Xbox 360 BC update: Project Zero is not Fatal Frame (even though it is) and hands-on with 360 BC

This is an update to my personal 360 / PS3 BC list.

Xbox 360

Turns out that Project Zero and Fatal Frame, despite being the same game, are not equally backwards compatible. Project Zero is not compatible with Xbox 360.

As a bizarre (hehe) side-note, I also played Project Gotham Racing 2 on the 360 and noted with some amusement that the broken attract / demonstration replays that affect PlayStation’s Gran Turismo 3 and 4 on PlayStation 3 are also present here and so feature cars ploughing into the scenery with bizarre abandon after a few corners.

It also turns out that 360 BC isn’t a case of yes or no. Unlike the PlayStation BC list which rates the games one, two or three stars to indicate how many issues you will notice, the 360 BC list simply says that a game is compatible or not. However, now that I have had a chance to try it out first-hand it turns out that 360 BC also varies in quality. Therefore I have tested my Xbox games and rated them in the same way as the PlayStation games with no, minor or noticeable issues. As a rule, however, you should avoid trying the demos or videos that come on some Xbox game discs as they frequently crash to Dashboard.

On a positive note, it should be mentioned that playing an original Xbox game on the 360 yields notably clearer graphics with more accurate colours and, brilliantly, is much quieter than the original Xbox (or, bizarrely, playing 360 games on 360).

Of all the titles tested, Black stood out by looking absolutely amazing.

Key

The game is new to this list because I have purchased or borrowed it or it has been added to the Xbox 360 BC list.

The game was already on my list but its status has changed.

Where available, the game titles link to my review.

Xbox on Xbox 360

No known issues

• Black – 2.0.5766.0
• Burnout 3: Takedown – 2.0.5766.0
• Brute Force – 2.0.5766.0
• Mechassault 2: LoneWolf – 2.0.5766.0
• Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction – 2.0.5766.0
• Panzer Dragoon Orta – 2.0.5766.0
• Quantum Redshift – 2.0.5766.0
• Sega GT 2002 – 2.0.5766.0
• Sega GT Online – 2.0.5766.0
• Speed Kings – 2.0.5766.0
• Spider-Man 2 – 2.0.5766.0

Plays on Xbox 360 with some minor issues

• Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge – 2.0.5766.0
  Minor frame rate problems not present on original Xbox.
• Forza Motorsport – 2.0.5766.0
  Minor frame rate problems worse than original Xbox which can be significantly reduced by turning the rear-view mirror off.
• Jet Set Radio Future – 2.0.5766.0
  Some mild flickering and corrupt graphics on map and when using boost.
• Project Gotham Racing – 2.0.5766.0
  Minor frame rate problems not present on original Xbox which can be significantly reduced by turning the rear-view mirror off.
• Halo – 2.0.5766.0
  Minor frame rate problems not present on original Xbox.
• SSX 3 – 2.0.5766.0
  Videos extremely jerky. Game plays fine.

Plays on Xbox 360 with some noticeable issues

• Project Gotham Racing 2 – 2.0.5766.0
  Noticeable frame rate problems at specific areas of tracks, minor frame rate problems helped slightly by turning off rear view mirror, some sound drop-out, opening movie plays slightly jerkily and demonstration replays don’t work correctly after a couple of corners.
• True Crime: Streets of LA – 2.0.5766.0
  Low frame rate while outdoors (ie, virtually the entire game) make the game verge on unplayable.

Not Compatible

• Project Zero