At the Xbox 20th Anniversary event, Microsoft announced that 76 new Xbox and Xbox 360 games will be added to their backward compatibility program. The games run the gamut from cult favorites like 50 Cent: Blood On the Sand to multiple Star Wars games. Gamers will be able to play all those games on modern Xbox consoles, including the Xbox Series X.

The announcement is a double-edged sword for fans of classic Xbox games (and game preservation). As welcome as it is to see old favorites make it to new hardware, with some getting visual upgrades like FPS boost, Microsoft also announced that this will be Xbox's last backward compatibility update. Due to circumstances including licensing and technical constraints, many games didn't make the cut.

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer

While Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a multimedia franchise, with a lengthy comic book run still going strong, it's never had much of a presence in video games. Buffy hasn't appeared in a video game since the 2009 Nintendo DS title Sacrifice. She hasn't even joined other horror icons as a guest character in Mortal Kombat, although it has at least been discussed.

One of Buffy's two console outings was an Xbox exclusive. It was a well-reviewed title at the time of its 2002 release. Critics praised it for being a good action game with appeal beyond Buffy fandom, but it certainly delivered for that audience as well. Characters like Spider-Man have enough video game appearances that licensing issues making some of their games unavailable doesn't sting too much. Buffy doesn't have that luxury, so it's a shame that her best game appearance is most accessible through Let's Play videos.

Jet Set Radio Future

Players skating in Jet Set Radio Future

There are multiple examples of series' only partially getting backward compatibility. Games are missing from franchises like TimeSplitters, Ninja Gaiden, and Burnout, for instance. The most disappointing omission might be Jet Set Radio Future, the Xbox sequel to the Sega Dreamcast classic Jet Set Radio. Its graphics, setting, and unique gameplay combining skating and tagging have never been matched.

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Jet Set Radio Future's lack of compatibility with modern consoles is especially puzzling given that it is compatible with the Xbox 360. Given Sega's lack of interest in doing anything with the franchise, likely due to how much of a flop Future was in the U.S. and Japan, backward compatibility was the best shot at playing the game on modern hardware. Fans will have to hope Future's spiritual successor Bomb Rush Cyberfunk can fill the void when it launches in 2022.

Lollipop Chainsaw

Screenshot of Juliet in combat from Lollipop Chainsaw

Lollipop Chainsaw is practically the last game anyone would expect to get a re-release. Music rights (the game featured songs like Tony Basil's "Mickey" prominently) and the game's polarizing reception make it unlikely WB Games will ever make an effort to remaster Lollipop Chainsaw, much less remake it. Its best chance to make it to the current gaming generation was a surprise backward compatibility inclusion like heavy metal fantasy Brütal Legend has enjoyed.

That makes its lack of inclusion in the backward compatibility program disappointing. A collaboration between two creative voices as unique as  James Gunn and SUDA51, featuring voice acting by a cast including nerd icons like Tara Strong and Michael Rosenbaum, should be accessible just for curiosity's sake. Fans of the original release can see if it still holds up. Those that never got a chance to play it can judge whether it's a true cult classic or just the inspiration for a lot of cosplay.

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Marvel vs. Capcom 2

The roster of characters as seen in Marvel vs Capcom 2

At this point, Marvel vs. Capcom 2's absence from modern consoles is less of a surprise and more of a disappointment. After enjoying a re-release on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, the classic tag-team fighting game skipped a whole generation of consoles. There is some hope that discussions between Capcom and Disney will lead to a remaster. That's hard to pin hopes on until it's officially announced. It's also difficult to put faith in remastering a classic game and doing it justice right now in the wake of the Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - Definitive Edition debacle. 

Adding the Xbox Live edition of MvC 2 to Xbox's backward compatibility program would have satisfied fans who made "#FreeMVC2" trend on Twitter. It added the only things the Xbox version lacked, online multiplayer and high-definition graphics. There isn't much that could be improved upon by a further remaster.

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Persona 4 Arena Ultimax

Persona 4 Arena Ultimax

The Persona series' footprint on Xbox consoles has been limited to the fighting game spin-off for Persona 4. The first installment, Persona 4 Arena, is available through backward compatibility. Its sequel, Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, won't be joining it on modern Xboxes. That's a shame for multiple reasons.

The first is that the Persona 4 Arena games serve as sequels to Persona 4. While the action takes place in traditional one-on-one fighting game style, the story is told through visual novel interludes. Ultimax concludes the storyline started in its predecessor, meaning anyone who picked it on up via backward compatibility on the Xbox One won't get the whole story. They'll also miss out on Ultimax's expanded roster, which includes eight new characters.

Even if they aren't Persona fans, Xbox players who didn't play the game during the 360 era are missing out on a fighting game from Arc System Works, the developers behind Guilty Gear, BlazBlue. While they do get access to the developer's recent hit Dragon Ball FighterZ via Game Pass, it's unfortunate they won't be able to play Ultimax on their current set-up.

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