Here are the Top 20 best-selling original Xbox games—back when consoles were chunky, multiplayer meant sitting on the same couch, and blowing on discs didn’t actually help (but we did it anyway). Sales figures are approximate worldwide totals.
🥇 1. Halo: Combat Evolved (Sales: ~6.43 million)
Why it sold: It single-handedly justified buying the Xbox and made “sticky grenades” a part of our vocabulary. Master Chief carried Microsoft harder than Clippy ever did
🥈 2. Halo 2 (Sales: ~8.49 million)
Why it sold: Because Halo 1 was great—and now you could teabag strangers online! Xbox Live was born, and suddenly, kids were yelling “NOOB” into $19.99 headsets.
🥉 3. Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell (Sales: ~6 million)
Why it sold: Gamers love sneaking around in the dark—Sam Fisher crouched more than most of us do at the gym. It was like Solid Snake with night vision and a grudge.
4. Fable (Sales: ~3 million)
Why it sold: You could fart in public and grow devil horns—what more could a gamer want? Also, Peter Molyneux’s promises were worth at least 2 million sales.
5. Project Gotham Racing 2 (Sales: ~2.5 million)
Why it sold: Because it was racing, but classy. Style mattered more than speed. Finally, a game for people who like parallel parking with flair.
6. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR) (Sales: ~2.3 million)
Why it sold: Star Wars, but with moral choices and the ability to ruin your relationships by turning Sith. Darth Revan > any movie twist since.
7. Dead or Alive 3 (Sales: ~2 million)
Why it sold: Let’s be honest—people came for the “jiggle physics” and stayed for the surprisingly decent fighting mechanics. A staple of awkward dorm rooms everywhere.
8. Forza Motorsport (Sales: ~1.5 million)
Why it sold: Microsoft’s answer to Gran Turismo, but more forgiving. Also, you could put tribal flames on a Toyota Corolla and race it like a champ.
9. Grand Theft Auto: Double Pack (GTA III + Vice City) (Sales: ~1.5 million)
Why it sold: Two games, one disk, endless mayhem. Who needs a storyline when you can drive a tank through Miami while listening to 80s synth pop?
10. Counter-Strike (Sales: ~1.5 million)
Why it sold: Console CS! Terrorists vs. Counter-Terrorists—and someone yelling “go B!” while holding the bomb. PC fans scoffed, Xbox fans sprayed and prayed.
11. The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (Sales: ~1.4 million)
Why it sold: You could become the chosen one… after spending 2 hours trying to figure out how to leave the starting town. Combat felt like swinging a pool noodle, but we loved it.
12. Need for Speed: Underground 2 (Sales: ~1.4 million)
Why it sold: Because street racing + neon lights + a Bangin’ soundtrack = pure gold. Also, car customization made us all feel like Vin Diesel’s unpaid interns.
13. Madden NFL 06 (Sales: ~1.3 million)
Why it sold: It’s Madden. It sells no matter what. You could swap the year and no one would notice—except maybe the new haircut on the cover athlete.
14. Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon (Sales: ~1.2 million)
Why it sold: Because sometimes you want to be tactical, not run-and-gun. Also because Tom Clancy had a 10-game-a-year quota.
15. Ninja Gaiden (Sales: ~1.2 million)
Why it sold: Pain. Pure, glorious pain. This game handed you your butt on a katana and asked you to thank it.
16. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 (Sales: ~1.2 million)
Why it sold: You couldn’t skate IRL, but here you could grind a roller coaster. The soundtrack also doubled as your personality in high school.
17. The Simpsons: Hit & Run (Sales: ~1.2 million)
Why it sold: Like GTA, but with donuts. And yelling. And way fewer lawsuits. This game gave us chaos with a side of D’oh!
18. Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge (Sales: ~1.1 million)
Why it sold: Air combat + pulp fiction vibes = criminally underrated. Plus, nothing says “cool” like shooting planes with a joystick that clicks.
19. SoulCalibur II (Sales: ~1 million)
Why it sold: Fighting with swords, a guest appearance by Spawn, and enough flair to make a Renaissance fair blush.
20. Need for Speed: Most Wanted (Sales: ~1 million)
Why it sold: Cops, speed, BMWs, and that Blacklist. Running from the law never felt so cinematic—or so full of slow-motion crashes.
