First launching in the US in November 2001, the original Xbox was somewhat of a surprise hit for Microsoft. While Microsoft had plenty of experience in the PC gaming market, it hadn't yet attempted breaking into the console space, and before launch opinions were divided on the company's Xbox. Going head to head with Sony's PlayStation 2 and Nintendo's GameCube, the original Xbox had its work cut out for it, but somehow it managed to rise above the rest and spawn a new industry juggernaut.
Looking back over 20 years later, it's clear to see just how the original Xbox managed to break out and make a name for itself, and its launch line-up has a lot do with it. From first-party exclusives that are still played today to some surprisingly great sports titles to some bizarre movie tie-ins, the Xbox's US launch line-up was diverse and impressive.
The Highlights of the Xbox's US Launch Line-Up
Getting the obvious one out of the way first, Halo: Combat Evolved was by far the greatest game on the original Xbox's launch line-up. The one game that truly put the Xbox on the map, Halo's superior graphics, open-ended level design, cinematic story, great voice acting, and tight gameplay make it one of the greatest games ever released. While the rest of the Xbox's launch line-up is solid, they could mostly be found on the PS2, but not Halo. If gamers wanted to try one of the best games of the era, they needed an Xbox. It's fair to say that without Halo, the Xbox may not have been the success it turned out to be.
The original Xbox's launch line-up was home to a number of weird and wonderful games, and some outright bizarre ones. The biggest of these is Shrek, a tie-in for the first movie in the iconic series. Shrek for the Xbox was just as memorable as its movie counterpart, but for all the wrong reasons. With horrible platformer gameplay, shoddy controls, awful framerates, and lacking any of the charm of the movie, Shrek was not a good game. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee was also a launch title for the original Xbox, and much like its predecessors on PS1, this puzzle-platformer is one of the best of its genre, with even better visuals and more charm.
The Xbox's launch line-up was absolutely jam-packed with racing games. While most of these were pretty generic, there were a few standouts. Project Gotham Racing, for instance, is one of the best-reviewed racing games on the console, letting players race around four iconic cities all realized in beautiful next-gen detail. The NASCAR game series isn't really relevant anymore, but in the early 2000s, it was one of the most dominant racing series out there, and NASCAR Thunder 2002 was one of the best entries, with a perfect blend of hardcore and arcade racing mechanics.
No console launch line-up is free of sports games, and that's certainly true for the original Xbox. But for every generic, lackluster sports entry, the original Xbox got lucky and managed to have a few hits. Madden NFL 2002 is one of the best examples, reviewing extremely well at the time because of its evolved gameplay mechanics and impressive next-gen technical features. Dead or Alive 3 was another great sports/fighting game, with its open arenas showcasing the graphical capabilities of the Xbox. The original Xbox even launched with an enhanced port of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2, which while outdated still put a great game on the console's launch line-up.