Originally posted by Unkown Target
I've finally decided to take the plunge.
I'm going to buy a console.
So, whcih is better, PS2 or Xbox (I'm not even going to consider the Gay Cube).
Help please.
As an avid console gamer I'm shocked by your limited view of possibly the best platform available. Before you automatically dismiss this as a rant by a nintendo flunky I'll clearly state that I have thoroughly put all of the so called next gen consoles through their paces and am basing my conclusion on both game quality and asthetic quality of the console experience.
PS2 is the 'cool' console. It has an astounding library of software available including all of the games that worked on the PSone, unfortunately as anyone who owns a PS2 will tell you the vast majority of games available for it are really bad. This is partially due to games companies cashing in on old licences by making sequels.
There are obvious exceptions such as the sublime MGS and MGS2, Silent hill and for the demolition fans GTA3 but most of the other popular games available are niche games. The Final fantasy series for instance is quite aggrivating if you don't like turn based strategy. You may actually have a hard time finding games that you actually want to play.
Xbox I have to say is one of the most overhyped dissapointments since 'The phantom menace'. Before I start I'll say one thing in it's favor.
Halo absolutely rocks. It really is an excellent gaming experience.
Now onto the dissing unfortunately. Let's start with one of the most annoying aspects of the console, the controller. It looks like it was designed by a guy who really likes burgers; big burgers. It has aproximately the shape and volume of the ideal 'big mac', no, not that flimsy thing we get here in europe. That cow in a sandwich monster that makes one in three americans unhealtily overweight. The buttons are too small, too close together and the analogue stick was placed in
exactly the wrong position. It reeks of cheap materials and bad design. It was built to look good and even there it fails miserably.
Next we have the console. It pushes around more polys per second than any other machine. Fact. Well woop de doo to the world, it looks really nifty but sadly the games available to show off the mighty graphics are so ordinary you forget that you're playing a game and simply notice how much work some art guy in Tecmo put into the characters and backgrounds in DOA3.
Xbox relys on hype to fool the masses into believing that it's the best do you see many exciting Xbox games on the horizon? I don't. So much potential so few results.
Lastly we have nintendo's machine. If it truely is gay then you can paint me bright pink (or any of the other available colors). This machine proves that some research and development departments do actually deserve the cash they're being paid.
"It's really small so it has to be underpowered" you cry! Well it is true that it pushes less polys per second than both Microsoft and Sony's machines but it applies more effects to those polys than either of the other two machines so you generally get more atmosphere in the games. The controller is simply sublime, it's one of the most impressive pieces of ergonomics I've ever witnessed.
Isn't it strange that nintendo can release their machine at a significantly lower price than any other console? It should be apparant that both Microsoft and Sony rely on the machine's price as an important source of profit. Nintendo by comparison are so convinced that gamers will enjoy the available software and buy lots of it that they can afford to launch the machine at a much lower price.
Play Supermonkeyball and tell me that you're not enjoying yourself despite the fact that it has extremely childish artwork.
This machine was built by gamers for gamers. Ignore it and you could wonder what you're missing when you see everyone else having a great time.
