Ohhhhh it was a night of Gaming Goodness down at the mall. A couple rounds of Police 911 at the arcade (the one where not only do you shoot at the screen but the game detects you ducking and dodging) and both X-Box and GameCube were out.
Electronics Boutique had a demo unit with a preview disc. Munch’s Odyssey was the only playable. Everything else was video. First off, The X-Box is frickin’ HUGE. We’re talking 1980s VCR huge. The controllers are big too–small hands people beware. Second, (and I know you could have said the same when the PS2 launched), the graphics aren’t that impressive. The only game that looked really jawdropping was Dead Or Alive. NFL Fever doesn’t look much different from Madden 2002. The racing game for X-Box looks actually less impressive than Gran Turismo 3. Granted the PS2 is a year old, but I’m talking right now. Third, props to the EB employee who totally floored me by not being a fanboy or outright lying to a customer! Someone asked pretty generally what the deal is with these three systems, and he said “They’re all more or less the same, especially for sports games; just find the one with the other games you want.” A couple minutes earlier he was carefully explaining their policy on returns, discounts, and promotions to someone, adding, “I’m just trying to make it so you don’t ever have to shop at Best Buy.” See, retail employees? It pays to be knowledgable, honest and friendly. We notice. And it totally made up for the last time I was in there when someone was giving me a hard time when I returned a game (in full compliance with store policy and in pristine condition).
GameCube–the used game store (this place is hardcore–they have games for the Atart Lynx, Neo Geo, Sega Saturn, etc.) had an import system from Japan with Luigi’s Mansion. Very cool lighting and atmospheric effects. Obviously the game was in Japanese so I couldn’t read anything or figure out what I was supposed to do. And while X-Box is big, the GameCube is small. The Cube itself is just a small purple box. But just as I thought the X-Box controller was too big, I thought the GameCube one was too small. For that Goldilocks “Just right!” I still prefer the Sony Dualshock.
To sum up: after months of smack talk, it is my opinion that right now no one system is way ahead or way behind of another. Hell, if I had the time and money I’d get all 3 (currently I have a PS2). I don’t think any one company will necessarily “win”. Gamers will win because there will be so much competition that it will produce great games.
Anyone else gotten their mitts on these new systems yet?
I have a pre-order in on a XBox package that includes Madden 2002, Tony Hawk 2, and Dead or Alive 3. They tell me it ships on Nov 15th. I drool with anticipation until then.
Let’s get a few things straight: Availability matters. Price matters. Variety of games matters. Quality of games matters. Fun matters. Perhiperals…well, they may not matter as much, but believe me, they do count for something.
The system that “wins”…assuming that it’s possible at all for a home console to win anything (sorry, but I learned this the hard way)…will be the one that can get its best stuff widely available as quickly as possible and in sufficient quantities (are you listening, Sony??). And keep producing a wide variety of games for all age levels, tastes, and skills. (You know, this wasn’t always so freaking hard. Lemme tell you about a fun old box called the NES…)
BTW, my family is still holding out for a PS2 that’s worth the trouble (read: modchipped), but I’d say the clock is definitely running on them now.
I remember way back to the SNES vs. Genesis wars. Sega kept pumping out all these commercials that showed how their system ran “faster” than Nintendo’s (basically allowing you a better chance to develop an aneurysm). They bragged that their system had more processing power. “SNES is slow” they said, over and over and over and over and over.
And then Sega vanished off the face of the Earth. Why? Not because of system power… the system itself is insignificant. What matters are the GAMES, hotdammit!
I’ve already worked out a deal with a friend… he’s got a hardon for the PS2, I’ve got a hardon for the X-Box. We’re going to get our respective systems, and compare them. PS2’s got a very nice line-up of games planned (no thanks to Gran Turismo 3, however… it’s just not my cup of tea), and they’ve got Squaresoft in their corner. And the X-Box has some VERY promising… er… promises. Project Ego, anyone? ::drool::
And, of course, Silent Hill 2 will be available on BOTH systems…
I’ll probably take a gander at the Gamecube, if only for the promise of another Metroid game, but… well… we’ll see!
I am particularly interested in the controller size issue, could someone clarify (who has held it)? I do not particularly care for the PS controllers. I don’t like the button layout, I don’t like the size… ugh. If the PS didn’t have aweseom games… lol
Anyway, my all-time favorite controller is the N64’s. i thought those puppies fit just right, as awkward as they were right at the beginning. The DC controllers were decent, but clunky.
How would it compare to either of those?
And wow, 1980’s VCR big? ROFL I don’t plan to buy any of the new systems (PS2, GC, XB) until prolly next spring after they’ve all had some time in the limelight. Then I will get two out of three. I think I will definitely get a GameCube, and the other system… no clue. The only game I really want to own right now that I could but don’t is Silent Hill 2. My second decision is all about the games. (which Nintendo will have a Zelda and a metroid for sure, so that abou settles it for me).
SPOOFE - Anyone who honestly thinks that the Dreamcast is faltering because it doesn’t have great games is a nincompoop (or horribly biased, which pretty much amounts to the same thing). Sadly, even the games alone are not enough to keep a system afloat these days.
Personally, I never thought that the Super NES was so hot. It was majorly underpowered for a lot of games (anyone rememeber the horrible Captain America and the Avengers?), and it had the incredible twin misfortune of 1) hitting its peak just as Mortal Kombat-inspired mindless paranoia erupted, resulting in a wholesale sanitizing…and incredible dumbing down…of nearly the entire SNES lineup, and 2) being marketed as a “family” system. (Now I can’t even look at an SNES without retching.) Despite all the money I sunk into it (and admittedly, there were some great games), I was actually kinda relieved to see it go.
It’s nice that you have a friend willing to split expenses…I definitely could have used that luxury during the Neo Geo era. You’ll definitely want at least two systems if you want any kind of variety, especially with the oncoming tidal wave of “SINGLE CONSOLE EXCLUSIVE!!!” games that these companies, for some reason I’d rather not delve into, somehow decided was a good idea. Nintendo has had a major identity crisis for some time, so making the Gamecube the odd man out might actually be a good idea.
Whatever you do, always remember that you’re not buying a system for just one game, or even one genre. Someday you will want a break from Gran Turismo whatever (for me, one week would be pushing it). One of the few positive aspects of the SNES was variety. If such a hopelessly handicapped system could provide it, you should expect no less from the cutting edge.
Oh, one more thing…no matter what it is, it will eventually die. Period. Get used to desperately scrambling for one final game or two in the bargain bin, because it will eventually reach this point. It’s happened to me TWICE already, and I’m nearing that stage again with the Dreamcast. Planned obsolescence is practically a mandate of this crazy industry. Prepare to see your favorite system become “obsolete” and “dead” and “useless”, and prepare to shell out all over again if you want to keep playin’. What they hey, you might actually find it worth the trouble.
