The Xbox 360 was the beginning of the HD generation of consoles. While the PS3 was also HD, the Wii was not. It, along with another Nintendo platform, the DS, are all part of this generation of consoles that has lasted nearly a decade. It was a game changer with the rise of downloadable games and motion controllers.
Numerous franchises started on the Xbox 360 and continued on these other consoles. None of the examples here went beyond that to the Xbox One, though. They may have gotten ports or remasters, but they never got a single sequel. Will these games ever get a sequel? Stranger things have happened, with Psychonauts 2 serve as a good example.
8 1 vs 100
1 against 100 was a groundbreaking download-only live experience that was exclusive to the Xbox 360. Technically, it counts as a series because there were two seasons. It was based on the same game show in which a live audience of a hundred players tried to compete for the number one spot.
It was organized at specific times and there were also cash prizes. The concept may have been ahead of its time, but online connectivity is now better. It’s time for Microsoft to get on with it.
7 blue dragon
blue dragon was the first game from Mistwalker, a studio created by the father of Final Fantasy, Hironobu Sakaguchi. The aesthetic was like a cross between Persona and dragon quest and was a massive open-world RPG like the classics.
It got quite a bit of press at the time. Although the Xbox family only got one game, the series spawned two sequels for the DS. One was an RTS and the other an action RPG. The franchise had a good run during this generation and at least this first game can still be played today via backwards compatibility.
6 The darkness
The darkness had a console debut on Xbox 360 before also being released on PS3. It was based on a comic of the same name in which a gangster gains supernatural abilities to control dark creatures. It was a basic first-person shooter for the early years of this generation.
It eventually got a sequel that changed the art style from modern to cel-shaded, which better suited the comic book vibe. No sequels have been made, but both games can be played on Xbox Series consoles via backwards compatibility.
5 FEAR
FEAR was technically a PC game before it was ported to the Xbox 360, but it still counts as this generation. After that, the series saw simultaneous releases between both platforms. There were two sequels, and all three were horror-infused shooters.
The sad part is that only the last two games can be purchased on Xbox One or Xbox Series X, although technically the first game is still backwards compatible. At least PC players have it better, so the franchise isn’t completely forgotten.
4 Lost Planet
Lost Planet would be Capcom’s next big series. It was indeed big for this generation, but all three games were moderately received. The first game was a horror shooter. The second game focused on co-op like the Monster Hunter series. The latter game turned things back on creating a single-player-centric experience, but it was the lowest-rated title of the three.
There was also a Japanese exclusive spin-off called EX Troopers for the 3DS and PS3, that’s worth checking out, as it’s arguably the best game in the series. The core games can be played via backwards compatibility for those who still have physical copies.
3 ninety nine nights
ninety nine nights is best known as the game that spawned the “one million troops” meme. It’s still funny to reference, even if the source material has been lost for most players.
These two games, exclusive to Xbox 360, can essentially be called Dynasty Warriors clone. They are hack-and-slash RPGs in which players face literally millions of enemies. Both games weren’t the best action RPGs on the system, but they did have their fans at Konami.
2 Penny Arcade Adventures: On The Rain-Slick Precipice Of Darkness
Penny Arcade must be the biggest webcomic comic in the world as it spawned PAX, one of the biggest fan events. This brand even got a tetralogy of downloadable games, starting with Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness.
The series lasted between 2008 and 2013 when it got into some tricky development cycles. The first two games were more modern turn-based RPGs with timed combat like Paper Mario. The last two games switched developers and went for a more retro NES-esque design.
1 Prototype
The summer of 2009 was the year of two great superhero games. infamous was a cut-away superhero game with electrified powers. Prototype was on multiple platforms and was more intrigued by the idea of crushing and slicing enemies.
Of the two, the infamous series lasted longer, although it also seems to have been forgotten as of 2014. Prototype got two games, the last of which ended with a major cliffhanger. They were ported to the PS4 and Xbox One generations with a remastered bundle, but apparently little effort went into this port and the series remained dead as a result.
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