Help me decide on a second console: X-Box vs. Gamecube.
 

I got a little Christmas money and I think I want to get a second console. I already have a PS2. Although it will be a while before we really know if one is better than the other, would you pick X-Box or Gamecube? I would especially like to here from people who have both.

I'd get the X-Box now, and then buy the GameCube during the summer.

It's too expensive to own all three consoles, especially since the futures of the XBox and Gamecube are pretty uncertain.

There are a lot of games on PS2 right now that are worth owning. If you haven't got MGS2, GT3, GTA3, SSX Tricky, FFX, any EA sports games you like, and Jak and Daxter, then you might want to consider skipping a new console.

I was going to get a GameCube, but there was so much good stuff out for PS2, that it just didn't seem to be a worthwhile investment.

Also, Nintendo's best licenses look like they're taking a turn for the weird, and probably, for the worse. Zelda is cell shaded, and Mario is running around the suburbs with a giant drinking bird attached to his back.

Nothing on the XBox looks better than Halo. In fact, if you have a good PC, there's no reason to own an XBox, because the most enticing games on the XBox are shooters, and shooters are much better on a PC, where high resolutions allow for greater precision, scalable detail levels let you maximize your framerate, and, most importantly, you can play with your mouse and keyboard.

If you want the largest amount of access to as many games as you can get with only two Id say the Box and PS2 are gonna have a lot of overlap. If you got one or the other get a Cube. If you only had a DC Id say get a XBox.

Jolt, I'd say the amount of XBox exclusives and GCN exclusives are equal.

There are only two "shooters" out right now for the XBox, Payne and Halo, one you can't buy on the PC (anyone know the targeted release date for that?). Your argument is pretty exaggerated at this point.

Super Smash Bros: Mellee is the best game ever, nuff said

take a look at these two threads
Gamecube Games
Xbox Games

which ever system has the most games coming out you think you will like, then that should be the system you get.

but personally, I'll go with Xbox (due to the current and future releases games)

I would get the gamecube over the XBox.

With the PS2 you have a great library of good games and you will get some good first party games from Nintendo. I may pick one up this summer myself. i do agree that if you do not need it and still have many games you do not own for the PS2 that are good, I would get those games and pass on the gamecube for a few months.

Personally i am waiting for a hack of the Xbox games for the PC so i will not invest in one since i do think it will happen. Then i will buy the games i want and play them on my PC.

True, but the Game Cube exclusives now and in the future are far superior to the Xbox ones IMO. Nintendo is the top developer and publisher of video games. Most of the good Xbox games are also on the PS2. I have gone PS2 and Gamecube. The Xbox is something I may or may not buy a year or more down the road. The PS2 and Gamecube cover about 95% of the games worth owning.

Alvis, are you big on home theater? Don't forget the Dolby Digital 5.1 advantage for the X-Box.

If you want to play fun games, then get the Gamecube. If you want people to think you're cool, buy the Xbox

Two of the biggest GCN games weren't developed by Nintendo (SMB and RL). So basically two good games were released and developed by Nintendo, the Jet Ski game and SB:Melee. After that it's slim pickens until Mario. I think the Gamecube will only get better, but if you look at what's coming down the X-Box pipe for Q1 and Q2, there's a lot to choose from. I don't regret getting my GCN, but I definitely see it collecting dust in the future until Mario Sunshine comes out. Meanwhile, X-Box has a ton of good looking titles coming out, quite a few of which are exclusives.

Personally, I would recommend you get rid of your PS2 before the price drops. Then get the X-Box and GCN. Otherwise just get the X-Box now and pick the GCN when there are more 1st party games out for it.

Personally, I'd get an xbox if I had the extra money. For some reason, I don't know if the gamecube is gonna do all that good. I'm not downing it, it's got SSB:M and that's gotta be real awesome.

Funny thing, I've been looking on Ebay to see if I can save a few dollars on either system and people are still saying they are hard to find. It's now a few days after Christmas and I'm seeing them everywhere at the b&m's.

Yes but as far as "must haves" I think the Box and the PS2 have the same basic weakness. They dont own any real franchises like Nintendo and Sega. They are both almost completely dependant on third parties. The "exclusives" they get are paid for. If a third party can make money by releasing it on another system they will. Remember when DOA2 was "Exclusive" to the Dreamcast. They got out of that pretty easily by adding a few costume changes and adding Hardcore to the title and released it for the PS2. There is nothing Sony or Microsoft can do to stop that, if they make the exclusive agreements too restrictive they drive developers to the competition.

Theres a very good chance of seeing a Jet Grind on the PS2 and a MGS on the Box. But you absolutely will not see Zelda or Metroid or any of the other high profile "Must have" titles on anything but the Cube.

Thats why Im saying youll have more options with combining a Cube with a Box or a PS2. There may be a few titles that remain on either the Box or the PS2 but most third parties will opt to take both Sony and Microsofts money.

Using that arguement, if you're a kid, buy a gamecube, adult, buy an X-Box :rolleyes:

I got an Xbox for Xmas but haven't had any time to play it. Sooner or later I will buy the GC only for Rogue Squadron.

I was int he same dilemma you were in a few months ago. I already had a PS2, and the (now obsolete) Dreamcast sitting in my entertainment area...but I felt the urge to pick up a new console, and with the XBOX and GameCube coming down the pipe, I knew I had to pick one.

I chose the GameCube, for better or for worse. XBOX probably has about triple the titles compared to the 'Cube, but IMHO, the Cube titles are a better overall bunch. Sure Halo and Blood Wake look cool, but for now, I'm totally satisfied with Pikmin and SSB:M(In fact, SSB:M is so good, I only played PIkmin for about 1 hour so far..I really need to go back to it soon..)

The Cube has the franchises I wanted and the price point that I could afford making a few sacrifices.

[anxiously waiting for Metroid Prime, Mario Sunshine, and Star Fox Adventure!]

I picked up a gamecube, b/c I 'grew up' on Nin games/systems. (It doesn't hurt that I got a great deal on one too)...

I'll ride the wave out, and wait for a Zelda, and a Mario game. Personally, I couldn't see myself buying an Xbox.. that's just b/c I see it as a non-upgradable computer.

I already have a slammed out computer, and Bungie has confirmed numerous times that HALO will come out for PC, w/i the mext 6 months.

When it comes out for PC, it'll look cleaner, and run smoother for online gameplay.

Until then, I'll play SSBM, amoung other titles.

(But I do admit... I'm finally using my PS2 now that I've gotten a taste of MGS2, and GTA3)!!!

<B>[edited to add that it doesn't 'hurt' either that CAPCOM is now in bed with the gamecube... can't wait to play the revamped Resident Evil games!]</b> :D:thumbsup:

-k
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I was in the same boat (owning a PS2 and looking to get a Gamecube or XBox). I eventually chose the XBox for one reason and one reason only, Halo. After I finish it I will probably not touch the XBox for a while. The PS2 is keeping me plenty busy these days.

Ultimately it comes down to what games you want to play.

Yes, Adult=XBOX.. a lot of potential to come, 5.1 audio, larger controllers, Ethernet built in, etc... The games like Halo and Azurik take so long to complete you don't need to buy many games for it! It will take me forever to finish them! :)

I have both and I'm playing the X-box a lot more than the Gamecube.

Though I'm playing the PS2 more than either.

I have all four of the next generation consoles and my nonbiased advice is this:

If you already have a PS2 and want to compliment it with an additional console, go with a Gamecube. The Gamecube will have more exclusive GOOD games that differentiate itself from the PS2 library than the Xbox will. Xbox's library is too similar to the PS2s and it won't have as many "sure bet" exclusives as the Gamecube will. For those two reasons alone, go with the Gamecube.

Look at "The one and only why you chose (blank) console thread" for a bunch of opinions on this very subject.

Really it's up to you to decide. Just look at the exclusive games for each system and decide which one has the most that interest you.

Personally I'd go with the Gamecube. You already have a PS2 and the X-box and PS2 will have more "overlap" than the PS2 and Gamecube. Plus, IMO the X-box's exclusive line-up sucks so far. Right now the only exclusive game that interests me is Halo, and that's out of the game released, and announced. Whereas the Gamecube has Star Wars, Super Smash Bros, Wave Race, Pikmin and Super Monkey Ball as exclusives now, and games like Eternal Darkness, Resident Evil, Perfect Dark, Mario, Zelda, Metroid, etc. coming in the future as exclusives.

However, that is just my opinion. Those games may not interest you at all, while the X-box line-up my thrill you to death. You just have to look at the exclusive games and decide for yourself.

Actually, Rogue Leader was developed by Factor 5, which is second party to Nintendo. So, basically, it was developed by Nintendo, and will certainly never show up anywhere else.

Since when is Factor 5 a second party?

The Xbox and the PS2 are definately systems for adults.

My son and his friend were playing his GC and I thought the graphics were pretty good, but man all I can say is that the GC needs a Fisher-Price logo on it. Only the Star Wars game seemed to catch my interest as an adult type game of all the games his friend brought with him.

As kiddy as the rest of the games seemed, it wouldn't suprise me to see that Nintendo changes the name of Resident Evil to Resident Goody 2 Shoes.

The GC was gonna be my 2nd system until I got to see it in action.
I'll check it out in a few months to see if it matures any.

Xbox & PS2 = Adult

Gamecube = Pablum Puker

Just my opinion

I have a PS2, and to perfectly honest I don't really like it. The first week I had it I loved it, now I barely touch it anymore. I have a friend with an Xbox and a friend with a Gamecube, personally, I like Xbox a lot, and I am planning to pick one up as soon as I set asside the cash. The system itself seems better, the controlers aren't designed for 10 year old hands like PS2 seems to be, and all the games I've played have been fun :)

It looks like in the long run either PS2 or Xbox will be best to have, they both seem to have a bunch of the same games out or coming out, but xbox just seems a lot nicer to me all around.

Considering how many adults I know that are enjoying their Game Cubes I will have to disagree. Believe it or not, games like Smash Bros, Pikmin, and Super Monkey Ball have enough challenge and gameplay that they can be enjoyed by adults as well.

If blood, gore, and violence are the only things that makes a system for 'adults', then Eternal Darkness will be out soon and of course all the Resident Evil games.

I agree with you that the gameplay of those games can entertain adults as well, but in my case it's hard for me to get into a game that has kiddy characters. Maybe I'm wrong but as a Nintendo fan for more than 10years, the GC seems to have lowered it's target audience age with the initial lineup of games. I'm hoping my type of games will catch up because I wanted the GC to be my second system over the PS2 because of game overlap between my Xbox and the PS2. I definately have been needing a Metroid "Fix" for a long time. They've had plenty of time to develop the next Metroid into a phenominal game.

I'll probably buy it now with the Star Wars game to keep me entertained till the good ones come out.

What kind of games are you looking for, because it seems to me that if you wanted Nintendo games you would have just bought it withought a second thought. What I think you may be doing is considering the X-Box but are afraid of the system flopping or not being worth the investment. I had a PS1 and almost bought the PS2 until I decided to wait to see what the X-Box was like. One year later after trying several PS2 games and a few X-Box ones at stores I was sold on the X-Box and haven't regretted it yet. While some will say it is just a pc and only has pc games I think it is much more than that. With a pc you have to upgrade all the time to new drivers and cards to be compatable with the newer games, with the X-Box the games a made for the X-Box no more upgrading and the X-Box is made to play games not do word processing. If you really look at all the games systems they are nothing but pc parts in a pretty case. As for shooters are only good on the pc, HA what a joke, I never played a shooter in my life and only bought Halo because of the hype and I haven't had any problems with the game or the controlers. Halo is the best game I have ever played PERIOD, but the X-Box has alot more to offer than 1 game. The hard drive makes saves a breeze and load times even faster, the graphics are the best for any game sytem today and Dolby 5.1 blows you away. Take it from someone who has owned just about every game system since the Atari the X-Box blows them all away.

XBOX!

I'm lucky enough to have both systems, though my PS2 hasn't getting much attention from me lately.

First off, they're both great systems. On the Gamecube, I'm currently playing Star Wars Rogue Leader II (beautiful graphics), Super Monkey Ball (addictive and/or frustrating, which ever you like), and Super Smash Bros. Melee (excellent replay value). These games are fantastic and if these games interest you, I'd say get the cube.

However, the XBOX really suprised me. The graphics are the best you'll ever see. They're so smooth and makes the game a lot more fun to play. Halo is now my favorite game. Dead or Alive 3 is also fun. Its graphics are amazing, as well as the gameplay. I was also shocked at how well NFL Fever 2002 was. I think these are the best 3 games for x box right now, until Shenmue II comes out.