Vince is just plain cool. I'm not far in, and I've heard it is short, but that's ok. I like short games. I have a tendency to never finish the really long ones. Voodoo Vince looks great, the camera is excellent, its funny, great voice acting, and the MUSIC. Man, a game set in New Orleans, they HAD to get the music right, and they did. This game oozes great atmosphere.

These are some killer games, and I'm pretty pleased. . . glad I went with the Xbox as the second system to accompany my GC. . . I almost went with a Ps2 for a bit there, with its huge library contrasted with xbox's overly heavy PC library, but I just couldn't see taking the step backward to something with poorer graphics for the same price. Add in that many of my most wanted Ps2 titles (Silent Hill II, Fatal Frame, and Metal Gear II) have been ported over to Xbox, it just made more sense to go with the box. When Ps2 hits $99, it will finally be priced at what its worth relative to the other systems.

All I can say is, getting a new system injects a lot of life into your gaming and gives you a whole new library of stuff to explore. . . all the systems have some great AAA games. As a 'cube fan, I can't help but throw in, if you haven't got it yet, at $99 you shouldn't miss out on Metroid, Zelda, Ikaruga, Pikmin, F-Zero, etc ,etc etc.

One final thing, that lame-o Xbox pack-in of Clone Wars and Tetris Worlds, are those games worth playing at all? Is it even worth taking the shrink wrap off for, or should I just trade it in for credit on something else?

Well, I probably won't be posting much over the next several days ('cept maybe while at work.) There's entirely too much gaming to be done right now. :D

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

Welcome to the world of multiplatform gaming. Glad to hear you're enjoying your Xbox. Are you going to try KOTOR on Xbox or PC?


About Tetris Online and Clone Wars? I haven't played them, but I haven't heard anything great about Clone Wars, so you are probably not missing anything. Tetris Online may be the same as the other Tetris games, except it's online. There's probably no big loss in not playing that game as well.

[The Prince of Darkness]

<div class=\"smallfont\">I bought my new xbox today (couldn't wait until friday); and I'd already bought ten games in anticipation of getting the box. It's 3am now, gotta go to work in a few hours.

Anyway, my first impressions are this: if you are considering whether this xmas whether you should get a bunch of games for your current system of choice, or whether to pick up a second system--I'd recommend getting a second or third system. Getting a new system is a total blast, and no matter which one you pick up, it will have a bunch of games really cheap for you to catch up on.

I played a little bit on all the games that I bought. I love Pazner Dragoon. I'd already played it some, but was still overjoyed to finally be able to play it whenever I want. I cannot believe there are ten million xbox users, and only 90,000 copies of this glorious amazing game sold (how many of those 90,000 are sitting on the shelves of rental stores?) I'll probably be the lone Xbox owner with no copy of Halo. I bought it for PC, and I think it plays better there (and I'd already played the hell out of multi-player xbox version at friends house.)

Crimson Skies is beautiful, controls great, and is fun. It didn't really grab me the way a couple of the other games did, but then, if I had Live, I could see this game being a whole lot more fun.

Of all the racing games I picked up (and it was several) so far I've most enjoyed Sega GT, and especially Rally Sport Challenge. I think I'll probably be playing Rally Sport the most of the racing games for awhile. Mercedez-Benz racing is the most strange, I think I'm going to like it, but it's got a subtle charm, it doesn't just reach out and pull you in. It seems VERY simulation, not all that fast, and not easy. Yet still a very cool and unique game with very pretty cars.

The two games, not unexpectedly, that I've had the most fun with so far are Voodoo Vince and Oddworld. I loved Oddworld on PS1, and I'm digging finally getting to play the 3-D sequel. I'm already looking forward to the next Oddworld coming out in 2004. Voodoo Vince is just plain cool. I'm not far in, and I've heard it is short, but that's ok. I like short games. I have a tendency to never finish the really long ones. Voodoo Vince looks great, the camera is excellent, its funny, great voice acting, and the MUSIC. Man, a game set in New Orleans, they HAD to get the music right, and they did. This game oozes great atmosphere.

These are some killer games, and I'm pretty pleased. . . glad I went with the Xbox as the second system to accompany my GC. . . I almost went with a Ps2 for a bit there, with its huge library contrasted with xbox's overly heavy PC library, but I just couldn't see taking the step backward to something with poorer graphics for the same price. Add in that many of my most wanted Ps2 titles (Silent Hill II, Fatal Frame, and Metal Gear II) have been ported over to Xbox, it just made more sense to go with the box. When Ps2 hits $99, it will finally be priced at what its worth relative to the other systems.

All I can say is, getting a new system injects a lot of life into your gaming and gives you a whole new library of stuff to explore. . . all the systems have some great AAA games. As a 'cube fan, I can't help but throw in, if you haven't got it yet, at $99 you shouldn't miss out on Metroid, Zelda, Ikaruga, Pikmin, F-Zero, etc ,etc etc.

One final thing, that lame-o Xbox pack-in of Clone Wars and Tetris Worlds, are those games worth playing at all? Is it even worth taking the shrink wrap off for, or should I just trade it in for credit on something else?

Well, I probably won't be posting much over the next several days ('cept maybe while at work.) There's entirely too much gaming to be done right now. :D</div>

Welcome to the darkside Gadfly! I am glad that you are enjoying your new purchase(I always knew that you would). I am not surprised at all that you are liking Oddworld and PDO. I can't really comment on Voodoo Vince because I have not played it yet. As far as the racing titles go I too like Rallisport best and it is closely followed by Moto GP. Did you say that you got that one too? Also, just wait until the new PGR comes out. That is near the top of the priorities list. I will give you another recommendation---I don't know if you get into the sports titles at all. If you enjoy them even the slightest bit get Top Spin immediately. I got it last night and I never thought that I would say this but I actually think that I will end up likeing it better than ESPN Hoops and ESPN Football. It is damn close to what i always envisioned the perfect tennis game to be. Well anyway, get back to your Xbox and one more thing---keep playing Crimson Skies because it will definately grow on you. I love that game.

[no.1gamer]

I'm slightly hesitant to pick up an Xbox myself for the simple fact that I can buy all its AAA games for cheap. However IMO it's just overpriced for my gaming preferences. Yes I know that it has a DVD player, hard drive and internal broadband modem but I won't use any of these. I wouldn't even buy the $30 remote control to activate the DVD function. Pazner Dragoon Orta, KOTOR and Odd world: Munch's Odyssey would be at the top of my "Xbox games to own list." Perhaps I will wait for the price to drop a little lower before turning to "the darkside." There's also the fact that I already have Star Wars: Clone Wars for my Gamecube. Which BTW Gadfly is a pretty decent game, but not quite up to par with some of the other great games you mentioned. And a tetris game to me seems almost worthless (definitely not an incentive to spend $180 anyway). If M$ throws in 2 of the 3 games I mentioned and an extra controller I'll go buy one today. However until this happens I will continue to flame the Xbox and all of its followers.

I'm glad you are enjoying your new purchase Gadfly. Just please don't become an Xbot…

[trebor]

So, is Crimson Skies a worthy substitute for the Rogue Squadron series? It's probably the main Xbox title that has me interested.

[tekbit]

I may be one of the few people in the world who do not yet own a ps2 and I'm waiting for the same "incentive" (price drop) to get one. I personally prefer it over getting an Xbox though as you pointed out Gadfly, the graphics are slighty out dated compared to that of the gc and xbox. but i just feel that my tastes in games will be better accomodated with the addition of a ps2 rather then an xbox. i know its coming and I'm holding off until then. And as gamer also said, all the extras that the Xbox has to offer don't really mean much to me when all I want to do is play games. (I have 3 dvd players in my house already.) So paying $30 extra for a remote control to be able to even access it dosent make sense at all.

[mass]

Yes I know that it has a DVD player, hard drive and internal broadband modem but I won't use any of these. I wouldn't even buy the $30 remote control to activate the DVD function. Pazner Dragoon Orta, KOTOR and Odd world: Munch's Odyssey would be at the top of my &quot;Xbox games to own list.&quot; Perhaps I will wait for the price to drop a little lower before turning to &quot;the darkside.&quot; There's also the fact that I already have Star Wars: Clone Wars for my Gamecube. Which BTW Gadfly is a pretty decent game, but not quite up to par with some of the other great games you mentioned. And a tetris game to me seems almost worthless (definitely not an incentive to spend $180 anyway). If M$ throws in 2 of the 3 games I mentioned and an extra controller I'll go buy one today. However until this happens I will continue to flame the Xbox and all of its followers.

I'm glad you are enjoying your new purchase Gadfly. Just please don't become an Xbot…

Well, I'm sure if you emailed MS they'd be glad to make up a special little "gamer" bundle just for you. :rolleyes: Guess you won't be picking up an xbox anytime soon.

You wouldn't use the hard drive?! So, what would you do, spend extra money on mem cards. Let's get this straight, the xbox does not contain an "internal broadband modem". It's has an ethernet port. Sorry, but you have to supply the broadband modem.

Flame on, but you usually just wind up burning yourself.

[Gadfly2317]

Rogue Bounty Hunter
" Are you going to try KOTOR on Xbox or PC?"

Roleplaying games eat so much time. . . and I've got all these other games right now. I like to play an RPG really immersive and ignore other games, so right now, KOTOR isn't a priority. I may see if it is that much better on PC, but I have an Xbox friend who says he'll loan it to me whenever I want, so unless its just way better on PC, I'll probably play it for free on xbox. But probably not for a couple more months.

The Prince of Darkness
As far as the racing titles go I too like Rallisport best and it is closely followed by Moto GP. Did you say that you got that one too?

Rallisport is amazing. I thought I'd picked up Moto GP when I bought all those other racing titles, but I guess I didn't. It was on my list when I went into the store. Anyway, I may just pick up Moto GP instead. But my eyes were bigger than my available time, and I've got so much to play right now, I may hold off for a bit on this one even though I really want to play it. I may just rent it for now. I'm kinda broke. As far as Top Spin. . . I'll give it a rent, but I'm kinda holding out for Mario Tennis.

Gamer
If M$ throws in 2 of the 3 games I mentioned and an extra controller I'll go buy one today. However until this happens I will continue to flame the Xbox and all of its followers. I'm glad you are enjoying your new purchase Gadfly. Just please don't become an Xbot…

There are a lot of good reasons to not buy an xbox--you can get many of its games already on other systems or PC, you already have a DVD, its still too pricey, etc. Truthfully I didn't NEED another system, having just bought Halo on PC, F-Zero, Viewtiful Joe, and planned on getting Prince of Persia, Sword of Mana, Harvest Moon, Mario Kart, and several others over the next few months. Truth is, I just WANTED another system for diversity sake, and even though there is much coolness on PS2, Xbox just had an edge for me with the racing and with a few cool key titles like Crimson Skies, Ninja Gaiden, Fable, Voodoo Vince, and Oddworld. Also, one of my DVD players was getting buggy, and xbox is a better DVD player than Ps2. As far as becoming an Xbot, who could say? I still am not fond of Microsoft as a company, and I can't even imagine not being a Nintendo fanatic, so I don't think there's too much to worry about.


Trebor
So, is Crimson Skies a worthy substitute for the Rogue Squadron series? It's probably the main Xbox title that has me interested.

When I said this game didn't grab me like a couple of the others, I was referring to VV and Oddworld. I just really love goofy weird surreal games. But I would say from the brief time I spent with it last night that CS is definitely a worthy substittue for Rogue Squadron. Well, not the first two. It's just hard to compare. Fighting in the Star Wars universe is its own special thing, and I still plan to get the new rogue squadron sometime. But right now, CS melted my eyeballs, and the way it flies is so AMAZING. I'm sitting at working getting the DT's and shakes wishing I were home playing this right now. I think this one finally made the xbox worth owning; it certainly was the final push for me.


Tekbit
I may be one of the few people in the world who do not yet own a ps2 and I'm waiting for the same "incentive" (price drop) to get one. I personally prefer it over getting an Xbox though as you pointed out Gadfly, the graphics are slighty out dated compared to that of the gc and xbox. but i just feel that my tastes in games will be better accomodated with the addition of a ps2 rather then an xbox

Yeah, I feel kinda weird not owning a Ps2--seems like everyone has it. Depending on your gaming taste, Ps2 is often the better choice. I'm just a Nintendo head, so I mostly wanted something as a supplement, and the really big games on xbox are cool. There are things on Ps2 I want to play like Disgaea, but having just played FF:Tactics, Advance War, and just bought Ogre Battle for N64, I figured my roleplaying was covered for now. The other Ps2 stuff, enough of it is getting ported to xbox or GC or PC that I feel like I can pretty much live without the few really good games I'm missing on Ps2.

After all, there isn't time to play everything, not unless you do absolutely nothing else with your life.

[Angel, Forsaken]

I know you've got Halo on the PC Gadfly, but nothing this side of Mario Kart 64 matches the intense multi-player fun of co-op on the legendary setting. I'm not kidding, that's what made Halo, Halo to me.

[The Prince of Darkness]

"Rallisport is amazing. I thought I'd picked up Moto GP when I bought all those other racing titles, but I guess I didn't. It was on my list when I went into the store. Anyway, I may just pick up Moto GP instead. But my eyes were bigger than my available time, and I've got so much to play right now, I may hold off for a bit on this one even though I really want to play it. I may just rent it for now. I'm kinda broke. As far as Top Spin. . . I'll give it a rent, but I'm kinda holding out for Mario Tennis."

I will make a gentlemen's bet with you. After you rent Top Spin you will forget about Mario Tennis. I loved Mario Tennis on N64 too, but Top Spin is so incredible. It is so good that the first game I play tonight will actually be Top Spin and not Crimson Skies.

[Tappy_Tibbons]

Glad you're happy Gad. Are you gonna go LIVE or what?

[Whaxx]

<div class=\"smallfont\">
Flame on, but you usually just wind up burning yourself.</div>

TOUCHÉ!

[Gaming Geezer 78]

I'm slightly hesitant to pick up an Xbox myself for the simple fact that I can buy all its AAA games for cheap. However IMO it's just overpriced for my gaming preferences. Yes I know that it has a DVD player, hard drive and internal broadband modem but I won't use any of these. I wouldn't even buy the $30 remote control to activate the DVD function. Pazner Dragoon Orta, KOTOR and Odd world: Munch's Odyssey would be at the top of my "Xbox games to own list." Perhaps I will wait for the price to drop a little lower before turning to "the darkside." There's also the fact that I already have Star Wars: Clone Wars for my Gamecube. Which BTW Gadfly is a pretty decent game, but not quite up to par with some of the other great games you mentioned. And a tetris game to me seems almost worthless (definitely not an incentive to spend $180 anyway). If M$ throws in 2 of the 3 games I mentioned and an extra controller I'll go buy one today. However until this happens I will continue to flame the Xbox and all of its followers.

I'm glad you are enjoying your new purchase Gadfly. Just please don't become an Xbot…

Oh for the love of....:confused: "Yes I know that it has a DVD player, hard drive and internal broadband modem but I won't use any of these." First, there is no internal broadband modem as Mass pointed out. It has an ethernet port. When broadband becomes available where I live, I can just plug a CAT-5 cable into the back of my Xbox and run it to my PC and BAM! Xbox Live baby!

You wouldn't use the hard drive? First, it saves every game you could possibly ever own, rent or borrow. Second, it allows you to save songs and make custom soundtracks for many games. And most importantly, it allows you to download new levels, characters and such for your exisiting games.

Ghost Recon Island Thunder has 8 single player missions in it. The Rainbow Six companion disc that you get free for pre-ordering Rainbow Six 3 has four exclusive Xbox missions for Island Thunder that you just copy over and then play in your game. The newest Xbox Magazine disc has another two Island Thunder missions. That nearly doubles the amount of game FOR FREE! Splinter Cell has 3+ dowloadable missions. Toejam & Earl III has new levels and characters that you can access from the HDD when you download them. Dead Or Alive 3 has an all new CG opening and several costumes that you can download. The Xbox hard drive is a Godsend for videogames and something that you can bet your ass Sony and Nintendo will be implementing in their next systems!

Aside from the technical wonder of the Xbox, you have the great games that are only on Xbox and games like Ghost Recon, Splinter Cell and many others that are so superior on Xbox, they might as well be exclusive. Return to Castle Wolfenstein springs to mind in this case as well with the PS2 version being total garbage when compared side-by-side.

I applaud Gadfly's decision to expand his gaming horizons. For him much like me, buying an Xbox doesn't negate his enjoyment of other systems. The Xbox has come into it's own, moreso now than ever as a viable gaming platform.

And for you Gadfly, if you are planning on purchasing Prince of Persia, pick up the Xbox version. Ubi-Soft has a seperate team working exclusively with the Xbox version and adding Xbox-specific features and touches. More than any other company, Ubi-Soft seems to love the Xbox. And the love they have showered on Xbox has paid off for them with phenomenal sales of their titles.

[Gadfly2317]

<div class=\"smallfont\">Glad you're happy Gad. Are you gonna go LIVE or what?</div>

I don't have broadband at the moment, and I'm not sure I want to expand my gaming addiction to include online--I spend enough hours just getting through the main stories and missions of games; I know Live adds replay value, but honestly, there are so many games I want to try out that I don't need anymore replay value.

Basically, I'll get my online fix playing system link with some friends. Since I don't have a huge craving for multi-player, I tend to get my fix with having two or three get-together's a month to game.

Xbox Live, not on the agenda at the moment, but anything's possible.

[Darwin]

You've got guts, man. Most people won't go near this game because it's a challenging, more sim-based game. Sorry to say, but because of the rice-boy phenomina, games like Midnight Club, Test Drive, and Need for Speed get most of the attention.

Mercedes Racing is not fast racing. They're Mercedes. Half of these cars are like tanks. These are the kinds of cars I might drive when I turn 50 and finally have the cash to do so. And they are certainly not built for performance, even though some are powerful (poor power to weight ratios). And a lot of them have loose suspension with big body roll (as is to be expected in a luxury sedan because this softens the ride to the passengers.)

In the world of video games, a slower-moving racing game is not going to hold the attention of most gamers for long. To see the beauty of World Racing, you have to stick with it. Over time, you'll see the details TDK put into the game. You'll see that TDK stuck with the authenticity of these car's handling characteristics. You'll see the lengthy tracks that many other racing games are missing. You'll see the non-traditional approach to game progression. I really like the fact that TDK stuck with their guns on this and didn't dumb it down to the lowest common rice denominator.

BTW, I turn the simulation bar up to 100% sim, turn off the driving assists, and drive in-cab. I find that to be the most rewarding for me. I also use the dynamic AI strength. But, the beauty of the game is that you can set the sim bar to whatever works best for you.

[sw33tjimmy]

<div class=\"smallfont\">I bought my new xbox today (couldn't wait until friday); and I'd already bought ten games in anticipation of getting the box.</div>

what on earth is this place coming to? HA!

Glad you're liking munch's odessy, I really couldn't enjoy that one as hard as I tried. My mouth is watering for Crimson skies; I'm supposed to get it next week. I also can't wait for ninja gaiden (hopefully it does not get pushed back beyond december!)

KOTOR is a very time consuming title. I logged about 50 hours on it, I think. So if you're going to give it a go, make sure you have plenty of time to allocate.

oh yeah, HEY EVERYBODY. good seein' you all again.

[Tappy_Tibbons]

Gad, if you think you're ADDICTED to gaming now, XBox LIVE will put your ass in a clinic!

[Gadfly2317]

<div class=\"smallfont\"><div class=\"smallfont\"></div>

what on earth is this place coming to? HA!

Glad you're liking munch's odessy, I really couldn't enjoy that one as hard as I tried. My mouth is watering for Crimson skies; I'm supposed to get it next week. I also can't wait for ninja gaiden (hopefully it does not get pushed back beyond december!)

KOTOR is a very time consuming title. I logged about 50 hours on it, I think. So if you're going to give it a go, make sure you have plenty of time to allocate.

oh yeah, HEY EVERYBODY. good seein' you all again.</div>

Hey, you haven't been around in awhile. No excuse. Good to see you back. Don't think I've heard from you since the theology debate. You gotta love all the fringe topics you can delve into from electronic gaming!

You will LOVE crimson skies. Today is Halloween, the fiance' worked tonight, and I had no incentive to go and partly alone. So, a case of beer and a good buddy invited over and I finally got to try out mutli-player modes on CS. . .great dog fights. I held my own for half the evening (thought I was a bad Mo-Fo), but I'm a much (Munch?) heavier drinker, and was(am) much more tipsy and started getting my ass kicked, ( or, rather, shot the hell out of the sky after dominating the first half the evening :( .)

It was great though. But the schmuck. . . he was supposed to loan me me KOTOR for free, but now he's looking at his copy of KOTOR as the most lucrative trade in he owns that he can take in and use to put towards getting Crimson Skies. Damn cash strapped college students! I wanted to play KOTOR for free (later) but I also want him to get Crimson Skies so we can play system link. Definitely this will make the dog fights that much better.

Crimson Skies is AMAZING. I'm so glad I saved my $44 on Rogue Squadron and put it towards this game. This is the apotheosis of gorgeous graphics melded with great game-play. When graphics and gameplay actually manage to hook up, it's a special thing.

[Gaming Geezer 78]

Hey, you haven't been around in awhile. No excuse. Good to see you back. Don't think I've heard from you since the theology debate. You gotta love all the fringe topics you can delve into from electronic gaming!

You will LOVE crimson skies. Today is Halloween, the fiance' worked tonight, and I had no incentive to go and partly alone. So, a case of beer and a good buddy invited over and I finally got to try out mutli-player modes on CS. . .great dog fights. I held my own for half the evening (thought I was a bad Mo-Fo), but I'm a much (Munch?) heavier drinker, and was(am) much more tipsy and started getting my ass kicked, ( or, rather, shot the hell out of the sky after dominating the first half the evening :( .)

It was great though. But the schmuck. . . he was supposed to loan me me KOTOR for free, but now he's looking at his copy of KOTOR as the most lucrative trade in he owns that he can take in and use to put towards getting Crimson Skies. Damn cash strapped college students! I wanted to play KOTOR for free (later) but I also want him to get Crimson Skies so we can play system link. Definitely this will make the dog fights that much better.

Crimson Skies is AMAZING. I'm so glad I saved my $44 on Rogue Squadron and put it towards this game. This is the apotheosis of gorgeous graphics melded with great game-play. When graphics and gameplay actually manage to hook up, it's a special thing.

Crimson Skies is not only a superb game, it is a game that much like Fasa's other effort-MechAssault-will come to define the Xbox as a great system. There is so much to love about this game and virtually nothing to complain about. Microsoft gave Fasa Studios an extra year to get this game right and it paid off in spades.

And honestly, I don't think I have ever played a game that looks better than this one. I'm looking for the Titanium Mines right now to give you an idea of where I am at in the game. In Grabbed By The Ghoulies-I am in the Wood Shed. I've pretty much been playing these two games the most, but I have also been giving some time to Indiana Jones, SSX3, NFS Hot Pursuit 2 and Castlevania-Lament of Innocence.

Before the end of this year, I still have Ninja Gaiden (hopefully), Morrowind GOTY Edition, GTA bundle, Project Gotham Racing 2, Prince of Persia, Sega GT Online, Need For Speed Underground, Kameo and Deus Ex Invisible War to look forward to on my Xbox.

In addition, I have on order the Xbox DVD kit, Music Mixer and the Xbox Live Starter Kit. I figure it like this: I want the headset to issue voice commands in Rainbow Six 3 and it is $30 by itself. For $50, you get the headset and Tetris which is a $20 game. The Live subscription doesn't begin until I register it online and I am due for Broadband where I live early next year so I can just hold onto it. :) I will be the owner of over 60 Xbox games by the new year.

[Gadfly2317]

<div class=\"smallfont\">Crimson Skies is not only a superb game, it is a game that much like Fasa's other effort-MechAssault-will come to define the Xbox as a great system. There is so much to love about this game and virtually nothing to complain about. Microsoft gave Fasa Studios an extra year to get this game right and it paid off in spades.

And honestly, I don't think I have ever played a game that looks better than this one. I'm looking for the Titanium Mines right now to give you an idea of where I am at in the game. In Grabbed By The Ghoulies-I am in the Wood Shed. I've pretty much been playing these two games the most, but I have also been giving some time to Indiana Jones, SSX3, NFS Hot Pursuit 2 and Castlevania-Lament of Innocence.

Before the end of this year, I still have Ninja Gaiden (hopefully), Morrowind GOTY Edition, GTA bundle, Project Gotham Racing 2, Prince of Persia, Sega GT Online, Need For Speed Underground, Kameo and Deus Ex Invisible War to look forward to on my Xbox.

In addition, I have on order the Xbox DVD kit, Music Mixer and the Xbox Live Starter Kit. I figure it like this: I want the headset to issue voice commands in Rainbow Six 3 and it is $30 by itself. For $50, you get the headset and Tetris which is a $20 game. The Live subscription doesn't begin until I register it online and I am due for Broadband where I live early next year so I can just hold onto it. :) I will be the owner of over 60 Xbox games by the new year.</div>

Is Kameo supposed to make it out this year? What does the Music mixer do? I asked someone else, but I dont really get it.

Of those games you listed, Ninja Gaiden, Prince of Persia and NFSU are the ones I want most, but I'll probably hold off. My gaming plate is way full catching up on old Xbox games, and playing Crimson Skies and Voodoo Vince. And soon, Mario Kart.

What I'm playing most though is Rally Sport Challenge. One of the most fun racing games I've played in years. I picked up Apex yesterday, too, on your recommendation. I've only played one race on it, just to see what it looked like, so I don't have much of an impression yet.

I might as well make an embarrassing confession, I picked up DOA Beach Volleyball yesterday too, the game I used to rip on xbots about. So call me hypocrite. The volleyball part really is pretty weak compared to Sega's Volleyball game on GC, but its still an interesting game--and certainly one of most graphically gorgeous games ever. One thing that's funny about it, is that even though the game is really heavily about ogling computer generated women (with more camera controls--including zoom--than any game I've played) what's ironic is that it seems kinda gay. I mean, yeah, any hetero guy will enjoy looking at chicks in bikinis, but the gameplay is so much like playing barbie it doesn't seem like much of a "man's game. Shopping for barrets, butterfly hair clips and bikinis. . . I'm pretty sure my daughters will enjoy this game more than I do once they see it.

And I can't for the life of me actually play any volleyball on Zack's island because every chick on the island snubs my character and won't partner with me. And they all hate the gifts I send them. Any tips, since I recall that you played this one. As it is now, this game is more fun in the Casino than the beach.

[Gaming Geezer 78]

Is Kameo supposed to make it out this year? What does the Music mixer do? I asked someone else, but I dont really get it.

Of those games you listed, Ninja Gaiden, Prince of Persia and NFSU are the ones I want most, but I'll probably hold off. My gaming plate is way full catching up on old Xbox games, and playing Crimson Skies and Voodoo Vince. And soon, Mario Kart.

What I'm playing most though is Rally Sport Challenge. One of the most fun racing games I've played in years. I picked up Apex yesterday, too, on your recommendation. I've only played one race on it, just to see what it looked like, so I don't have much of an impression yet.

I might as well make an embarrassing confession, I picked up DOA Beach Volleyball yesterday too, the game I used to rip on xbots about. So call me hypocrite. The volleyball part really is pretty weak compared to Sega's Volleyball game on GC, but its still an interesting game--and certainly one of most graphically gorgeous games ever. One thing that's funny about it, is that even though the game is really heavily about ogling computer generated women (with more camera controls--including zoom--than any game I've played) what's ironic is that it seems kinda gay. I mean, yeah, any hetero guy will enjoy looking at chicks in bikinis, but the gameplay is so much like playing barbie it doesn't seem like much of a "man's game. Shopping for barrets, butterfly hair clips and bikinis. . . I'm pretty sure my daughters will enjoy this game more than I do once they see it.

And I can't for the life of me actually play any volleyball on Zack's island because every chick on the island snubs my character and won't partner with me. And they all hate the gifts I send them. Any tips, since I recall that you played this one. As it is now, this game is more fun in the Casino than the beach.

As far as Kameo goes-it is hard to tell. On one hand, EBWorld has it listed for a December release, but Gamestop doesn't show it. I have a feeling that it won't be out before 2004 myself. The Music Mixer for Xbox does several things.

1) It's turns your Xbox into a karaoke machine. You can pretty much take any song on your custom soundtracks, remove the voices and sing along and record your embarrasment to the HDD.

2) It allows you to download your MP3 & picture files from your PC to your Xbox.

3) It adds cool new effects and things when playing music CD's or your custom soundtracks.

4) It has tons of CD profiles on the Music Mixer disc and when you put one of your own CD's in (released prior to the Music Mixer itself natch) it will identify the tracks and automatically name then when making your custom soundtracks. New CD profiles can be dowloaded from Xbox Live naturally and from what I have heard-through your PC as well. But don't quote me on that last bit.

If you want to cheat a bit in Rallisport, type in TheGoodStuff (case sensitive) as your driver name.

For Apex, create three new games and name your companies "WORLD" "REALITY" AND "DREAMY" Then, go to the arcade mode to see what it gives you.

For DOAX, try starting a new game as Lisa. Tina will automatically partner with you. Or, you can start as Tina and Lisa will automatically partner with you. You have to do good in the volleyball games and play at least one game a day to keep them on your good side. When the week is over and the game basically ends, start a new game with the same character you used in the previous game to retain all of the items and videos that you earned the last time through. Also, the better you play volleyball, the better the chance that Zack will send you the videos at night when you get back to your hotel room. Good luck.

[The Prince of Darkness]

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Is Kameo supposed to make it out this year? What does the Music mixer do? I asked someone else, but I dont really get it.

Of those games you listed, Ninja Gaiden, Prince of Persia and NFSU are the ones I want most, but I'll probably hold off. My gaming plate is way full catching up on old Xbox games, and playing Crimson Skies and Voodoo Vince. And soon, Mario Kart.

What I'm playing most though is Rally Sport Challenge. One of the most fun racing games I've played in years. I picked up Apex yesterday, too, on your recommendation. I've only played one race on it, just to see what it looked like, so I don't have much of an impression yet.

I might as well make an embarrassing confession, I picked up DOA Beach Volleyball yesterday too, the game I used to rip on xbots about. So call me hypocrite. The volleyball part really is pretty weak compared to Sega's Volleyball game on GC, but its still an interesting game--and certainly one of most graphically gorgeous games ever. One thing that's funny about it, is that even though the game is really heavily about ogling computer generated women (with more camera controls--including zoom--than any game I've played) what's ironic is that it seems kinda gay. I mean, yeah, any hetero guy will enjoy looking at chicks in bikinis, but the gameplay is so much like playing barbie it doesn't seem like much of a "man's game. Shopping for barrets, butterfly hair clips and bikinis. . . I'm pretty sure my daughters will enjoy this game more than I do once they see it.

And I can't for the life of me actually play any volleyball on Zack's island because every chick on the island snubs my character and won't partner with me. And they all hate the gifts I send them. Any tips, since I recall that you played this one. As it is now, this game is more fun in the Casino than the beach.</div>
'
There is now way that you got DOAX. You are too funny man. Better watch it or people will start calling you an Xbot.