Legends Classic

Play X-Men Legends (2004) on PC, built from your own copies of the games.

X-Men Legends came out on consoles only. Legends Classic takes the first game from your own Xbox disc and rebuilds it to run on your own PC copy of its sequel, X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse, with modern display options, controller support and saves of its own.

You need both games: your own X-Men Legends disc for the original Xbox, and your own copy of X-Men Legends II for PC, installed.

It is a builder, not a download: every file of the result is made on your computer from the two copies you own. This project ships no game content, and the builder makes no network connections.

How to get it Releases Source on GitHub

Current release: 0.5.0-beta.1 (beta) - the first game's items, shops and drops. Stable: 0.4.0. All builds: releases.

Coming next: 0.6.0-beta.1 (in testing, not released yet) - online co-op inside the game for two to four players, and friends can join a game in progress at the host's next area, fights included.

Get it

The Ultimate Legends launcher (a portable zip, no install) does everything: it downloads the builder, runs it and installs the engine fix.

Set up X-Men Legends II

Set up X-Men Legends II in Ultimate Legends as usual. It installs xml2-fix, the engine fix the port needs.
Set up the port with your disc image

Open X-Men Legends - community port in the library, choose Set up, then pick your disc image (.iso or XISO) and a destination folder. The launcher checks the image and shows the space and time the build needs.
Build, then Play

Build takes 6-8 minutes the first time (rebuilds 2-3 minutes); you can hide it, cancel it and resume later. Then Play.

Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit, and about 8 GB of disk space. Steam Deck / Linux via Proton works as a compatibility path. PS2 and GameCube discs are different games and don't work. Imaging your disc, the command line and the Steam Deck: dumping guide and builder guide.

Screenshots

In-game captures of a player's own Legends Classic build (0.6.0 preview), taken on the developer's PC. Select a picture for the full size.

Co-op in a fight at the HAARP outer grounds: Magma (player 1) and Phoenix (player 2) firing powers at HAARP security, both power wheels up — Co-op: two players fighting HAARP security together (Magma and Phoenix)

X-Mansion hall with the four-corner co-op HUD and a panel reading — Co-op: a friend joins mid-game - the host sees "A player is joining..." while they load in

The joining player's hero arrives in the HAARP outer grounds while the fight is already on, zone name across the screen — Co-op: the newcomer arrives in the middle of a fight

Four heroes walking through the X-Mansion hall past students on leather sofas, at 2560x1440 — The X-Mansion ground floor, four heroes, 2560x1440

Cyclops hits a giant purple Sentinel with his red optic blast on a New York street — Sentinel flashback: Cyclops' optic blast against a Sentinel

Four heroes on a snowy road between pine trees in the HAARP outer grounds — HAARP outer grounds in the snow

Danger Room training in a simulated city at night: Magma's fireball explodes on a Brotherhood thug, Wolverine slashes nearby — Danger Room training: Magma and Wolverine against Brotherhood thugs

Dialogue box with Wolverine's portrait over a New York street — The first game's conversations, in the second game's dialogue box

Team Management screen: Cyclops, Magma, Storm and Wolverine on platforms with their health and energy bars — Team Management with the first game's menus

Two heroes in the Morlock tunnels lit by a barrel fire — The Morlock tunnels

Four heroes on the snowy HAARP road in widescreen 16:9 — Widescreen 16:9 (1920x1080) ...

The same HAARP road scene in 4:3 with the HUD kept in its corners — ... and the same scene in 4:3 (1440x1080): the layout follows the window

What you get

The campaign, the heroes, the front end and the display modes are verified on the developer's PC.

The whole campaign

The first game's story and zones, from the opening to the credits, with its movies and layered music.

The heroes

Every hero with the first game's stats, powers and level curve.

The classic look

The first game's front end: its menus, fonts, colours and HUD.

Online co-op, with drop-in 0.6

Two to four players from the game's own Play Online screen: Host a public or private room, Join by code or Browse, get ready in the lobby and manage the group from Party; no port forwarding. Friends can join a game in progress at the host's next area - through any exit, fights included - while the host sees "A player is joining..." (the host's DROP-IN setting turns that off per room). Up to 0.5 you start co-op from Ultimate Legends.

Modern display modes

Borderless, windowed or exclusive fullscreen at your desktop's resolution and refresh rate, with anti-aliasing.

Controllers and saves

Controller support, and saves of its own, separate from X-Men Legends II's.

Online co-op, drop-in and the display options are additions the first game never had, not part of what is matched to the original.

Honest limits

The first game's loot and shops are still being checked. They are in the 0.5 beta; the stable 0.4.0 uses X-Men Legends II's drops and shops.
Some fall kill zones stay off until each is proven safe.
Enemies attack somewhat more often than in the original. Unarmed enemies still attack about 1.5 times as often per minute; the cause is not found yet.
Online co-op is a beta. Tested on one PC and on two PCs at home, with two, three and four players, including fights. Not verified yet: playing through the relay, four players on four separate PCs, long sessions and joins over slow connections. If the host leaves, the session ends (until co-op recovery in 0.8).

Everything open, with measurements: known issues and issues.

Roadmap

0.6Online co-op for two to four players with drop-in (in testing, the next release)
0.7An optional "Remastered" graphics toggle, and save import from the original Xbox game
0.8Co-op recovery
1.0After a full hand-played run

Plans move with what testing finds. Full roadmap.

Community

The same rule everywhere: no game files, disc images or links to them.