Dr. Henry Jones, Jr. has spent a lifetime (or at least four films) tracking down and uncovering rare antiquities: those items that, despite their value, have become buried by the sands of time (and the occasional desert). We can apply the teachings of Dr. Jones ("You call this archeology?!") to the current sports game landscape to dig up valued artifacts that have become lost on current consoles.

Plus if you are like a lot of people, you may find yourself wary about constantly dropping $60+ on new sports games, especially those with questionable "current gen" track records (I'm looking at you, Madden and MLB2K). Add in that pesky word "exclusivity" which leaves little choice when it comes to getting your football or baseball fix on modern platforms, and you have a recipe for boundless amounts of tears.

However, many 360 sports gamers overlook the wealth of backward compatible sports games available on their console -- sorry PS3 owners, while some of these games do apply to you folks too, I'm keeping this article 360-centric since I have more experience with it. Sure, the last-gen games lack the slick graphics and current rosters of their updated counterparts, but there is still fun to be had if you know where to look. In the spirit of Indiana Jones, let's uncover some "buried treasure":

ESPN NFL 2K5
Let's get the big one out of the way; the "Holy Grail" of backwards compatibility, if you will. It came as a surprise to some OS regulars, but the best sports game of all time (as voted by OS readers) was finally made backward compatible last year. The graphics and presentation are still superb and it is possible to import current rosters if you have the right hardware. It was a bargain when it debuted at $19.99, and it's even more of a steal now -- you can find it for under $3 in many stores.

Deathrow
This game flew under most people's radars when it came out late in 2002, but it is a unique sports game that combines aspects of basketball, ultimate Frisbee, football, and boxing into a futuristic sport called blitz. It's a bit edgy, complete with a button that allows you to give your opponents the finger (really!) and full of explicit language. But beneath all of its "extremeness" lies a sports game that requires strategy, skill, and sense of humor. It's surprisingly deep and a great deal of fun as a multiplayer game.

All-Star Baseball 2005
The 2004 baseball season introduced three pretty good baseball games: MVP 2005, ESPN Major League Baseball (also backward compatible), and All-Star Baseball 2005. While each had strong points, it seems MVP 2005 has emerged as the long-running favorite. That said, ASB has some key features that have made it a joy to go back to. Its franchise mode includes things such as winter meetings, Rule 5 drafts, and 40-man rosters. It also has an expansion feature that allows you to create a team and participate in an expansion draft. Finally, it has multiple options for a simulated count -- perfect for speeding up games. The gameplay isn't as smooth as its rivals, but these rare features make it worth checking out for franchise fans.

High Heat Baseball 2004
If it's hard to remember a year where there were three solid baseball titles, venture back in time to 2003 when there were four titles you could choose from for your Xbox console. Adding to the MVP, ASB, and World Series Baseball mix was High Heat Baseball, an import from PCs and Sony consoles. While lacking some of ASB's franchise innovations and the interactivity of MVP's controls, High Heat is considered by many to be the most realistic playing baseball game on the console.

NHL Hitz 20-03
Midway's arcade hockey title may have disappeared on current consoles, but this game is a surprisingly addictive choice for the Xbox 360. It's three-on-three hockey at its finest, full of hard hits, crazy teams, and plenty of fun multiplayer action. If you are a solo sports enthusiast, you can still spend plenty of time in the game's franchise mode. You create a team full of custom players and work on dominating the arcade hockey world. You can win equipment, hire free agents (if they want to join your team), and upgrade players. Finally, and this is something that I think is overdue in other similar games, when you complete the world franchise mode, you can take your team into the regular NHL season mode.

Links 2004
For those who grow tired of Tiger Woods' "casual-style" gameplay, this version of the venerable PC golf game may satisfy. The presentation is off and there's not nearly as much customization as EA's golf offerings, but it still plays a pretty solid game of golf. Its big selling point at the time was online play -- Live was just getting off the ground.

ESPN 2K5 Series:
Most of the games on this list were chosen because they serve as an alternative, i.e. they don't exist in current iterations. With the exception of NFL 2K, the rest of the ESPN line of games still exist (as NBA 2K, NHL 2K, College Hoops 2K (until next year), and MLB 2K). Most are backward compatible (not NBA 2K5, and only the 2004 MLB game) and were reviewed very well when they were released in 2004/2005. If you haven't tried these games or their contemporary counterparts, it's worth it to pick them up (usually in the bargain bins), not simply for the fine gameplay, but to see the ESPN rights being put to good use. These were some of the first games to bring presentation up to television quality.

SEGA Soccer Slam
While it's true that some very decorated soccer titles are on the backward compatibility list, including various FIFAs and World Soccer Winning Eleven 9, those titles have found some success on modern consoles. Soccer Slam was a one-time game that has truly remained buried, beneath other traditional and arcade soccer titles. Much like NHL Hitz 20-03, this game is rich with replayability, in both multiplayer and single-player quest mode. Truly varied teams and unique comic-inspired graphics make this one worth checking out, if you can find it.

F1 2001
This game takes us back to the very early days of Microsoft's console, but may be the best option for an open-wheeled racing game on the 360. It has a number of gameplay modes, both multi and single-player, and is fairly tunable and accessible for any racing fans.

Yourself!Fitness
With all of the press Wii Fit is getting, it's surprising that this game didn't get as much attention when it came out in 2004. Actually, game may not be the right word; it's more like a virtual fitness trainer. After some initial evaluations, Mia (your trainer) suggests a schedule and workout regimen for you to follow. There are a ton of exercises, and even recipes for healthy cooking. There are also a few unlockables, such as workout rooms and music. All in all a solid title, although it relies on your dedication to be effective. This is still your best (and only) option for a pure fitness game on the 360.


As Indy told Marion, "It's not the years, it's the mileage." There's certainly some mileage left in these old games; playing them may save you a few dollars (enough to go see the latest Indy flick) while adventuring through the empire of declining sports game choices.