Top xbox 360 games 2004

Anytime an announced game gets absolutely no mention from a publisher for close to half a year, it's pretty much a sure sign a release date isn't anywhere near. No screenshots, movies, or information has surfaced in so long, Psychonauts has been getting about as much recognition as Vanilla Ice at an N. The Big MS would be fools not to love the game, so the lack of volume on the title can only mean it's not hitting store shelves in Molyneux Games -- B.

Not only do you get to teach man to speak and make fire, but you also get to watch him be eaten by dinosaurs. Fable is an RPG that may seem to be in league with Morrowind. But Fable is so much more. Not only can gamers choose their own path to victory, but the entire environment reacts to their quest.

Kids cut their hair to look like their favorite hero, bards write songs to immortalize your deeds, and other heroes even try to take the spotlight from you. Rather than choose a character class, how you progress in the game, the things you do, determines the type of hero or villain you become. Fable's potential is so great, that Webster's Dictionary may need to redefine "brilliant" in order properly describe the experience.

Why they're not coming out this year: Let's get B. We got our initial glimpse of B. And while the game looked and sounded amazing, it seemed pretty obvious from everyone in the room that the game had a long, long way to go before it was where it needed to be. Skip ahead a year as we look forward to seeing B. No playable to date, no concrete info, sparse interviews, few movies or screens, and a definite effort on Microsoft's part to push Fable first.

And Fable Isn't coming out in Fable is amazingly big and offers gamers almost unlimited ability to break the game whenever they feel like it. And the more open-ended and massive a game is, the more bugs to be squashed. Testing for this game is going to take many, many months. While talking earlier this year with Big Blue Box co-founder Dene Carter, we learned that the team wasn't sure how they were going to implement certain game aspects. For a game this massive, that will need over a half-year of testing, it's impossible to believe that Fable is coming in E3 the final frontier.

It's during this time of year that we, as media types, begin to speculate on the future of our various consoles. Yesterday, we looked at the 5 must-have holiday games of that are almost certain to actually come out this year. Already, there are stirrings among our readers about some games that, for some reason, didn't make the list. If you're looking for Fable , you'll find it below. The MMOs Why they will be great: The pinnacle of online gaming has become the massively multiplayer online experience.

Play not only as Clyde himself, but also as his hundreds of clones. On a single console, join with a friend in co-op mode, or go crazy with four player versus mode. Solve exciting and addictive puzzles with a variety of resolutions. Enjoy hours of fun with two distinct game modes including 40 cooperative levels and six versus arenas.

Play online through Xbox Live with up to eight friends. The golden age of console hockey returns with NHL 07, featuring gameplay innovations that make players feel like they are actually on the ice. Featuring an unmatched level of freedom and control, NHL 07 allows hockey purists and casual fans alike to feel like they can play like a pro.

User Score: 5. Momentum changes everything - now college football's most celebrated videogame turns the tide with NCAA Football Whether battling your biggest rival or playing for the first-ever BCS National Championship Game in Dynasty Mode, success on the field depends on your ability to maintain momentum. Featuring unprecedented graphics that capture every moment in complete detail—from the authenticity of the stadiums, mascots, and marching bands, to the true-to-life look and feel of the players on the field.

Tolkien literary fiction. Players will directly control hundreds of units in an attempt to defeat enemy armies, conquer new lands, and seal the fate of Middle-earth.

Prey tells the story of Tommy, a Cherokee garage mechanic stuck on a reservation going nowhere. Abducted along with his people to a menacing mothership orbiting Earth, he sets out to save himself and his girlfriend and eventually his planet. Go the mission alone or fight side-by-side with a friend in the two-player cooperative mode. Navigate your heavily armed 4x4, speed boat or travel on foot and blast your way through enemy-infested territory.

Prepare to be assaulted by waves of formidable enemies with unrelenting attacks. Play online or offline two-player same screen cooperative mode with enhanced weapons to encourage teamwork. Operate an armed 4x4, speed boat or simply fight on foot to for a quick change of pace. Activate cooperative attacks with increased firepower and range specific to co-op to add new dimension to weapon capabilities. Features destructible terrain and advanced physics engine for the most engaging arcade experience.

Most Intense Arcade Experience - Challenging and graphically compelling levels and bonus sublevels for fast-paced, and addictive play. Suitable for players of any age, Marble Blast Ultra transports you to a futuristic 'astrolab' arena suspended high in the clouds. Compete against each other by navigating your marbles through moving platforms and dangerous hazards, while collecting rare gems and power-up enhancements, in an effort to complete each course in record time.

Compete head to head in Xbox Live ultra blast multiplayer mode. Astropop blends fast twitch challenge with an offbeat, fun storyline.

Choose from four space pilots, each with unique abilities and weaponry. Then grab, group, and blast bricks to create combos and clear a path to the stars. As you progress, a mysterious link between the pilots unfolds against a backdrop of spectacular graphics, captivating sound effects, and myriads of scoring opportunities.

Hundreds of new skating animations have been captured for NHL 2K7. Not only will skating look much more natural, players will also experience the true momentum of skating whenever players dig into the ice to accelerate or carve the ice to make sudden stops.

In addition to the numerous new skating animations, several new checking, passing, and shooting animations have been added, making all the action in NHL 2K7 flow with amazing detail. New gameplay enhancements have been added to Pro Control, giving users offensive and defensive tools to utilize on the ice. While on offense, players now have the ability to execute drop passes, allowing users to setup new screen plays and create new scoring opportunities to catch the goalie off-guard.

Pressure Control brings a tactical element to defensive hockey as players now can instruct teammates to defend opposing players while on the ice. Varying degrees of pressure can be selected - whether it's telling your teammate to shadow a selected opponent or deliver a big check - allowing players new defensive options on the fly.

Pro Control in NHL 2K7 delivers the offensive and defensive options hockey fans have been asking for, truly delivering the next generation of hockey. Offering the kind of lush and deep natural environment true to the Far Cry brand, Far Cry Instincts on Xbox captivates gamers with its enhanced graphical reality and gameplay. Giving gamers the opportunity to discover the Far Cry universe in an optimized, high-definition environment, the game takes advantage of Xbox 's multi-core next-generation engine for improved performance.

Gamers will experience advanced pathfinding and new enemy and vehicle artificial intelligence for improved chase scenes and more enemies on-screen at one time, allowing for more adrenaline-rushing fast-action sequences. Warfare-wage all-out war with the most extensive range of vehicles and weaponry ever assembled. An all-new story-driven single-player mode drops players deep into an action-packed war obscured by government sponsored propaganda, forcing you to choose sides and decide the outcome.

Engage in online multiplayer action for up to 24 players on more than a dozen maps. The revolutionary new HotSwap feature in single player mode gives you instant tactical control. Pull every trigger on the battlefield to lead your army to victory. Clan support, VOIP, and a deep stat-tracking system help round out one of the deepest online console shooters to date. Take control of more than 30 land, sea, and air vehicles, including tanks, helicopters, and amphibious craft, and master more than 50 state-of-the-art weapons.

Put on the uniform of one of four armies, each with their own unique arsenals and soldier classes including Sniper, Special Ops, Combat Engineer, and more. Complete each unit's unique Battlefield Moment to earn Battlefield Points and unlock rewards, including upgrades and promotions. Harnessing the power of Xbox , Lumines Live!

Lumines Live! Expand your Lumines Live! What starts in the city is settled in the canyons as Need for Speed Carbon immerses you into the world's most dangerous and adrenaline-filled form of street racing. You and your crew must race in an all-out war for the city, risking everything to take over your rivals' neighborhoods one block at a time. As the police turn up the heat, the battle ultimately shifts to Carbon Canyon, where territories and reputations can be lost on every perilous curve. Need for Speed Carbon delivers the next generation of customization giving you the power to design and tweak your crew's cars in every way using the ground-breaking new Autosculpt technology.

Represent your car class, your crew, and your turf in Need for Speed Carbon, the next revolution in racing games. The book by Mario Puzo and classic film by Paramount Pictures serve as inspiration for The Godfather, as gamers join the Corleone family and earn respect through loyalty and fear as they rise through the ranks to become Don in a living New York.

Gamers create their own mob character in the game, putting themselves into the action while reliving classic moments from the fiction and experiencing original missions alongside memorable characters from the film. After a life of small-time jobs and petty thefts the player is accepted into the Corleone family, America's most famous criminal organization. It is up to the player to carry out orders, earn respect and make New York City their own. From mob hits and bank heists to drive-bys and extortion, step deep inside the world of The Godfather where intimidation and negotiation are your tickets to the top.

Players use their powers of loyalty and fear to earn respect through interactions with characters in the world. Decisions made by the player in the game have lasting consequences, just as it was in the mob underworld featured in The Godfather fiction. James Caan, Robert Duvall, and the late Marlon Brando provided voice acting and likenesses for the game.

Among several online game options is an exclusive mode called "Quarter Match", which introduces a new way of reliving the exhilarating arcade experience at home. Xbox users can connect to the Xbox Live online game service and access Xbox Live Arcade to download a free, feature-limited version of the game which offers two playable characters for one match.

When they are ready for the ultimate retro gaming experience, users can then unlock the full version of the game, enabling players to choose from all eight original characters as well as four boss characters, each with their own special endings and home levels.

Players take on the role of Blitz, a multi-talented robot who must activate an aging Space Cannon to save his world from a band of maladjusted space pirates. Set in seven distinct environments, RoboBlitz features 19 levels of puzzle-solving and high-intensity action.

Everything you loved about Top Spin is back and made even better. The peerless player-creator is reborn with the powerful Digital Identity that truly puts you in the game. Experience the pro tour in venues that are alive and dynamic with environmental elements that react to your play.

Create realistic player models and customize them with the highest level of details. Hairstyles, sweatbands, shirts, shorts, shoes, and more allow you to create a player with your look and your style.

Silky smooth animations, vibrant colors, and hi-definition technology delivers illustrious depictions of players, stadiums, and crowds bringing tennis to life on the Xbox Assume the role of the flamboyant Rico Rodriguez — an undercover CIA operative specializing in regime change - as he tries to overthrow the corrupt government of San Esperito. It could be to your advantage that this tropical paradise is about to implode as various factions vie for power — it just needs a gentle nudge in the right direction.

The game world consists of 1, sq. And you will have at your disposal a varied and exciting array of vehicles, planes and watercraft. Veteran twitch gamers and eager rookies are all well catered for, with over stages challenging allcomers to build and refuel their rockets under heavy pressure from disgruntled locals.

The ultimate point of all this? Same as it always was: to stay alive and get rich. Online components include access to global high score Leaderboards and a good spread of Achievements, while the inclusion of simultaneous multiplayer action marks another first for the franchise.

Two players can quickly and easily set up a head-to-head battle on a single Xbox console or over Xbox Live. So if you fancy giving your trigger finger a proper arcade workout for the first time in ages, this is the game for you. Feel free to storm Xbox Live Arcade and download the Trial version if you're still not sure.

Jetpac Refuelled is much more than a simple nostalgia trip, though to show due reverence we've also included a recreation of the classic original under the heading of Retro mode Up to 4 players can join in the battles across many dynamic and richly detailed levels. Choose from a cast of awesome fighters like cyborg tabby cats, assassin truffle pigs and mutant chimney sweeps. The side-scrolling action is easy for anyone to pickup, and hard to put down.

FIFA Soccer 07 on the Xbox moves away from the traditional animation-based game engine and now enables raw physics and data to drive the action, creating true-to-life movement and the most advanced visuals seen in a soccer game.

Player characteristics are based on brand-new traits and twice the number of attributes, so you won't see two players moving in exactly the same way. Instead they look and behave like the athletes we see gracing the pitch week-in, week-out. Improved fundamental controls that are easy to pick-up-and play but difficult to master and enhanced AI enable you to truly enjoy the virtual recreation of the beautiful game.

The ball and players react to your slightest touch with an unprecedented level of responsiveness, giving you complete control. For the first time ever the ball is alive with its own independent physics, resulting in truly unpredictable gameplay. Now any type of pass or shot is possible and goals will feel natural and unique.

Using the physics-based and data-driven technology, the FIFA Soccer 07 engine creates a wealth of data that gives you the power to make real tactical decisions when managing your players. FIFA Soccer 07 offers never-before-experienced real-time player analysis. Detailed feedback pinpoints where the player was located on the pitch and his contribution to the match. Now you can make informed decisions during halftime with the aid of this in-depth match analysis, enabling you to locate problem areas in both attack and defense.

Check the areas of possession to make subtle adjustments to your play and spot defensive weaknesses in the opposition. All the shots, assists and goals are marked out so you can see who did the most damage. Gamers can play as their favorite team from qualification right through to a virtual reproduction of the tournament in Germany.

With enhanced player animations, EA SPORTS has emulated close to of the world's superstars, capturing their playing styles and individual likenesses. In addition to enabling gamers to participate in the FIFA World Cup Germany by taking control of one of national teams, the game features new compelling modes of play, including the groundbreaking Global Challenge that tests even the most hardcore soccer fan by recreating classic moments in FIFA World Cup history.

Furthermore, the game supports up to eight-way multiplayer matches and features a plethora of in-game unlockable content such as legendary players and exclusive apparel. This squad-based action title puts gamers in control of giant mechanized military weapons of war. Chromehounds offers an intense, photorealistic look at war from the cockpits of colossal metal vehicles.

Squads of HOUNDs take to the field in international factions, cooperating with and complementing each other in terms of firepower, range of movement, and abilities. Domination of the world is the prize for the mightiest army on the field. Strategic planning, snap reflexes and communication are key to winning the day in this battle-hardened action title. Players take the role of either a Squad Member or a Tactics Commander, who is responsible for strategically guiding the team to victory with verbal commands on Xbox Live.

In addition to supporting both cooperative and competitive online modes, the game offers thousands of upgrade options, which effect both the look and performance of player mechs.

Strategic gameplay puts the player in the role of 'tactics commander'; manage your squad while testing your reflexes on the battlefield. Xbox LIVE support offers cooperative and competitive campaigns for up to 12 players at once. Combining intense squad-based combat with the freedom of total destruction, The Outfit takes players behind enemy lines, battling the Nazi War Machine through a variety of combat missions. Choose from three playable squad leaders - each with their own skills and abilities, as you lead a squad of battle-forged soldiers on missions ranging from reconnaissance and rescue to search and destroy.

With interactive and fully destructible environments, you have the freedom to shoot, blow up or demolish anything in your path. As you complete mission objectives, you'll gain Field Units FUs , a currency that can be used to order "Destruction on Demand" - air-dropped into the action at any time. With "Destruction On Demand" D.

Player Disposition: Each player has an inherent set of attributes: consistency, focus, and confidence. Coach's Clipboard: Whether it's a full court press or a quick shot at the end of the half, coach your team to victory through specific timeout directions with Timeout Focus. Improve your zone defense efficiency and exploit your opponent's weaknesses by having total control over individual zone replacements with Zone Substitutions.

Selection Sunday: No day in college basketball is bigger than Selection Sunday. Listen to commentary as video clips give you the low down on all the bracket match ups.

Full Auto combines fully-automatic, weapon-equipped vehicles with highly detailed urban landscapes, offering the most destructive environments ever featured in the racing genre.

In Full Auto, the city of Staunton is held hostage by a mysterious group known only as The Shepherds. As a retired driver, you are coerced by the Shepherds into a series of lethal street races, where the cost of competing is far greater than anyone ever expected.

Botch a turn? Correct it. Miss a shortcut? Go back and take it. Under heavy fire? Use a second chance to evade the competition. And Xbox Live support ensures significant replay value for gamers itching to take on human opponents in both grand-scale arena modes and full-throttle races. Full Auto allows players to choose from a wide selection of unique vehicle designs and arm them with any combination of machine guns, cannons, and other deadly weapons before taking to the streets.

The rules of the road don't apply in this high-octane, no-holds-barred competition. Included in the XLA version of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 is the classic "2 on 2 kombat mode," as well as a variety of multiplayer modes including a new Challenger Versus Mode which allows up to 4 players to play in a "winner-stays-on" style tournament. The game is available worldwide for Microsoft Points.

Detailed Leaderboards: Captures the player's win and losses both for all time and for the current week. Challenger Versus Mode: A new multiplayer mode which allows up to 4 players to play in a "winner-stays-on" style tournament. Statistics are recorded to allow for maximum bragging rights.

Players test their skills at the premier Circuit Events in hopes of qualifying for the winner-take-all, invitation-only Tournament of Champions at the Rio Resort in Las Vegas. Along the way, they face-off against more top pros than ever before, including Joseph Hachem, the World Series of Poker Main Event Champion and Jennifer Tilly, the Academy Award nominated actress and World Series of Poker bracelet holder, among others in hopes of bringing home the Tournament of Champions trophy.

As the story develops, players face increasingly difficult challenges and learn to master Atsuma's special fighting and magical abilities. The game which revolutionized pro football videogames is back and better than ever, starring new bad boy, Bill Romanowski, as Baltimore Bearcats linebacker Bruno Batagglia, and the return of Lawrence Taylor, as Quentin Sands.

Step onto the field with more customizable options than ever before, with new cities, logos, and unlockable players which will help you to create what could be the greatest franchise in League history. Take your team online and dominate your opponents using new offensive and defensive evasion moves, or try and defeat the new all-star teams stacked with the best talent on the field.

Get ready for another dramatic season of Blitz and experience The League like never before. Explore the ancient ruins of Mayan civilization while discovering hidden treasures and priceless artifacts. Rearrange valuable relics to turn sand tiles into gold.

Watch out, though Earn the respect of your fellow archaeologists and collect oodles of treasures and jewels. Your quest is complete when you have solved every puzzle, uncovered all the gold statues, and proven yourself a Chief Explorer. Map your progress through challenging puzzles. Encounter buried relics, cursed items, and mind-boggling boards. Immerse yourself in stunning graphics, captivating music, and the wild sounds of the jungle. Earn bonus points and extra lives as you advance through the quests.

Get special hints help you with your battle against time. This exciting title soon became know for its innovative fighter combination system and the varied enemy attack patterns. Take control of a fighter space craft and shoot down the invading aliens. Watch out for the swooping motherships, which will try to steal your fighter.

Rescue captured fighters to double your firepower. Earn Perfect Bonuses as you battle your way through wave after wave in different challenging stages. The world of Vana'diel stands at the brink of war. Three powerful nations, united in their plight against the beastmen forces, look to their last hope -- brave adventurers like you! Will the beastmen gain the upper hand, and thrust the once-peaceful Vana'diel into another war?

Step into the world of Vana'diel and journey forth on grand adventures with players from all across the globe! How you play is up to you, with limitless possibilities for adventure. Set out on your own to discover the countless secrets of Vana'diel, or form a party with your friends to purge the beastman forces and bring home sensational spoils!

The powerful next-generation capabilities of Xbox provides a much more dynamic and visually impressive gateway to Vana'diel. In addition, players can finally experience Final Fantasy XI in high-definition and 5.

During the course of the mission campaign, players will evolve along with their wingmen into an ace fighting force. The heroic storyline that follows the evolution of a single squadron and the cinematic presentation create moments reminiscent of classic World War II movies.

Up to 16 players online can engage over Xbox Live online game service in head-to-head dogfights or cooperative team play between squadrons in 10 additional missions. As the exclusive and official Major League Baseball multi-platform video game, Major League Baseball 2K6 includes innovative features such as a new movement system and realistic player collisions on the infield and outfield. New broadcast elements include flashback replays, and a unique player morale system will unfold the drama like never before in a baseball video game.

User Score: 4. Using your trusty pump, inflate your enemies until they pop, or squash them under rocks. Don't hesitate, or you could get squashed yourself. Drive your high score up by taking out enemies further underground, or making more difficult kills. Propel Dig Dug through underground tunnels as he hunts down monsters. The more dirt you move, the more points you get. Watch out for treacherous rocks and use them to your advantage.

Just because your enemies start in tunnels doesn't mean they have to stay there. Watch out for them sneaking up on you and make them pay! Drop more than two rocks and look for icons to start appearing in the center of the map! Collect these items, including the ship from the Xbox Live Arcade game Galaga, to drive your score higher. The rules here are simple: Eat anything that's smaller than you and swim clear of everything else.

The more you eat, the bigger you get, and the bigger you get, the closer you come to taking on the fearsome Shark King. Oysters offer up bonus points in the form of pearls, but be quick or the shell could snap shut with you inside! Nibbling on the tail of a patrolling barracuda is a risky way to earn extra points—he can turn on you in an instant. And the jellyfish - well, it's best to swim clear of them altogether. Did you know that tuna can swim up to 50 miles per hour?

Or that a parrot fish can change its gender? Feeding Frenzy includes more than four dozen fascinating fish facts like these - one between each game level. Race to the finish line as you live all the fun and excitement of the next Walt Disney Pictures presentation of a Pixar Animation Studios film, Cars. Story-based adventure that relives key moments of the movie.

Burn rubber in over 30 races and mini-games. Explore the open-world of Radiator Springs. Speed to the finish line with over 10 playable characters. Make your friends eat your dust in multiplayer mode. Features all of the major voice talent from the movie. The best part by far though was having your own creature. Why it was so good: Epic battles, engaging campaigns, and the occasional cinematic cut-scene made playing Warcraft III an absolute dream.

And if you managed to get your hands on a manual or some cheat codes, that definitely made things a little bit more interesting. Why it was so good: I'm not sure exactly what it was, but the combination of the music, graphics, and sound effects made Tekken 3 one of the best fighting games of all time.

Button-bashing ftw. Why it was so good: Like Tekken , there was just something really enjoyable about smashing buttons together coordinated smashing if you knew the combos, of course.

The mini-games, although simple, were enough to frustrate the most skilled of players. And landing on a Bowser space Why it was so good: There was something really rewarding about building the perfect enclosure for your animals, keeping in check with your customers, and making sure that your business was booming in Zoo Tycoon. Also you're lying if you didn't delete a part of an enclosure so the animals could wreak havoc.

Although it's safe to say that a couple of levels nearly made you throw your controller at your TV screen. The best feeling was when you managed to capture a special pose, like a surfing Pikachu, to score those bonus points. Why it was so good: Nothing was cooler than being able to play as a "dungeon keeper" whose sole purpose was to collect treasure, slay heroes, conquer land, and give your imps a slap if they were working too slow. Why it was so good: The fast-paced gameplay combined with the frustration of losing rings so easily made the formula of Sonic the Hedgehog so unbelievably addictive.

Bonus points if you remember the original "Sega" chant when you booted up the game! Why it was so good: Everything in Banjo-Kazooie was so imaginative. From collecting musical notes and jigsaw pieces to unlock new worlds, to paying Mumbo Jumbo a visit so you could transform into a random creature, this game had it all.

And while it was fun, let's just never, ever talk about those mine cart levels. Why it was so good: Playing Neverwinter Nights felt like stepping back in time to another world.

There was so much fantasy in the storytelling and quests that you completed. There was also a long list of brilliant mods that just added to the gameplay. Why it was so good: While Morrowind contained a bunch of quests and storylines, it was exploring the expansive and detailed game world that made it so memorable. The scenery, the different lands, and watching day literally turn to night while in-game, all contributed to the feeling of being in a different world. Why it was so good: Although the graphics weren't to everyone's taste, The Wind Waker was still a beautifully made game.

The rich environments combined with the rewarding gameplay and puzzles made it feel like something else. Crash Bandicoot series Platform: PlayStation. Platform: Nintendo Spyro the Dragon