The Xbox and all its evolutions are some of the most well-known consoles in the video game world. With Microsoft making the Xbox 360, Series X, and Series S, it's less common nowadays for players to plug in an original Xbox. If they do, it's likely to play some of the best-selling games that have since become classics, like Halo 2 or Fable. These are series that transcended the original Xbox and have been moved to other platforms. Yet, some games were popular but never adapted for newer consoles. Others were completely forgotten.
Even if a game isn't famous on Xbox, it deserves to be picked up and looked at, even if purely based on its images. In this case, it's worth judging a book by its cover, because a good cover art can be a gateway to quirky and enjoyable gameplay.
5 Sneakers
In the puzzle game Sneakers, players control the mouse Apollo and his fellow rodents as they hunt down rats lurking around. The mice explore multiple locations, from a back alley and the house to a bridge, while looking for the kidnapped brother of one of the mice. The gameplay focuses on the characters exploring and fighting in the massive environment, from throwing flying kicks at rats or rolling giant apples.
The cover art of this game has just as much cartoon comedy as the game itself. The vibe is similar to Stuart Little and Ratatouille, where a mouse acts similar to humans. Apollo, the leader, takes up most of the space. He wears a t-shirt, jacket, and (as the name suggests) sneakers to give him the look of a skater. In the background, the rest of the mice fight dark rats.
4 X-Men Legends II: Rise Of Apocalypse
X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse is an action RPG in which players create a team of four characters from the Brotherhood of Mutants and the X-Men, who team up to defeat a greater evil, Apocalypse. This villain kidnaps multiple characters and plans to use them to make himself more powerful. New characters and powers can be unlocked as gamers progress, and items enhance their powers. Combos between characters' attacks encourage players to experiment with team compositions.
The cover shows the massive face of Apocalypse looming in the background, angry with a snarl and glowing eyes. In front of him, X-Men including Wolverine and Storm fight alongside their previous rivals in The Brotherhood such as Magneto. Power courses in their hands as they prepare to fight the villain lurking behind them.
3 Fuzion Frenzy
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Fuzion Frenzy is a party game that features six characters to choose from, 45 different mini-games, and two game modes. The first is a "mini-game frenzy" where players have a free-for-all, pick an infinite number of mini-games, and have a continuing score tally. The other mode is a "tournament" where players travel through multiple zones and earn points through randomized mini-games. Unlike games like Mario Party, Fuzion Frenzy doesn't include a game board. Instead, three mini-games are played in each area, and at the end of each zone, players compete in "Fuzion Frenzy" where they can gamble their points. The player with the most points at the end of all the zones wins.
This cover shows one of the many mini-games, Sumo. As the title suggests, it is much like a sumo match, where players try to knock one another out of the designated zone and be the last one standing. In this version, players are on a raised platform and roll around in caged balls. The case shows the bright and dynamic colors of the game and characters that are ready to fight to come out on top.
2 Blinx: The Time Sweeper
In this action platformer game, players take on the role of Blinx, a humanoid cat who is trying to stop the end of a world and rescue its princess from an evil gang. His weapon is a vacuum cleaner that not only sucks up and shoots out items in the environment, but has time control powers as well. These include slowing down, speeding up, reversing, and stopping time, as well as recording a moment. Blinx must use the power of his vacuum and his feline reflexes to traverse the different areas and fight enemies.
In the center of the cover is Blinx wearing human clothes and goggles, a determined smile on his face. He proudly holds his vacuum cleaner as if ready for combat. By the corner of the title are clock parts. The contrasting colors of Blinx being bright and the dark alley behind him bring emphasis to the character.
1 Destroy All Humans!
Destroy All Humans! is an open-world action-adventure game. The main character is the alien Crypto who needs to gather DNA from humans to help save his race from extinction. He must also investigate the disappearance of his predecessor clone. Players help Crypto take down the United States government and help him pose as the new president. People can terrorize humans, acquire an assortment of weapons and abilities, destroy cities, and drive flying saucers.
On the cover, Crypto stands with a gun raised and ready to fight. His anger is emphasized by his sharp teeth, frown, and bright red eyes. The gun in his hands glows with yellow energy. In the background, a city is on fire while humans run in fear. A flying saucer floats in the air and swirls a cow into the sky while a single person stands with a weapon raised to oppose the alien invasion.