• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

OG Xbox Appreciation and Lack of Emulation Thread of the big black box of doom

Borman

Member
I forget if you can hack MWC to 480p or not, or if it actually does support it. Do make sure the settings are set for it though if you havent.
 

Coda

Member
I forget if you can hack MWC to 480p or not, or if it actually does support it. Do make sure the settings are set for it though if you havent.

I'm thinking that it's not supported because when I have 480p on in the Xbox menu, once I boot the game after the Xbox logo I hear the audio but the screen is all wacked out and is flickering. Once I turn the 480p option off and boot the game it shows up fine.
 

Timu

Member
Also how did I not know about this 4 player beat 'em up game that Dimps (the developers for SF IV) made? It doesn't look spectacular but it looks like some Die Hard Arcade kind of fun. Man, the OG Xbox really was the Dreamcast 2.

53844185161865419942.jpg
It kinda sucked IMO. Too repetitive, no depth in the combat, odd control choices, unbalanced difficulty, limited content, too short...not worth it.

Also, you can't even go through the story in 4 player, you have to unlock the stage 1st by beating it in single player and then you can play it in 4 player in a separate mode, lol what a joke.
 

HTupolev

Member
Is 480i supposed to look any better with a component cable vs composite video?
Component should avoid dot crawl artifacts (i.e. flickery checkerboarding) and significantly improve the chroma horizontal resolution.

I'm thinking that it's not supported because when I have 480p on in the Xbox menu, once I boot the game after the Xbox logo I hear the audio but the screen is all wacked out and is flickering. Once I turn the 480p option off and boot the game it shows up fine.
Does your TV support more than 480i over component?

If it's an SD CRT then it won't.
 

Borman

Member
I'm thinking that it's not supported because when I have 480p on in the Xbox menu, once I boot the game after the Xbox logo I hear the audio but the screen is all wacked out and is flickering. Once I turn the 480p option off and boot the game it shows up fine.

That shouldnt be the case. 1.6 Xbox? I cant recall your details, sorry :( If a game doesnt support a resolution, it just boots you to 480i
 

REDSLATE

Member
Component will offer a noticeably cleaner picture even at the same resolution. Its biggest benefit however is that it allows for 480p and, in some games, 720p. The official Microsoft cables are the best, and well worth the extra money.

I'm pretty sure Metal Wolf Chaos supports 480p. It's worth noting that some games have issues running in 480p on version 1.6 Xboxes.
 

Shaneus

Member
Component will offer a noticeably cleaner picture even at the same resolution. Its biggest benefit however is that it allows for 480p and, in some games, 720p. The official Microsoft cables are the best, and well worth the extra money.

I'm pretty sure Metal Wolf Chaos supports 480p. It's worth noting that some games have issues running in 480p on version 1.6 Xboxes.
THPS4 does 1080i :D

(at least, I think... from memory)(edit: shit, guess I was wrong, unless it's different in PAL or something, I'm sure it was 1080i)
 

Drago

Member
Was reading that Dreamcast spiritual successor thread earlier today and I dunno why but it triggered something inside me and refueled my desire to finally pick up an OG Xbox. So what did I do earlier today... ended up buying a Crystal system off eBay, of course. Was pricer than I would've liked but it's definitely the nicest looking version of the system I've seen (that isn't the PDO edition, anyway) so I suppose it was worth it. Plus it's coming with copies of Halo 1 and 2 so that's cool! Already bought a copy of JSRF/Sega GT 2002 as well, of course - I've been wanting to play Future for so damn long now lol.

Apparently all (or almost all?) Crystal systems are guaranteed 1.6 so thankfully I don't have to worry about that pesky time capacitor. Instead I have to deal with some games not working in 480p... looked into softmod options and I suppose I need to get myself a copy of 007 or SC and an Xbox to USB cable so I can run PDO/Gunvalkyrie at 480p. Assuming that the softmod method works on 1.6, it will right? Haven't seen anyone say otherwise so...

Is there a list out there of all the games that have borked 480p on 1.6 systems for future reference? Couldn't find any so I'm assuming no. I know that standalone JSRF and I think Fable has this issue as well. Side note, does that XBE hack for PDO/GV work for all the broken games or just those two? Not that big a deal of it doesn't cause I mostly want to play those two and I haven't seen any other notable games outed for having the issue.

I'm excited to finally own one of these after sitting on my hands for so long. :D
 

MattyH

Member
Had a bit of a mess about on street fighter anniversary edition this morning forgot how rough the dpad was for fighting games
 
Is 480i supposed to look any better with a component cable vs composite video? I ask because it seems like Metal Wolf Chaos only supports 480i it seems and it looks practically identical in quality to composite. Also what is the best component cable for the Xbox, the Monster cable or Xbox official cable? It seems I have a generic off brand one so I'm wondering if that is why the quality doesn't look much different or because the game can only run in 480i.

Also how did I not know about this 4 player beat 'em up game that Dimps (the developers for SF IV) made? It doesn't look spectacular but it looks like some Die Hard Arcade kind of fun. Man, the OG Xbox really was the Dreamcast 2.

53844185161865419942.jpg

It's an iteration of the Model 3 arcade game...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReV7a93TcQg
 

REDSLATE

Member
THPS4 does 1080i :D

(at least, I think... from memory)(edit: shit, guess I was wrong, unless it's different in PAL or something, I'm sure it was 1080i)

There are a few games that were mislabeled, so it's possible you read it somewhere.

While there are a handful of 1080i games out there (The Matrix comes to mind), 720p offers a better picture. 1080i only updates 540 pixels at any one time. You'll see 1080 pixels, but the transition won't be as smooth due to only half the current image being present.
 

Timu

Member
Had a bit of a mess about on street fighter anniversary edition this morning forgot how rough the dpad was for fighting games
I would solve this by getting a PS2 to Xbox controller adapter as you'll be able to play Xbox games with the PS2 controller, which is very useful when it comes to fighting games as it has a better dpad.
 

Borman

Member
Apparently all (or almost all?) Crystal systems are guaranteed 1.6 so thankfully I don't have to worry about that pesky time capacitor. Instead I have to deal with some games not working in 480p... looked into softmod options and I suppose I need to get myself a copy of 007 or SC and an Xbox to USB cable so I can run PDO/Gunvalkyrie at 480p. Assuming that the softmod method works on 1.6, it will right? Haven't seen anyone say otherwise so...

There are plenty of non 1.6 Crystal units kicking around, but less likely for NTSC-U units.
 

Drago

Member
There are plenty of non 1.6 Crystal units kicking around, but less likely for NTSC-U units.
Ah. I'd love for my unit to be below 1.6, even if that means I have to remove the clock capacitor, though I'm just gonna expect it to be a 1.6 model and not get my hopes up.

It's not exactly a common issue though is it? I've only seen very few games outed as having 480p problems and even then PDO and GV are the only ones listed that I actually want to play (and both have fixes if I end up softmodding). Would suck if it actually affects more than just a few games.
 

MattyH

Member
I would solve this by getting a PS2 to Xbox controller adapter as you'll be able to play Xbox games with the PS2 controller, which is very useful when it comes to fighting games as it has a better dpad.

Its not that big a problem as my xbox is mostly a outrun 2 machine and some 4 player def jam at Christmas
 

Coda

Member
I think Double Steal 2 may be my favorite game on the system at this point. The pure joy of sending a full bus flying into the air and all the chaos that ensues is spectacular. It reminds me of playing Midtown Madness back in the day, except this is way better.
 

Borman

Member
I think Double Steal 2 may be my favorite game on the system at this point. The pure joy of sending a full bus flying into the air and all the chaos that ensues is spectacular. It reminds me of playing Midtown Madness back in the day, except this is way better.

Glad you like it. It is a nearly unknown gem.
 

Drago

Member
My Xbox is finally here! It looks monstrously huge next to my PS2 slim, lol. Manufacturing date is August 2004 so I'm pretty certain it's a 1.6, a bit of a shame but I'll get by.

Fired up Conker first. Game is gorgeous (and has good camera controls, looking at you Rare Replay >_>)
 

Raldoh

Member
My Xbox is finally here! It looks monstrously huge next to my PS2 slim, lol. Manufacturing date is August 2004 so I'm pretty certain it's a 1.6, a bit of a shame but I'll get by.

Fired up Conker first. Game is gorgeous (and has good camera controls, looking at you Rare Replay >_>)

I like its size, the hdd is a god send for ease of use. Big plus aesthetically for having the psu built in. I wish the 360 and X1 would have done the same, but given the quality of their psu it wad probably for the better having them external.

The xbox has plenty of titles that still hold up rather well graphically. Have fun collecting!
 

Drago

Member
I like its size, the hdd is a god send for ease of use. Big plus aesthetically for having the psu built in. I wish the 360 and X1 would have done the same, but given the quality of their psu it wad probably for the better having them external.

The xbox has plenty of titles that still hold up rather well graphically. Have fun collecting!

Yeah I've got a list of around 30 or so Xbox games I want to get around to at some point. Lots of stuff for me to look into!

Brilliant thing about Xbox collecting is that just about everything is dirt cheap and it's wonderful. Literally every single game on my wish list goes for less than $20 CIB, heck, the most expensive one there (Shenmue 2) is still under $20 for disc only (that post-E3 Shenmue price hike was real short lived, huh?). Much easier to try out all different sorts of games when they're that affordable.
 

Borman

Member
Yeah I've got a list of around 30 or so Xbox games I want to get around to at some point. Lots of stuff for me to look into!

Brilliant thing about Xbox collecting is that just about everything is dirt cheap and it's wonderful. Literally every single game on my wish list goes for less than $20 CIB, heck, the most expensive one there (Shenmue 2) is still under $20 for disc only (that post-E3 Shenmue price hike was real short lived, huh?). Much easier to try out all different sorts of games when they're that affordable.

$20 for a disk only copy of Shenmue is still more than it was, even if it isnt so bad :)
 
My Xbox is finally here! It looks monstrously huge next to my PS2 slim, lol. Manufacturing date is August 2004 so I'm pretty certain it's a 1.6, a bit of a shame but I'll get by.

Fired up Conker first. Game is gorgeous (and has good camera controls, looking at you Rare Replay >_>)


At one point my cube and ps2 rested on top of my Xbox lol.
 
Wasn't that a little precarious due to the sloped sides of the Xbox?

They stayed in place but It was all rammed into a small shelf . I had to pull the slim and GameCube out to put a disk in them. They were also all hooked up by composite.

Things have changed over the years lol.
 

TheSeks

Blinded by the luminous glory that is David Bowie's physical manifestation.
$5 for Breakdown worth looking into? I'm not sure how much the demand for Breakdown is.
 

TheSeks

Blinded by the luminous glory that is David Bowie's physical manifestation.
Da hell kind of question is that?=O Buy that shit yo!

Well, I'm not gonna buy it yet but if it's still there in a few weeks I'm totally gonna pick it up. I've got some Christmas shopping and I'm probably gonna jump on that MS Surface 3 Black Friday deal next week.
 

REDSLATE

Member
$5 for Breakdown worth looking into? I'm not sure how much the demand for Breakdown is.

Yes, $5 is a steal. There's not a large demand for the game because it isn't well known. It's pretty much the king of hidden gems (Xbox exclusive, Japanese, First Person Fighting game). It's worth buying an Xbox just to play Breakdown.
 

Bar81

Member
Yes, $5 is a steal. There's not a large demand for the game because it isn't well known. It's pretty much the king of hidden gems (Xbox exclusive, Japanese, First Person Fighting game). It's worth buying an Xbox just to play Breakdown.

Well said.
 

TheSeks

Blinded by the luminous glory that is David Bowie's physical manifestation.
Yes, $5 is a steal. There's not a large demand for the game because it isn't well known. It's pretty much the king of hidden gems (Xbox exclusive, Japanese, First Person Fighting game). It's worth buying an Xbox just to play Breakdown.


Alright, nerds. You win.

480p though. Woof. I dunno how we dealt with that 10 years ago. I gotta find my cables for the X-box and an old-TV to plug it into around here. I know I have them somewhere but I forget where I put them both.
 

Bar81

Member
Alright, nerds. You win.

480p though. Woof. I dunno how we dealt with that 10 years ago. I gotta find my cables for the X-box and an old-TV to plug it into around here. I know I have them somewhere but I forget where I put them both.

Congrats. So good.
 
My Xbox is having problems reading certain (scratch-less) discs. For example, Need for Speed Underground won't load parts of the track/scenery until I'm about ten feet away, and music keeps cutting in and out. Gunvalkyrie takes ages to boot up, and keeps freezing during gameplay to load the next areas.

Has anyone here successfully adjusted the potentiometer in a Thomson disc drive? I hear this can remedy the disc read errors but can damage the laser diode. Until I find a Samsung this seems to be my last option, any tips?
 

REDSLATE

Member
My Xbox is having problems reading certain (scratch-less) discs. For example, Need for Speed Underground won't load parts of the track/scenery until I'm about ten feet away, and music keeps cutting in and out. Gunvalkyrie takes ages to boot up, and keeps freezing during gameplay to load the next areas.

Has anyone here successfully adjusted the potentiometer in a Thomson disc drive? I hear this can remedy the disc read errors but can damage the laser diode. Until I find a Samsung this seems to be my last option, any tips?

Clean the laser with rubbing alcohol, softmod the console, throw in a high cap HDD. No more disc errors!
 

Raldoh

Member
Beat Ninja Gaiden (non-black) today for the first time ever, something I'd never thought I would ever do due its high difficulty. Played on Normal, without any of the DLC packs.

Very solid game that still holds up today graphically, even though it ran at a stable 60 fps. Mechanically solid for the most parts, with the exception of the 3D platforming combined unweildy automated camera control. What makes it even more impressive for its time is that the levels are interconnected, like in Dark Souls.

I think the main thing with this game that keep new players from finishing the first few levels is not using the block ability properly. Countering is pretty easy and powerful and helped me out a bunch. Deaths almost never felt cheap, the only exception would be
those awful ghost fishes.
If you are up for a challenge, give it a go if you have not yet.
 
Yeah,

The isolated mission-style structure of NG2 was a letdown after the persistent Metroid-style interconnectivity of the Vigoorian landmass in NG1. IIRC only the first couple of levels were blocked off from the rest of the game.
 

Timu

Member
Disc read errors/unable to eject? Or both perhaps? =P
1st one, hell the damn thing has a hard time even reading various games that don't even have much scratches on them!

Some games like Outrun 2 doesn't even load the whole race track, just part of it!!!
 
So this last weekend I bought myself an OG Xbox after discovering a retro game shop nearby in Bellevue. For about 80 bucks I got the system, Splinter Cell, Amped 1 & 2, and DOA Ultimate. Visited them again this afternoon to pick up some component cables as well.

This is honestly the first time in forever since I've touched an OG Xbox (the last was back near the end of elementary school, visiting a friend who had it with Ninja Gaiden Black), and it was just long enough to forget how stupidly huge this system was. Not just the box, but the cables being so goddamn thick to boot. At least it makes it easier to differentiate from the other 6th gen console cables I got hooked up, but still. Was taken aback quite a bit. At least with the component cables things look pretty good. Especially Amped 2 since that game can go above 480p.

Gonna be looking at building this collection up more through the following month if possible, just because a majority of the games are relatively cheap and not rare. Compared to certain games on other platforms at least. Already have Ninja Gaiden Black on the way, as well as some tools that will help me softmod the system. I haven't checked to see exactly if this system has a Thompson drive, but I figure I might as well make the most out of this system with mods and stuff so it will last. Anything in particular I should try and utilize with a softmodded Xbox? My first priority is giving me a way to play games from other regions, but I know there's all kinds of stuff like homebrew and emulators that doesn't immediately strike me as useful for my purposes.

For real, I don't think I've ever found myself getting quite this excited about collecting for a console until this one. Even as a primarily playstation and nintendo fan, this feels special somehow.
 
Top Bottom