The list of Xbox 360 titles capable of running on the new Xbox One keeps on growing; the Xbox Backwards compatibility is proving to be an incredible exercise of preserving the history of Xbox.
Whilst the latest generation console is incapable of running titles from the previous generation – something in stark contrast to the original release of Xbox 360 – the Backwards Compatibility Program brings – at the least – the best of the Xbox 360 era to Xbox One.
The Backwards Compatibility program now boasts more than 290 titles in total, with the latest being Shadowrun, Space Ark, and Shotest Shogi.
Shadowrun
Developed by the same studio that gave us classics such as Crimson Skies and MechWarrior; Shadowrun is a multiplayer RPG FPS that tries to blend modern weaponry with ancient combat and magic.
It’s an interesting idea, but the game had a few unusual features as well – at its launch, Shadowrun was one of the first-ever cross-platform first-person shooters, allowing players on PC to match up with players on Xbox 360.
Of course, a cross-platform first person shooter is still a rare sight due to reasons quite obvious today, but the game attempted to be ahead of its time – and it was, in some ways.
Shadowrun, Space Ark and Shotest Shogi are coming to Xbox One Backward Compatibility today https://t.co/qPMRNrLoTQ pic.twitter.com/iDNwpyFA5N
— / Larry Hryb / (@majornelson) December 8, 2016
Space Ark
Space Ark is a game that shares much of its mechanics with a certain religious tale; the game is an arcade one, with the goal of terraforming planets.
To terraform planets, you need to gather all the animals and fruits you can; hit some combos, and beat the new high score while doing it.
Shotest Shogi
Shogi is a variation of Chess from Japan; Shotest Shogi wasn’t meant to be a game – developed as an AI engine by Jeff Rollason, it was adopted by AI Factory and Rubicon Development to create the game.
The game transports you to Japan, where you play Shogi… with an AI; the game features a tutorial for those who do not understand the rules of Shogi, and include a ‘Western style’ piece set for those unfamiliar with the Shogi traditions.
Availability
The three titles are now available via the Xbox Store; if you own any of these titles on a disc, just insert the disc, and the Xbox One will start downloading the backwards-compatible version – note that you will need to insert the disc every time you want to play the game.
If you owned any of these titles digitally – a much more likely scenario for Shotest Shogi, as it is an XBLA title – the backwards-compatible versions should just appear in your library, ready to install.
To check out the full list of Backwards Compatible Xbox titles, head over to Major Nelson’s blog.
