Since last week’s Xbox One reveal, the internet has been on fire with speculation, rumors and an endless stream of unanswered questions. Many have tried to make sense of it all, including us here at Geekscape, but one of the solid facts that came out of the conference was that 15 exclusive games, including seven returning IPs, would release within the console’s first year on shelves.
If you’re like me, you’ve been starving for Xbox exclusives. While I think it’s still the console of choice for multiplatform and online gaming, save for the occasional Halo, Gears, Forza or Dance Central release, Microsoft has been pretty thin in the exclusives department.
The Xbox One is going to want to launch strong, and contrary to popular belief, the green machine had plenty of great exclusives during the Xbox and early 360 days. Even without Halo, Gears and Forza, the company has plenty of titles in the vault to draw from. With seven slots for returning franchises, let’s look at 10 games that can help the next Xbox be “The One” for gamers.
10: Dance Central
Starting off with this game probably lost me a ton of readers. Still with me? Good.
While many gamers who identify themselves as hardcore have mostly shunned anything that has to do with motion controls, Dance Central is the definitive motion gaming experience available and shouldn’t be missed. Right out of the gate, the game tracked movements in ways that new games struggle to achieve years later. Each sequel only got better, culminating with Usher bringing in his choreography to create some incredible routines in the latest entry. Imagine the possibilities with heart beat tracking and expanded joint detection? And throw in the fact that every Xbox One will be bundled with Kinect? The potential sales would be sure to grow given that everyone will have the device. It makes too much sense.
9: Viva Pinata
What started out as being Microsoft’s “Pokemon killer,” it turned out Viva Pinata was anything but. It didn’t help that the game was nothing like the series that it was trying to compete with, but what Rare created instead was an enjoyable farm simulator that sucked hours upon hours out of gamers. The game had tons of charm, addicting mechanics and even a TV show to suck in the kids, but disappeared suddenly after a quick sequel.
Not only did it deserve more of a chance, but it would be the perfect game to display Xbox’s family friendly side. After all, every game can’t be a futuristic shooter. Speaking of, that brings me to…
8:Perfect Dark
There was a time where it felt like Joanna Dark was the most in demand woman in gaming. Building off of the success of Goldeneye, Rare produced an FPS masterpiece at the time for the Nintendo 64, leaving its announced prequel anxiously anticipated.
But almost a decade of patience brought us Perfect Dark Zero, a game that removed most of what made the original so innovative. Instead it left us with a cookie cutter title that was soon overshadowed by big guns like Halo and Gears of War.
The Xbox One would be the perfect chance to redeem the series. Bring back the cheesiness. Bring back the quirkiness. But most of all, please bring back limb damage and hostage taking! Zero felt like such a step back, but I’m sure I’m not the only gamer who would welcome the proper Joanna Dark back with open arms.
7:Alan Wake
Alan Wake was one of the most hyped exclusives for the 360 when it was released. From the talented crew at Remedy, (who developed Max Payne 1 and 2,) this surreal horror game took a page out of Stephen King’s book, (no pun intended, I swear!) Gamers took control of Alan, an author who is trapped in a town where his suspense novels were seemingly coming to life.
Using a unique combat mechanic that felt like a survival horror shooter had a love child with Luigi’s Mansion, Wake was praised for its game play as much as it was for its top notch story. The ending and its DLC practically confirmed a sequel, but it never came aside from a somewhat unrelated Xbox Live Arcade release. While Remedy is hard at work on the new IP, Quantum Break, wishful thinking keeps me hoping for a new Alan Wake game to come to the console. I’m going to wish as hard as I can.
6:Kameo
Much like Perfect Dark Zero, Kameo was also in limbo for far too long. Starting development as an N64 game before being moved to the Gamecube launch, she wouldn’t make her debut for years. Not until the Xbox 360 launched did Kameo finally see the light of day, and while it was completely overshadowed by more anticipated titles like Perfect Dark and Call of Duty 2, it was still more than worthy of gamers’ attention.
Putting players in control of the titular elf, she gained the ability to take the forms of various creatures. Each one gave Kameo different abilities that helped her traverse her world and combat trolls outside of internet message boards. While it was a great first effort, the game had points where it didn’t live up to its full potential. An Xbox One revival can change that and expand on this limitless idea of shape shifting, bringing this mostly untapped series to a new generation.
5:Shadow Complex
Xbox Live Arcade was a popular service when it launched. Bringing arcade classics into our homes with the occasional indy game at a cheap price was a strong perk that gamers ate up. This was all we ever wanted, reserving the big, AAA titles for our retail purchases.
That was, until Shadow Complex came along.
Epic Games blew the lid off of what we expected from a downloadable console game. This Metroid style sidescrolling shooter had a strong story, top of the line game play and graphics that rivaled the 360’s top releases. Setting the stage for digital releases, it’s now expected for titles of this caliber to hit the PSN, eShop and Live Arcade. Why a sequel hasn’t been released is anyone’s guess, but what better way to introduce the new Xbox One and its downloadable service than to tout what I feel is the most influential downloadable game of this generation?
4:Banjo-Kazooie
Another lost Rare franchise, gamers begged for an Xbox version of Banjo-Kazooie, one of the most popular platformers on the N64. After teasing us with a Game Boy Advance release of all things, 2008 finally saw the return of the bear and bird.
It just wasn’t in the way we expected.
But change isn’t always bad, and in the case of Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts, I feel it benefited from it. Less of a platform game and more of a create your own solution puzzle/racing hybrid, Nuts and Bolts let players build their own cars, boats, planes and anything in between to conquer different challenges.
A truly unique and well executed idea with plenty of self referential humor helped put it over the top. The game is still met with hostility since it strays so far from its roots, but if a new game were to expand on the already great ideas of the first Nuts and Bolts, I’d say that’s one way for the Xbox to build towards a better future.
3:Mech Assault
When the Xbox Live service launched back in 2002, Microsoft came out with guns blazing. They knew they had to offer something gamers couldn’t say no to when it came to selling them on a paid subscription service, and their answer was Mech Assault.
A console spinoff to the popular PC series Mech Warrior, this game put players in the cockpit of a variety of robots, each with different weapons, strengths and weaknesses. While the single player mode was there to essentially provide pilot training, the main draw of the game was its multiplayer, and to this day I feel it’s one of the best examples of online gaming done right on consoles.
Oddly enough, the last time it was seen was not on the Xbox, but as a DS title that flew under the radar. I think it’s time for the king to come home. Mech Assault sold gamers on live over ten years ago, I don’t see why it can’t sell them on the “One” now.
2:Crimson Skies
Now if Mech Assault was the game that successfully launched Live into the public eye, Crimson Skies launched it into the stratosphere. An arcade style dogfighting simulator, players took control of World War II style planes in an alternate timeline where steampunk-like technology was intertwined with the weapons of the 1940’s.
Unlike Mech Assault however, Crimson Skies had a strong single player campaign, with an entertaining story, a variety of challenges and a colorful cast. Taking its fast paced action to the internet was still its main draw though, and it was easy to sink hours into shooting down people from all over the world, the simplicity and fun of it all was my favorite reason to own an Xbox.
Since then, the franchise hasn’t even been mentioned outside of an Xbox Original release on the 360. No sequel must mean Microsoft doesn’t want my money! That can change though, because Xbox One will be a lot more attractive if it will take me to the skies again. I’m just waiting for it to sweep me away all over again.
1:Killer Instinct
It’s ironic that the number one game on my list is the only one to never appear on an Xbox console. Acting as Nintendo’s answer to Mortal Kombat back in the day, Killer Instinct and its sequel took violent, over the top fighting and added the depth of a traditional fighter. Last seen in 1996, generations of N64, Gamecube, Xbox and 360 owners have begged and begged Rare to bring back the popular brawler. Rare listened, and we got…
Grabbed by the Ghoulies!
But seriously, Rare has heard our cries. We did get a Sabrewulf spinoff after all, and they don’t hide their love of trolling fans. These are the same guys who hid comments about the game in Banjo-Kazooie, going as far as hiding mock box art for the non-existent game inside of an in game briefcase.
Trololol!
But there can only be one reason… One good reason that Rare has waited for so long. They want it to have the biggest impact as possible when it’s finally released. What better way than to launch with a brand new console? I can imagine the roof blowing off of E3 as a 17 year old franchise is revived with new graphics, updated presentation and the same fighting that we’ve been anxiously awaiting for years. I can’t think of any better time to launch it than now.
Are there any games I missed? Are you really looking for Sudeki 2 or Otogi 3? Or did I give too much credit to certain games that don’t deserve it? Sound off below and let us know!