Xbox's top five game

Microsoft's first console was far more powerful than the competition and offered a huge collection of really great games that simply weren't possible on other formats, and these were the best.

5. Splinter Cell

When Ubisoft was set to release Splinter Cell, it was widely regarded as a Metal Gear Solid clone for Xbox. But once it arrived, the criticism died down. Instead of an over-the-top, silly Japanese adventure with a lot of humour, we were greeted with a gritty spy thriller with the best stealth the industry has ever seen - and a protagonist who instantly captured the hearts of gamers. I hate stealth games, and the fact that this still makes the list speaks louder than anything else about how utterly superior it actually was (I really wanted to include Panzer Dragoon Orta, but it wouldn't have been right).

4. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

Bioware had not yet been acquired by EA and Star Wars was not owned by Disney. In the hands of this super-talented studio, it led to an unrivalled adventure that let us explore a whole new Star Wars era. Darth Malak was a phenomenal villain in a role-playing game that went beyond anything else released at the time and clearly showed that Bioware - in its heyday - was better at making Star Wars than George Lucas. This is still today the best Star Wars game of all-time.

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3. Ninja Gaiden Black

I love ninjas, third-person action, and awesome boss fights, and I think a perfect controller is the most important thing Xbox has always offered. Ninja Gaiden offered all this, and also excelled with slightly unreal graphics, but the camera was rubbish and held it back. This and a few other things were adjusted in the Black edition, which in every way can only be described as a perfect title, which I don't think any ninja game will ever be able to beat. Absolute pure magic and some of my favourite gaming memories come from this particular adventure.

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2. The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay

This game was impressively good, through and through. When I first saw it, I thought it was fake. It couldn't be that good looking. But... yes, Starbreeze delivered an almost shockingly good action-adventure that trumps everything else with Riddick several times over. Behind the amazing graphics was a varied action-adventure with really original ideas, varied environments and many spectacular scenes - as well as one-liners that me and my partner still use on each other today. One of the most powerful gaming experiences I've ever had.

1. Halo: Combat Evolved

While we're on the subject of great gaming experiences, let me dust off the best one of them all. Ever. But before I get to explaining my reasoning, let me start with saying that Halo: Combat Evolved was a game I didn't even want. My oldest friend went to the US on holiday and I asked him to buy an Xbox for me when the console didn't launch in Sweden. I wanted it for Dead or Alive 3, but he only agreed if I let him buy and play Halo: Combat Evolved too. And that was just lucky, because Dead or Alive 3 was indeed played to pieces, but this was something else. The vast world, the interaction with the music, the magnificent enemies, the story and, of course, Master Chief changed me forever. My friends and I played this every week for years and no game has ever made a bigger impression on me, or offered more wonderful memories.