We will call this article a deviation of sorts. I am sure everybody has heard the news by now that Microsoft is implementing Xbox 360 Backwards Compatibility into the Xbox One. And most people know that you can actually vote for which games get the go-ahead for implementation. I figured since I’m huge on this concept that we would make a fun chart of all the games I voted on and realistically judged based on public votes and what I know if it has a chance to get the golden ticket. Then, the great part is once a game actually gets “voted in” so to speak, we’ll update this column and see how good I am at predicting.
Here is the webpage for those who did not know that you can vote for 360 games to be backward compatible on the One.
Xbox 360 Backwards Compatibility Voting
Naturally you need a Microsoft/Xbox account to make that happen. Anyway, here is a brief explanation of how this will work. I voted on approximately 100 games since I have a ton of Xbox 360 games and honestly would like to see them all make BC. I realize that does not have a snowball’s chance in hell (especially when you see some of the ones I voted for).
But what I’m going to do is divide these into five categories: Guaranteed Lock (100%), Almost Certain to Get In (75%), Middle of the Road (50%), Needs Some Luck(25%), and Snowball (0%).
By the way, if you feel these are completely off or agree or just appreciate reading the next several pages, leave a comment. I approve all comments that aren’t spam or a profanity laced tirade. Heck, I might leave some of the profanity too. HERE WE GO!
VOTES CURRENT AS OF 7/16/2015
UPDATED: 7/17/2015
Guaranteed Lock (100%)
Alan Wake I/American Nightmare – (21,752 votes) / (7,412 votes) – Both of these are great games, both of them are made by Microsoft. Both of them will have backwards compatibility. It is a matter of time, and probably will only take as long as is absolutely necessary to make it seem like a grand event.
Batman: Arkham Asylum/City/Origins – (22,556 votes)/(31,998 votes)/(17,048 votes) – Batman games have taken on a resurgence ever since last generation. Asylum was one of the best games of the generation, City was as well. Origins was a bit of a misstep but still a worthy addition to the franchise. It will probably happen in stages, with Origins as the last, but all three are coming in due time.
Bioshock I/II/Infinite – (22,701 votes)/(15,710 votes)/(36,670 votes) – Grouping these games together because it is my firm belief that if these games do not make BC, then everybody should probably riot. Beloved games, beloved lore, and the first one is one of the Best 5 games on Xbox 360 period. Automatics in every sense of the word.
Borderlands – (20,814 votes) – Now, the first thing you might ask is where are 2 and the Pre-Sequel? In the Handsome collection, therefore they no longer qualify as automatic locks to me. The original Borderlands on the other hand has not been re-made and there is already reports that this will be added very quickly to the BC library. So it’s an easy lock.
Bully Scholarship Edition – (9,205 votes) – Bully was different but yet a great representation of what Rockstar can do when they aren’t making another GTA. The game has so many wonderful elements and really can be revisited again time after time. It really should be on the XB1 as long as Rockstar doesn’t decide to do a recycled port. We shall see.
Burnout Paradise – (8,688 votes) – Actually if you have been paying attention to Criterion & their Twitter feed, this is already cast. And its no surprise since it was arguably the best racing game on the 360 (Forza, please stop complaining). I really don’t need to spend any more words on it, it’s a done deal.
Dead Space I/II/III – (16,003 votes)(13,070 votes)/(13,672 votes) – Would you like a scary shooter from a big company like Electronic Arts that has an equally big following? Well then, you might be familiar with the Dead Space series. Sure, the third one might have been not quite as impressive as the previous two, but this is the kind of series that people will want to rediscover on the new generation of consoles.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution – (10,010 votes) – Universally acclaimed, loved and should have more freaking votes. I honestly do not see any scenario where this does not get to be Backwards Compatible. It’s fun, engaging and has a great storyline. Another game is scheduled for release in 2016 as well which makes this one the near perfect BC poster child.
Dragon Age Origins/2 – (11,790 votes) / (8,332 votes) – Excellent RPGs and the sequel that just came out is supposedly really good as well. It’s a shoe-in to expect these to go to BC (and lets just hope that all of the DLC for Origins comes along with it). BC will help to further sales for the new game and EA will probably agree to have these make the jump.
Elder Scrolls: Oblivion/Skyrim – (19,867 Votes) / (67,267 Votes) – The Elder Scroll games are much beloved by me and most other people I speak to. Even people who might play shooters predominantly have at least tried Skyrim or Oblivion. I’m actually a little surprised that Oblivion did not get more votes. It’s probably a freshness thing. So expect Skyrim go in almost immediately, and Oblivion to perhaps have a bit of a delay. But rest assured, both are going in and probably soon.
Fable Anniversary/II/III – (9,162 votes)/(14,829 votes)/(20,570 votes) – I am grouping these three games together because there is absolutely no reason not to believe they will not all make it. All of them are Xbox exclusives, all of them are Microsoft games, and all are absolutely loved. I do wish they would fix the save system in 2/3 (not sure about Anniversary) where you cannot move saved games from storage to storage.
Fallout 3/Fallout: New Vegas – (46,698 Votes)/(36,292 Votes) – Fallout 4 is coming out soon, have you got your Pip-Boy on Preorder? I know probably most of you do. Not me, after taking one look at the design and my phone, it did not seem practical at all. Anyway, Fallout 3 and New Vegas are pretty adored by the general community (as long as you don’t pay attention to that Fallout 1/2 hardcore site I’ve heard about). Three is being included for free with 4, so I can’t imagine this not happening and pretty soon by the looks of it.
Just Cause 2 – (14,605 Votes) – This was a recent Games on Gold release and it was done at the perfect time in voting for well to give this a crapload of votes on pure name alone. That and its a really good game too. With Just Cause 3 coming out in December, I expect to see this made into a BC title at that point with no problems.
L.A. Noire – (17,329 Votes) – I was a little surprised by the vote total when I looked it up. It’s a great game, sure, but it is certainly a period piece. I had no idea it was so popular. So by the token, I think Microsoft is going to realize this as well and work the right channels to achieve backwards compatibility. Maybe by then, I’ll crack it open. (Yes, yes, I know)
Lost Odyssey – (8,969 Votes) – Once you take a look at the game’s history, it is easy to see that this one is a lock as well. Solid RPG effort, solid votes and oh its made by Microsoft. There should be no worries here, heck, the game’s long load times should improve quite a bit once under the One hardware.
Mafia II – (10,750 Votes) – Mafia II is one of the best story games I have ever seen. If you have seen my Gamercard, I’ve beat it, and beat all of the DLC. It’s a blast from beginning to end. I would look forward to replaying it given the chance and I know I’m not alone. This has to make it, completely underrated. Also it has Playboy collectibles. Cheap thrills for the win!
Mass Effect 2/3 – (32,957 Votes)/(38,693 Votes) – As many are aware, the first Mass Effect is already part of the Backwards Compatible program for the Xbox One. It’s the one they showed off at E3 for pete’s sake. And it looked good, really good at that. So there is no reason not to expect the two sequels to get the same treatment. The sooner the better, I say.
Orange Box – (18,321 Votes) – A fantastic list of games (Half Life, Portal, Team Fortress) and I’m not sure how this could not make the cut and probably by Christmas time at that. It’s fun, has a great list of achievements and represents one of the best values in gaming to this very day.
Red Dead Redemption – (72,421 Votes) – The current leading vote getter and its no surprise since people are still asking for a sequel to this modern day classic. The logic here is that if it is the leading vote getter, there are no pesky licenses in the way and the BC program truly is going to work like they have said, then this gets in no problem and way before Christmas time. Sounds like the way to spend the holidays to me.
Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings – (22,108 Votes) – The third game is getting a ton of praise and its actually the first game I have been really excited about playing on the new system. Seriously, even more so than Elder Scrolls Online. So, the 2nd one with almost equal praise should be greenlit to the Xbox BC program at any time. I will also go on record and say the 1st game gets some kinda port to the new system in the next few years too. The demand will be there soon enough.
Almost Certain to Get In (75%)
Bayonetta – (7,457 Votes) – One of those games with a strong following even if it doesn’t roll off the tongue. But its had a Wii U sequel and a pretty decent animated movie. All of these factors seem to play into the fact that this is the kind of game that BC is certainly suited for.
Blue Dragon – (5,866 Votes) – I played between putting this one in lock and almost lock. It’s a Microsoft game, it has a decent vote total but I think that this one gets lost in the shuffle a bit before it eventually comes out. However, including this one in the program would certainly be a show off point as we know the game is gorgeous and plays pretty darn well. I would be very surprised however if it showed up right away and instead gets a quiet release down the road.
Burnout Revenge – (4,880 Votes) – Before Paradise, there was Revenge, the racing game that showed the world that you did not need flashy cars and typical racing mechanics to produce a fantastic car game. Just crash cars baby! I think this gets in, maybe with a little bit of resistance though but some people still like this one better than Paradise.
Crysis 1/2/3 – (4,668 Votes) / (5,266 Votes) / (7,746 Votes) – I actually own all of these digitally since sales have been pretty kind to this series. With that said, it’s hard to think of a scenario where these does not make it. It’s a great trio of shooters and the graphics rival most games on the One even. What’s not to like, there is your answer, absolutely nothing.
Dishonored – (20,407 Votes) – Twenty thousand votes? Well that’s a gimme right? Not if it gets re-released. Yep, expect the re-release on the One in August. I think ultimately this game does get the go-ahead because it so loved, but I will be very surprised if it is part of the BC list anytime soon. Maybe I will be wrong, who knows.
Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen – (6,355 Votes) – I did not know until recently that this game really had the following that it does until I found a copy of the original at a flea market. I probably should have waited until I found a Dark Arisen copy instead. Anyway, due to the following, this should make the cut. It’s fun, it’s different, it’s a darn good RPG.
Kingdom of Amalur: Reckoning – (5,068 Votes) – I played with putting this in 50% too, because I’m not quite sure how its going to play out. It’s a great game, honestly and well worth any amount for the disc or digital copy. But its also the source of a how not to build your game studio story too. I think ultimately it does get in. Just don’t expect it in the first few batches.
Lollipop Chainsaw – (3,694 Votes) – 75% might seem like the wrong bracket for this one, but I’m telling it’s probably going to make it. There is no other game like it and it has a strong following mostly among those of us who like quirky girls with dangerous home improvement objects. This thing has love all over it and is the perfect game to bring over.
Rainbow Six Vegas/Vegas II (5,480 Votes)/(6,720 Votes) – I remember playing Multiplayer on these with some former friends and actually having a blast which is rare since me and multiplayer games typically don’t mix. Furthermore, I am not a big first person shooter guy either. In addition, these games are adored by the shooting community for their difficulty and requiring you to actually think before you act. Most likely, these will make it. I only hold a slight reservation if they decide to give us II and not I or something weird like that.
Sleeping Dogs (5,595 Votes) – The only thing that stops this from getting the green light is the Remake HD port. It’s amazing and deserves every bit of praise it gets. I just wish they would put the DLC on sale so I can play it again. But I see Square Enix giving the go-ahead or perhaps a sequel could be in the works. This one is hard to gauge.
Tales of Vesperia – (6,221 Votes) – I actually just purchased this game as part of the Amazon Prime Sale yesterday. All Warehouse games were 15% off and this little baby was under $20 in Like New Condition. This is a JPRG and a really good one, grabbing awesome reviews from anybody who has played it. It is also a long running series of games (Tales Of) that has a wide audience. This should make it unless something falls through with Namco or Microsoft hates on Eastern influence games.
Middle of the Road (50%)
Alice: Madness Returns – (3,478 Votes) – A really decent sequel and it has a strong cult following because there really is not anything like it. The only negative here is it should have more votes and there is the issue of the DLC: the first Alice game. I think it is a must that if Madness is approved, so must the original game still be playable.
Asura’s Wrath – (2,369 votes) – A completely underrated game. A blast from beginning to end and greatly loved by those of us who like a little Eastern flair in our gaming. However, the Western reception for this game is not as great and that’s why its hard to judge the general perception of bringing this one to BC.
Borderlands II/Pre-Sequel – (15,435 Votes) / (3,689 Votes) – These would be automatics if it wasn’t for the Handsome collection which has been a good seller for those 2k folks. Which leads me to believe that this will only be a part of BC when that set dies down. They are fantastic games, really, some of the best. But it’s that whole money grab.
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night – (6,796 Votes) – Most people would probably think of this one as a lock. It’s a true classic, the Xbox 360 port is actually a good one, and the votes are solid. But its Konami, and this company has a history of screwing things up royally. So I would certainly say it has better than average chance, but far from a lock.
Condemned I/II – (3,134 Votes) / (2,090 Votes) – The history and my love behind these titles might be clouding my better judgment but I think they stand an excellent shot of being brought over so to speak. The stories are so excellent, I even tried to write a couple of pieces in a dramatic exercise at UpcomingDiscs. But the sequel was not quite as good as the first and that might be what keeps it from backwards compatibility.
Dante’s Inferno – (6,134 Votes) – This is another title that I’m trying to be realistic on whether or not it really makes it to the current console. Sure, it was pretty good but for those who have played it, think back to your experience. What do you really remember besides fragments from the famous story? Do you see a need to go back, really? Therefore, it fits in this middle category.
Darkness I/II – (2,698 Votes)/(2,365 Votes) – These two games are great because of their story and both were not your normal first person games, so that is in their favor. But they are not games that people think of immediately when it comes to this topic. They get ignored until somebody runs across them in their collection and then think, that was a really fun game. So I’m not sure, but I think they both have a good chance.
Darksiders I/II – (5,309 Votes) / (7,764 Votes) – This should be more of a gimme, but again this falls prey to “We are doing a re-release for the current consoles”, buy that copy! The games are good, actually they are pretty awesome. But THQ is intent on making additional money, and unfortunately this takes away from that.
Devil May Cry HD Trilogy Collection – (4,098 Votes) – Well it certainly should. The only thing that holds me back at this point is that they are doing a remake of the reboot on the new consoles which makes me think that they might try to re release this too. But honestly, it would be good PR if they made this backwards compatible and then people might actually buy the redo of the reboot. Say that five times fast.
Eternal Sonata – (3,047 Votes) – Another RPG that is well known among the RPG community (and driving the votes) but not especially known outside that community. But the high reviews and beautiful music of this epic experience should eventually give the nod for this to go over. It would be a shame if it didn’t, so let’s keep hoping.
Hitman HD Pack – (2,354 Votes) – Playing through these games helped me to realize how dated they were. Yes, the new Hitmans are better fare but every successful game franchise has a start somewhere. With a new movie, I would think this might pass through the filters. However, I think far more people are interested in the movie than going back and playing the relics.
Infinite Undiscovery – (1,815 Votes) – One of the best names ever possibly for a video game title, this RPG is about what you would expect from Square Enix when its not producing the next Final Fantasy. It stands a good chance to be pushed to BC but its far from a lock due to the middling reviews on the game. If it happens, it will probably be grouped in with a bunch of other Square RPGs for kicks.
NIER – (2,150 Votes) – This falls into the same category as Infinite but I think holds a slightly better chance. Good RPG from Square Enix, middling reviews, etc. However, this one excelled in character development and benefited from a quirky atmosphere. That ultimately might give it a edge of some of the others in this group.
Peggle – (1,896 Votes) – I am addicted to Peggle once I start playing it. After all, I 100%ed Peggle II. But the first Peggle, I never could quite complete all of the achievements on that one or the DLC pack, Nights. I would love to give it a shot though and Popcap has a pretty good relationship with Microsoft. I could easily see it happening.
Rayman Origins – (1,853 Votes) – Rayman has quite the following at this point. It’s not Mario or anything, but among platforms it is generally considered to be one of the best of its type. Co-Op is also a blast and this is something that the Xbox always needs more of. Good Co-Op same screen games. It stands a pretty good chance.
Remember Me – (2,045 Votes) – A game with a really appropriate title and a very cool vibe which was release a couple of years ago. It had an awesome play mechanic which allowed your character to change details in a memory which altered the course of the game. Capcom has a good track record of appeasing its fans, and I think this one has a strong chance. But it could be “forgotten” all too easy.
Silent Hill Homecoming – (1,998 Votes) – Silent Hill has a pretty good pedigree when it comes to famous game series and this one upheld the name of well done horror games. But it’s Konami, and as I said for Castlevania, they love screwing a good thing up. So I would say on name alone, it has a good chance but if it didn’t make it, I would not be surprised.
Star Ocean: The Last Hope – (3,045 Votes) – I wanted to rate this one higher since Star Ocean has such a good name, but I have a feeling that this will get lost in the shuffle. It will depend on Square Enix and how willing they are able to turn their non Final Fantasy RPGs into something we can appreciate on current consoles.
XCom: Enemy Unknown/Within – (3,513 Votes)/(4,299 Votes) – I would love to say these are a lock. Far from it. The console version (except to those who love these games) was largely ignored and the true sequel will not even be released on consoles. I can completely see FirAxis giving a big “FU” to backwards compatibility and concentrating their efforts on the sequel. Let’s hope this is not the case as these are special games.
Needs Some Luck(25%)
Alpha Protocol – (1,108 Votes) – This could be described as a poor man’s Deus Ex or something similar. It’s main draw was its very interesting Dialog system and many spy gadgets to work with. But despite the developer wanting to do a sequel, the publisher Sega has no interest in the title going forward. So hence, despite it being very underrated, it will take some doing to get it into the conversation.
Deadly Premonition – (1,409 Votes) – It’s a confusing, trippy experience but it is one of those games that everybody should play for at least an hour or two. Ever hear of the term, underrated campy classic? Welp, that’s Deadly Premonition. It’s like Twin Peaks went and made a game. Nobody understands it, but people claim to love it.
Deadpool – (1,062 Votes) – This game was not even on the voting list until well into the process. However, a bunch of us (myself included) started some threads in another part of the forum and eventually they created an official topic. Already, this game’s vote total has jumped quite a bit. But the problem here is the license. Marvel Licenses for the most part have a horribly short lifespan. Here comes the but though. The game is really good, especially once you get more than 15 minutes into it. It’s one of those rare games that gets better the more you play it. In addition, there is a movie coming out in February 2016. Add one more to the fire, the Steam copy of this game showed back up the other day for download. But realistically, this game still holds a small chance on making it. But here is hoping.
Gun – (928 Votes) – Before Red Dead Redemption, there was a western game known as Gun. Sure it wasn’t perfect, but it was a lot of fun and worth completing. But the lack of votes, the fact it was a Xbox 360 launch title and mostly forgotten makes this one a hard sell. It would be nice though to see this game across three generations of consoles though.
Killer is Dead – (1,152 Votes) – A very decent SUDA game where style is always a little more important than anything else. It got pretty badgered by reviews and it will need some help to make it to BC. But if you want bizarre and a nice physical game package, it’s worth your time.
NCAA Football 14 – (4,565 Votes) – One might find this one also a bit odd to be so low on my list because of the vote total. What you might not be aware of is that this is the LAST true College Football game that will probably come out for a very long time. Why? Because some people got their panties in a twist about real college athletes being emulated through the game (but of course in fake names). It was ridiculous, and probably the same reason we won’t see this in BC. It has a strong following though, so if there is some hope, it probably hinges on how many votes it can get. For the record, if it was made BC, I’d buy it digitally at $10 or under.
Outpost Kaloki X – (191 Votes) – Most people probably have never heard of this one. But it is a decent space strategy title where you appease visitors who come to your space port. The votes are pretty bad, but NinjaBee and Microsoft have a great relationship (MS is the publisher actually) and World of Keflings (another NinjaBee title) is already an announced BC game. To me, that does sound like it has a chance.
Overlord I/II – (1018 Votes)/(1080 Votes) – I happen to love these two games where you are an evil Overlord and you have an army of minions and you try to take over so to speak. But it falls into the category of a really good first game and a somewhat lackluster sequel. Which usually spells doom for a game actively on people’s minds when it comes to BC. Small chance sure, but I cannot see it.
Prototype I/II – (3,871 Votes)/(3,331 Votes) – Fun action games that are really well known for their style as well as their substance. The problem is that despite the high vote totals, these games just got re-released as a bundle on the Xbox One and PS4 as the Biohazard Bundle. So obviously Activision is just capitalizing on the cash grab and most likely has no interest about greenlighting the BC. The only way this changes is way down the road if they reconsider due to poor sales on the bundle.
Saboteur, The – (1,449 Votes) – Criminally underrated, and a storyline/game mechanic that I have yet to see replicated effectively in gaming. I am a sucker for open world environments with a historical backdrop (see Mafia II) and this is not one you hear about everyday. Which is why it’s going to be very hard for this title to get BC’ed.
Shadowrun – (1,549 Votes) – Yes, I vote for anything Shadowrun. It’s required even if the game was not very good. If you want a good Shadowrun title, look to the PC or well your Sega Genesis/SNES systems. This one has a chance (distant) due to that it was published by EA. That’s about the only reason.
Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection – (2,866 Votes) – Truth be told, this should be a snowball for the simple fact that Sega loves to make new money off old titles. But I’ll hold out for a small amount of hope since this is the finest Genesis collection of games ever to be made and everybody with a 360 should own this title. Worth playing over and over. But don’t hold your breath.
Syndicate – (1,079 Votes) – An Electronic Arts title that only sold copies due to the famous name. The game itself was not bad, and the fact that it is EA leads me to believe that this has a chance. But that is very mild at best.
Thief – (4,366 Votes) – Despite the decent number of votes, I really don’t think this one has much of a chance to make BC. The major thing against it? There is already a XB1 port of this unfortunately average game. It’s mostly voted up because it was a recent Games with Gold release and memory always plays a factor in these things.
Too Human – (1,898 Votes) – This game was badly ridiculed back in the day it was released. It was confusing, the story was fairly generic and it had a difficult interface to navigate. But it was far from horrible. I can see this getting added when Microsoft gets bored of adding better games, but that’s a low maybe at best. There are far more deserving games (with lower vote totals) than this one.
Wolfenstein – (2,214 Votes) – If people are voting for this correctly, this should be the 2009 sequel to Return to Castle Wolfenstein which incidentally was an Xbox original BC title for the 360. However, the chances are low of this making the same jump due to the license being in Bethesda’s hands. That and its not a very good shooter when compared with New Order & RtCW.
Wolfenstein 3d – (1,222 Votes) – The father of all 1st person shoot-em-ups. We wouldn’t have Halo, Call of Duty, etc without the original. As such, this port went largely unnoticed and was only picked up by a few of us who had such fond memories of the PC version. It was the first game I played on the first PC I owned. For that alone, I want to see this on BC. The recent New Blood/Old Blood games certainly play homage to this classic but I doubt we will see it made compatible.
Snowball (0%)
All Pro Football 2k8 – (441 Votes) – This ultimately fails the check mark because of the license. The game featured many classic pros and had the NFL 2k engine which is still probably the best football game engine out there. For that reason alone, I would love to see it BC’ed but this game has too much redtape to get through for that to happen.
Bulletwitch – (620 Votes) – Remember this game? Oh wait, I do! Yeah, its one of those sexy, flashy games that you play because you are tired of looking at a male character for endless hours. So you play Bulletwitch, and you smile for at least an hour, maybe more until you realize the game isn’t that good, and then you go back…*sigh*.
Capcom Arcade Cabinet – (605 Votes) – Some great games marred by a poor marketing concept. I eventually bought it as a whole (it was released in packs) when it went on sale in the last year or so. It’s fun, the games are worth it. The problem is Capcom will see this as a chance to release it again down the road and try to scrape a few more dollars from our wallets.
Clive Barker’s Jericho – (541 Votes) – A forgotten horror game from one of the geniuses in horror movie making. So forgotten, I’m struggling to really remember scenes from the game. I think I voted for this one in name only, oh well.
Diablo III: Reaper of Souls – (2,294 Votes) – Everybody who knows me, knows how much I love this game. But with that said, all efforts are clearly focused on the Xbox One/PS4/PC versions. Updates have stopped for the 360 and Blizzard has even mentioned publicly that it is not supporting this version any longer. So, this is more of a sympathy vote if anything else. Also, Blizzard loves money.
Divinity II: The Dragon Knight Saga – (597 Votes) – Atlus RPGs are generally good games, but this one did not really have enough interest to keep that trend going. The original iteration of this title simply labelled Divinity II had poor play mechanics and by the time the re-release (Dragon Knight Saga) corrected some of that, people still did not care enough to rebuy (or buy in the first place).
Double Dragon Neon – (756 Votes) – This upgraded port of the beat em up classic actually got good reviews. However, old ports don’t usually drum up business and this will be re-released or re-upgraded in a few more years. On the cheap, it’s worth your time but has no business going to BC.
Driver: San Francisco – (1,155 Votes) – The Driver series is the epitome of one good game, one bad game, one ok game, and so forth. San Francisco was probably the best entry since the second Driver game but unfortunately after so many mishaps, I can’t see this gathering enough steam to continue.
Guardian Heroes – (901 Votes) – Great port, but for the same reason as other games in this category doesn’t make it due to the fact that Sega will probably just repackage it down the road. Fun on the Sega Saturn, and fun on the 360 but not enough of a following doesn’t help either.
Leisure Suit Larry (323 votes) – Horrible game, but I voted more for this on the premise that there needs to be a new decent Larry game out there. I guess there is the re-release of the original on PC, but I do so little gaming on the PC, I hardly notice.
Lucha Libre AAA – (177 Votes) – The only Mexican Wrestling game on the 360 to my knowledge. But the votes are absolutely horrendous, and its a licensed game which usually invites all sorts of trouble. It is decent, and should be available on the cheap for those who want to seek it out though
Magna Carta 2 – (566 Votes) – This is a decent little JPRG, but this has barely any votes and hardly anybody knows about it. The game was touted as generic and nobody should expect it to make the grade. It is a shame though since it took almost five years to make. The European cover art is awesome though.
Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes (586 Votes) – This game is one of my favorites actually. I even have it on my Kindle tablet. I also want to go back and play it over on the Live Arcade simply because I got screwed out of a few achievements (Demo/Full version bug, go Google It). So for that reason alone, I want it on BC. But, looking honestly, I am certainly not feeling it as a viable contender.
Monkey Island I/II – (1580 Votes)/(1278 Votes) – These were a surprise when they were ported over a few years back. And they were really well done too actually, check them out if you have some disposable Xbox cash. But to the BC voters, it’s nothing special once you beat them and the voting is more than likely out of pure nostalgia.
Murdered: Soul Suspect – (304 Votes) – I remember buying this game last Christmas during Black Friday. It’s still unplayed. Yeah, I know :(. But the problem here is that there is a relative cheap Xbox One version already available. Eventually it will be under $10 for a new or used copy and those of us with 360 versions will either finish it up (it has no replay value) or grab a copy on XB1.
Onechanbara – (536 Votes) – One of those crazy, bizarre games that you laugh at in your collection. Probably the same reason are not voting for it either. The sad part is though, its the unique ones that really need to be in BC, and not ultra popular that every one plays. That’s a different rant though.
Outrun Online Arcade – (377 Votes) – This game was removed from Xbox Live Arcade service way back in 2011. Yes, it has a lot of great history (the original Outrun is still one of the best examples of racing there is), but this was a blip on the radar at best.
Phantasy Star II – (635 Votes) – Arguably the best Phantasy Star game ever (some will argue the first, some the fourth, and nobody for the third) and got a curious port a while back on XBLA. I bought it on the super cheap and its well worth your time if you like old school RPGs. But PS is yesterday’s RPG and unfortunately nobody really seems all that interested in a reboot.
Phantasy Star Universe – (1353 Votes) – The online component to this one has been long dead which is funny since the achievements all center around the single player experience. The boring and very bland single player experience. One of the few RPGs I’ve played where I barely made it through 1/3 of the game once I actually started it. I kept waiting for it to get better. It didn’t.
Raven – (230 Votes) – This was a recent Games with Gold release for the first episode. My vote for this game was done mostly selfishly as I have all three episodes and have not gotten around to playing it. But I have no reason to expect it to get the green light. The votes are not even worth mentioning.
Record of Agarest War Zero – (383 Votes) – I am starting to reconsider some of my votes. LOL. Another JRPG with a cool cover. That’s the best compliment I can give.
Rumble Roses XX – (796 Votes) – Don’t laugh, I know I know. It’s a silly women’s wrestling title. But the actual fighting/wrestling engine was solid and it plays well even if the game and its achievements are broken by most standards. Go play it sometime when nobody is looking, and I bet you will feel differently about it. (Maybe)
Sam & Max: Beyond Time & Space/Save the World – (333 Votes)/(319 Votes) – Sam & Max are some of the best characters I have ever seen in a video game…a talking private investigator dog and a psychopathic rabbit. Heck, they had a short lived cartoon which is absolutely fantastic. But does anybody remember the 360 ports? Probably not. They were released at a laughable price ($20 a piece) and have only been on sale once that I could find. Just not worth the time or energy.
Scott Pilgrim vs the World – (3,415 Votes) – High number of votes but no hope being brought over. It’s delisted, you can’t even buy the game or DLC anymore. (And for the record, the last DLC pack which had ONLINE MULTIPLAYER was a travesty and overpriced cash grab). Anyway, another rant, another time. It was a great game, no question but we are probably better at watching the movie than anything else.
Sega Vintage Collections (Monster World, Streets of Rage, Alex Kidd, Golden Axe) – (442 Votes)/(950 Votes)(471 Votes)/(714 Votes) – These collections were largely ignored when they all got 360 ports a little while back. They were very good ports and I’m glad we have them, but I can’t see them making the leap to BC. Besides, Sega LOVES repackaging old games and putting them in collections. Expect the same thing to happen at some point in the XB1 lifecycle.
Sherlock Holmes Vs Jack the Ripper/Crimes & Punishments – (237 Votes)/(210 Votes) – I don’t even expect these games to get a mention or sequel or anything else ever again in one of my columns. But I love Sherlock Holmes and so by almost requirement, I feel the need to vote for any of these contraptions. Let’s move on.
Stranglehold – (705 Votes) – The very awesome and very good picturesque John Woo action game which was created as a homage to Hard Boiled, the classic Chow Yun Fat action film. I had a lot of fun with it, but it’s been all but forgotten and the low vote total kinda proves the point.
Telltale’sTales from the Borderlands/Wolf Among Us – (760 Votes)/(1,204 Votes) – Very fun series, but there are already Xbox One ports and if Telltale can grab a few more sales that way, they will probably take advantage of it. A free upgrade for those of us who bought the season pass on 360 would be nice, but that probably has more of a chance than BC. In addition, these titles have such little replay value (as all Telltale games do) which probably explains the low vote total.
Torchlight – (1,263 Votes) – Diablo clone that I ran through in about a month. It’s fun, but far groundbreaking in any sense of the genre. Furthermore, it has limited replay value and once you play Diablo 3, everything like it seems a lot less interesting.
Two Worlds I/II – (654 Votes) / (758 Votes) – Two more games that were okay (the second one is far better than the first), but were largely ignored. The vote totals are not even worth mentioning. Interesting fact, there is a UK version of 2 that has all of the DLC and was placed in a velvet wrapping for the 360. I actually own it out of sheer “What were they thinking when they made this?”
Worms/Worms 2 Armageddon/Worms: Ultimate Mayhem – (828 Votes)/(968 Votes)/(451 Votes) – I love the worms series, I even bought the collection (mostly for the Worms 2 DLC). But outside of a few of us including my 8 year old nephew, there really is not much of a reason to bring this to the Xbox One. It’s a game that is really fun on a Saturday afternoon when you feel like playing something mindless. It’s not meant to be an achievement to show off Backwards compatibility.
So, if you made it to the end of this article, congratulations and thank you. Any suggestions for improvements are most welcome. As time allows, I will probably add pictures, maybe a checklist, and who knows what else. However, after writing nearly 7000 words, it’s time to let it rest a while. Hope you have enjoyed this, take care.
