15 December 2006
Ferry

Xbox 360 Backwards Compatibility update adds 37 new games like Psychonauts, Conker, Buffy, and Shenmue 2

Just in time for the holidays! The backwards compatibility update is now available over Xbox Live. This free update brings the complete list of original Xbox games that you can play on your Xbox 360 to over 300. Remember, your original Xbox games will look better than ever on Xbox 360 running in 720p and 1080i with anti-aliasing. You can also play cross-platform between Xbox 360 and the original Xbox over Xbox Live.

December 2006 Backwards Compatibility titles added/updated:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Burnout 3: Takedown (Updated)
Conker: Live and Reloaded
Dead Or Alive Ultimate
Destroy All Humans!
Dynasty Warriors 4 / Shin Sangokumuso3
Evil Dead: A Fistful of Boomstick
Ex Chaser (Japan Only)
Family Guy
Far Cry: Instincts
Fahrenheit/Indigo Prophecy
I-Ninja
Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude
Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
MotoGP
Incredibles/ Mr. Incredible (J)
Muzzle Flash (Japan Only)
MX Unleashed
Open Season
Pariah
Plus Plumb 2 (Japan Only)
Psychonauts
Psyvariar2 Extend Edition (Japan Only)
Rainbow Six: Lockdown
Rapala Pro Fishing
Rent-A-Hero No. 1 (Japan Only)
Scarface
Shark Tale
Shenmue II
Soul Calibur 2 (North America only)
Splinter Cell: Double Agent
Tenerezza (Japan Only)
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie
Ultimate Spider-Man
Wakeboarding Unleashed: Featuring Sean Murray
Whacked!
Winback 2: Project Poseidon
Xiaolin Showdown

Great to see Microsoft listen to fans and add fan favorites like Psychonauts, Conker, Buffy & Shenmue 2! Check the bottom of Majornelson’s news post to see how you can get the updates without Xbox Live.

One problem 360 users have found: Sadly it turns out that some PAL region game updates won’t work with the VGA adapter. This is the case with Conker, Psychonaut and others. Luckily you get other cables with your system so.

Now that these are updated… What other original Xbox games are you missing for play on your 360?

Games like Jet Set Radio Future, Panzer Dragoon Orta, and Chronicles of Riddick spring to mind Microsoft!

15 December 2006 23:51
jermaine

i was just wondering that when u buy the xbox360 do u still have to update it with xbox live. cause i dont have high speed yet so i dont have xbox live so if i had to update it to play old games that was just added then how will that work if i dont get it out the box

16 December 2006 08:01
John

Yes you can go here and read down the right side of the page.
Link: [Xbox.com]

16 December 2006 09:18
Reeteshinator

it was just surprising to see that Psychonaughts and Conker werent added till now they are like some of the best games in XbX!

Tim schaffer was so excited after hearing the news

16 December 2006 13:05
Dave Dounut

That is a huge amount of big titles MS really is doing all the right things now.

8 January 2007 13:39
Jason Feriani

How about the Matrix games,I just bought “Enter the Matrix”,and “Path of NEO”,not knowing that they were not all compatible with the 360.That is such a major rip off,I beleive that all the ps1 and ps2 games can be played on the ps3,so what is the deal with Microsoft.

8 January 2007 15:56
Pip

@5
It’s no rip off,I think Microsoft have had to write the emulation code for each game due to chip copyright or something like that on the Xbox1.I think you will find NOT all games are backward compatible on the PS3 neither
I.e in google type in something like -
“not all ps2 games compatible with PS3″
and see for yourself.

Try entering the games you want to run on the 360 on the Xboxteam site they seem to listen what games you want coded
Link: [Majornelson.com]

8 January 2007 16:08
Pip

Update on last comment,
Looked at one site which said something like
“Since the 360 uses a different CPU and GPU from the original Xbox and the hardware was not added in the 360 it has to be emulated”.

17 January 2007 13:40
James

I have just installed the compatibility update to a PAL (UK) version to play Soul Calibur II, works up to character selection then just before character is supposed to fade from pure white to colour, it freezes and have to restart the console.

Anyone else seen this?

16 February 2007 08:23
Dave Squid

Same problem with SC2. It is not listed as NA only but I guess that is the problem. I really hope they update this but probably looking at a good long time. Seems that updates are only happening around twice a year. Have to also hope they know PAL SC2 does not work.

29 June 2007 17:20
Mike

Ok. I just bought Enter the Matrix for the original Xbox thinking it would run on my xbox 360.

It says I need an update. Does anyone know where I can get it?