It has a surprisingly amazing and diverse library of games. So underrated IMO. Most people just associate it with Halo so a lot of the more obscure games didn't sell that well.
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OG Xbox Appreciation and Lack of Emulation Thread of the big black box of doom
- Thread starter bishopcruz
- Start date
It has a surprisingly amazing and diverse library of games. So underrated IMO. Most people just associate it with Halo so a lot of the more obscure games didn't sell that well.
This as well.
blast processed
Member
Xbox reminds me of the Genesis with it's diverse library. So many hidden gems.
Softmodding it is highly recommended and pretty straightforward nowadays, plenty of great guides. It's possible to change region with a single button press via an application called Enigmah. If you are willing to spend some more, a bigger HDD is a great convenience and will keep your optical drive from destroying itself (which is likely to happen, especially with the Thompson as you read above). You either need an old IDE HDD that is compatible with the softmod (there's a website where you can look that up) or buy an IDE-SATA adapter.
It has quite a lot of interesting titles that you will not find on any other systems. Has a great mix of traditional games as well as more experiemental/forward thinking titles.
ArclightBorealis
Member
I've looked up what Enigmah is, basically it allows for the switching between PAL and NTSC signals, by the looks of things? I already have an NA system and japanese consoles use the same signal so I don't think I'd need to use this. Cool that it exists for PAL users, though.
I have an IDE drive hooked up to my PC that I don't really use much (aside from holding some old miscellaneous files), but it's only 10 times bigger than the regular Xbox one and I doubt that would be enough to hold all the games I eventually plan to get for the system. Probably just gonna buy an IDE drive to save money and not worry about the whole IDE-SATA adapter stuff. If I had a living room and interest in making extensive use of XBMC I'd probably go for a large SATA drive, but the size of my apartment already has me keeping my machines all close together and PC works just fine for my multimedia purposes.
I guess one last question I have regarding the softmod stuff is how to install the game data to the hard drive. Is that a feature that is automatically part of the dash once modded or do you have to FTP some sort of program onto the system to make it work?
You can use an IDE-SATA adapter? I wonder if there's any worth in trying an SSD out on it.
Kiddy Dong
Member
Looks like I'm going down the softmod route as well, after adjusting the potentiometer to 900ohms did nothing to remedy my disc drive.
I have two Xboxes which I could softmod, a 1.0 and a 1.4, is one of these superior to the other? I know they have different video chips but I'm not sure if there's a noticeable difference between Conexant and Focus.
I have two Xboxes which I could softmod, a 1.0 and a 1.4, is one of these superior to the other? I know they have different video chips but I'm not sure if there's a noticeable difference between Conexant and Focus.
My other Xbox came in...at 1st I was angry because the disc drive wouldn't open for half an hour, but then I took a knife and it opened in seconds, lol. I got the Hitachi drive which looks like this:
And it was able to read game discs that my shitty Thomson drive couldn't read like Midway Arcade Treasures 2.
And it was able to read game discs that my shitty Thomson drive couldn't read like Midway Arcade Treasures 2.
ArclightBorealis
Member
Made another couple game purchases for the system this afternoon. Initially went in to get DOAX just so I could make a save and unlock Hitomi in DOA2 Ultimate. Ended up leaving with that as well as GunValkyrie, which for whatever reason on my last two visits to that particular store I never noticed it on the shelf. So at least that one I'll be playing in addition to the usual of DOA, Amped, and Splinter Cell.
At this point, I think I'm pretty well set for OG Xbox games for the month, with six already owned (or technically seven since DOA 1 and 2 are on separate discs) and Ninja Gaiden Black currently on its way from eBay. Pretty good start for my collection, I'd say.
At this point, I think I'm pretty well set for OG Xbox games for the month, with six already owned (or technically seven since DOA 1 and 2 are on separate discs) and Ninja Gaiden Black currently on its way from eBay. Pretty good start for my collection, I'd say.
-shadow-
Member
I recently got a OG Xbox from a friend of mine who didn't really care about the system at all. Anyone has some advise for me on the system? I've cleaned it and it works perfectly fine. But I've read something about a capacitor and the motherboard.
The system does already have a custom firmware (one with Pinhead from Hellraiser in the background), but other than that I have no idea about everything else about the system however.
The system does already have a custom firmware (one with Pinhead from Hellraiser in the background), but other than that I have no idea about everything else about the system however.
blast processed
Member
Visit this thread. http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=857527 & This site http://dannygalaga.com/xbox.html
I removed the capacitors from 2 systems recently and it was extremely easy. There were signs of leaking so it needed to be done.
On a side note, I picked up Panzer Dragoon Orta from a gaffer to complete my Panzer collection finally. Only played 2 episodes so far and it seems pretty good and dat intro was great.
-shadow-
Member
Great, thanks for the links. I'll check them out and see if I can safely remove the capacitors. Find it a bit freaky too remove them, but better than having it die on me.
Edit: just checked. It's version 1.6 (manufactured 2004-04-01), but I don't have the correct tool to get into the system. Guess I'll take it to a friends house and see if they have the correct one.
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I already purchased the original Project Zero for it and am looking for Conker Live and Reloaded. If I can find it for a decent price however. Guess it's time too make up a list of game I want.
Now that I think about it, I should look for a component cable. The composite cable looks great for being composite (by comparison to my Gamecube anyway), but still...
Edit: just checked. It's version 1.6 (manufactured 2004-04-01), but I don't have the correct tool to get into the system. Guess I'll take it to a friends house and see if they have the correct one.
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I already purchased the original Project Zero for it and am looking for Conker Live and Reloaded. If I can find it for a decent price however. Guess it's time too make up a list of game I want.
Now that I think about it, I should look for a component cable. The composite cable looks great for being composite (by comparison to my Gamecube anyway), but still...
Apart from softmodding, this is the best upgrade you can do for your system. Makes a big difference.
ArclightBorealis
Member
Certainly can attest to this. Especially if you're using it for games that support higher than 480, like Amped 2. And even then, everything else just looks so crisp already.
blast processed
Member
I'm still using composite. I always forget to order the cables, I guess it's because I'm not using it as much nowadays. The brand doesn't really matter does it & what is an average price 20ish?
The clasp that holds the disc steady when in is getting stuck together when no disc is inside. I've seen this issue with multiple DVD players people have asked me to fix. Since the clasp won't open, the drive tray can't clear the clasp and the drive will refuse to open to keep from tearing itself apart.
Unfortunately, the easiest fix is to simply have a placeholder disc (you can even just use a blank CDR/DVDR) to keep the two halves of the holder from getting stuck together. You can try wiping the clasps with some alcohol like you'd use to clean computer parts, but that usually only works for a bit.
Brand definitely matters. Those unnamed generic cables are shit. Buy an official MS one. I've heard the Monster ones are "just as good, but a bit too stiff." Personally, Monster's a brand I avoid.
The LG drives are rare (have a couple myself). If it reads the games, it's already better than your Thompson. The magnet's just too strong is all (the problem's common with the Samsung drives).
Wulff's right:
Alternatively, you can place a small sticker/piece of tape on the magnet to add a thin layer of separation.
I just got Flatout 2. Pretty cool game! I had it already on PC but I wanted to play it on my old tube, in all its 480p glory. The thing that the Xbox has over the PC version is split-screen multiplayer! wrecking cars has never been so much fun.
What's the status on live private servers /emulation?
What's the status on live private servers /emulation?
ArclightBorealis
Member
Still a week to go before I can get that Xbox to USB cable I need to softmod the system. Guess that's what I get for ordering it for cheap from Hong Kong, but it was better than getting those pre made "softmod kits" for way more.
Oh well, still messing around with all the games I got, plus made another pick up yesterday with Escape from Butcher Bay. Even with Assault on Dark Athena out there, still like that I got this for collections sake. Plus it still plays well even without the remake's enhancements.
I will say of all the games I got for this system so far, Riddick definitely feels the most like a PC game running in 640x480. Which means it's muddy and jaggy looking as all hell, but I guess there's kind of a charm to it. Another testament to this machine being a fucking power house back in the day that it was able to run this.
Oh well, still messing around with all the games I got, plus made another pick up yesterday with Escape from Butcher Bay. Even with Assault on Dark Athena out there, still like that I got this for collections sake. Plus it still plays well even without the remake's enhancements.
I will say of all the games I got for this system so far, Riddick definitely feels the most like a PC game running in 640x480. Which means it's muddy and jaggy looking as all hell, but I guess there's kind of a charm to it. Another testament to this machine being a fucking power house back in the day that it was able to run this.
Riddick actually has a dynamic resolution, which causes it to look more muddy in certain situations. One of the earliest games to use it really.
Actually prefer the original graphics over the 2009 remaster. It is essentially just higher resolution with an excessive amount of bloom on top of it. The light and shadows were years ahead of the competition. Proud to be from the same city where Starbreeze operates in. =)
Kiddy Dong
Member
First time softmodder here. What's a better dashboard to use, UnleashX or XBMC? Are there any differences running games off the hard drive?
kingwingin
Member
bought my xbox off some guy and a few days later i noticed it had this issue. since i was going to open it anyway to clean everything i made sure to wash the small belt in the optical drive. Works flawless now
Does anyone know if there is a difference in quality between the 2 xbox component cables? i can order the hd pack for $20 + free shipping cheaper than the official cable but i want to make sure the quality is the same
Only used UnleashX, simple to use. Load times are shorter when running from the hard drive, definitely worth it.
shanafan
Member
No one uses Avalaunch anymore? haha
shanafan
Member
Not sure anymore, I haven't been involved with the Xbox modding scene since the 360 came out. It was just the dash that was on my Xbox ever since then. I liked it because it custom themes (which is common) but I just thought it had a really clean interface. I liked too how it would auto populate the menu with XBE's it would find.
Well, the Xbox was capable of High Definition, so calling Sixth Gen "pre-HD" is a bit odd.
I've never really bought into the whole 'can't play on a modern Television' mindset. Outside of lightguns and a handful of classic games' intended artstyles (best example was an 8-bit game where, at a certain point, the color was meant to appear blue on a CRT, but was actually output as grey), playing older games on a modern display will just provide more clarity.
I will say that, once modded, you can turn off softening and flicker-filter (intended for legacy CRT) which provides additional clarity on a modern display.
Kiddy Dong
Member
Zero input lag and no image upscaling are the main draws for CRT gaming. I can't stand using an HDTV for anything Wii or older. Xbox is really the only exception, but even then most games were developed with 480i in mind.
Honestly, with a good display, you won't experience latency (the aforementioned lightguns are a notable exception) or scaling problems.
Many modern displays have sub 50ms input lag (which is imperceptible), and Upscaling simply recreates the same image using more pixels (the image isn't any better or worse, it's just scaled).
ArclightBorealis
Member
At last, after waiting about 3 weeks, the Xbox to USB cable I ordered arrived, allowing me to finally softmod my Xbox. Was very painless and easy, especially since I had already gathered the other resources I needed ahead of time. The only weird thing is that on the UnleashX dash, the Xbox logo is super squished almost as if it was a widescreen image squished to 4:3. But it's like that regardless of video mode.
Oh well. Not that big a deal. The next step now is to upgrade the hard drive so I have room to install games and applications(and along with that, remove the clock capacitor). considering the amount of space that is made available to you on the C and E partitions, it's more than enough reason to do the upgrade ASAP.
Either way, I should be able to play any import games straight off the disc, so I'll throw in a japanese copy of a game to my list of things I need to get next. (either DOA 3.1 or OutRun 2).
Oh well. Not that big a deal. The next step now is to upgrade the hard drive so I have room to install games and applications(and along with that, remove the clock capacitor). considering the amount of space that is made available to you on the C and E partitions, it's more than enough reason to do the upgrade ASAP.
Either way, I should be able to play any import games straight off the disc, so I'll throw in a japanese copy of a game to my list of things I need to get next. (either DOA 3.1 or OutRun 2).
Here's a gif of a previously unknown unreleased Xbox title. The fisheye can get pretty intense, it's cool.
https://gfycat.com/PastelIndolentGhostshrimp
https://gfycat.com/PastelIndolentGhostshrimp
Ivan Amiibo
Banned
One day I will get around to getting a modded xbox set up to play that Storm Riders beta aka pre-Ninja Gaiden.
Never heard of that before, just looked at some footage on youtube. You can definitely see the similarities between the concept work and the finished product. Glad how well it turned out. Thanks for mentioning it!
Think that requires a RAM upgrade. Wasn't able to play it on a (modded) stock Xbox.
Storm Riders has nothing to do with Ninja Gaiden, Im not entirely sure who is spreading that wrong information. Storm Riders was built really, really late in the Xbox's life, July 22 2005, NG started life in like 1999 before being announced at e3 2002 and released in March 2004.