XBOX Console

i bought this because i wanted to revisit some old memories of this console that i missed playing so much but i can’t even play it because i’m missing the breakaway cable and i need that to use the controller

I was so close to not buying another console. I had an NES, a SNES, a Sega Genesis, a PS1, and an N64. Even after seeing GTA3 on the PS2 in action, I still didn't think I had a reason to ever get a new console as long as I lived, especially considering the ridiculous prices of the PS2 and the X-Box when they were new on the market. Then I played about 20 minutes of Halo on X-Box, and like many other gamers, I loved it and had to have it.The X-Box was a pretty special machine brand new in late 2001. Naturally, because MicroSoft's X-Box was competing against Sony's Playstation 2, it is only fitting to make comparisons. Firstly, I freely admit that the hardware MicroSoft uses is most definitely inferior to Sony's PS2. I've had the same functioning PS2 for about 10 years now and it still runs like a top (just like all my other previously mentioned systems). However, I have had to replace my well-treated X-Box, and my X-Box 360 has had to be replaced twice. In short, I have no faith in MicroSoft to deliver a quality console that will not have to be replaced at some point, which is something I can't say about Nintendo, Sony, or even now-defunct Sega.Aside from the hardware problem, the other chief complaint about this system is the controller. Although X-Box (as well as every cheapo third-party..MAD CATZ I'm talkin bout you!) did eventually make a smaller controller available, people still seem hell-bent on imitating Maddox and pot-shotting the original controller for the X-Box. Child gamers and people with small hands are pretty much the only people that make this complaint legitimately. X-Box came out when I was a teenager, and I didn't mind the bigger controller. It has a built in "rumble pack", it doesn't require batteries (a huge plus!), and the thumbsticks have very smooth action. The non-kink wires are a nice touch, and the "easy disconnect" is a pretty good idea for a compact disc-based system with fragile hardware. (Insert moronic/unoriginal fanboy joke about disconnecting a friend in the middle of a game). There are four controller ports, and the controller also has a slot for data cartridges, although I don't remember anyone actually bothering with that function.The system seemed to be the "one-upper" to Sony's Playstation 2. While the PS2 still forced gamers to go out and buy memory cards with limited storage space to save game progress, the X-Box had a built-in memory with plenty of space. This was a HUGE plus since the video game library (discussed later in this review) included many games that were longer and more complex, and people didn't want to have to buy extra stuff. The PS2 played dvds, but the X-Box was only capable of playing dvds if you purchased the remote and receiver (I think they may have cost about $30 new). On the one hand, the remote control is the nicest remote control I've ever held. The buttons glow in the dark, there is a zoom feature (great stuff in 2001), and the remote has a lovely curve...it just feels nice in the hand. However, using a video game console as a dvd player is, in hindsight, a lousy idea since it wears on the system and makes too much noise to run away.The online feature, X-Box Live, I never actually subscribed to or used, but from what I understand, it functioned much better than the Sony PS2 Network. Unfortunately, X-Box Live did not support the launch title Halo: Combat Evolved, and I can recall people always voicing that complaint. As for the X-Box Live network itself, it is an extremely ambitious and interesting idea. As a young kid, I can recall wondering if we would ever be able to play video games with people somewhere else in the world at will, at any time of day or night. It is fairly mundane stuff today, but when this was new, it was an idea that felt totally futuristic.As for the launch title, Halo was a great game when it came out. Obviously, the graphics are pretty dated by today's standards. If you pick up the Halo 10 year anniversary game for Xbox 360, there is a feature that allows you to instantaneously switch between the re-vamped 360 graphics and the original Xbox graphics. This is one of the best ways to measure the increase in visual and graphical improvements from one system to the other, but truthfully, the graphics of the original X-Box still look pretty good to this day. The big question to ask is whether or not the graphics of the X-Box are better than the graphics of the PS2. Although the PS2 does have great visual appeal, the X-Box just feels like it is running things a bit more smoothly. I give the edge to X-Box in terms of visuals.Lastly, the games. Of course every system can be defined by the tech specs and the capabilities, but ultimately, the system has to have fun games, and the game library, for better or worse, defines a system. Just like Genesis/Mega Drive vs Super Nintendo, both the PS2 and the X-Box shared a similar library, and many games were sold on both consoles. This is a good thing, because it allows gamers to make an informed choice about which system is the best for them. Looking back at the video game library for the X-Box, I can definitely say this was an era of some really creative video game ideas. Halo and Halo 2 were both creative and best-sellers, but first-person shooter fans would also get Doom 3 and Half Life 2 on the X-Box. These are 4 of the greatest first person shooter games, and the X-Box supported both of those games extremely well. Knights of the Old Republic is fondly remembered, as are interesting quest games like Jade Empire and Fable.Sports games look and play extremely well on the X-Box, and comparing a sports title release on both systems really shows off how much better the X-Box was than the PS2. Also, this is the only time we see ambitious ideas for sports video games, such as an Arena Football game, or BackYard Wrestling or Div-II (now FCS) college football teams. There is even a College World Series baseball game. Really interesting ideas.Other remarkable titles on the X-Box are Jaws Unleashed, which is like Ecco the Dolphin where you play as Jaws instead of Ecco and can eat people and cause mayhem. Or Leisure Suit Larry Magnum Cum Laude, an interesting installment from Sierra (a franchise that harkens all the way back to the Apple II GS Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards, 1987). Destroy All Humans, Rampage, ToeJam and Earl III and the Godzilla fighting games all add to an incredibly satisfying and vibrant video game library. It's sad to say, but the era of creative and interesting video games is a thing of the past since Sony and MicroSoft seem more interested in a handful of video game franchises (Call of Duty, Halo, Resident Evil, Mortal Kombat, etc). Also, Nintendo only seems interested in kid-friendly party games, so, as an adult gamer that grew up with NES, SNES, and N64, I feel the process of Nintendo's alienation of adult gamers is officially complete.As I write this in the year 2015, prices are reasonable. Purchasing a used and functioning X-Box can be done for around $50 or so, and the games are at an all-time low. A collector would say we are in "the sweet spot" for collecting since the games and system are just about 13 years old, give or take a year or two. At about the 20 year mark, if there is any "collectibility" to the system or the games, then an increase in price will occur. Keep in mind that, at the 13 year mark or so for Super Nintendo (2005) the SNES and most of its' video game library was still relatively affordable, and it is only just starting now ( a little over the 20 year mark) that the SNES and the SNES video game library is starting to peak in price. Collectibles only fetch high dollar to the generation that they are nostalgic to, and in a few years the kids that played these system will be older and some will want to buy them back and play their old games, causing in increase in demand as well as price. In short, now is the time to "buy low" and pick one up before some pathetic hack starts doing a show on youtube about playing old X-Box games.

While admittedly the Xbox One is the newest graphical beast, I still enjoy this system the ABSOLUTE most, because it represents everything Microsoft: a daring, a bravado to release their first system no matter how it was received. Only selling approx. 25 million units in its lifetime, it was essentially the underdog of the 6th generation, but it withstood the competition the PS2 brought with it. There's nothing really attractive to look at when it comes to exterior features, and I'm not impressed with the classic system's interface today (compared to 360's and NOT One's!). However, all that noted, the primary reasons I selected this system over the other, more recent two, was for the fact that it had a great arsenal of games that showcased its prowess, and its games are fairly cheap nowadays. It has its maladies, such as dust screwing up the internal components and so forth, namely the disc-reading lens and, that said, on average the system will last around 2 years max---as my family learned back in 2006--- unless you can accurately diagnose what the specific problem is. I can't score this console as high as the Xbox 360 Elite, because the 360E is better constructed and senses when the system MUST be turned off, so if you accidentally fall asleep during your gameplay session, you can wake up, confident it'll still be running without being prone to overheating. Overheating and/or disc drive faults are the singlemost notable drawbacks/ downsides to the overall potential. After all, it is disappointed when teh 7 year older Playstation 1 can be left on for weeks at a time and not be at risk of overheating, but I'm sorry that's what I focused on most with this review, but you should be forewarned if you want to play the classic xbox console.

The Xbox was in perfect condition and works great.

my son is very happy with this item :)

I plugged the console into the TV and powered it on, and it was working just fine. After playing a game I had bought for it, the display turned off and the console started flashing orange. Not green and orange, just orange and black. I looked for a while online for a fix and I couldn't find anything. I did read, however, that it is likely that it is overheating, which I believe as the console was very hot for the 2 minutes it worked before turning off. I was hoping for a working system to play some nostalgic games and unfortunately I received a black box of junk. The controller works and the cords are fine, as it was working before it stopped.

No issues whatsoever, its an absolute blast to be able to play all my old games again!

Totally satisfied my nostalgia for playing old XBOX games. I had some Scooby Doo games I wanted to play again and this device worked great!