f13.net

Well, I got my 12-month contract extension, so in 4 weeks that leaves me with a long hot summer of paid holiday time in an air-conditioned locale.

So I'll be buying a RROD XBox 360  :grin:

Since Ms.Wife will also be interested in the thing, it's time to work out a few things to buy for it. So I want to know what you guys think are the top games worth getting. I'm thinking maybe 10 games max, but fuckit, list as many as you like.

Caveats of taste: I don't like realistic racing games. The Burnout series is about my limit. We already have GH3 for the 360 waiting, as well as GH1/2/80s for PS2. Rock Star's not out here till next year sometime. Co-Op stuff that girls can also play are good (though she plays WoW, so she's not clueless to games). Stuff that's on PC I'll tend to get on the PC instead, especially FPS.

Finally, feel free to ignore all of that and add in your favoritist games.

My uninformed maybe shopping list:

Crackdown
Saint's Row
some kind of FIFA
Smackdown vs RAW 2008
Is the Katamari here significantly better than the PS2 one?
Lego Star Wars: Saga
Jade Raymond's Bukkake Game
Burnout Revenge (maybe)

Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe

um.....

My favorites of what I own (2 I know you won't care about):
Dead Rising: Honestly, still 360's killer app.  I got a sports only gamer interested in gaming as a whole again with this title. Ignore the plot at your leisure and kill the shit out of some zombies.
skate: Best sports game ever made and it's still got room for improvement.
Forza 2: Not your style, but the game is fucking amazing. I've never owned another racing game other than Mario Kart.  I need to play this more, but it's a game I can always come back to.
Mass Effect: Best RPG on the system to date and I'm only a little bit into the game.
Bioshock: I'm guessing you bought the PC version.  Not a landmark, but still worth playing.
Beautiful Katamari:  Fun, but main portion is short.  Going back and 100%ing every level is not (lots of hidden collectables).  Also has online play, which I have yet to try. Very fun.  Not really any better than the PS2 versions, but hell.. it's more Katamari. 

Haven't played enough:
Saint's Row: If you're into GTA, I suppose it's cheap.  I haven't put more than a few hours into this one, but I liked it well enough. 
Madden 08: Eh, it's OK.  Too many fumbles.

Stuff I know you wouldn't bother with:
Splinter Cell: Double Agent: I had a lot of fun with the title. Probably available and easier to play on the PC.  The stealth scoring is bullshit on this one though.
Eternal Sonata: I'm a big jRPG fan and I'd have trouble recommending this one.  Too many flaws to go with an otherwise charming game with a very decent battle system, wonderful graphics and splendid music.



Not a lot of co-op here, but I'm a single player gamer. My wife has zero interest in any gaming.

Lego Star Wars The Complete Saga  is lots of fun.  I play it  co op with the kids all the time, and the wife thinks it's cute and she likes neither games or Star Wars.

Crackdown was really awesome at the start, but quickly became repetative.


If FPS/Shooter games  are on the table Both Halo 3 and Gears are great both solo and Co-op, but I'm sure you arleady know that.

Halo 3 was decent fun co-op, but a TERRIBLE single player game imo. I love Gears of War, and have played it from start to finish multiple times.

Anyone ever used these 360 Intercoolers?

They're supposed to keep the heat down inside your machine. Essentially an extra clip-on fan..

http://www.dse.com.au/cgi-bin/dse.storefront/4745e459019b67de2740c0a87f9c0721/Product/View/YG7528


Going to check out Dead Rising and skate online now. I may start checking out prices for Lego as well.

They are shitty. The intercoolers that is.

Your only option is to surround the thing with fans.

I know you said you didnt really want FPS games, but some of these are just better on the console. My favorite games in no specific order.

Rainbow Six: Vegas (Great coop FPS very good shooter on console)
Gears of War (Must buy)
Saints Row (Cheap, slightly buggy, a HELL of a lot of fun)
Skate (Better than any TH game, IMO)
Marvel Ultimate Alliance (Great coop for up to 4 players)

I second Lego Star Wars for coop with the girlfriend, its fun and easy yet compelling. Also, she might like Viva Pinata. Its not coop but every girl I know who has played it, loved it.

The one by Nyko (I think that is the one that schild means) is not good, as  it has  a pass through that and leeches power from the 360.  Since the it plugs into the 360 and the 360 in fact plugs into it, there is a small chance if everything is not lined up properly, that there could be an arc that melts the device and potentially damage your 360.   I had one of them, and then settled for the Intec (described below_

Intec also makes one (the one I have) that mounts on the back like the Nyko but has a cutaway so the 360 connects directly to it's own power supply.  The Intec has it's own power supply via 'wall-wart'  so there is no danger of arcing or 'stealing power' like microsoft support stated the Intec one did.

The fan noise from both is quite loud  (nothing that a good stereo will cover up though), but they do the job.  Without the Intec, the 360 would be warm to the touch on the top even after moderate gaming sessions or watching HD movies, and with it i, the whole thing remains cool (the difference is dramatic) and the air being exhausted by the fan  is quite warm.  Time has proven that heat is the number one killer of the 360, so if yours is not the new model with the  heat sinks or smaller nm cpus (not sure if they are even out yet) then some kind of extra cooling, is pretty much a no brainer.   

Intec and some other manufacturers also make cooling stands that blow air into the side, but these need to be used with the 360 in the vertical position, and I think they either draw their power from one of the usb ports or separate wall wart.

My new 360 doesn't seem to have any problems with heat. I've had different games run for long stretches, with no problems.

Also, my 360 is very new, so it might have different cooling solutions than older units.

I keep mine up on a dresser, out in the open, next to my TV.

It's loud.

Forza 2
Virtua Fighter 5
Mass Effect
Gears of War
Halo 3
COD 4
Skate
PGR4
Graw2
Bioshock
Orange Box
Oblivion


Arcade
----------
Puzzle Fighter
Bomberman
Undertow
Geometry Wars
UMK3
Prince of Persia
Pacman CE
Uno

Must buy:
Gears of War
Rainbow 6: Vegas
Assassin's Creed
BioShock
Oblivion
Dead Rising


On the fence:
Mass Effect - I think I'm in the minority that is a little disappointed
Tiger Woods '08 - A bit buggy.  Fun, IF you can put up with its wonkiness


Don't you already have CoD4 for the PC?

On the cooling issue, I got one of these to put on top of my new Onkyo receiver that run notoriously hot and am thinking about getting another for my 360 (although mine is also very new and doesn't seem all that hot so I'm on the fense):

http://www.coolerguys.com/sff21.html

4 pin AC adapter is on that page too. I just plugged it in and set in on top of the hot spot on the receiver with some rubber feet. Whisper quiet. It will always run unless you set your system up like mine where the power supply has to be turned on to run anything.

My 360 must-haves are:

Orange Box
Call of Duty 4
Gears of War
Dead Rising
Bioshock
Guitar Hero 2
Beautiful Katamari
Viva Pinata

I'm probably forgetting one or two, but good enough to start with :)

Good stuff.

I went out today and picked up:

Dead Rising
Assassin's Creed
Smackdown vs Raw 2008 (I've always found the MP awesome stupid fun in this series)
Burnout Revenge
Samurai Warriors 2: Empires


Aside from stuff people have listed that I already own on PC/PS2 (CoD4, Orange Box, etc), which I'll skip, I'm likely to be getting:

Lego SW Saga
Saint's Row (cheap, and also apparenlty nasty enough)
Crackdown - Looks like good mindless fun.



and looking into:
skate - Is this more casual-friendly than the TH games that I never managed to stick it out with?
PGR3 - it's super cheap. Worthwhile? (PGR4 isn't cheap at this stage)
Kameo - Also super cheap. Seems interesting from the reviews.
Mass Effect - I finished KOTOR, never finished Jade Empire. Or Fable. What's it's closest relative gameplay wise?
Warriors Orochi - Dynasty Warriors Meet Samaurai Warriors - how can it be bad? Average looking reviews, though...

added - Test Drive Unlimited - the free drive aspect of this title looks appealing. I need to read some reviews and get some f13.net.feedback though. Might buy it tomorrow if the feedback is good enough...


On the fence:
Viva Pinata & Forza 2 They're the current local pack ins for the pro pack. There's a $100 difference this weekend between the "arcade" pack and the "Pro"...
Arcade (http://www.xbox.com/en-AU/hardware/x/xbox360arcadesystem/)
Pro (http://www.xbox.com/en-AU/hardware/x/xbox360probundle07/)
Also, the concern of getting a new, less hot machine or a furnace. Hence my interest in waiting another month to make sure I get a slightly newer, less hot machine. Aussie summer is about to start. Coinciding with my 5 weeks off work where the console will be getting a workout..

Also, I've planned to get a 120gb HDD. Is the larger HDD typically needed? Can you transfer your saves/data/etc across from the smaller one to the bigger one somehow?



edit - guys, and especially Hammer - is DOA4 worth getting? What's it got besides porn-scene-intro outfits and heaving chesticles? (it's reasonably cheap, VF5 isn't, and I never got into VF. I was always more a Tekken player. Any good fighters available for casual players scrubs like me and perhaps my wife, etc? We both like(d) Powerstones, Tekkens, Soul Blades, Edges and Caliburs.

You need a HDD for sure, I wouldn't even consider getting a 360 without one. I just have the 20Gb HDD and have only come within 5Gb of filling it once or twice and that because I was hoarding game demos. Personally, I would say the bigger HDD is only necessary if you're going to rip music right onto your 360, or if you're going to DL movies and TV shows. I don't have to worry about that since none of the DL content is availabe to me in Canada, and you'll probably find the same deal is in Australia.

When you buy the bigger HDD you have to send away for a transfer cable I believe. Then you can move data from the smaller HDD to the larger one.

Please tell me you bought Gears of War for PC, because I see no mention of it on your list, and I think its the one game on almost everyones list.

The difference between skate and Tony Hawk: TH is easy to learn, very hard to master. Skate is much much much harder to learn, and probably a bit easer to master. The learning curve is really steep on skate, but that doesnt mean its not fun. I really loved TH games, but now I am a skate convert. The game is brilliant, it really feels like your skating. Also, one tip for if you do get it. There is a mission where you have to do a nollie 360 flip. This doesnt mean you do a nollie with a flip trick and a 360, there is actually a specific trick called a nollie 360 flip. That mission almost drove me insane.

Look for the ones with the 175w power supply listed on the box sticker.

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd147/cdsaxton/IMG_7423.jpg

Good selection paranoia thread.

http://forums.xbox.com/84/15804553/ShowPost.aspx#15804553

Well, yeah. My option is to go to get the pack without one and pick up a 120gb hdd at the same time.



Well, not yet, but it's a title that's highly likely to be a PC title instead of a 360 one. Same with Bioshock, etc.

Why would you punish yourself by getting Orange Box on the 360? :ye_gods:

He's not, he already has it for the PC.

I was referring to Draikos.

No luck so far finding a newer 360. Calling stores is a nightmare as well on a hot Saturday afternoon so close to Christmas.


edit - Sunday arvo.
Found one today. Very recent lot number, too (0742) (well, the recent-est I have been able to find). So it was manufactured in he 3rd week of October. 203w PSU, though that could be related to Australian distributon. Maybe.

Also picked up:

Crackdown
Wireless battery (50% off)
Universal Remote (70% off)
2-pack of Camo Faceplates (they were really cheap, and they're just tacky enough to like)
Silver faceplate (it was $2! Usual price $30. Go figure..)
S-VHS cables (50% off, so just in case)
Arcade Unplugged 2 (Bejeweled for Le Wife)
and
Big Brain Trainer for Wii, with pack-in Wiimote.
Mario Party for Wii (Xmas present for wife)

In the next couple days, I get a pack with Kameo, PGR3 and a Wireless controller for 50% of retail. (it's a bloody old pack, but the controller makes it worthwhile)
Might buy Saint's Row as well. Maybe.
Already have:
GH3 bundle
Wired 360 controller (hooked up to my PC)

Then, in 2 weeks, I pay off some of this shit, and buy some more...

I'm not sure where to look up the lot numbers on the systems....I just took my unit from the latest shipment to my GS when I bought my 360. It's been running like a champ.

Black Friday was the day I bought a $349 Holiday Pro Xbox 360. Looking at the packaging it totally seemed like a newly packaged product not with the Holiday Games added in and stickers on outside. After saying that I have no clue what chip, fan, heatsink model I have. :)

Mass Effect was the reason I bought a Xbox360. IMO, I just now need to buy it from Gogamer.com Limited edition ofcourse. hating on Gamestop atm.

Aside from cod4,orange box, if i buy those it will be for pc.

The "Go Pro!" boxes (with Forza 2 and MUA) all have both the new mobo (w/ HDMI out) and CPU.

Heh, we get more or less the same box over here, but it came with Viva Pinata instead of MUA. No prizes for guessing which of the two I'd rather have had..   :-P
I'd set the fucker up, but I'd have to wade through a gigantic pile of crap in the lounge room to get near the TV. And I just cannot be fucked right now.

Strazos - the lot numbers are located on the barcode sticker - right near the B&W recycling arrows.

Grats on the 360.

I've enjoyed Bomberman and Catan on LIVE so you should pick those up.

Also, anyone else have a freakishly loud 360? I think my disc drive might be bad.  Its so damn loud.

Azazel: DOA is a real pickle for me. On one hand I hate it cause it really is not fun at intermediate-high level play cause it just breaks down. On the other hand I like it cause it gets people playing a fighting game. Honestly it all depends on how much you are into fighting games. If you play a lot of 3d fighting games and are pretty knowledgeable, then there are things that will annoy you, but you will still have some fun. Otherwise it is really fun and has a good sized following online. Make sure you have people to play with or are willing to play online cause fighting games get boring if you are playing by yourself. I would say grab this if you like fighting games, I am sure I would still play it if I hadn't picked up VF5.

On that note. Virtua Fighter 5 is really great. It is really nice looking, has some cool character design, ( DOA's designs are borderline retarded in my opinion.) has a large amount of play modes, has great net coding and a wonderful single player mode. If you don't mind a somewhat steep learning curve, I really can't recommend this game enough. It is most likely my favorite fighting game. Like I said ti can take a few hours to get used to the pacing, which at first seems slower than other 3D fighting games, but then turns into lightening fast game play. It is really well balanced and you almost always feel like you are learning something new. The single player game, called quest mode is just awesome as hell. It is a virtual VF community with arcades and tournaments and all kinds of fun stuff. You can set the difficulty and it will ramp up with you, or you can be a weenie like me and just play that shit on expert and get your chops down. I really like Quest mode a lot. It really feels like playing other people and there are many seperate AI's for all the characters.

For example, you have 10 players in one arcade and if 2 of them play the same character they play him completely differently. As you win matches and tournaments you get to buy accessories for you character and customize them. It is really fun and like I said, probably the best single player fighting game experience I have had.

I would say to get both, they are both solid, but VF is just goddamn gold. That game bleeds quality. DOA is just DOA, but it is pretty fun.

I suggest getting an arcade stick if you can, it makes these games much easier and saves you the frustration of having to fight with your controller. You can still pick up the VF stick at gamestop for like $60 and it is a great stick. It even comes with little VF stickers if you want to customize your arcade stick. ( I left mine plain) SO you should consider that. Also the arcade stick is aweseom for XBLA games like TMNT or Contra, Double Dragon, Golden Axe, Ultimate MK, Street FIghter, Puzzle Fighter, all those old arcade games. It adds even more to that authentic feel. I think I am going to buy a second one, cause all that arcade style stuff and fighting games get a lot of play in my house.

Last, whatever fighting game you get or multiplayer game you get, I am more than willing to play. If you get DOA or VF I can teach you a bunch of stuff if you want. 

Mine is.

And the fucker is now saying 'disk unreadable - clean it and restart' or some such nonsense on a couple games.  The disks are frakin' spotless, and still doing it.

Yeah my 360 is a little loud, but I just assume that it has to be loud to kick as much ass as it does.  :oh_i_see: Anyway, if you are getting weird errors and you have a warranty at Best Buy or wherever you bought it, you should return that shit. Best Buy spits those babies out like it's Christmas.

Mass Effect hits my CD drive like a ton of bricks. Its constantly whering and hitting. No other game has made my Xbox sound like Mass Effect does.

Hehe I'm actually glad I did.  It got me in shape for CoD4. 

KotOR used to do that in my Xbox. Civ 3 did that in my pc.

Odd.

Mine does the same, just sounds like its constantly spinning full bore. Don't notice it with other games.

Wow.

Thought I was an isolated case.  The only time I've ever heard a drive spin that bad was when I had a tray issue on a PC drive a while back.

Somebody light the Stormwaltz Signal! We demand answers! Why is your game trying to send our 360s in to orbit!  :ye_gods:

I found the solution there is to contain the 360 inside a closed cabinet.  My Wii, oddly enough, sounds like a motorboat from time to time and has similarly been banished from view.

I don't want to start the Great Balitmore Fire II

God himself would thank you.

Would the fire start in the football stadium?  :ye_gods: