Summary
Peter Jackson’s King Kong: The Official Game of the Movieis considered by many to be one of the best games based on a movie, but theXbox 360version is difficult to come by nowadays. TheXbox 360had a fairly impressive launch lineup, consisting of exclusive games likeKameo: Elements of PowerandPerfect Dark Zeroas well as multi-plat releases likeCall of Duty 2,Need for Speed: Most Wanted, andPeter Jackson’s King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie.
Peter Jackson’s King Kong: The Official Game of the Movieis the long-winded title for a licensed game that was released in 2005, about a month before Peter Jackson’sKing Kongmovie actually hit theaters. The game wasdirected by Michel Ancel, who created theRaymanseries and the belovedBeyond Good & Evil. Published by Ubisoft, the game saw players going through a version of the movie’s story, with gameplay switching between third-person King Kong segments and first-person action as Jack Driscoll.King Kongearned mostly positive reviews at the time of its launch and was nominated for multiple year-end awards, even managing to take home a few.
The Xbox 360 version ofKing Kongis arguably the best way to experience the game, with superior graphics and audio compared to its sixth generation counterparts. Unfortunately, anyone that wants toplayKing Kongon Xbox 360nowadays is going to have to break the bank.King Kongwas delisted from the Xbox 360 marketplace years ago, and as a result, secondhand copies have skyrocketed in price. Complete-in-box copies are priced anywhere from $50 to $80, while the disc alone is being listed for around $45. PS2 and original Xbox versions of the game are significantly cheaper, but the 360 version has superior graphics and achievement support, making it the more desirable version of the game.
King Kong Xbox 360 Prices Are Out of Control
Considering how well-receivedKing Kongwas by critics and how commercially successful it was in 2005, it’s safe to say that the game would easily find an audience on modern consoles if it were to receive a remaster or e-release. Unfortunately, the fact that it was delisted means that there are likely licensing issues with the game, which makes this incredibly unlikely. However, stranger things have happened, and so maybe one day Ubisoft will somehow bringKing Kongto modern platforms not unlike how itdid just recently with another Michel Ancel game,Beyond & Good Evil.
Peter Jackson’s King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie won the awards for Best Cast, Best Video Game Based on a Movie, and Best Performance by a Male (for Jack Black as Carl Denham) at the 2005 Spike Video Game Awards.
In the meantime, those interested in playing the Xbox 360 version ofKing Kongand don’t mind shelling out a ridiculous amount of money for it should note that the game is technically playable on modern Xbox consoles. While the game is not available digitally through Xbox, theXbox 360 disc ofKing Kongis backward compatible, meaning it can be played on Xbox One and Xbox Series X.
