HELP!! Advice on the best game console to purchase?

I am finally going to break down and purchase a game console. I have not had one since my SEGA about 8-10 years ago.

Opinions on the best one to purchase? I am mostly interested in Star Wars and sports type games although if a game is fun I will buy it.

HELP ME PLEASE!!! I come to the experts for wisdom!!

 

I am mostly interested in Star Wars and sports type games

Well then it is an xbox you want.

 

For fun games: PS2

For Star Wars games: Xbox or GC

okeydokey?

 

IMHO, and please don't bash me for this, it doesn't really matter. I've played all three NextGen systems and the only differences are in control setup, exclusiveness of games, and the consoles themselves. It really depends on what you're looking for in games themselves.

 

X-box.

Why?

Well, some of the best online and offline current games are available or exclusively made for this console:

Halo.

Halo 2.

KOTOR

Ghost Recon.

Rainbow Six 3.

(At long last) Grand Theft Auto 3 and Vice City.

Jedi Outcast and Jedi Academy (if you don't or can't play the PC versions.

There's many others I'm sure I've forgotten to mention, but really, you can't go wrong with the 'Box. Plus, right now it's being sold on nice holiday bundle that includes two games and a two-month trial subscription to the Live! service.

 

You want an Xbox. On the Star Wars front, the console has the great KOTOR, Jedi Knight II, Jedi Academy, and an upcoming port that contains all three Rogue Squadron games.

For sports games, Xbox versions usually get the nod in terms of graphics and sound.

I forgot to mention another upcoming Xbox Star Wars game, Republic Commando, a squad-based first-person shooter. IGN says it will be out sometime in 2004.

 

*sighs* There is no upcoming Rogue Squadron port. That's just a rumour with absolutely no foundation.

 

Yes, we know that the RS port is an unfounded rumor. Still, all the recent SW have been made or ported to the black-green monster. It'd only be fair if the Rogue Squadron series received equal treatment.

 

With the EXCLUSIVE slapped over the TV adverts over I wouldn't be holding your breath. And it would hardly be fair as they don't seem to get ported the other way.

 

Well, I've got both a GameCube and an XBox, and to be perfectly honest I prefer the XBox. Not by a great margin, mind you, but I do tend to go with the XBox version when buying multi-platform games.

For one thing, I find the XBox controllers to be a lot more comfortable to use. A lot of people griped about the "huge" control pads that came with the XBox, but I find them to be preferable to the tiny little hand-crampers that come with the GameCube. And my hands aren't particularly big.

Also, the XBox can be converted to a DVD player with the purchase of a simple adapter that plugs into a control port. That's a nice little bonus in and of itself (and it boggles what's left of my mind that Nintendo didn't have the sense to do the same with their GameCube... )

The one major thing that the GameCube has going for it Star Wars wise, of course, is the Rogue Squadron series. IMHO it remains to be seen whether or not there is any truth to the rumors of a RS port for the XBox, and so at this point it's safe to assume that they'll remain GC exclusives, at least for the time being. As far as taking you inside the movies, I've found nothing that does so for me more than flying an X-Wing (in first person cockpit mode, of course) in one of the Battle Of Endor levels in these RS games. They aren't perfect, and there are a few things I'd have tweaked, but all in all it really does feel like you're in one of the SW movies.

That said, XBox has some damned cool games too, especially if you don't have a top-notch PC on which to play the ones which are published for both. Knights of the Old Republic, all hype aside, is one of the better RPGs I've ever played (and I must say that Morrowind is a close second) and the port of Jedi Outcast is a hell of a fun way of immersing oneself in the SW universe as well. Plus you've got Republic Commando coming out next year, Halo is fantastic (as, apparently, will Halo 2 be when it's released) and a number of multi-platform games as well.

Y'know what? I'll go out on a limb here and say that even though the game itself was visually dated by the time it came out, and could have used a great deal of extra work to bring it up to speed, and is based on arguably the lamest of the existing SW films, the Obi Wan game is actually not a bad little time-killer if you can find a cheap copy (which shouldn't be difficult at all these days.) Not a system-seller in any way, shape, or form, and it certainly isn't ever going to be able to compete with the top-drawer games, but I must say that I do like the lightsaber controls on this game quite a bit. Dedicating the right thumbstick to lightsaber control was a damned good way to go on this one IMHO, and I still have some fun with it on occasion.

But that's beside the point. As an overall gaming system, I'd recommend the XBox over the GameCube by a small margin. They're both very good systems, though. Tough choice.

 

Rogue Squadron 3, Gamecube only, is there anything more to say?

 

PS2

 

Rogue Squadron 3, Gamecube only, is there anything more to say?

what if you like rpg's? theres alot more to say

 

To be quite honest, I don't think the inclusion of a DVD player in a game console is the worst idea I've ever heard. This may be because I already own a DVD/VHS combo player, but I don't see a point to adding a DVD player to a gaming console when you could just work at making the GAMING aspect of it better.

 

Uh... all that's required to make a console double as a DVD player is to format it for standard CD/DVD sized discs, which is the same thing that's done on your computer. It's not like a lot of time was wasted re-inventing the wheel on this, at the expense of gameplay.

It's value added to the product without a great deal of extra effort or hardware. Had Nintendo not inexplicably chosen to go with that silly mini-CD format, they'd be right there with XBox and PS2 on this point.

It's kinda like those old "Video Cassette Players" that were out a number of years ago (and which still may be out, thought God only knows who's buying them if they are...) where it was basically a VCR in which the designers opted to not include a "record" head, so you couldn't tape anything. You've already got the contraption there, what's the point of leaving something basic like that out?

 

quick question here...

WHY DOES THE PS2 HAVE CRAPPY SW TITLES?!?!

 

Well lets see
PS2: more exclusive although most are avergerage to high-average.
GCN: Barly any online but has the best exclusive games and a good amount of them.
X-BOX: Best online but you have to pay for it. Least amount of Exclusives and nearly no exclusives if you have a good PC, but the ones that are good, are GOOD.




IMHO PS2, GCN, upgraded PC, gaming utopia

 

I must say that I think that Nintendo has done an excellent job with Gamecube, no matter what people say. They definately have the edge on exclusive games, and PS2 and XBox's exclusive games are dwindling in number, especially since the move of GTA3&GTA:VC to X-Box and the move of DragonBall Z:Budokai to GCN. So far, Nintendo's exclusive games seem to have stayed exclusive.

 

Xbox.

Anyone who says different just wihes they had one! Or they're in denial.

I had all three (xbox, gamecube and PS2) at one stage, sold the other two. PS2 does have more games, and GC has more exclusive titles but the xbox is just a better system all round. Much smoother gameplay.

 

Too late to edit. I don't have anything against the other consoles. I just prefer GCN over the others.

And no, I'm not in denial, nor do I wish to get an X-Box.

 

It depends largely on what you want, Smanigal.

There's bunches of people that will say this system is best because it has such and such graphics resolution parameters, such and such processing power, and DVD capability with so many cool games some you can play online.

But it all comes down to what kind of gaming experience you want: which games you want to play, and what else do the consoles offer.
Since I'm not sure of your criterion I'll use myself as an example.

Graphics: X-box is the winner though honestly I can't really understand the big whoop about how that makes it superior to PS2 or GC.
Conclusion: Pretty graphics is important but not decisive for me.

Processing power: Again the X-box, but again i don't understand the big whoop about that either. I saw a demonstration of the Cube when it came out showing how it really doesn't have a long load time, something that always grated my butter before so...
Conclusion: Gamecube.

Online Play: X-box and PS2, but I'm probably the only gamer that doesn't care whether i can get fragged at Halo by some punk kid halfway round the world or not.
Conclusion: not decisive.

DVD capability: PS2 and X-box, but i already had a DVD player so...
Conclusion: not decisive.

Price: an important factor for me, gives me more money to buy games rather than the capability to play the one or two I could afford with a pricey console. GC was $100 cheaper when X-box and PS2 are both close to $300 i think.
Conclusion: Gamecube.

Controller: i tried out the x-box controller at a demo kiosk and it was really awkward I guess I must have really small hands or something. While the GC's seemed very ergonomic to me, though i have noticed that it's not so effective with fighting games other than SuperSmash Bro.s
Conclusion: Gamecube

Game selection: The games i want are: Super Smash Bros., Clone Wars, Rogue Squadron, KOTOR, Halo, Mario Sunshine, Zelda, Metroid, Final Fantasy, Soul Calibur, Capcom Vs. Marvel, & Capcom Vs. Snk. (right off the top of my head.) I want only 2 X-box games out of how many...not enough for me to pay so much...(Eventhough KotoR does tempt me every time i see it.) While the games that seemed more fun to me were on the GC.
Conclusion: Gamecube (Though i did finally break down and buy a PS2 for Final Fantasy.)

What i'm trying to say is that you can't rely on someone else's recommendation because they'll only recommend what console was best for them. Figure out what factors are important to you and decide which console fits them best.

 

since most XBox games are on PC I'd go for a PS2. I dont think XBox has anything you cant get on PC or PS2

 

Gamecube.

It has the best Star Wars games, and all the good sports games. Before someone goes for my throat, let me remind you that most decent sport games are on PS2, X-Box and GCN

 

Controller: i tried out the x-box controller at a demo kiosk and it was really awkward I guess I must have really small hands or something. While the GC's seemed very ergonomic to me, though i have noticed that it's not so effective with fighting games other than SuperSmash Bro.s
Conclusion: Gamecube


im one of those people who has gorrila sized hands that loves the original xbox controller