RoniMan

i recently moved...and i have nothing to entertain myself.

no comp (borrowing someone else's currently)
no cable tv (only rabbit ears for local stations)
no dvd player
no radio

i'm thinking about buying a video game console.

here are my thoughts
GC - cheapest. i've always liked their party games. however, i would need to buy the extra controllers and actually invite ppl to come over and play.
Xbox - cheap. with their price drop, i thought about getting this console, until my friend told me that it's another $30 to use it for a dvd player.
PS2 - a lot of my friends have this. but it's a bit high priced for my taste.

just wondering what everyone else felt?

mcs328

The PS2 is now $150 or soon will be in the next week or so.

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gear02

what kind of games do you like to play?

basically your choice of console should be dependent on the types of games you play. I've posted this list tons of times, but here goes again:

Xbox: Sports games (hard drive is great since sports game saves take up a lot), multiplatform games (better graphics, hard drive save), Halo, but the Xbox doesn't have very many great exclusive games.

GC: Nintendo exclusive games (metroid prime, zelda, etc.)

PS2: PS2 exclusive games (most RPGs for one, Onimusha, Eye toy, FFXI, i'm blanking out on the other great PS2 exclusive games).

cheapie

xbox all the way baby. plus you get to play halo, the best game ever.

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RoniMan

well, depends, if she's up for it, then i like......

OH WAIT! you meant video games.....

i like all sorts
party games (mario dash-actually, i've never played this one, but heard lots of good things about it, shrek party, Super Smash bros)
action/sim (metal gear, ghost recon, res evil, omnimusha)
shooters (i get tired of these quickly tho, except i am looking forward to halo 2)
rpg (almost any, but i don't have the time....check that, i SHOULDN'T have the time to play these)
i like games that have coop play.

gear02

I think you're in line for a cube. The xbox won't give you much unless you're a diehard halo fan or want to play games on xbox live. The PS2 doesn't seem to be in your alley because most games on the PS2 are single player based. The cube has Mario Party, Mario Kart, Mario Golf (umm...stop naming games Mario something Nintendo!). it also has some of the other games like Metal Gear.

btw Mario Cart Double Dash is so much fun with 4 players.

I think you really just have to sit down and figure out which games you want to play in the near future (past releases or future releases) and just pick the console that has most of them. I don't think you should ever pick a console because it has more CPU power than the other, by it's name, or along those lines. The games dictate your purchase.

Or you could just buy all three

Jihforce

Unless you have friends over a lot, i wouldn't recommend a GC.
I think you should get an xbox personally, now that EA is on board with MS to publish games for the xbox and use xbox live, you should have better options of games to play.
Costco currently has xbox, 1 game, 2 controllers and dvd controller for 189.99

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RoniMan

don't think i haven't thought about buying all 3...

i'm btw gc and xbox right now.

gear02

Yeah that's true. For all of nintendo's multiplayer games, it doesn't help if you're a loner... ...like me

RoniMan

doh!

shouldn't have told me....i guess i'm going costco shopping today.....

must...resist...
must...resist...

Cantacuzene

I;d say xbox. I am one of the few who doesnt like Halo, but I still love the xbox. The hardrive is a dream for sports games as has been said. KOTOR is also a must play if you dont have a beefy pc. I like sports and racing and the occasion rpg, and xbox is perfect for those.

DaFunkyUnit

another vote for xbox.

halo
halo 2
....
ninja gaiden

Star Wars KOTOR
... and soon to be KOTOR 2.

convinced yet?

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DarkFury

No option to just play games on the PC huh?

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Bires

If you have large amounts of time and like japanese-style RPGs: PS2.

If not: I'd buy the Xbox and then mod the heck out of it.

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Memo

XBox, you can always modchip it and get infiniate amount of games and make it a DVD player / media center.

kei2

Here's my rundown of the video game systems.

GameCube: no DVD playback, limited selection of games, very limited selection of good games, and the worst controller design. The sequels of N64 games (Mario Kart Double Dash, Smash Bros Melee) entertained me briefly, but frankly I prefer the old versions. The controller design is terrible. Nintendo went from having last generation's best controller (N64) to this generation's worst. The giant A button and awkward placement of X and Y buttons makes no sense.

XBOX: DVD playback if you buy the remote (actually about $10 new on Ebay, not $30), somewhat limited selection of games, built-in hard drive (no need for memory cards unless you want to transfer data between systems), custom soundtracks for some games (store your music on the hard drive), online play available with XBOX Live. Best graphics of the three systems. And like cheapie mentioned, Halo. Oh and Halo 2 coming in fourth quarter 2004 (hopefully it won't be delayed any furhter). The Microsoft S controller is the best in the business. Six face buttons on the right side, two more on the left... it comes in handy. Plus two full clickable analog sticks with the D-pad, something the PS2 has but the GC lacks. Very comfortable controller.

PS2: DVD playback, the most games, far and away the most RPGs. If you like RPGs, this is a must. PS2 has exclusives like XenoSaga, the FF series... Sony has pretty much cornered the RPG market. (Exceptions include Morrowind and the upcoming titles Fable, Sudeki, and X-Men Legends for XBOX.) Again, the most extensive third-party software library by far. Drawbacks include the shortage of controller ports (need a multi-tap for more than 2 players)... the lack of a hard drive (so you have to buy memory cards)... and the [slightly] inferior graphics compared to the XBOX.

I'm a very happy XBOX owner, but I can see how some people might prefer the PS2's larger game selection. I think buying a GameCube would be a regret.

As for the cost (XBOX vs PS2)... take into consideration the cost of PS2 memory cards and multi-taps if you would need those. The XBOX hard drive has plenty of space for saving games and storing music, and it has 4 controller ports built in.

ufcrusher

I own both a Game Cube and a PS2, one was bought, the other a gift. I have a large selection of games for each of them and personally, I go through phases on each as to which I play more. Basically, I end up playing both systems in different spurts. The GC has better graphics than the PS2 and supposedly (quality wise if you believe the ranking) is equal or better than the X-box.

At this point we have an equal number of games for each system, but then again when we have the choice, we end up buying for the GC trying to even out the collection. Each system has its benefits.

The GC has all the familiar Nintendo games. It also allows you to link up with your gameboy, play gameboy games on it (with the adapter), and is more multi-user friendly. The controllers are a bit of a pain, but you get used to it.

The PS2 has more available titles, you can now get the hard drive for it and has more support. (in terms of programmers and game developers) Remember everyone was playing catch-up to Sony, which is why the Xbox and GC have better graphics. You do have the dvd playback automatically with it. Now, with the new Final Fantasy XI, you get a harddrive which helps other games as well. They are really trying to push the online gameplay thingy.

As for the X-box, i have never played it, so I cant give you any comparisions other than what I read.

We couldnt decide, which is why we have both systems and I am happy with our choice.

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ialsohaveadream

Amen! GC controller is terrible, especially for sports games.


S controller is ok. 2nd best. PS2's is best, because it's simple and classic and efficient. Oh...and Halo 2 is never ever coming out. It's just a fairy tale.


If you're a Final Fantasy fan, you're probably disappointed with everything after X, so don't be too tempted. I'm a PS2 and GC owner. I love that there are so many games for PS2, and you can always find some older gems for like $12-$15 used at EBGames. You will pay extra for accessories on PS2, although I've seen XBox's S controllers sell for $40, which is ridiculous.

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gear02

I'm amazed at the popularity of the xbox. When it came out, everyone was disgusted and the launch titles were nothing to brag about.

Hand it to Microsoft, they took on a giant and they're going to pull even on their FIRST attempt at a console and in only 3 years. Not bad

ialsohaveadream

Don't forget that people assumed Sony would get blown out of the water by Sega and Nintendo with the original Playstation.

RoniMan

what pc?

my pc is gonna be more for work than games...

eSDee

If you just want something cheap and fun, why not a Dreamcast? I own one of them and I am always picking up cheap fun games for it all the time.

Of the 3 I would say get the PS2, since you need a DVD player and you are a loner (hey that's what you said ) Although I have noticed lately that a lot more PS2 games are taking too long to load. NBA Ballers is incredibly fun, however it takes forever to jump between menus. Also I have heard that Resident Evil (one of my favorite series) sucks because of all the load times as well. Not sure if Xbox has long load times since it has a hard drive.

I hope that helped.

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DarkFury

Awwww... that ain't no fun. Haruumph!!!

ApltnHkyMutt

i say go for the Xobx, you can always throw in a mod chip and turn it into a computer or what ever floats your boat.

revil

*shakes his booty*

kei2

I've always thought the PS2 controller (and PS controller for that matter) is uncomfortable. It's not ergonomical at all... just doesn't fit in my hands properly. I also don't understand why part of the D-pad is recessed/covered by the main controller shell. I think it makes it feel funny. Oh and there's only 4 main face buttons on the right side, not good for old-school-style fighting games.If you shop around even a little bit, you can find S controllers for $30. I think I paid about $25 for mine (on sale at Costco). Considering many of the games I play are multiplayer, the X's four ports saved me money on a multitap, not to mention memory cards. I think it balances out.Wasn't Halo held in pretty high regard even at launch time? In any case, it's still considered one of the best games around (and its sequel is probably one of the most highly anticipated games).

gear02

also true, and that was their first attempt at a console as well.

RoniMan

update folks...

went to costco (stupid jihforce) and got me the xbox with 1 game, 2 controllers, and the dvd remote. thanx all for the input. if the price looks tempting, maybe i'll pick up another system later...

eSDee

Congrats roni. Let us know how it works out for you.

Kevster

Roniman, do you need a comp right now? I've got a couple systems sitting here with decent video cards in them.

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