It's March 16th: do you know where your video game system is?

Cafe Society
1

Just wondering… we had quite a bit of talk around Christmas time about the three (four? Do we count GBA?) video game systems, which was best, which sucked, etc, and now that we’ve had some time to play the games on our own or on friends’ systems, I thought maybe it was time to sit back and reconsider (possibly, or maybe reassert) our opinion.

I had thought much of the GameCube, much of the XBox, and not too much of the PS2. Have my opinions changed?

Not really too much. PS2 still has the games, though. But for a keen example of what video game system differences mean, I think Max Payne spelled DOOM for the PS: wow, was that game much better on the XBox (and that’s saying a lot: it is an otherwise crappy game IMO). But then I think: maybe the developers didn’t try hard enough, because FFX was gorgeous. I envy PS2 owners for that puppy. I couldn’t get enough of watching my friend play that on his.

But I was just at toys r us tonight after watching Resident Evil (and is there somthing somehow strange about that combination?) and browsing through the three system’s games and I though: there really isn’t too much interesting me here. And the video game mags I get aren’t piquing my interest in many, either, except for Nintendo’s coming triumphs (hopefully! crossed my fingers) in Metroid Prime, Zelda, and Starfox (though this looks a whole lot like Zelda-style play, doesn’t it?). Oh, and how can I forget the revamped RE1? (shame Capcom won’t be revamping the rest: RE2 is my favorite of the series so far).

I am VERY jealous of the XBox and PS2 both for Silent Hill 2. I loved the first game so very much, and I am missing what seemed to be a promising sequel. I am also envious of Halo, which kept me amused at Christmas during my visit back to the birthplace for hours. It was simply a breathtaking game.

With all that said, I am also very happy to hear that Square and Nintendo are on speaking terms again. Might go pick up a GBA if they keep it up (almost broke down and bought one today but I already spreag $100 for Smash Bros and 007 on the GC. which I am about to play after I post this thread).

All in all, I think Nintendo is doing as well as I had hoped, XBox is doing better than analysts expected, and PS2 is still the workhorse of the industry. But I think that the seat they think they so firmly held isn’t made out of solid-crystal titanium. They are going to have to work this year.

2

Well my system is a circa 1985 NES system…I refuse to get any more advanced than that!:slight_smile: :slight_smile:

3

I have a PS2, i got it because it had a large choice of games when you count the PS1 games. I also wanted a video game system that played DVDs, so that excluded the gamecube. I hadn’t bought a system since the old NES, so i am sort of out of the loop, but am catching up quick. (what’s with these good graphics? in my day, balls were squares you hit between two lines! Viva Atari!)

4

I still have a Playstation because the PSX2 is too expensive right now.

5

Well, I went and got a PS2 because I really wanted to play GTA3 as soon as possible. Not regretting my choice a bit. Only other one I looked at was the Gamecube, but just not a wide range of games there. And since SSX Tricky was out for both, that sealed my PS2 purchase.

6

Bought PS2 a while ago. Between Tekken Tag, FFX and Baldur’s Gate, it’s already worth the money.

My only regret about not getting a Game Cube is that I won’t get to play the new Zelda. The Ocarina of Time was one of my favorite games ever.

7

Boy, you got that right. It was painful to see Max Payne through a PS2. GTA3 has its own little glitches (like disappearing textures when too much is going on in the game), but nothing as significant as the dumbing-down Max got.

However, I think you’re right about the programmers just being sloppy and/or lazy, so we won’t hold it against the PS2. Max Payne should be played on a PC anyway.

Anyhoo…

Our X-Box has providing large amounts of entertainment ever since we got it. Halo, indeed, was an amazingly kickass game (can’t wait for the PC release… better control, and new additions. :D). If Microsoft can make more Halo-related games, or sequels, then it can easily become their Icon (i.e.- what Mario is to Nintendo) title.

Morrowind, I’m sure, will be a major roleplaying game (Nightcaster wasn’t really an RPG, even though it’s pretty fun, and Azurik just plain sucks ass).

Although I’m waiting for some of the better games to come out for Gamecube… Metroid Prime, of course. Zelda I’m not too jazzed about, ever since I heard that Nintendo was going to use some sort of bizarre Pokemon-like graphics for it instead of the N64-type graphics (is that still what they’re doing?).

8

Yeah, Zelda is still (AFAIK) cartoony. But that franchise has never let me down yet, so I am going to take it with a grain of salt.

And, yes, I forgot about GTA3. Everything I heard about it spells g-r-e-a-t. I also forgot about Baldur’s Gate… are they bringing BGII over, as well? That was a good one, too.

I must say that Smash Brothers is fun as hell, and 007 is mediocre at best. The graphics are fine, the idea is innovative, but there’s something lacking… can’t say what.

And, wait… you say Halo is going to be a PC release? Oh thank heavens… I can play it! Yay!!

As long as all three systems have Soul Calibur II then I’ll be sated for fighting games. :smiley:

9

I currently do not own any of the NextGen systems. I do own the GBA which I just adore. They are making several ports of classic RPG’s (Breath of Fire, hopefully FF Tactics) and new ones (Golden Sun, Tactics Ogre Gaiden) that I’m sort of in heaven.

As for the the NextGen systems, I’m in a toss up between the PS2 and the GC. Both have great games for the systems which makes it difficult to choose. My exposure to the XBox is the most limited and thus its the one I’m least interested in.

Ultimately, I believe I’ll be buying a GC because I can play many great games AND be able to use the GBA/GC game link. That and I’ll still be able to mooch off of my friend’s PS2. I’ve spent way too many hours at his house, especially playing FFX.

10

Where? I don’t even know what video game system I have. All I know, is that we got it Christmas of 2000 and I’ve never played it.

11

Gamecube has nice graphics, but it doesn’t play DVDs. The games are cool, but goldeneye has lost its flavor since I discovered half life and mouse look. Suddenly using a controller to play a first person shooter seems lame. The rest of the games out for the game cube that I would be interested in are just remakes of old classics. Starfox, zelda etc… Those are great franchises, but I would hope for more than the same old nintendo games and a few sports games from EA. Sounds a lot like the nintendo 64 if you ask me.

The graphics are amazing on the X-box and I love the controller. I just don’t see the point, my computer will run any game that the x-box runs. Either through a legal release or illegal pirating it will be possible to play all x-box games, even exclusive x-box only titles, on a computer (not that I’m advocating the piracy of copyrighted material.)

It pains me, but I had to put my hard earned money down on a playstation 2. I swore I would never buy anything but nintendo, and then the nintendo 64 left me feeling like I had just taken one in the brown eye. The X-box is great, but the playstation has better games (tony hawk 3, metal gear solid, FFX, GTA3) and its cheaper (or at least it was when I bought one).

12

Well, I have an Xbox (I’m another Nintendo-or-bust loyal since '87 type but the Gamecube just did NOT impress me and I wanted another DVD player.) I must say, while is has the best graphics and I LOVE the controller, all the games pretty much suck.

I went out and bought Star Wars: Obi Wan like 3 days after christmas because they didn’t have it at Blockbuster yet and I figured it was a sure shot great game. I was wrong. It was stale, uneventful, and way too short. I beat it in 3 days and I am by no means a powergamer. To date I have played every single Xbox game (except the sports games, I don’t like sports) and I have yet to really even like one. Tricky and Mad Dash were both pretty decent but I got bored of them both before they were even due back.

Morrowind looks awesome, if they would ever release it. Pirates: Legend of Black Kat looks pretty good too, but other than those two there doesn’t even seem to be any upcoming games that are any good. If Xbox doesn’t get on the ball and start releasing some games they’re done-for. I won’t give up on them until at least this fall though, I really like the system itself.

13

Oh, just for the sake of the game quantity arguement:
There are currently
76 Xbox games (a good percentage of them not yet released)

296 PS2 games (some not yet released)

50 GameCube games (some not yet released)
Listed at Amazon.com

It seemed like there were more GC games out, the Gamecube shelf at Blockbuster is twice as big as the Xbox shelf. Maybe more Gamecube games have actually been released.

14

Cisco, it might simply be marketing. I can say for certain that the GC has less games than the others… however, what is interesting is that the GC games might lend very well to renting. Games like Super Smash Brothers Melee (which, I must say, is fun as hell) could easily be rented now and again when the need arose. The Mario Party games, too, aren’t really geared to single-player action, though when we’ll see one for the GC I don’t know.

I must admit that the game choices on all three systems do seem somewhat weak IMO. No one system really stands out. I find it almost pathetic that there are almost 300 PS2 games and I can only think of a few that I’d like to play.

There needs to be a revolution in game design.

15

I am convinced that the whole of video gaming existed in order to give us Grand Theft Auto 3, gaming goodness on a level we should feel blessed to have attained.

Did anyone see Lewis Black talk video games on The Daily Show a couple weeks ago? Here’s a sample:

“Now if senseless bloodshed in the name of anti-corporate activism (State of Emergency) seems a little too ‘goody-goody’ for you, how about senseless bloodshed in a moral vacuum? This is Grand Theft Auto 3. (wild cheering). The point of this game? Who cares! I’m too busy randomly beating an old lady with a baseball bat, carjacking a station wagon, and running people over. Or, my personal favorite, running someone over whose car I just stole, with the car I just stole!”