What Video Game Platform to buy?

W

wabi

Joined
Sep 18, 1999
Messages
224
Aloha,
I am not a luddite, (though I am a Mac user). My last video game platform almost became a surfboard 10 years ago during a hurricane we had here. I miss it. It was an original 1973 Gotleib pinball machine.."Sky Jump".
Help me become a 21st century guy and buy a video game platform. We dont have kids, but we have enough guests with kids that come over that having a game platform sounds like a good idea. When they are not here, the big kid writing this will try his hand at it.
What's out there? What should I look for? Are there options wiith them, best controllers? Can you increase the speed, upgrade or add RAM? What about games for the knife and gun loving among us? And while we are at it....is there an essential list of games for the kids?
Since these things evolve so rapidly, I would like to get what is pretty much state of the art.....If I do, what kind of prices should I expect to pay, and where should I go to get it?
I know that this is a boatload of questions to ask, but since I read what you guys say everyday, and know what gadget freaks some of us are, I really value your opinions.
A big Mahalo to all who read this and contribute.

wabi
 
My personal vote is for the Sony PS2. Plays old PS1 games(although you can't save those). Excellent graphics, lotsa titles and a fair DVD player to boot. Probably my second choice would be the X-Box, only because there are a limited number of games to play on it so far. A whole system with two controllers would probably run around $300 or less, check eBay and do an on-line search for best prices.
 
Buy the Sony PS2, arcade controllers (u'know, sturdy full-size joystics like on the arcade machines) and Virtua Fighter 4. You're set for the next few months :)

I hear Max Payne and GTA3 on the PS2 are very good too.

With the PS2, don't forget to grab one or two memory cards to store games on.

Seriously, PS2, Microsoft's XBox and Nintendo's Gamecube are all "good enough" under the hood. What really matters is what games you want to play. Go to the store, look at the top 10 selling games for all of those platforms and base your decision on that. You'll find that PS2 has a good overall game selection, and most gun & knife content:), XBox has a couple of good games but very little choice of games, and the Gamecube has great kid-oriented games and a certain overall "Nintendo feel" to it.

The whole idea about consoles is that you don't need to add RAM or do anything else for that matter. Just throw the game in, press a button and start playing.

- Gon
 
nother vote for the ps2, been out for a while but has a lot of games for it. SSX tricky is a great snowboarding game for that and gamecube, although it seems to run just a little bit smoother on the latter. I'll have a gamecube in my room next year, otherwise i'd probably get one, just for the sheer portability of it.

- Pete
 
I haven't tried it, but I think you can save PS1 games on a PS2, by using a PS1 memory card.

You might consider getting a previous generation console. The Nintendo 64 has some great games (I especially like the Donkey Kong Country series), and you can get used games very cheaply.
 
Sony Playstation 2, simply for the quality and number of games available. Final Fantasy X, Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec, Metal Gear Solid 2, Grand Theft Auto 3.
 
Yeah, Skyline pretty much said it all. By the way Skyline, nice name and nice avatar! The other day my dad showed me a video he found on the net of a 1000 + Hp Skyline on the dyno and it looked like it was going to freaking jump off! It was so cool that I openly wept when I watched it.
 
Thanks! Always wanted an R34 Skyline... *sigh* :)

But I'm happy to drive this:

mel_wrx_03b.jpg
 
my son has them all i think (nintendo 64/PS11/X-BOX, etc) and i would have to recommend the PS11, simply because of the wide variety of games available for it. now, in a yr or so things might change, but imho i dont think the X-box, w/its superior (well, a little anyway) graphics out do the greater # of games for the pS11, i know my son plays the PS11 more than all the others combined, FWIW

greg
 
I have a PS2 and I love it. Gauntlet Dark Legacy and Twisted Metal Black are two favs. Also some of the first release games, like TMB, are now at $20 new. Then there are all the cheap PS1 games.

That said, I am trying to talk my wife into another system. The Xbox would be an easier sell since then we could have a DVD player in another room. The Gamecube has Rogue Squadron. Its a tradeoff.

And Ewok has a good idea if you want to save some dough. There are alot of systems available really cheap like the N64, etc.

The Dreamcast's graphics rival the PS2's and it has a decent number of games (less than its rivals, but many _good_ games)

Let us know what you decide.
 
CD Fleischer: are you already out of PS2 games? :)

When picking an older console, I'd go for the Dreamcast. Lots of good stuff there, like Soul Calibur :D, Crazy Taxi, and (hearsay) Shinmue. Dreamcast is about the only console whose games can be pirated using a regular CD-R drive on home computer. I understood this had a lot to do with why DC and DC game production ended so abruptly. Here in Finland I suppose one has to pirate DC games nowadays because stores don't carry used DC games anymore, and very few are sold in forums, etc.

- Gon
 
I have a PS2 but I really want to see what all the fuss is about with the Xbox and HALO. Has anyone played that yet?

Kevin
 
Today its all about the games you want to play, PS2, Gamecube, and Xbox are all powerful systems, but most of them have games that you can only find on one platform.
 
Originally posted by Spark
I have a PS2 but I really want to see what all the fuss is about with the Xbox and HALO.
Click to expand...

That is the reason I bought Xbox. HALO rocks! Great graphics and sound with lots of fun stuff to kill. IMO HALO alone makes buying the Xbox worth it.
 
Gon -- nah, just always wanting more!

I want a Gamecube just for Rogue Leader!

Some of my favourite Dreamcast games are HydroThunder, House of the Dead, and Star Wars Demolition.

Have been back to PC gaming as of late and even got my wife playing DiabloII with me as of late on our home LAN. How cool is that!?
 
hey, if you'er *somewhat* into the whole pirating scene, or know someone who is, get the X-Box, because now you can get mod chips for them and download the games ! :eek: :eek: !! :D
 
namrepus,
do you have a link for that?
Not interested in XBox myself but I'm curious to know about the technology behind the modification.

I wonder if people have hacked the PS2 Linux kit so that they can "backup" stuff with it:rolleyes:
http://www.linuxplay.com/

- Gon
 
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