TeamXBox.com have posted a cool little tip on how to enable custom soundtracks on backwards compatible games on the XBox 360.

It's a bit of a hack, and one problem is that the music will play along with additional background music, so the best idea is to use a game that allows you to turn off the soundtrack.

If you're Brian Crecente, all you have to do is simply go into the music player, put on the Weather Sister's It's Raining Men!, then boot up a backwards compatible game like Halo 2 and flounce about to a startlingly appropriate background music, considering your general deathmatch ability. Florian Eckhardt

Enable Custom Soundtracks for XBox Games [Team XBox]

Hit the jump for the full insanity.

Nobody is concerned anymore about backwards compatibility. We under promised and over delivered on that. It's a very complicated thing... very complex work. I'm just stunned that we have hundreds of games that are backwards compatible.

He added: "more are coming, but at some point, you just go, there's enough, let's move on, or people aren't as worried about a game being backwards compatible - and I like to think we've upheld our end of the bargain in making at least two or maybe three hundred games backwards compat."

Just when I was starting to respect the man he has to go all crazy talk on me. Brian Crecente

Moore Talks [Kikizo] [Thanks Nick]

IGN debunks a myth circulating that Microsoft wasn't planning on doing any more backwards compatibility work for the company's Xbox to Xbox 360 transition. The good word is that the BC team is on vacation this month and then will be back behind the plow working on the BC games and list after their holiday.

Microsoft Still Working on BC Games [IGN]

In a nutshell, the current list of titles they are working on comes from gamer feedback. The reason some of the crap titles were on the initial list was because they happened to be nearly compatible already and they hope to continue to make future Xbox titles BC. The bad news is that the BC crew is taking a much needed vacation through the beginning of January, so expect a bit of a delay before the next batch of games go backwards compatible.

If you guys are listening, please, please, please make America's Army backwards compatible. I've got a serious addiction to that game right now.

Backwards Compatibility Update 1.2 [Gamerscore Blog]

Xbox 360 Backwards Compatibility List Updated [Major Nelson]
The Complete Backwards Compatible List [Xbox.com]

Alias
Aliens vs. Predator: Extinction
All-Star Baseball 2003
Amped
ATV Quad Power Racing 2
Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance 2
Barbie Horse Adventure
Batman Begins
Battle Engine Aquila
Battlestar Galactica
BMX XXX
Brute Force
Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Chaos Bleeds
Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth
Call of Duty: Finest Hour
Colin McRae 4
Combat Elite
Commandos 2
Conflict: Desert Storm
Constantine
Crash Bandicoot: Twinsanity
Crash Nitro Kart
Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Curse - The Eye of Isis
Dark Angel
Darkwatch
Deadly Skies
Deathrow
Dinotopia
Dead or Alive 3
Egg Mania
Euro 2004
Fable
Fable: The Lost Chapters
FIFA 2003
FIFA 2004
FIFA Street 2005
Fight Night 2004
Fight Night Round 2
Forza Motorsport
Freedom Fighters
Futurama
Fuzion Frenzy
Genma Onimusha
Goblin Commander
Grand Theft Auto III
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Gravity Games Bike: Street. Vert. Dirt.
Half-Life 2
Halo
Halo 2
Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter & The Philosopher's Stone
Hitman: Contracts
House of the Dead 3
Jade Empire
James Bond 007: Nightfire
Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
Judge Dredd: Dredd vs. Death
Jurassic Park Genesis
Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
Loons Fight for Fame
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
Manhunt
Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX 2
Max Payne
Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
Medal of Honor 3 Rising Sun
Medal of Honor Frontline
Medal of Honor: European Assault
Metal Arms: Glitch in the System
MicroMachines
Mike Tyson Heavyweight Boxing
Mortal Kombat: Deception
MTV Music Generator 3
NBA Live 2003
NBA Live 2004
Need For Speed: Underground 2
NHL 2004
NHL Hitz 20-03
Ninja Gaiden
Ninja Gaiden Black
Outlaw Golf 2
Outlaw Volleyball
Pariah
Phantom Crash
Pitfall: The Lost Expedition
Predator: Concrete Jungle
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Pro Evolution Soccer 5
Pro Race Driver
Puyo Puyo Fever
Quantum Redshift
Red Dead Revolver
Red Faction II
Robotech: Battle Cry
Rocky: Legends
Rogue Ops
Samurai Warriors
Scooby Doo: Night of 100 Frights
Scrapland
SeaWorld: Shamu's Deep Sea Adventures
Sega GT 2002
Shadow the Hedgehog
Shellshock: Nam '67
Sid Meier's Pirates!
Simpson's Road Rage
Simpsons: Hit and Run
Soccer Slam
Sonic Heroes
Sonic Mega Collection
Speed Kings
Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy
SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom
Spy Hunter 2
Spyro: A Hero's Tail
SSX 3
Stake
Star Trek: Shattered Universe
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Star Wars: Clone Wars
Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2
Street Racing Syndicate
Stubbs the Zombie: Rebel Without a Pulse
Super Bubble Pop
Super Monkey Ball DX
SX Superstar
Tecmo Classic Arcade
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Terminator: Dawn of Fate
Tetris Worlds
The Great Escape
The Incredible Hulk
The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction
The Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer
The Thing
Thief: Deadly Shadows
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3
Tony Hawk's American Wasteland
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4
Tony Hawk's Underground 2
Toxic Grind
Ty The Tasmanian Tiger
Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 2
Urban Freestyle Soccer
Vexx
Worms 4: Mayhem
Worms Forts Under Siege
WWE Raw 2
XIII

Microsoft is breaking gamers hearts across the sea. According to GameSpot, the Japanese backwards compatible list is just 12 games long. It's after the jump, but heads-up, five of those 12 titles are different iterations of two games. Confused? At least you're not sad like the BC line-up in Japan.

Xbox 360 Compatibility Lacking in Japan [GameSpot]

Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge
Fable
Forza Motorsport
Grand Theft Auto Double Pack
Halo
Halo 2
Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack
Jade Empire
Ninja Gaiden
Ninja Gaiden Black
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3
The Simpsons: Hit & Run

There's a Q&A at Xbox.com that helps explain the process of making games backwards compatible for the 360. Todd Holmdahl, corporate vice president of the Xbox product group, explains that more and more titles are going through the certification in addition to the 200 we mentioned.
The "emulation software" we mentioned in our last post, Holmdahl confirms is going to be free, so you (and I just did, too) can all just breathe a collective sigh of relief. Here's how that software will be acquired, according to Holmdahl: "We ll give gamers a choice you can get the latest software updates from Xbox Live, burn a CD from xbox.com or sign up on Xbox.com for a CD that can be delivered to your home at a nominal shipping and handling fee. Once you get the CD, put it in your Xbox 360 and you re ready to go."

If you plan to play Xbox games on your Xbox 360, you're going to need a hard drive. So Core System purchasers, make sure you get a hard drive accesssory if you plan on playing your Xbox games. It's no surprise that you'd need a hard drive to play the games, but we still figured we'd mention it.

Microsoft mentioned backwards compatibility at E3 and said very little about it after that. Sure, we know that Halo and Halo 2 are backwards compatible, but what about the rest of the Xbox library? Well, the veil is lifted on backwards compatibility tonight and titles like Ninja Gaiden, Forza, Crimson Skies and Fable are all on the list, for the rest of them, click the jump.

The catch, a disclaimer on the site (link after the jump) that reads "Note: A software emulator is required for each original Xbox game you play on your Xbox 360 console. Please check back for more details as we approach the launch date."

Via Xbox.com
* Airforce Delta Storm
* Alias
* Aliens vs. Predator: Extinction
* All Star Baseball 2003
* Amped: Freestyle Snowboarding
* Army Men: Sarge's War
* Atari Anthology
* ATV Quad Power Racing 2
* Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance II
* Barbarian
* Barbie Horse Adventure
* Batman Begins
* Battle Engine Aquila
* Battlestar Galactica
* Blinx 2
* BMX XXX
* Brute Force
* Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Chaos Bleeds
* Cabela s Dangerous Hunts
* Cabela s Outdoor Adventures 06
* Cabela's Deer Hunt 2005
* Cabela's Deer Hunt: 2004 Season
* Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth
* Call of Duty: Finest Hour
* Casino
* Catwoman
* Chicago Enforcer
* Circus Maximus
* Close Combat: First to Fight
* Colin McRae 4
* Combat Elite
* Commandos 2
* Conflict: Desert Storm
* Constantine
* Crash Bandicoot: Twinsanity
* Crash Nitro Kart
* Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge
* Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
* Curse The Eye of Isis
* Dark Angel
* Darkwatch
* Deathrow
* Digimon Rumble Arena
* Dinotopia
* Dead or Alive 3
* Drake
* Egg Mania
* ESPN MLS Extra Time 2002
* Euro 2004
* F1 Championship Season 2001
* Fable
* Fable: The Lost Chapters
* Fairly Odd Parents: Breakin' da Rules
* FIFA 2003
* FIFA 2004
* FIFA Street 2005
* FIFA World Cup 2002
* Fight Night 2004
* Fight Night Round 2
* Ford Mustang Racing
* Ford vs. Chevy
* Forza Motorsport
* Freedom Fighters
* Frogger
* Futurama
* Fuzion Frenzy
* Genma Onimusha
* Goblin Commander
* Grabbed by the Ghoulies
* Grand Theft Auto III
* Grand Theft Auto Vice City
* Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
* Gravity Games Bike: Street. Vert. Dirt.
* Grooverider: Slot Car Thunder
* Half-Life 2
* Halo
* Halo 2
* Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire
* Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone
* He-Man: Defender of Grayskull
* Hitman: Contracts
* House of the Dead 3
* IHRA Drag Racing 2005 Sportsman Edition
* IHRA Professional Drag Racing 2005
* Jade Empire
* James Bond 007: Nightfire
* Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
* Judge Dredd: Dredd vs. Death
* Jurassic Park Operation Genesis
* Kabuki Warrior
* Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer
* Kids Next Door: Operation VIDEOGAME
* kill.switch
* Legends of Wrestling
* Lemony Snicket A Series of Unfortunate Events
* Loons Fight for Fame
* Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
* Manhunt
* Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX 2
* Max Payne
* Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
* Medal of Honor 3 Rising Sun
* Medal of Honor Frontline
* Medal of Honor: European Assault
* Mega Man
* Metal Arms: Glitch in the System
* MicroMachines Odyssey
* Mike Tyson Heavyweight Boxing
* Monster Garage
* Mortal Kombat: Deception
* MTV Music Generator 3
* Murakumo
* MX World Tour - featuring Jamie Little
* Namco Museum X Next Generation
* NBA Live 2003
* NBA Live 2004
* Need For Speed: Underground 2
* NFL Blitz 2002
* NFL Blitz 20-03
* NFL Blitz 20-04
* NHL 2004
* NHL Hitz 20-03
* Ninja Gaiden
* Ninja Gaiden Black
* Outlaw Golf 2
* Outlaw Volleyball
* Pariah
* Phantom Crash
* Pinball Hall of Fame
* Pitfall: The Lost Expedition
* Predator
* Prince of Persia 4: The Sands of Time
* Pro Evolution Soccer 5
* Pro Race Driver
* PUMP IT UP
* Pure Pinball
* Puyo Puyo Fever
* Quantum Redshift
* Rayman Arena
* Raze's Hell
* Red Dead Revolver
* Red Faction II
* RedCard 20-03
* Robotech: Battle Cry
* Rocky: Legends
* Rogue Ops
* Rugby 2005
* Samurai Jack
* Samurai Warriors
* Scooby Doo: Night of 100 Frights
* Scrapland
* SeaWorld: Shamu's Deep Sea Adventures
* Sega GT 2002
* Shadow the Hedgehog
* Shellshock:Nam '67
* Sid Meier's Pirates!
* Simpson's Road Rage
* Simpsons: Hit and Run
* Sneakers
* Sniper Elite: Berlin 1945
* Soccer Slam
* Sonic Heroes
* Sonic Mega Collection
* Speed Kings
* Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy
* Splat Renegade Paintball
* SpongeBob Square Pants:Battle for Bikini Bottom
* Spy Hunter 2
* Spyro: A Hero's Tail
* SSX 3
* Stake
* Star Trek: Shattered Universe
* Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
* Star Wars: Clone Wars
* Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter
* Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic
* Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic 2
* Street Racing Syndicate
* Stubbs the Zombie: Rebel Without a Pulse
* Super Bubble Pop
* Super Monkey Ball DX
* SX Superstar
* Tecmo Classic Arcade
* Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
* Terminator : Dawn of Fate
* Test Drive: Eve of Destruction
* Tetris Worlds
* The Great Escape
* The Incredible Hulk
* The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction
* The Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer
* The Thing
* Thief: Deadly Shadows
* Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon
* Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2
* Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3
* Tony Hawk's American Wasteland
* Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4
* Tony Hawk's Underground 2
* Tork
* Toxic Grind
* Ty The Tasmanian Tiger
* Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 2
* Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 3
* Urban Freestyle Soccer
* Vexx
* Volvo: Drive for Life
* World Series Baseball 2K
* Worms 4: Mayhem
* Worms Forts Under Siege
* WWE Raw 2
* XIII
* Yourself!Fitness

Looks like the neo-PS2 isn't the only Sony console with compatibility problems. "It's hard to say the PlayStation 3 will be 100 percent backwards compatible but as we said earlier this year we aim to make it so as much as possible, " said Sony spokesperson Reiko Sakamoto.

Continuing, Sakamoto pointed out that Sony is committed to backwards compatibility for the next-gen machine. However, with the new PlayStation 2 facing all sorts of bugs, the same seems possible for the PS3.

Geez, this is a heartbreaker. Charging $600 (or whatever) for a machine that isn't backwards compatible would suck.

Really, really suck.

Compat Probs For Sony [DigitalWorldTokyo] Thanks Peter!

While no formal announcements have been made, GamePro's hands-on with an Xbox 360 debug unit yielded playable results from Halo 2 and surprisingly Halo: Combat Evolved. The other unnamed Xbox games they ran through the unit didn't fare so well. We'll see what ends up actually being compatible with the 360 when the announcement is made next week.

GamePro isn't the only place to get to mess around with an Xbox 360 this week. Gizmodo posted some lengthy impressions and details. PC Mag got to mess around with the new console as well. I'm green with envy.

My First Xbox 360 [GamePro]
Xbox 360 Hands-On [Gizmodo]
Hands-On Preview: Xbox 360 [PC Magazine]