With the announcement of over 70 new backwards compatible games for the Xbox One/Xbox Series X/S from the previous generations of Xbox, gamers have plenty of new/old games to try out. However, there are still some killer games missing from the service. In the case of the original Xbox, there are plenty of games that could make the jump that still haven’t.
Backwards compatibility is a double boon for these games. One, it means you can play them on a newer console, and two, they get much needed upgrades in performance and graphics. However, the biggest issue in making these games compatible is that it takes Microsoft a long time to update them. It likely never happens for some of these games due to licensing issues; others are just head-scratchers.
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5. NFL Street 1 and 2
When it comes to sports games, they usually never get backwards compatibility. They come out every year, and because of the player’s likeness and image, it makes licensing impossible. However, in some instances, like the NFL Blitz franchise, arcade games like NFL Street transcend ordinary sports fans. The Street series was a revelation in its time and brought sports fans and casual gamers together.
It would behoove Microsoft to bring these two games to the backwards compatibility list. The “Street-like” game mode in Madden these days doesn’t replicate the excellent gameplay of this series enough. So bringing this back would be the best option.
4. X-Men Origins: Wolverine
A movie game? Well, in this case, X-Men Origins: Wolverine is much better than the movie. If you’ve ever wanted to feel just like Wolverine, this is the game for you. It’s a hack and slash adventure game where you kill everything in sight as Wolverine. Sounds easy enough? The game has a pretty revolutionary way to show you Wolverine’s health. As he takes damage, his skin and body start showing damage.
This one is likely never coming because of a licensing agreement that Disney and Activision would have to make. But, luckily, the graphics on this one hold up pretty well; you just need to bust out the Xbox 360.
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3. Jet Set Radio Future
Sega became a significant player for Microsoft and the Xbox after the demise of the Dreamcast. The first Jet Set Radio has a remaster for the Xbox 360 and is backwards compatible, but we haven’t gotten a peep about the sequel. Jet Set Radio Future continues the excellent gameplay and fun of the original game. It’s mind-boggling how Future hasn’t made its way to the Xbox Series X/S/Xbox One.
Putting this one on backwards compatibility could also test the waters for a future sequel that fans of this series have been demanding for over twenty years now.
2. The Saboteur
In the Xbox 360 generation, open-world games were pretty common. Pandemic Studios were the pioneers of the genre, and sadly, this was their last game ever. However, as a swan song, the game is fantastic. You play in Nazi-occupied Paris during World War II. The main mechanic and style of the game are that it starts in black and white, but as you liberate the city, the color starts to pop.
This one hasn’t come to backwards compatibility while other Pandemic Studios games have, so it’s a strange exclusion. If you’re looking to play this one, it’s on the PC via EA’s Origin client. But this one would be a great one to play on the Xbox Series X.
1. Blinx 2: Masters of Time and Space
This one is the most puzzling of all the exclusions from the backwards compatible list. Blinx started as a prospective mascot for the Xbox console. The original game is backwards compatible, but this one is not. Blinx was the answer to other action-platforming mascots of the time, but this had an even more original gameplay twist. You could control time and use that to defeat enemies or solve puzzles.
When Microsoft is buying up studios to create exclusive games, they have an exclusive character sitting in their back pocket. So test out the waters by bringing back Blinx 2: Masters of Time and Space.
