Talk to me about gaming consoles (X-Box, PS2, NGC)

Cafe Society
1

So it appears that I’m in the market for a gaming system. My budget’s a little tight, which means I’m leaning towards the GameCube (it’s $50 cheaper at the used stores). However, games like KOTOR draw me towards the X-Box as well.

Things I like:
KOTOR
X-Men: Legends
Metroid Prime
cell-shading
replayability
good available used games

Things I don’t like:
Ridiculously hard games
Spending massive amounts of cash
a system that’s going to crash on me twice a year because of a scratched lens or somesuch

X-Box Live simply isn’t a feature I care about - I’d never use it. I’m not a big time gamer. I like playing games, but they don’t have to be perfect examples of the gaming industry. So, any really bad experiences with one of the platforms? Any really good examples?

2

To be honest, I never really wanted to like the Xbox, because the last thing I wanted to do is give more money to Bill Gates Enterprises.

I own the PS2 and Xbox, and I’ve played the Gamecube, but hands down my fave is the Xbox. The controllers just fit better, the load times seem better, and the games are more fun.

Based on the games you seem to enjoy, I’d choose the Xbox as well. You can get a good refurbed one at an EB Games or Gamestop for around $130, and a passel of games, and still get out for under $200.

Now keep in mind the next-gen systems will be announced within a year, so don’t be disappointed if everybody is talking about Xbox 2 and PS3 within 12 months. In any case, they are in development. I don’t have my EGMs around (so I can’t tell you when they’re launching) but it’ll be within 18 months, I’m sure.

3

Oh, and a post-script:

I’m not a big online gamer, either. I don’t subscribe to Xbox Live, and never will. I still prefer the Xbox for its processing power.

Plus, you can rip MP3s to the internal hard-drive and listen to them with games that support soundtracks. How cool is that?

4

I own all three.

I barely play the XBox - the only engaging games I have for it are KOTOR (which is great, but I got distracted from it and once the momentum is broken for me - it’s hard to get back in) and Ninja Gaiden, which is too cool, but also hard.

I play the PS2 a lot - it has the best roleplaying games out there right now, and I rather enjoy Disgaea and La Pucelle Tactics - and am sorely tempted by Star Ocean.

I play the GameCube sometimes. Metroid Prime I have, and probably would play - except they put one of those annoying timed escapes right at the beginning of the game, so I turned off the console and haven’t gone back.

If you’re a fan of Cel-shading, I recommend looking at Legend of Zelda : Wind Waker for the GC as well as Viewtiful Joe.

The only one of the three that’s shown any unreliability is the PS2 - mine’s getting on in years, though. And it’s a rare skip, that’s all.

5

It all comes down to the games available for the system, and for that reason it’s between the Xbox and the PS2. The NGC does have some excellent games, especially Metroid Prime, but like all the other non-Gameboy Nintendo consoles, the Gamecube sacrifices the number of games available for exclusivity. The Nintendo license (and Mario, Zelda, Donkey Kong, Pokemon, and Metroid) is really the only thing that sets the machine apart from the others.

Between the Xbox and the PS2, the Xbox is definitely better in terms of visuals and just general convenience – having the built-in hard drive is really nice. I have both a PS2 and an Xbox, but whenever the same game is available for both machines, I always get the Xbox version because it always looks better. The games themselves are comparably priced, and while there’s definitely more used stuff available for the PS2 (partly because there are more titles, period, and partly because it can play every PS1 game as well), I’ve never had any problem finding used games for the Xbox.

Sounds to me like you’d be happiest with an Xbox, even if the console is more expensive at the start. You could get KOTOR and, if you like cel-shading, Jet Set Radio Future. The alternative would be to get a PS2 and a bunch of used games, and just play the PC version of KOTOR.

6

Go with the one that has the games you want to play. No point in having a system with fantastic graphics, that’s cheaper (or more expensive) and has all sorts of widgets if you never play it because you hate all the games out for it. That’s really the major consideration.

7

As you can see, I listed several games that I would get, and all of them are console-exclusive for different systems.

8

I agree, make a list of the games you want to play, then get that system.

I have the Game Cube and PS2. I prefer the GC, in that it’s a very well made, durable device. I’ve pulled it off a table mid-game and it didn’t miss a beat, just kept on playing. I’ve also left a game in it spinning and left it like that for a couple weeks and I can just pick up where I left off, no restart required. It also has some games that I simply had to play.

We’re already on our second PS2 because the first one broke. And it had never been dropped or otherwise abused. Our second PS2 works fairly well, but there are certain games, or at least game discs, it doesn’t like. It just seems more fragile & touchy, overall.

That said, I have to admit there are more games for the PS2, and we end up playing the PS2 more often.

I’ve played all the three systems and I can’t tell a difference in graphic or sound quality, so I wouldn’t buy a system based on that. IMO, most games don’t take full advantage of what these systems are capable of anyway.

As for how the controller feels in your hand, there are lots of after-market controllers available that don’t cost too much, and you can probably find one that feels more comfortable in your hand, if that’s a problem for you.

As for replayability, I find I’m more likely to buy a game for the GC, and rent games on the PS2. The one exception would be Kingdom Hearts for the PS2. I just bought X-Men Legends for the PS2, and now I’m wishing I’d rented it. It’s a great game, but I probably won’t replay it once I’m done.

9

I also have all three.

Games. That’s what it comes down to. If you’re only going to get one, get the one with the games you want to play.

I play PS2 the most, but I just got the Gamecube so it’s been seeing more action lately, and Fable for XBOX, so it’s been on constantly for a week.

Cel shading, since everyone mentions it, is really cool. Cel Damage is the best game out there, IMHO. Jet Set Radio Future was no fun at all.

The timed escape freaked me out in Metroid Prime, but it was really easy once I knew where I was going and the rest of the game has been top notch.

Didn’t older PS2s have a problem causing them to fail? When I got mine, my boyfriend’s had the SCPH-30000 (or similar) and I got the 300001 to avoid the dvd drive problems. Am I dreaming this?

10

Thanks for all the responses. Any insight on what the best place to buy used systems is?

11

Viewtiful Joe is coming/is out for the PS2.

Most things come out for the PS2, eventually.

Have you tried the Midway’s Arcade Classics discs? Old friends in it.

12

I have a PS2 and used to have an Xbox.
I bought a load of games for the Xbox, but the only one that was any good was Halo, so I sold it eventually.
Nowadays more titles are available but it still is very little compared to the line-up
for the PS2.
The only thing I really liked about the Xbox was the Xbox Live-service, although I almost never used it, and the harddisk.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the new Xbox will most likely not be backward-compatible.

I enjoy my PS2 immensely.
It is the system with the largest line-up and almost all of the top-titles will be released for it.
Sony also announced that the PS3 will be backward compatible with the PS2, so you don’t have to throwaway your games when it is released.

Not to sound like a fanboy, but… damn, too late.

13

For the love of God, man, play the game! It is, IMO, the best game on the gamecube. Yes, better than windwaker (mainly becaise to me, it seemed that most of Windwaker was sailing around to get money, to pay the guy to translate the triforce map, so I could sail around to get the piece.)

The timed portion isn’t hard in any way. Most metroid games have a timed portion, either at the end of beginning (Hell, I think super-metroid had both.)

Don’t let the first ten minutes of the game dictate the other five hours.

14

The problem is - the only bad thing about prior Metroid games were the stupid, stupid timed escapes. I hate those.

I’ll go back and play it eventually, probably, but for now, I have better games that don’t start off by annoying me.

15

Re: Metroid Prime’s timed beginning.

The point of it is to show you what it’s like to have a fully powered up Samus. The escape doesn’t take very long, gives you a good introduction to the controls, and frankly, gives you more than enough time to get out.

What I would give to play that for the first time all over again.