Need for speed underground 2 unrecognizable

Hey y’all,

I recently picked up an Xbox 360E and have been really excited to play Need for Speed Underground 2 again. After a few months of searching, I finally found a complete copy and was pumped to try it out.

When I first inserted the game, the console said I needed a hard drive for original Xbox games, so I ordered one from DKOldies. It took about two weeks to arrive. Once it finally showed up, I installed it, got everything set up, and tried the game again.

Now I keep getting an “unrecognized disc” error.

At first I thought maybe the disc was the issue. It does have some scratches, but honestly nothing crazy considering the age of the game. I tried cleaning it and wiping it down but still no luck.

I’ve also seen mixed information online. Some people say Underground 2 should work on any Xbox 360, while others say it only works with certain models or certain hard drives.

So I’m a little stuck right now.

Has anyone here successfully played Underground 2 on an Xbox 360E?
Is there something else I might be missing, like an update or a specific type of hard drive?

Any help or advice would really be appreciated. I’ve been trying to relive this game and it’s been a whole journey just getting to this point.

Thanks!