atora
@atora

Back compat, a feature Xbox fans (like myself) often tout as a big and important feature of the Xbox One/Series X.

The program closed in November 2021 with 633/2,155 games from the Xbox 360 being playable on One/Series X, and a shockingly low 63/996 Original Xbox games playable.

Now a lot of the biggest games from the 360 are playable, but there is something pretty noticeable about what games are lacking.
Namely, the program almost entirely omitted Japan only releases.
Microsoft claimed the only games remaining had licensing issues, but all of CAVE, Triangle Service, Konami, Taito's shmups and more are still all digitally listed on the Japanese Xbox 360 store, and those companies all still own the rights to the listed games.

Out of the over 100 Japan only Xbox 360 releases, just 5 are on back compat.
That being:

  • Clannad
  • Cyber Troopers Virtual-On
  • and the three Steins;Gate VNs
    That is an exhaustive list.

And of the international releases for shmups, these are the only ones on back compat:

  • Bullet Soul
  • Bullet Soul: Infinite Burst
  • Guwange
  • Ikaruga
  • Radiant Silvergun
  • Raiden IV
  • R-Type Dimensions
  • Sine Mora
  • Strania
  • Triggerheart Exelica (Delisted recently)
    Again, that is an exhaustive list

I can't think of a worse platform to play shmups on than the Xbox One/Series X, I genuinely think the Original Xbox might have gotten more important shmup releases than the Xbox One.

It's a sad situation all around, and with the Xbox 360 store closing in July, I don't think Microsoft are interested in finally bringing the Japanese exclusives over, what a shame...


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