I Like The Original Xbox…

In 2001, Microsoft released a console that would change gaming forever. Multiple iterations and three big, metal x shaped prototypes and a bunch of other stuff I don’t feel like writing about later, we got the heavy, black plastic box we all know and love.

Hardware

Hardware wise, the Xbox is pretty much nothing special. It is basically just a miniaturized PC from 20 over years ago and it is so similar to off the shelf hardware that the Alpha I and II dev kits use the following pc components.

  • -Intel VC820 Desktop Board                                         
  • -128MB RD Ram (Kingston KVR800X 18-8/128)
  • -733Mhz Slot 1 CPU  (Part number SL3XN)
  • -250Watt ATX PSU (ATNG Model: PS-250S)
  • -20GB IDE HDD (Fujitsu MPF3204AT)
  • -3,5” FDD (Sony MPF920-C)
  • -DVD Drive (Hitachi GD-7000)
  • -64MB Geforce3 (180-P0050-0000-A05)
  • -Network Card (Intel Pro/100)
  • -Soundcard (Wolfson Micronics WM9707_AMR_EV1_Rev2)
  • -USB Card (Xircom Portgear PGPCI2 )

Photo courtesy of Linus Tech Tips

While the final box may only have 64mb of dedicated RAM, a Pentium III, a GeForce 3 GPU, and a 10gb IDE hard drive. The original Xbox has lots legendary games, many of which still hold up today. Not to mention, this thing has so much personality. For one, and I didn’t realize this until I bought one, carried it around a game expo all day, and brought it home. This thing is massive and heavy. Measuring in at 320 × 100 × 260 mm (12.5 × 4 × 10.5 in) and weighing in at 8.8 pounds, the Xbox is one of the beefy consoles of all time. Also, you can see the lineage of that original metal X in the X that is raised up from the top of the black, plastic, box with rounded sides. At it’s core, a green plastic circular gem with XBOX written in silver text embedded in it. This system screams “POWER!” and “GAMING!” when you look at it.

System Software / Boot Animation

This probably doesn’t deserve it’s own section but I gave it one because why not. When you boot up the Xbox, you are greeted with one of the best boot animations of all time. A glowing green blob contained in something that resembles a sci-fi looking nuclear reactor. The blob then breaks out of its containment and forms the best Xbox logo ever made.

After said boot animation, you get to the system’s main menu or into whatever game is in the optical media receptacle. This menu is, in my opinion, the first modern console menu. With things like video setting, a media player, online feature access, storage management, etc. Also, it looks awesome. That’s just a fact.

Controller

The Duke is good, and I say this as someone with small hands, the S isn’t.

Conclusion

The Original Xbox is good. It has good games and they aren’t that pricey.