Deathrow | Original Xbox Review

All footage was captured off of the original Xbox.
Today, we're looking back into the early days of the original Xbox with a game that didn't pull any punches with Deathrow! Was this prison brawler a critical knockout or a straight-up flop? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Ranking List: backloggd.com/u/CampXbox/list...
Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
0:55 - History
03:17 - Plot
05:43 - Gameplay
11:58 - Visuals
14:20 - Audio
16:05 - Final Thoughts
17:44 - Lasting Impact
20:01 - Outro
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Sources and Further Reading:
1. www.eurogamer.net/southend
2. web.archive.org/web/201312022...
3. web.archive.org/web/201312022...
4. - www.ign.com/articles/2004/04/...
5. - www.gamesindustry.biz/southen...
6. www.gamesindustry.biz/massive...

[@zackeryparkerson]

When I was a kid, my local game shop actually tried to hold a tournament for this game. Me and my best friend were the only two people to show up for it. Lol

[@campxbox]

That means you won!

[@fosty.]

Haha, that's great.

[@GameCubeGalaxy]

Wow this game actually looks REALLY cool! The cover art in the US always made me think it was some generic fighting game, but man was I wrong lol. I’ll definitely have to check this one out! Great review man!

[@campxbox]

Thank you! I agree though the US cover makes it look so generic.

[@Screwheili]

Not having Xbox Live at launch hurt such a fun game, I always thought we'd get a sequel. What a shame it's locked to the OG Xbox. You've definitely inspired me to play this game today. It's also my dream to see 8 people system linked playing this game 😂. This game needs more attention.

[@justin9181]

Guys we’re so close to getting him to over 10 K !!! Let’s go !

[@xROCKLOBSTUHx]

One of my all time favorite games! Glad to see someone give it justice in a review. It feels like yesterday that I was playing this w/three days grace & staind playing thru the custom soundtracks. I'm 35 now, guys. Also I'm a fan of sports & arcade sports games.

[@Tribal_Soldier]

Dude same! I would play Godsmack, Staind, Mudvayne, Chevelle and Deftones as my soundtracks!

[@DP12321]

I absolutely LOVE this game. The 9.3 from IGN was a big deal when it came out. I was a member of the SouthEnd forums and it had a very small dev team. Sadly the game flopped when it released, I think it only sold something like 10k copies. I just wanted to add something you didn't mention and I didn't see in the video: - You can slide tackle when not holding the disc by holding the Left Trigger and using A or B. I also loved how it supported every Xbox feature it could have in October 2002: 4-player splitscreen, System Link, custom soundtracks, 16:9 widescreen, 480p, Dolby 5.1, and it's even backwards compatible on the Xbox 360 where it plays very well. Modern Series X back compat would be a dream. Online Xbox Live play would have been great had it released a bit later. It also had bump-mapped graphics too which looked great. An incredible title that is the epitome of underrated, thanks for covering it. 🎉🎉

[@bedp]

Man I used to love this game as a kid. Got it as a demo disc with that gaming magazine back when that was a thing. I remember going into Babbages and being pumped to find it for only $20 in their discount bin. It was a great alternative to play with friends instead of madden or nhl.

[@Screwheili]

A game that nobody talks about, been waiting for this one!

[@KalvinStrange]

Happy to see this game get its flowers from someone. We need an online competitive community to rise up from this amazing title, or a remake.

[@campxbox]

I need to see this being played at a huge tournament of some kind.

[@jimpatterson1111]

One of my favorites of all time. Impeccable co-op play.

[@DoncoEntAgain]

This game almost seems like something Midway would have put out. They loved their violent, edgy sports games.

[@Tribal_Soldier]

Ah yes, like Blitz: The League.

[@cl2521]

This game was my Fusion Frenzy

[@Tribal_Soldier]

Me and my uncle played the hell out of this game, this will ALWAYS be my favorite xbox game of all time. It has the best character designs that you don't see in games these days. Favorite teams are the Convicts, Nukeheads, Mercs and Crushers. I even convinced my friends to play this game back in the game's 10th anniversary and a couple months later, we actually played the sport itself in real life too, we got to have up to 14 scheduled games but in the 15th game it was cut short cause of that lousy janitor telling on us. Good times, though. And every time my little cousins or nephews ask me if I ever played sports in high school, I tell them the only sport I ever played was Blitz Disc Arena😅

[@Clayton0301]

Couldn’t have asked for a better present to get home to. Thanks man for your hard work! First hit from the blunt goes your way! ♥️😊

[@aceassn716]

This game needs to be remastered! 4vs4 online would have us saying just one more game way to much haha Loved how we could go for injuring/KO’ing a team or outscore them The map design is underrated, powerups were a nice touch, along with the drama of mobsters/sponsors One of the most underrated games ever made

[@Mankey619]

This game reminds me a lot like The Running Man. Where the captured prisoners have to fight for their survival, and win for their freedom.

[@campxbox]

Oh yeah it definitely is influenced by The Running Man.

[@XenonXyanide]

I ripped my own trance soundtracks for use within this game. Good memories with this one. Especially in 4-player spilt screen mode.

[@jameswayton2340]

I remember playing this game with some other dude at school in yea 2005. I was 14 i think. Now at age 33 i started looking at the wikipedia list of ALL xbox games because i only remembered playing the game on these huge xbox controller and by some miracle found the title with luck and then found this video xD. I just remember i loved that i could beat everyone up and that was the way of winning. And oh yea you had these teams and we always picked some team with demon looking dude's and just kicked everyone's ass hahah.

[@bloodrunsclear]

I like how the concept is 'What if Basketball...but also Hockey?'

[@fosty.]

Death Throw! Get it? I hope this was what they intended with that title, because that's what I've always thought.

[@campxbox]

It's so funny you say that because that flew right over my head lol

[@barry-allenthe-flash8396]

Definitely seems like a fun one based on what I've played when I fire up my Xbox; I can't fathom why there aren't more spiritual successors to stuff like this out there on modern platforms. I mean, back in the XBLA days, a 360 version of this would've been PERFECT! Defiitely would've become a cult classic if it hit that right time, y'know? It's not hard to imagine something looking like a more badass looking version of Fuzion Frenzy 2; the aesthetic of a 360 Deathrow successor (from any studio; didn't have to be these guys since they shut down) would've fit in perfect around the time _that game_ released in 2006 or 2007.... Sh**, come to think of it, why isn't there a new digital only online-focused Fuzion Frenzy for Series SX too? That should be, like, a pre-insstalled/pack-in title! C'mon Phil Spencer; what are you doing over there? Priorities, man! 😆

[@campxbox]

I would love to see a new riff on this game. There was an indie game called Bodycheck that was touted as a spiritual successor, but tbh it's not really the same thing. I'd love to see this make some type of return!

[@ryanturner671]

You could do so much with this game. Its one of my favorite games

[@BucketOfNuggets]

Love this game! Needs a hd re release. Or at least backward compatibility

[@whiteboybee92]

Man me and brother fuckin loved this game and truly mis playing and it looks just as fun as it did back then. Great video

[@campxbox]

Glad you enjoyed! Thank you!

[@immasword]

making a sports game over the top violent is pretty much the only way im gonna want to play one outside of the tony hawk games

[@SylvesterAshcroft88]

This reminds me a bit of dead ball zone on the playstation, although that game wasn't as fleshed out as this one, and you only really had one mode in that game.

[@campxbox]

Never heard of that game I'll have to check it out.

[@lutfimakarim8258]

Nearly had a heart attack when I saw the thumbnail, thought it was Kratos for a sec. 😂

[@campxbox]

Yep I'm making the switch to Camp PlayStation 😂

[@nostalgicgamer1363]

There is no more creative games like such anymore that's why I love old school gaming

[@zeliph]

Looks like it gives that Unreal Tournament 03/04 vibe

[@campxbox]

Yeah I think Unreal was a major influence for this one when making it.

[@milklordnomadic]

Why do I not remember this from back then?? I would have loved it

[@13Carrey1]

I would like to hear Oppinion about SEGA Soccer Slam too and if u like it :)

[@campxbox]

I have never played it but it has been on my to do list for a while.

[@georgedubinin6288]

I love your videos

[@campxbox]

Glad you enjoy them!

[@adamantium4797]

Cool

[@Screwheili]

I'd play this over rocket league any day 😂

[@deademcee]

Never heard of this game tbh. But it looks so good.

[@campxbox]

Yeah it definitely constitutes as a hidden gem. It's well worth seeking out.

[@Lenriak]

Literally the lowest selling game on the xbox to get an average review score higher than a 9/10 OG xbox's literal definition of "a hidden gem". One of the main reasons this game failed, was because Ubisoft had no idea what they had, and had no idea how to market the game. Even 2 decades later, their Roller Champions game looks like the colourful-kid-friendly reaction to somebody finally explaining to them what Deathrow was, maybe telling them about Speedball 1+2, and a little movie in the 70's called Rollerball (or maybe Ubi preferred the crappy remake).

[@iceman1616]

I don’t remember this

[@campxbox]

What do you remember?

[@iceman1616]

@@campxbox I remember good games

[@meatwad376]

I’ve never kissed a girl