Xbox

"The Xbox is superb."

The XBOX was Microsoft's entrance to the console arena and their first effort at a video game system. Does it live up to expectations? Read on to find out...

Game Library: 10/10
What makes the XBOX so great, you say? That would be it's excellent and large gaming library. The library is bound to satisfy. Some notable classics include Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Knights of the Old Republic, Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, Grand Theft Auto Double Pack, Mortal Kombat Deception, Jade Empire, Star Wars Battlefront, Star Wars Battlefront II, Fable: The Lost Chapters and Half-Life 2. With such a large gaming library, you won't know where to get started! Definitely the best aspect of the XBOX.

Graphics: 10/10
Seven years later and the XBOX's graphics continue to amaze me. They are simply outstanding! This system really displays it graphics superbly in many classics such as Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, and Knights of the Old Republic. The graphics should appease any gamer trying out the XBOX for the first time.

Sound: 10/10
The sound is well done for the most part. Most games sound crisp and clear, and the quality of sound is up to par with, if not better, than Playstation 2. Minor improvements in this aspect make the XBOX's sound better than its competitors.

System Design: 8/10
The XBOX is a big and heavy system, I must admit. Heavier than the Playstation 2 or GameCube. It is a black and green colored system, which looks intriguing. It has four controller sockets in the front so you can game with friends, especially in some hardcore multiplayer games. Though you will need to buy 3 more controllers if you want that.

System Controllers: 10/10 for Controller S, 4/10 for Original Controller

Original XBOX Controller: 4/10
Not very good at all. This control is more appropriate for people with big hands, however I'm not one of those people therefore this controller can be frustrating at times. It can be a pain in the ass to use. Quite uncomfortable for smaller hands, some buttons/triggers actually hurt to press, and the controller layout is difficult and messy.

Controller S: 10/10
MUCH better than the previous model. Appropriate for any person with normal sized hands, comfortable to use, easy-to-use, the controller layout is much more organized, and it comes in 3 colors, black, green, and blue, so that's a plus.

Multiplayer: 8/10 Offline Multiplayer, 10/10 Online Multiplayer
You can still have an enjoyable multiplayer experience offline, especially with friends over and a massive library of multiplayer games. However XBOX Live is where multiplayer really flourishes. It is quite fun to play online, especially with the Halo series. The price of Live may be expensive however, and drive some people away from any online play.

System Features: 9/10
The XBOX is capable of playing DVDs, however you have to buy a DVD Kit for XBOX to play DVD movies, which is not good. You can burn your CDs to the XBOX's hard drive, which is a plus. As I mentioned before XBOX has Internet capabilities, such as XBOX Live so you can play your favorite games online with other people. However the game has to be Live compatible, and you need a broadband adapter and Ethernet cable to hook up, and an active XBOX Live subscription. The system also includes a 10GB hard disk drive for saving your games and audio soundtracks and other settings, and loading times are very fast during a game. You can manually change the system settings when you turn the system on as well.

Accessory Prices: 8/10
The DVD Kit for XBOX is $30 to buy, which seems a bit steep. I don't understand this when they could have integrated DVD capability and the controller could be used as a remote. Controllers for the system should be relatively cheap, nothing too expensive. Controller S is the most common to find anyway. I have no clue how much original XBOX Live costs, as I haven't used Live in years, but I assume it should be cheaper than XBOX 360 Live. As for the system itself, it should probably be under $100, like $50-$75, considering it's been out for over seven years. Nothing TOO expensive when it comes to accessory prices.

Support: 5/10
The XBOX's life span was very short lasting only 4 years (2001-2005). Then in 2005 the XBOX 360 was released, and since has been Microsoft's major console. You want the company to support you, the customer, and your system, the XBOX. Well you probably won't get much help now considering Microsoft is focused on the 360 in the video game department. Also no more games are being released for the XBOX. Thus it is a dead console. But it's still fun to play.

Final Recommendation: Buy
Buy the Microsoft XBOX, it is worth every dollar you spend for it.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 01/05/09

Game Release: Xbox Hardware (US, 11/15/01)