Preferred Next Gen Console?

[Spencer]

Do any of you guys like PS2, X Box, or GameCube the best? I'm curious....This topic came up just because I am getting a GameCube for my birthday (which technically isn't for about a week and a half, but I have nice parents) and wanted to know. So...What's it gonna be?

btw, with my GameCube I am receiving a free copy of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, and afterwards am planning on buying a memory card. Cool, huh?

[Straylight]

PS2 all the way

3 reasons:

Final Fantasy
Metal Gear Solid
DDR

[Ashley]

While my brother and I have a gamecube, I'm really more of a PS2 fan for one reason: backwards compatibility. I never had a playstation, so there are tons of games I would love to be able to play, on top of the "next-gen" style games the PS2 can support.

[Gypsy]

Hmm, that's a tough question. I have a ps2 and a cube as well. I love them both, and there are pros and cons about both.
Wear and Tear: Nintendo has always built hardy systems. I cannot tell you how many nosedives my original NES took off my tv when I got too excited and yanked the controller too hard. Same goes for my SNES, and the games as well. You can hear things rattling around in many of the cartridges, but they still work. As for the game cube in question, the other day, my brother dropped it, and then proceeded to fall (butt first) on top of it. After my initial conniption, we discovered the cube was fine. But if that had happened to my ps2, no dice. If you breathe on a ps2 wrong, it will bung up.
Loading time: The cube is ever so much faster than the ps2, and in my opinion, the graphics are crisper. However, the cube games are not as high caliber as ps2, or even some psx games.
Multi player: Well, there are a couple 4 player games that are a blast for the cube, and because of the loading time and graphics capability, I've decided to buy my Soul Caliber 2 for the cube instead of my ps2. My friends will argue that I'm doing that because Link is in the Soul Caliber 2 for the cube but ... *cough* they don't know what they're talking about ...
But, if you put a gun to my head and asked what the best system was, I would tell you the ps2. More games, more genres of games, and like Ash pointed out, the backwards compatibility is a gem of a feature, especially if you're an rpg buff.

[Rashiir]

I'm for the Xbox, if only for Halo. I'm still addicted to that game, after almost 2 years! And I'm the kind of person that won't even stay with a game long enough to beat it sometimes. And far as backwards compatibiliy goes for the PS2, you can get a PS for like $20 bucks now...

[madphilb]

I voted for XBox, but each system has it's own good points...

The PS2, as has been mentioned, is backward compatable. That combined with the large number of RPGs for it, make it a good system. However the PS2 has the worst rating of the three for long life. The local EB guys don't recommend you buy a PS2 without the extended waranty. The PS2 is also the worst system of the 3 as far as power, when it came out it blew everyone away, but it's just not as powerful as either of the other systems (though I know that's not always the most important thing, as we have plenty of people on this forum who play both the N64 version of Starfox as well as the original SNES version).

The Cube is a killer system. Like most of big-N's systems, it's sturdy. You know it's got to be sturdy if they've bothered to put a handle on it so you can carry it around (anyone lift an Xbox... don't hurt yourself). The Cube has some of the best specs for good looking games too (they can just make prettier ones). The down side(s) to the Cube include a lack of number of games (PS2 will always top that list, but even for good ones, the Cube is still low on the list) and the lack of a hard disk. There are however several games on the Cube that will cause me to pick one up at some point.

The Xbox, dispite my extreme dislike of Billy-Bob Gates and M$, was my choice for a Next-Gen system.

The Box is a souped-up PC which has a couple of things going for it, namely that lots of the new games comming out on the PC, will also appear on the Box (Deus Ex, Theif 3, Morrowind, Splinter Cell). It also means that (at least at the time it came out) it kicks the butt of most home PCs for power (and does a good job at kicking the other Console's abilities).

The Box has a hard disk... no more hunting for that stupid memory cartridge, or worse, finding out you're a few blocks short and have to decide what to remove from it to fit the new game on (can't tell you how many times I had to do that with the N64). Granted, the newer systems have much bigger mem-carts, but still....

One Word..... Rare (silly Nintendo).

One last thing that makes the XBox great.... if someone breaks into your house, you can beat the stuffing out of them with it (don't try that with your PS2 or Cube!).

PHIL

[Ashley]

I dunno, I could probably knock someone out with my 'Cube and still be happy to know it would behave no differently afterwards. The lack of good games for the cube is my biggest beef.

[inkhana]

Eheh...this is gonna be a multiple stage question. Hold on to your hats...or whatever.

OK, there's gonna be a PS3, correct? Would it be compatible with PSX/PS2 games, or is this known yet (or even possible)? (Heck, I've been out of gaming news so long I'll just rely on you guys...LOL) There's an armload of games I'd love to try, but I just haven't got the cash to play everything I wanna play...LOL (And I don't want to buy both a PS2 and PS3, understandably) That being the case, what RPGs would people recommend for the Playstation consoles (don't bother mentioning FFs, they're already on my list...)

Oh, and to add to the previous conversation, there are too few decent games for the cube. It's Nintendo's own fault for taking too long to get the console out to begin with. (Seems like no matter what your taste is, most of the games you won't like)

[Gypsy]

So glad you asked! *ahem*
I think I'll just list my personal collection of rpgs.
Lunar Silver Star Story Complete
Lunar 2 Eternal Blue Complete
Arc the Lad Collection
Vanguard Bandits
Legend of Legia
Grandia
Threads of Fate
Eternal Eyes
Legend of Dragoon
FF7-X + Tactics
Chrono Cross
Alundra 2
Star Ocean the 2nd Story
Xenogears
Skies of Arcadia Legends
Evergrace
Xenosaga
Dark Cloud
Grandia II
Mystic Heroes
Kingdom Hearts
Legend of Zelda - OoT, Master Quest, and WW
Well, all of those (except Skies and Zelda) are all for either ps2 or psx. Another really good game that is sort of an rpg is Harvest Moon - Back to Nature (I love that game!!) But, of the above games, knowing your thing for mech, Ink, I think you'd like Vanguard Bandits. You move around on the screen much like tactics, but you're in mechs that you can custom and stuff. And if you liked the Zelda games, you'll love Kingdom Hearts. Now, just cause I listed a game, doesn't mean I've played it (I think I've played almost half of them), I just listed them to refresh other rpger's memories and help them suggest stuff.

[Ashley]

speaking of mechs, you'd loooooove Zone of the Enders Ink. Absolutely love. It's for PS2 as well.

[inkhana]

Cool! I played Skies of Arcadia all the way through and I really liked it (although the teen rating was justified). I thought the battle system on it was really nice. A bunch of those I have an interest in (I'd love to see more 3d RPGs, almost all the ones I've played are older and therefore sprite-based) There's just nothing like 3d attacks!

I wish I had more cash. Or a friend who would loan me their system for a while...*looks around and sees no takers* *sigh* Oh well, didn't hurt to ask...LOL

[uc pseudonym]

Though the ps2 has the best rpgs, I'd also go for the gamecube. Personally I'm not much of a xbox fan, mainly just because of the types of games they produce.

People have said there aren't good games for the gamecube (and to a certain extent, that's true), but no one ever mentioned the thing most going for it: Super Smash Brother Melee. I don't know if everyone else disagrees with me, but I think that's one of the most enjoyable fighters of all time.

[LorentzForce]

definately PS2.

even though i don't own consoles except a PS1, i still played with a PS2, GameCube and an X-Box for long enough to know them.

then again, i like FF too and so the PS2 is my winner.

[inkhana]

Originally posted by uc pseudonym
T ...Super Smash Brother Melee. I don't know if everyone else disagrees with me, but I think that's one of the most enjoyable fighters of all time.

Yup, agreed. I'll put it this way...it's the ONLY one I play...mostly because I don't like fighting games. Well, except for SSBM... I've heard it said that some don't consider it a real fighting game because it doesn't utilize extended combos, but I don't know what else they'd call it when people are bodyslamming each other and "torpedo-ing" off the edge of the stage only to smack into the far wall...LOL Plus it can be cool and "fight-ey" without being gorey or stupid.

[uc pseudonym]

I agree. One thing that's easy to forget about consules is that good games are a much bigger need than a lot of power. That can be a problem with next generation consules (though not so much, anymore). Whenever the next rash of consules breaks out, I hope they're accompanied by good games.

[inkhana]

This is true. Although one thing I didn't mention...my favorite game for the Cube is still Metroid Prime, not SSBM, but, of course, you have to like FPS games (and Metroid Prime was my first). Which reminds me...did you ever finish MP, Ashley?

[BrianC]

My next gen console of choice is the Game Boy Advance. The reason? Tons of great games. Yes, some of them are ports, but there are plenty of new games like Metroid Fusion, Advance Wars, Castlevania Aria of Sorrow, Mega Man Zero, and Megaman Battle Network (series) too. Not to mention the huge lineup of GB/GBC games for it (though some GBC games look dark, they are still perfectly playable in good light) like Zelda: Oracle of Ages, Zelda: Oracle of Seasons, Zelda: Link's Awakening, Donkey Kong GB (the one based on gameplay similar to the old classic), Wario Land 3, Buster Bros., Super Mario Bros DX, Dragon Warrior III, Final Fantasy Adventure, and more.

[inkhana]

Tis true. Looking forward to picking up some oldies myself. Also want to play Aria of Sorrow.

[Stephen]

Playstation 2....they have the FF series, Metal gear, and Devil may cry....need I say more?

[madphilb]

I don't think that the late release of the Cube is the reason for it's lack of games, rather I think it's a combination of Nintendo keeping somewhat of a tight reign on what goes on their system as well as some of the existing contracts out there with developers between them and Sony.

I agree that power isn't the most important part of games, but it does help at times (face it, Halo is still darn pretty, where as some of the mullti-platform games tend to hold to the lowest of the group which is the PS2). Like I said, there are plenty of people who still play the old Starfox games, and they're far from cutting edge!

The Advance SP and the Cube are both on my list to get (I might pick up a PS2 sometime down the road, but I'd be more likely to pick up a PSOne or something for the RPGs).

Actually, I was going to get a Cube, but they took too long to drop the price (the refurb XBox was only $150, $180 new)... and Enter the Matrix looked really cool

PHIL