Happy Birthday, Xbox 360! Believe it or not, today marks the 12th anniversary of the launch of the Xbox 360. Despite a somewhat lengthy initial period of supply shortages, followed almost immediately be several years of technical issues (including drives that would occasionally render game discs permanently unplayable, and, especially, the infamous "red ring of death"), the year-long head start the 360 enjoyed over the competition helped it to become arguably the most popular home console of a generation.

Of course, it wasn't the earlier availability alone that made it such a stunning success. Questionable decisions from Sony and Nintendo with their own PlayStation 3 and Wii consoles, in addition to early commitments by Microsoft to bring scores of fantastic games to the 360, made it the obvious choice for enthusiastic gamers around the world. In fact, not only did Microsoft manage to score several popular third-party franchises that had previously only appeared on the competition's hardware, but they also arranged publishing deals which resulted in the creation of brand new and amazing titles you could only experience on the Xbox 360. Speaking of amazing games, we went ahead and included a few examples of those below. So, read on for a look at 12 of the finest reasons to have ever owned an Xbox 360.

The New Nintendo Releases are back! Did you miss them? We do want to apologize for their extended absence and we can assure you that it won't happen again. So what have we been missing out on all this time? Well, this week, the Switch just so happened to get a little game called, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. That's right, the game Bethesda once spoke about possibly, one day coming to the Nintendo Wii U, has finally come (but to the Nintendo Switch, instead). As tough as it may be to see the Wii U get the shaft yet again, we really can't complain too much about Skyrim's new home. That'll do, Bethesda. That'll do.

Also out in the past three and a half months, the best Sonic the Hedgehog game in over 20 years, fellow new-Switch-arrival, Doom, and the game that could finally be the Switch killer app we've all been waiting for, Super Mario Odyssey. Experience epic fantasy reborn, then jump past the break to see more new releases from the past sixteen weeks.

Hope everyone had a nice Halloween! Now that's come and gone, the end-of-year holidays are upon us, and as usual, Steam has your gaming needs covered to see you through. This week, seasoned RPG developer Falcom finally saw fit to bring their 2008 Japan-only release, Zwei II to the rest of the world. The Ilvard Insurrection, as it's now being called, is not unlike Falcom's own excellent Ys series, but it features the addition of a unique secondary character you can switch back and forth between on the fly. If you're a fan of Ys (or their other great series, The Legend of Heroes) there's no reason you shouldn't enjoy Zwei.

Also out in the last three weeks, a sequel to the 2014 shooter hit, Wolfenstein: The New Order, a new Assassin's Creed game set in ancient Egypt, and a modern day reimagining of the classic Sega Genesis game Mutant League Football. "Visit Ilvard", then jump past the break to see more new releases from the past 21 days.