Our almost 8 year old son wants a video game system for Christmas. He has GameBoy Advance already, but we are torn as to what system to get: X-Box, Gamecube or Playstation. I suspect there are some fans of video games on these boards so I’m asking for your help. What would you think is the best system for an 8 year old?
I’d say a Gamecube, because it has the most “child friendly” games of the three platforms you mentioned. Such as Mario, Zelda, Sonic and Super Smash Bros.
But I would also like to suggest that you simply ask the child himself – it’d be terrible if he had his heart set on an X-Box and he ended up with a GC and/or PS2 instead on Christmas morning.
Oh, we’ve asked him. He says he wants both Game Cube and, depending on the moment, X-Box or Playstation. That’s not happening. There’s a game called Guitar Hero that I think he would adore, but it’s not available for Game Cube. But he keeps mentioning Game Cube and I know it’s good for kids his age.
Today he suggested that he get a Game Cube and my husband get a Playstation. Very clever.
Playstation, Playstation 2, or Playstation 3? XBox or XBox 360? The Gamecube is the older Nintendo system, soon (as in within days) to be replaced by the Nintendo Wii. I would suggest the Wii. Not only does it debut at $250, but it also comes with Wii Sports.
Well, not the X-Box 360. He doesn’t need something so full of features. Hmmm. I hadn’t even heard of the Nintendo Wii. I’ll have to investigate. What’s the difference between Playstation 2 and 3?
Difference between PS2 and PS3 is about $300 rimshot
You’re entering the murky marketing world of gaming systems. It’s all THE BIG NEXT THING and you can’t live with only a PS2! Oh no! It’s all marketing hype.
I am a big fan of Guitar hero but it does require the PS2. The Nintendo Wii is something he’ll adore because it has these wand controllers which you can wave for your actions. So you can play tennis like you would normally by waving the wand like a racket. Penny Arcade posted a comic about it on Monday I think…
What I would propose is to give him a budget, say $400. Tell him he can spend this on a system and games, but all he has is $400. So he could get the GameCube and lots of games, or the PS3 (if $400 covers it, I don’t know the current going price.) and no games or he could get an old used Super Nintendo and about 1000 games 
– IG
Don’t laugh. We actually have a cute, bright green Nintendo 64 that I got for my husband before the kid was even born, I think. Certainly he must have been a little baby. Anyway, we bought a few used games for it quite recently. May I just say, it seems perfectly FINE to me!
And it would be except for, you know, the marketing departments at these gaming system companies 
Oh, and I won’t laugh, the last console I bought was an SNES. I never even got an N64.
– IG
I have to say I think the Wii looks perfect for an 8-year-old. It should have more kid-friendly games and the controllers look awesome. Also, if you want to buy some old Gamecube games they can be played on it.
I design videogames for Sony. I have a nine-year-old son.
I’d recommend getting him a Wii. It’s cheaper than the other new systems and it has the best selection of games for kids. And it’s backwards compatable with the Gamecube so there’s a big selection of games to play.
Just getting him a Gamecube would also be a good choice. It’s not the hot new thing, but it’s a great system with lots of great games.
Do not get a Playstation 3. It’s very expensive and initially is being targeted at hard-core gamers which means that most of the first wave of games are intended for teens and adults.
If you decide on a Gamecube, you should be able to pick up a used one quite cheaply in the coming month, since many new Wii owners will sell their old systems.
My recommendation is for a Wii or a Gamecube, depending on budget.
Very true. Last month I got a used Gamecube with a game and an extra controller for $59 on eBay. I suspect more will be coming. As my about to be 7-year-old is a Pokemon fanatic, I was tied to a Nintendo product. He doesn’t know he’s getting the Gamecube yet, but he is dropping hints about a Nintendo DS for Pokemon Ranger.
Another vote for the Wii. Besides the family-friendly controller and Nintendo’s family-friendly titles, the Wii – if it’s built like all of Nintendo’s other hardware – will be near-indestructible.
When we went through this about a year and a half ago for our then 10-year-old son, our videogaming nephew’s advice was to go with Nintendo, because the gorier/more violent games are mostly for the other platforms.
And…someone please tell me how one pronounces “Wii.” (If I watched more TV, I’d probably know this, right?)
Like the pronoun “we”. Nintendo chose it because they wanted to capture that sense of inclusion, and spelled it with two i’s to symbolize multiple people. Something like that. It’s the silliest part of the console.
I believe it is pronounced “wee.” The name alone should provide a child with hours of giggles.
And yeah. I’ll add my vote to the Wii. Not only is it backwards compatible with the gamecube, but you will be able to, as I understand it, download games from the entirety of the nintendo catalog. That’s 8 bit nintendo on up. That should keep everyone busy.