The original Xbox was the start of something new - a mark of Microsoft's first venture in the video game industry. Having already celebrated its 20th anniversary, the Xbox has been home to many famous titles, with Halo arguably being its breadwinner.
However, that isn't to say that the Xbox has seen some underrated titles during its time. There are a couple of titles that suffered from either obscurity or poor sales, yet ended up being great games regardless.
Kung Fu Chaos (2003)
Kung Fu Chaos is a fighting party game just like Super Smash Bros, but only more cartoonish and with lots and lots of kung fu. Players try to create some kind of king fu movie using a set of characters, with each character being a parody of common martial arts tropes.
Each movie set came with its own style and hazards, including obstacles such as dinosaurs and aliens. After each level is completed, players can playback their martial arts film, and be absolutely amused by the sheer absurdity of it all.
Crazy Taxi 3: High Roller (2002)
While the first two Crazy Taxi games were released for the Dreamcast, the third game in the series, High Roller, only appeared on the Xbox. High Roller basically took what was present in the previous two entries, and then expanded upon it.
High Roller still plays like a typical Crazy Taxi game, where one has to take passengers to their destination as fast as possible. The only difference is, players can pull off wicked stunts such as jumps and drifts to earn more money from the passengers. These stunts can be pulled off in multiple combos, netting large sums of money.
Psychonauts (2005)
Developed by Tim Schafer, Psychonauts follows the story of Rasputin, or Raz for short. He's a psychic spy who escaped from a circus and uses his psychic powers to uncover a plot taking place at a summer camp for psychics. In order to do that, he must delve into the minds of some truly messed-up individuals.
Psychonauts is a platformer with a touch of psychic powers, with the player able to pull off feats such as telekinesis and pyrokinesis to defeat enemies and solve puzzles. Mix in the art style and humor, and you got yourself a fun, engaging game. It's quite a shame that as great of a game as it is, Psychonauts failed to sell well upon release.
Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth (2005)
One look at the title, and you can tell that this is a very Lovecraftian game. Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth is a relatively unknown survival horror game that has elements of first-person shooting and stealth. It takes place in 1922, where a private detective investigates a town cut off from the United States called Innsmouth.
Notably, Dark Corners of the Earth has no HUD, which makes players more immersed in the game experience. Only the heartbeat sounds and breathing from the detective can clue players in on his current condition. The dark atmosphere and Lovecraftian themes that accompany this game certainly don't make things any much better.
Voodoo Vince (2003)
The Xbox has been home to several original platformers, such as the aforementioned Psychonauts and Blinx to name a few. One platformer that doesn't get talked about as much is Voodoo Vince, where players take control of a voodoo doll named Vince.
Like any other platform hero, Vince can jump, spin, and punch his way through many levels. But since he's a voodoo doll, he also has access to voodoo powers - such as inflicting pain on himself just to hurt his enemies. Voodoo stuff aside, Voodoo Vince comes with many puzzles, in which Vince must hurt himself in order to clear. Ouch.
Phantom Dust (2004)
Phantom Dust is very much unlike most other action games out there. It combines third-person combat with card collecting, which is a key mechanic of the game. Players must take control of an unnamed Esper, and interact with other characters to figure out what happened to a post-apocalyptic Earth.
Overall, there are up to 300 power cards to form a deck with. Each card comes with a different skill, such as an attack move or defense move, and can be used against opponents. The more skills that one collects, the bigger their Arsenal will be in battle
Outrun 2 (2003)
Outrun started off on the arcade in 1986, and it would get a reboot on the Xbox many years later in the form of Outrun 2. Developed by Sega, Outrun 2 is an overlooked racing game with a simple premise. It involves driving around town in a Ferrari, with the challenge of beating the clock.
Unlike most other racing games out there, Outrun 2 puts a higher focus on drifting. It's awfully rewarding if you can manage to pull off a successful drift. You can even drift for an endless amount of time, which is kind of necessary if you want to clear the course in the fastest time possible.
Jet Set Radio Future (2003)
Much like Crazy Taxi 3: High Roller, Jet Set Radio Future is a sequel to a Sega game on the Dreamcast. It's a roller-blading action game, with rollerbladers spraying graffiti on walls and grinding on rails around a futuristic Tokyo.
Jet Set Radio Future has the same cel-shaded graphics as its prequel and features an open world free for anyone to explore. There's even a music soundtrack, consisting of different genres such as rock, electronic, and hip hop. Some multiplayer modes are available, and designing your own graffiti tag is an option, too.
Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath (2005)
Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath is a weird game, to say the least (if the title isn't evidenced enough). It's an eclectic mix of first-person shooting and third-person platforming, and involves a bounty hunter named the Stranger hunting down wanted criminals.
But here's the catch - instead of using ordinary bullets, the Stranger uses small creatures such as insects and small mammals as ammo - all of which can be fired from his trusty crossbow. Weirdness aside, Stranger's Wrath has mechanics more refined compared to previous entries in the Oddworld series, and the gameplay is very experimental.
The Punisher (2004)
Turns out that Batman and Spiderman aren't the only comic book superheroes to have great games. The Punisher pretty much coincided with the 2004 movie, but the game's content is much more akin to the Punisher series in the Marvel Comics.
This third-person shooter features the titular anti-hero hunting down criminals, as he shoots at any crook in his sight. There are also missions that players can go on, with many of them taking place as known Marvel locales such as Stark Tower and Ryker's Island. The Punisher also features several other Marvel characters, such as Iron Man, Nick Fury, and Kingpin.