Dead Rising

When the Xbox 360 launched, it promised a new HD era for games, but few titles drove that point home right away. Then, months later, Dead Rising came out. It packed environments with dozens of zombies on the screen, it gave you the chance to slice the undead in half with a katana, and you could even take erotic photos. Yes, the story of photojournalist Frank West and his quest to uncover the zombie scoop hooked fans, but it was the costumes, replayability, and zany ways to mow down the ghouls that kept them around and truly showcased what the Xbox 360 could do.