What are the most expensive Xbox games?
We looked at the prices on CeX’s website (WeBuy.com) to find out which titles top the list, and whether they’re worth playing for such expensive price tags. Expect to see some picks from popular franchises, like Jaws Unleashed, Castlevania: Curse Of Darkness and OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast.
Transcript
Ok so this is the third time I’ve done this now so you know the drill. CeX is a second hand game shop in the UK, and they’ve made a new category for the rarest, most expensive games on a bunch of retro consoles.
I’ve already talked about PS2 and Gamecube, and it’s been fun, eye opening and sometimes traumatising checking out the games with the biggest price tags. Honestly, I didn’t think it’d have such a physical effect on me, please watch the first two to make it worth the damage.
But this time around, we’re looking at the original Xbox, and what games will set you back the most. I was actually really looking forward to this one; while I was a PlayStation boy growing up, I got an Xbox a little later down the line, and I think it’s aged pretty damn well all things considered. Multiplatform games tend to look best on it, that second gen controller is nice and comfy and let’s be honest, it’s incredibly easy to hack, meaning I could play most of these games authentically without risking homelessness.
Usual rules apply, we’ll start with the least expensive, working up to the most butt-clenching prices. Let’s go!
Jaws Unleashed
Hey, we owe our very name to sharks, so we have to have a soft spot for games that lets us play as our favourite aquatic killers.
Jaws Unleashed does just that, letting you play as an escaped shark, chomping its way through the waters of Amity Island. But while I may be biassed and I did have fun for a little while, I can see why critics blamed it for being pretty shallow and a bit buggy.
It’s fun for a few hours, but for £95 for a mint copy, you’re really not getting your money’s worth. And this is one of those really weird cases where we have a game based on a popular movie franchise, by all accounts it sold well back in the day, yet still costs a small fortune.
I don’t get, but if you want a game that lets you swim around as a shark at a fraction of the price, check out 2020’s Maneater. We did a review way back then and it’s much better than Jaws Unleashed. Trust me.
Nightcaster 2
A sequel to one of the very first Xbox games, Nightcaster 2 tries to do some neat things. In this dark fantasy RPG, you’re able to control your character’s direction with one analog stick, while using the other to aim spells. This, combined with a big roster of enemies and abilities to play around with, and it all sounds pretty promising. On paper.
In reality it was unbalanced, buggy and generally a bad time. You’ll die every two seconds, there’s the stupid techno soundtrack that doesn’t fit the vibe at all, and the level design is just so unbelievably basic that it feels procedurally generated.
Also £95 for this one, and that’s at least £96 too expensive.
Frankie Dettori Horse Racing
It can be great when an athlete or celebrity lends their name to a game. Tony Hawk Pro Skater, John Madden Football, Shaun White’s Snowboarding.
It can also be very funny. Dick Vitale’s “Awesome, Baby!” College Hoops, Shaq Fu and Cheggers Party Quiz all come to mind. And Frankie Dettori Horse Racing definitely falls under this category.
As far as horse racing simulators go, it’s fine, but I think you really have to be into horse racing to enjoy it. It has more depth than I was expecting. There’s a full season mode where you have to train, trade and race your big ponies, and a betting mode where you literally put money on virtual races and watch them unfold. I reckon there’s a parallel timeline where the betting mode of Frankie Dettori Horse Racing is trending on Twitch. It just has that vibe.
But in our dystopian timeline, not many people bought it, meaning it now fetches £110. Think we might have to take ol’ Frankie to the glue factory before we pay that price. They take the jockeys too, right?
OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast
The second sequel to the 1986 SEGA classic, OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast is an arcade racer and a bloody good one at that.
Letting you tear up beautiful, coastline tracks with tight, easy to pick up to hard to master gameplay, it’s a real hidden gem that feels just as good now as it did nearly 20 years ago. The only reason I can think that it didn’t sell well was that it came out right at the end of the Xbox’s lifespan, meaning most people had their eyes on the 360.
£120 is pretty steep for any game, but if you can find it for a good price (or via… other means), this is one you definitely need to check out.
Gene Troopers
Oh you know a game’s going to be good when it has no Wikipedia page and Metacritic entries like “A bitter disappointment in almost all accounts”. Gene Troopers, consider me excited.
In reality, it’s about as generic as it gets. A sci-fi FPS where you’re a member of a ragtag group of rebels taking down an evil empire. The lack of effort is genuinely impressive.
There’s an attempt at RPG skill building, but it’s about as shallow as a puddle, and the whole experience was about as forgettable as can be. I played this two days ago at the time of recording and I’m struggling to recall anything of note.
£145 for a forgettable experience. Sounds like a night out with me.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Mutant Nightmare
Last time out I talked about how Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Battle Nexus was one of the most expensive GameCube games, and how it was a really soulless successor to the turtle’s arcade classics.
Yeah, same deal here with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Mutant Nightmare on the Xbox. Just really poorly lit, bland beat ‘em action that barely tries and still fails.
Like its predecessor, the only redeeming feature is that you get a version of a classic TMNT game included, this time Turtles in Time. But like before, I’m pretty sure you can play it in your browser. For free.
This game costs £175. Do the maths.
Castlevania: Curse Of Darkness
Oh thank God, an actually good game. Castlevania: Curse Of Darkness continues the gothic action series with some really weird turns that you’ll either love or hate, but at least they’re interesting, which can’t be said for many games on this list.
It’s surprisingly funny, the story’s pretty great and the gameplay is what you’d come to expect from 3D Castlevania. But the level design is just plop. Long, boring brown stages that can’t help but make things feel a little underwhelming. It’s such a shame when one aspect lets down what would otherwise be a really solid package,
Like most Castlevania games, Curse of Darkness held its value very well, now sitting at £210. And that’s not even close to the most expensive Castlevania game on CeX’s. Just look at that, it makes £210 seem quaint.
Steel Battalion
Ok, so Steel Battalion is a bit of an outlier on this list. While the game on its own is pricey, we start getting into really silly money when you bundle it with its controller.
One of the most hardcore mech games out there, it’s only playable with a massive controller that looks like it could pilot a spaceship, including over 40 buttons, two control sticks, and three foot pedals. Naturally I’m not going to buy it, but it looks genuinely impressive, and I’d love to give it a go with all the bells and whistles.
But you’re paying £320 for a controller that literally only works with one game. Even if they told me I needed a £320 controller to play Simpsons Hit & Run – my favourite game of all time, I couldn’t justify it. I’d be sad, but I wouldn’t do it.
Either way, you’ll have to review this one. I’m sure it’s fine.
Room Zoom
There always seems to be a D-list arcade racer on these lists, and the Xbox edition is no different with Room Zoom, which (if nothing else), wins for having the funnest name to say.
What’s less fun is actually playing it. It’s really generic, bland and doesn’t come with any multiplayer, which for a racing game is shocking. That’s like Pong never having a second paddle or We Dare making me spank myself.
£330. £330 to be bored. And to add insult to injury, it’s only £15 on PS2. Don’t ask me why, I don’t care. I never want to think about this game again.
Xiaolin Showdown
Bloody hell I remember Xiaolin Showdown! Absolute peak mid-2000s after school cartoon vibes, but one I don’t ever see anyone talk about.
Naturally coming out in the mid-2000s, it needed a game tie-in, and it got a pretty mediocre beat-em up. Sure you get to play as all the characters in the show and sure, the cell-shaded graphics are pretty faithful but it’s just… eh?
Its only real claim to fame is that it was the very last Xbox game released in Europe, coming as late as June 2007. This was prime Halo 3 era, so we were all too busy finishing the fight to check it out.
But for the few sickos who picked up Xiaolin Showdown instead of Halo (yes, it’s one or the other. You couldn’t have both), you’re now sitting on as much as £550. You could get a pretty good Master Chief costume for that price and finish the fight yourself!
I know where my money’s going – 1,100 copies of FIFA 2002 World Cup, where you could slide tackle the goalkeeper and get a straight red card whenever you wanted. Good times,
So that’s the most expensive, rarest Xbix games in the UK according to CeX, and while there’s a couple of gems in this list, I think the GameCube’s offerings still win it for me. You can check out that video next if you want to see what I’m talking about, but whatever way you come down on the debate, both consoles beat the PS2 handedly simply by not having Snow White and the Seven Clever Boys. If you know, you know.
And before you go, make sure to like and subscribe for plenty more on all things gaming, check out our movie channel UDS Films and visit upsidedownshark.com for everything else.
Until then my name is Tom, this has been UDS and we’ll see you next time.
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Tom Baker
I like Star Wars, heavy metal and BBQ Pringles.
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