Last time we checked, almost all of us still have standard television sets at home. We'd be lucky to have 480p support let alone any real HDTV resolutions. With that in mind, we've gathered together nine Xbox 360 launch games that also have Xbox versions for a head-to-head graphical comparison between games developed for both systems. We kept resolutions at 480p, so the 360 won't be able to hide behind the image-quality advantages a higher resolution gives you. Normal televisions support 480i, but the image quality should be close to 480p, especially if we're looking only at still images.

Note that the quality of the screenshots in this feature aren't as nice as the usual game screenshots we obtain using special cables and image capture devices. With the exception of one Need for Speed Most Wanted shot, we used normal component cables with both systems to keep the comparison even.

Madden 06

Madden 06 for the Xbox 360 isn't just a port of the original Xbox version. EA has rebuilt the game from the ground up and has put a lot of work into making Madden 06's graphics worthy of the Xbox 360 platform. The game features improved player models and animations and even-more-realistic stadium environments. The game shines in HD resolutions, but the graphical improvements still come through at 480p, albeit grainier.

The graphics are fantastic, but EA had to cut several features to get the game ready in time for launch. You may want to stick with the Xbox version if you want a Madden game that has a full franchise mode rather than the eviscerated version cobbled together for the 360.

Xbox vs. Xbox 360 - Mouse over image to compare the difference!

Tony Hawk's American Wasteland

If you already have the PS2 or Xbox version of Tony Hawk's American Wasteland, don't bother getting the Xbox 360 version. The game looks and plays exactly like the other versions released on older platforms, except the 360 version forces you into a widescreen mode.

The 360 gamepad's new shoulder buttons do help with control, but it isn't worth shelling out the extra $10 for the 360 version of the game. Playing in HD doesn't improve the game much either since it exposes the simple character models and glitchy environment bugs.

Xbox vs. Xbox 360 - Mouse over image to compare the difference!

Peter Jackson's King Kong

The Xbox version of Peter Jackson's King Kong already looks fantastic, but the Xbox 360 version gives its Xbox competition a good thrashing like it's a misbehaving T-rex. The game uses the 360's hefty GPU and memory subsystem to produce improved lighting effects and juiced-up monster models for an even more memorable Kong experience.

The jungle environments benefit from high-resolution textures and excellent lighting. Resizing the image down to 480p adds a definite blockiness, but you can still recognize the quality of the source.

Xbox vs. Xbox 360 - Mouse over image to compare the difference!