What are some good games for the pre-Xbox 360, black box model?

Halo 1 and 2. Fable is a great game too. You could try find a copy of star wars republic commando 2. I think that’s what it was called. Great games.

Ones not mentioned yet would be Crimson Sea, Blinx the time sweeper, and of course all of the third party cross-platform games.

I love Grand Theft Auto 4 if your into that stuff. Otherwise, Halo is awesome and Fable as @LeotCol suggested.

Psychonauts, Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2X (still the best skate game out there IMO), MechAssault, Panzer Dragoon Orta, Jet Set Radio Future…

Oh and if you like snowboarding you gotta check out SSX Tricky.

Soul caliber 2. So much of my life was wasted on that game

Halo: Combat Evolved, Ninja Gaiden (must-play), Burnout:Revenge

My favorites for Xbox were: Star Wars Knights Of The Old Republic 1 & 2, and Morrowind.

And of course, Halo 1 and 2.

Halo: Combat Evolved; Halo 2; Fable; Madden 2003, 2004 or 2005; Fusion Frenzy (if you like playing with other people); Secret Weapons Over Normandy; Medal of Honor: Rising Sun

Project Zero is well worth a look.
Apparently it called Fatal Frame in the US

I sill have my original Xbox hooked up to my main TV because it has so many great games for it—many of which I still have a ways to go to complete…

Bloodrayne
Cel Damage (A great party game)
Desrtroy All Humans
Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind
Grand Theft Auto 3
Grand Theft Auto San Andreas
Halo
Max Payne
Shenmue 2
Simnpson’s Road Rage
Syberia 1
Syberia 2
The Bard’s Tale