Joseph_J's Full Review: Microsoft Xbox 360 Core System White Console
Just over 6 years ago Microsoft entered the quagmire that is the console wars with the Microsoft X-Box. It's not the innovative technological behemoth it was when it raged onto the scene, but there is still a lot of fun to be had. Here is my review -
Tech Specs -
CPU - 733 MHz Intel Custom Pentium III
Front Side Bus - 133 MHz - 1.0 GB/sec
Memory Bandwidth 6.4 GB/sec bus
Storage Medium - 8 GB Hard Disk (5400 RPM)
Drive - 5x DVD-ROM Type 9 DVD - 8.5 GB single sided
Connections
4 - 4x Proprietary USB Game Ports (12 Mbps)
Broadband Ethernet Connection (100 Mbps)
Proprietary Audio/Video Connector
Graphics Processor Unit - 250 MHz Custom-Designed NV2X
-Max Polygon Performance 125 M/sec
-Simultaneous Textures 4.8 G/Sec
-Pixel Fill Rate 12w
-Compressed Textures Yes (6:1)
-Maximum resolution 1920 x 1080 (HDTV Required)
-MPEG 2 Support Yes (Standard DVD)
-HDTV Game Support Yes (HDTV Cable Required)
-DVD Movie Playback Yes (DVD Remote Control Required)
-Media Comm. Processor 200 MHz Processor Custom
Audio processor - NVIDIA "MCPX" (a.k.a. SoundStorm "NVAPU")
- 64 3D sound channels (up to 256 stereo voices)
- HRTF Sensaura 3D enhancement
Operating System - Windows 2000 Core OS
- DirectX 8.0a (Drivers)
- Part 1 of the OS is on the hard disk < 1 MB
- Part 2 of the OS can be DVD disc < 500 K
- (Part 1 includes the core OS, DirectX, DVD playback, some drivers and 3D user interface)
- (Part 2 includes things like libraries, other drivers and other features needed by the developer)
- OS takes less then 3 MB in RAM
- The OS has a 3D user interface when no games are inserted to play music CDs, run DVD movies etc.
V-CHIP Parental control on DVD's with ESRB ratings
Console Power - 6/10 - This system is a bit underpowered to compete with the new game systems of today. That is not to say, however, that it can not still put a pretty picture on the screen. It's custom NVIDIA graphics chipset can still push some polygons, produce some eye candy. It's 733 MHz Pentium III is not state-of-the-art anymore, but it does keep things humming while you search out and destroy others during an online Halo death match.
No, this console does not match the graphic intensity of newer consoles, nor should it. The system is more than 6 years old. It does contain one important feature though, HD support. This forward thinking (as HD was in its infancy at the time this console was in development) on the part of the developers allows us to experience compatible games at resolutions up to 1080i. I can tell you, that makes anything look pretty.
Current Library - 10/10 - What more could you ask for? You have hundreds and hundreds of games available. The best part is many of them are highly inexpensive, you can pick up hundreds of bargain games for just $3 or $4 each. Here are my 10 favorite Xbox games, along with how much they run used -
Ninja Gaiden - Set standards for martial arts action. Both the control and the graphics are spot on. Camera could use a little work, but it is fantastic overall.
$9.99
Halo - A launch title that still rocks! What more can I say about one of the most lauded games in console history. It's intense, action packed, and multiplayer is amazing.
$19.99
Halo 2 - The sequel to one of my favorites is also a blast. It picks up where the original left off, more weapons, new enemies, it is just a great game.
$24.99
Yugi-Oh: Dawn of Destiny - Don't hate me for loving this game. I have spent more sleepless nights trying to defeat Yumi Bakura, or find the morphing jar then I'd like to count... I don't even fell right about this.
$7.99
Dance Dance Revolution: Ultramix 3 - The ultimate way to get in shape. It's addicting, it's a great party game, it has great music. I love this game!
$19.99 (plus game pad)
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - A fantastic role playing experience. This visited a little known time in Star Wars mythology and ended up with this amazing title.
$9.99
Jade Empire - This oriental themed RPG combined an amazing world with an innovative combat system. Throw in breath taking visuals, and you have a winner.
$7.99
GTA: Double Pack - Forget San Andreas, this blistering pack of 2 amazing GTA games will keep you busy for a long time.
$8.99
Burnout 3 - I can not tell you how many hours I spent smashing into busy intersection and jumping off ramps to cause maximum damage. What a blast.
$9.99
Splinter Cell - The original super spy game on the Xbox. It has held up well, and I still prefer it over the sequels.
$2.99
You could have any 4 of these games for the cost of 1 new XBox 360 or PS3 game.
Future Title Prospects - 0/10
This is no longer a supported console, so odds are heavily against it ever getting a new title.
Controllers - 8/10 - The controllers were too large, and a little awkward. They released a new sleeker model. I've had no complaints.
The controllers have a digital control pad, 2 analog control sticks, 4 standard buttons, a black button, a white button, and 2 trigger buttons. This gives the controller plenty of flexibility to conform to the demands of many different types of games.
Hard Drive - 10/10 The hard drive means never having to say memory card again. I love the built in hard drive. I owned my console for years, and never even went below the 50,000 blocks I started at. That's considering I used to save a lot of replays in sports games, which is a memory hog.
Online - 10/10 XBox wrote the book on creating an online gaming service. XBox live is amazing, and the inclusion of an ethernet port on the xbox ensured we'd be enjoying it on a highspeed network.
DVD Playback - 8/10 The only reason this did not get a 10 is you have to purchase an accessory to be able to watch movies. This was just wrong. The controller you get with the DVD Playback kit is very nice though.
Extras You get a great dashboard for playing audio CDs. You can also rip songs onto the hard drive, and create custom soundtracks on games that supported that feature. That was a really overlooked feature.
Overall - 8/10 It's past its prime, but it still has great online play, a huge library of amazing games, a hard drive, and High Def output. You could do a lot worse for a "new" gaming system than an XBox, especially if you've never owned one.
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