After playing coy for months about the Xbox 360's backward compatibility, Microsoft has finally come clean. The software behemoth announced late Friday that more than 200 games from its current-generation console will play on its next-generation console.

　　As one might expect, Microsoft has made sure all the top Xbox games are supported, including Halo and Halo 2, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic I and II, Ninja Gaiden and Ninja Gaiden Black, and the three Grand Theft Autos: III, Vice City, and San Andreas. A total of 212 Xbox games will be playable on the 360 at launch, though Microsoft says that number will increase.

　　Friday also brought good news to Xbox Live addicts. Any of the backward-compatible games will be playable cross-platform between the Xbox 360 and Xbox over Xbox Live. That means would-be Master Chiefs with a 360 can still own their friends playing on current-generation consoles--although the former will see the carnage in higher resolution.

　　However, there is a catch. To play an Xbox game on the 360, players must first insert the current-gen game into a next-gen console hooked up to Xbox Live. The system will check whether the console has the latest emulation software. If not, it will automatically download said software, install it on the 360, restart, and load the original Xbox game. Obviously, a 360 hard drive--which comes with the Halo and Halo 2 software preinstalled--is required to store the backward-compatibility software.

　　For 360 owners who either can't or won't log onto Xbox Live, Microsoft offers two other solutions. First, they can go to Xbox.com, download the emulators, burn them onto a CD, and then insert said CD into the 360, which will auto-install the software. The other option is to order a free CD from Xbox.com, which will be mailed to the requestor for a "nominal" fee. However, the CD will be mailed out for free to Japanese 360 owners.

　　A complete list of the Xbox games that will be playable on the 360 when it ships on November 22 is below:

　　Alias

　　Aliens vs. Predator: Extinction

　　All Star Baseball 2003

　　Amped

　　Army Men: Sarge's War

　　Atari Anthology

　　ATV Quad Power Racing 2

　　Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance 2

　　Barbarian

　　Barbie Horse Adventure

　　Batman Begins

　　Battle Engine Aquila

　　Battlestar Galactica

　　Blinx 2

　　BMX XXX

　　Brute Force

　　Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Chaos Bleeds

　　Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts

　　Cabela’s Outdoor Adventures 06

　　Cabela's Deer Hunt 2005

　　Cabela's Deer Hunt: 2004 Season

　　Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth

　　Call of Duty: Finest Hour

　　Casino

　　Catwoman

　　Chicago Enforcer

　　Circus Maximus

　　Close Combat: First to Fight

　　Colin McRae 4

　　Combat Elite

　　Commandos 2

　　Conflict: Desert Storm

　　Constantine

　　Crash Bandicoot: Twinsanity

　　Crash Nitro Kart

　　Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge

　　Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

　　Curse – The Eye of Isis

　　Dark Angel

　　Darkwatch

　　Deathrow

　　Digimon Rumble Arena

　　Dinotopia

　　Dead or Alive 3

　　Drake

　　Egg Mania

　　ESPN MLS Extra Time 2002

　　Euro 2004

　　F1 Championship Season 2001

　　Fable

　　Fable: The Lost Chapters

　　Fairly Odd Parents: Breakin' da Rules

　　FIFA 2003

　　FIFA 2004

　　FIFA Street 2005

　　FIFA World Cup 2002

　　Fight Night 2004

　　Fight Night Round 2

　　Ford Mustang Racing

　　Ford vs. Chevy

　　Forza Motorsport

　　Freedom Fighters

　　Frogger

　　Futurama

　　Fuzion Frenzy

　　Genma Onimusha

　　Goblin Commander

　　Grabbed by the Ghoulies

　　Grand Theft Auto III

　　Grand Theft Auto Vice City

　　Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

　　Gravity Games Bike: Street. Vert. Dirt.

　　Grooverider: Slot Car Thunder

　　Half-Life 2

　　Halo

　　Halo 2

　　Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire

　　Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone

　　He-Man: Defender of Grayskull

　　Hitman: Contracts

　　House of the Dead 3

　　IHRA Drag Racing 2005 Sportsman Edition

　　IHRA Professional Drag Racing 2005

　　Jade Empire

　　James Bond 007: Nightfire

　　Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy

　　Judge Dredd: Dredd vs. Death

　　Jurassic Park Genesis

　　Kabuki Warrior

　　Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer

　　Kids Next Door: Operation VIDEOGAME

　　kill.switch

　　Legends of Wrestling

　　Lemony Snicket A Series of Unfortunate Events

　　Loons Fight for Fame

　　Lord of the Rings: Return of the King

　　Manhunt

　　Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX 2

　　Max Payne

　　Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne

　　Medal of Honor 3 Rising Sun

　　Medal of Honor Frontline

　　Medal of Honor: European Assault

　　Mega Man

　　Metal Arms: Glitch in the System

　　MicroMachines Odyssey

　　Mike Tyson Heavyweight Boxing

　　Monster Garage

　　Mortal Kombat: Deception

　　MTV Music Generator 3

　　Murakumo

　　MX World Tour - featuring Jamie Little

　　Namco Museum X Next Generation

　　NBA Live 2003

　　NBA Live 2004

　　Need For Speed: Underground 2

　　NFL Blitz 2002

　　NFL Blitz 20-03

　　NFL Blitz 20-04

　　NHL 2004

　　NHL Hitz 20-03

　　Ninja Gaiden

　　Ninja Gaiden Black

　　Outlaw Golf 2

　　Outlaw Volleyball

　　Pariah

　　Phantom Crash

　　Pinball Hall of Fame

　　Pitfall: The Lost Expedition

　　Predator

　　Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

　　Pro Evolution Soccer 5

　　Pro Race Driver

　　PUMP IT UP

　　Pure Pinball

　　Puyo Puyo Fever

　　Quantum Redshift

　　Rayman Arena

　　Raze's Hell

　　Red Dead Revolver

　　Red Faction II

　　RedCard 20-03

　　Robotech: Battle Cry

　　Rocky: Legends

　　Rogue Ops

　　Rugby 2005

　　Samurai Jack

　　Samurai Warriors

　　Scooby Doo: Night of 100 Frights

　　Scrapland

　　SeaWorld: Shamu's Deep Sea Adventures

　　Sega GT 2002

　　Shadow the Hedgehog

　　Shellshock:Nam '67

　　Sid Meier's Pirates!

　　Simpson's Road Rage

　　Simpsons: Hit and Run

　　Sneakers

　　Sniper Elite: Berlin 1945

　　Soccer Slam

　　Sonic Heroes

　　Sonic Mega Collection

　　Speed Kings

　　Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy

　　Splat Renegade Paintball

　　SpongeBob Square Pants:Battle for Bikini Bottom

　　Spy Hunter 2

　　Spyro: A Hero's Tail

　　SSX 3

　　Stake

　　Star Trek: Shattered Universe

　　Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

　　Star Wars: Clone Wars

　　Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter

　　Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic

　　Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic 2

　　Street Racing Syndicate

　　Stubbs the Zombie: Rebel Without a Pulse

　　Super Bubble Pop

　　Super Monkey Ball DX

　　SX Superstar

　　Tecmo Classic Arcade

　　Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

　　Terminator : Dawn of Fate

　　Test Drive: Eve of Destruction

　　Tetris Worlds

　　The Great Escape

　　The Incredible Hulk

　　The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction

　　The Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer

　　The Thing

　　Thief: Deadly Shadows

　　Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon

　　Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2

　　Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3

　　Tony Hawk's American Wasteland

　　Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4

　　Tony Hawk's Underground 2

　　Tork

　　Toxic Grind

　　Ty The Tasmanian Tiger

　　Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 2

　　Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 3

　　Urban Freestyle Soccer

　　Vexx

　　Volvo: Drive for Life

　　World Series Baseball 2K

　　Worms 4: Mayhem

　　Worms Forts Under Siege

　　WWE Raw 2

　　XIII

　　Yourself!Fitness