Xbox 360 - "Happy 20th Birthday"

20 years old this year, Happy Birthday Xbox 360

 

 

The "Xbox 360" has a special place in our household; it was, and still is, the "best" console ever. I am outvoted by my five kids!

Around 2004/5 (PS2), I was done with console gaming and went back to the PC. In 2008, whilst browsing Gumtree, I came across a listing for an Xbox 360 with 20+ games for £240! which was a stupidly cheap price. Phoned up, and it was still available. The seller was leaving the country and could not take it with him.

Games included Halo 3, Burnout Revenge, Perfect Dark Zero, Gears of War, Mass Effect, Skate & Crackdown

I was partway through playing Bioshock on the PC (still haven't completed it!) and was gobsmacked by Halo & Burnout.

It was my kids' first "family console", sorry, Nintendo. My kids were 11, 8 & 6, and they loved Halo 3, Skate & the indie games like Keflings. It cemented the joy of local co-op gaming, started the "Claptrap Boys" (a group of friends that I played with every week), and I have played some of the best games ever on the 360

Notable Mentions (2008 to 2014)

Halo 3 - The best local co-op experience playing with my son & Halo 3 Forge mode kept my kids entertained for years! Duck hunt, anyone?

Fallout 3 - Bethesda at their best!

Shadow Complex - One of the best Metroidvania games I have ever played

Batman: Arkham Asylum - which I purchased for £1 from a car boot sale!

Borderlands - The start of the "Claptrap Boys"

Assassin's Creed Games - They are still making them? Why am I still playing them?!

Limbo - A masterpiece of "indie" gaming

Skyrim - Bethesda at their best! It was all downhill after that!

Mass Effect Trilogy - Who knew that there would be a better sci-fi video game than Halo!

Red Dead Redemption - "Chef's kiss"

Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Will this IP ever come back alive?

Skate, Toy Story 3, Keflings, Geometry Wars, Forza Horizon, Walking Dead, Dead Space, Call of Duty Modern Warfare, Minecraft, Left 4 Dead, Braid, Trials, Peggle, Plants vs Zombies, X-Com, Puzzle Quest, Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons & lots more I can't think of at the top of my head & the kids are not around to chime in with their favourites.

So for the Khan household, the XBOX 360 is the GOAT & it is still set up so the kids can have a nostalgia trip whenever they want.

November - Autumnal Vibes

Play

Currently Playing

Wordle, Strands & Connections (Android)

Finally got a perfect with a video game category!

 

 

I'm enjoying playing daily Wordle, Connections & Strands. I've given up on Spelling Bee (requires in-app subscription to progress) & Pips (is pretty easy on the first two levels and Hard is difficult to play on mobile phone).

Hole.io (PS5)

A simple game where you start off as a tiny hole and have to eat things to get bigger, lol it's great fun! 

Balatro (PS5)

Back at this trying to crack the Purple Stake on the Yellow Deck!

It Takes Two (PS5)

I missed this off last month post but started this with Nemo, now I just need to get here attention off Simpsons Fortnite & Skate to get back to playing it!

November Plans

To play Lost Records Bloom & Rage Tape 2 & Sword of the Sea

Completed

Lost Records Bloom & Rage - Tape 1 (PS5)

Developed by Don't Nod (I do enjoy playing their games!), this is a story about four girls who go back to the town of Velvet Cove to relive the summer of 1995, will be starting Tape 2 soon.

8/10 

Messenger (Browser)

Gobsmacked that it runs in a browser, nice and short, 20 to 30 mins max with a handful of fetch-type quests, but lovely to explore.

Go play it https://messenger.abeto.co/ 

5/10 

The Invincible (PS5)

A video game adaptation of a science fiction novel by Stanislaw Lem, looks stunning; gameplay is mainly a walking sim type.

7/10 

Promise Mascot Agency (PS5)
For the first time in forever, I purchased, played & completed a game in the same month!

Really enjoyed this, it feels like a large-scale "Kairosoft" game with a funny cast of characters & a Yakuza story. This would not look out of place in a RGG Yakuza game.

8/10

 

Yet another Waterfall!

 

Backlog

Current Backlog

I have had a proper look through my backlog to remove games I have no intention of playing or have expired in the subscription service. 

Digital Games - 31 with new purchases inc Darkest Dungeon & Steamworld Dig 2.

PS+ Subscription - 5, I've added As Dusk Falls (looking forward to playing this story game)

PS+ Monthly - 20 (recently added Cocoon & Alan Wake 2)

Physical Games - 11 (no new additions)

Total  67 Games (Reduced by 25 from last month!)

Shopping

I've added a new Shopping page to the top, current total is £310.27!

https://www.gospvg.com/p/2025-shopping.html 

I upgraded Alan Wake 2 to the Deluxe editiion to get the DLC, purchased and completed Promise Mascot Agency in the same month!, Papa Quiz for £1.99 is something to enjoy with the family & Darkest Dungeon, I blame Abbas who was singing it's praises! 

 

Want

Current Wishlist is at 27 Games (added Paradise Killer) but I need to focus on the games above!

 

Bin

Nothing again, I think I'll remove this section going forward if nothing to add.