I know this is a preference thing, but...

Which would you suggest is the best game console to get?

Nintendo GameCube (which is the cheapest)
Playstaion2
XBox

I have kids so I am interested in great kids games, but I also want to have some fun too.

IMHO, the gamecube is by far the worse one if YOU want to have fun as well. Most of their games are kid oriented and the graphics are cartoony.

The PS2 is pretty good. I have a friend that has one and I've played it several times. I think there are more games for the PS2 than any other console. I'm not totally sure about that but it does seem that way when I'm browsing the stores for games. It has the upper hand as far as variety goes.

Personally, I like the Xbox, which is the one I purchased. I had the chance to play both the PS2 and the Xbox before I made my decision. After playing the Xbox, I was hooked. The graphics are far superior to that of the PS2 and I like the layout of the controller better than the PS2.

If you're not all that concerned with graphics then you really can't lose with either the PS2 or the Xbox. They're both about equal but it comes down to preference. If you get a chance, I would definitely play them before you make a purchase.

To me graphics are a big deal. I looks like the GameCube is not in the class of either the PS2 or XBox. I guess that the reason for it being cheaper.

I guess another question I have is which system has the most/better features?

Thanks for your reply.

ive got both a ps2 and an xbox. my ps2 never sees use. i can never seem to find the stupid memory card, and i dont really like any games on it. there are a few gems for it. 'ico' is prolly my favorite all time ps2 game.
my xbox gets heavy use. its internal hdd makse game saves quick and easy and unobtrusive. plus, i use a lot of third party stuff on it (the hdd) and having it there makes it much more convenient than having to find discs and load them.
as far as graphics, my money goes to xbox. i never did like ps2 because it never visually impressed me. plus, it doesnt have halo. i think gc and p2 are pretty similar in graphics, with the gc having a little bit more pull.
xbox is the most robust straight out of the box, imo. ps2 plays dvd movies right out of the box though. xbox doesnt, you have to buy a separate dongle. i understand they did this to keep the console price down.

I've got a PS2 and a XBox and they're both pretty good. I do prefer the PS2 joypad over the XBox one though.

The PS2 has been out a lot longer than the XBox and has a worse hardware spec because of this. I do agree if you're interested in graphics quality then get the XBox.

In terms of games, the PS2 is backwards compatible with the Playstation so you've got a bigger library of games to choose from.

If you want to hack it then get the XBox. It's pretty much a PC with most of the legacy bits removed and a special BIOS. You can replace the HD with something bigger and then load your games onto it if you wish.

If you want to program it with proper documentation then get the PS2 and the Linux kit. You'll get nearly all of the programming manuals for the PS2 and it'll let you do your own thing pretty much.

The XBox DVD dongle is just an IR remote receiver pretty much. The XBox itself is perfectly capable of playing DVDs but Microsoft decided to make it an optional feature.

Just a quick list of some of the good and bad things about each off the top of my head.

xbox is the most powerfull of the 3.

gamecube is the least powerfull.

ps2 falls somewhere inbetween in terms of computing power.

xbox and ps2 can also play dvds.

ps2 has the more games than the others.

ps2 is backwards compatible with ps1 games.

gamecube is the cheapest.

gamecube is the smallest and most portable.

xbox has a built in hard drive (no need for memory cards unless you want to play your game on a friends box. Plus you can rip cd's onto the hardrive and use it as a jukebox.)

gamecube has the best controller for most people.

xbox is the most easily modded.

My personal recomendation is that you buy the console that has the games you like the best. All 3 of the have some games that are oriented towards kids and some that are more for adults (gamecube probably has more for kids than the others). They are all fairly good at what they do and are a lot of fun. If one of them has a game or 2 that you are dying to have, then you should get that one. My personal preference is for the ps2 just because i like more of the games it has than any of the others. But, like Russmeister said, I would recomend playing them before you buy.

So to sum it all up:
if you're looking for features, go with the xbox.
if you're on a limited budget or want something portable, go for the gamecube.
if you want the widest selection of games, then its the ps2.

And now I've gotta go take my last final for the semester. Wish me luck

I have plenty of DVD players around. I forgot about the fact that the XBox has an internal HD.

It's also my second-hand experience that the XBox breaks down way more than the others, apparently due to Microsoft speccing the cheapest PC components they could find rather than actually develop hardware.

On the other hand, my friend's PS2 broke down after he'd had it for a few years. But Sony replaced it for free (maybe at the cost of shipping -- I forget).

I'll attest to the fact that Gamecube, while kid-oriented for the first bit of time it was out, is not anymore. Besides, many of those games would appeal to you as well.

Personally, I don't regret buying it one iota, and I got it at the $150 price.

Here's some of my selling points about it:
-it's tiny
-the controller is absolutely fantastic
-the Gamecube has the absolute best wireless controller available
-first-party games like Metroid Prime, Mario Kart, Super Mario Sunshine, and Zelda: Wind Waker (one of the best-looking games of the year)
-Resident Evil, completely graphics-overhauled for the Gamecube (it's much prettier now)
-easier to play 4 player games than the PS2
-cheaper than the others (as already stated)

I'm sure there are more good points, but those are all I can think of right now. I can tell you, without a doubt, that the Gamecube is pure fun, especially with friends. Nintendo has focused (much to my delight), on enjoyable gameplay. This has resulted, however, in what many people see as its greatest flaw: a lack of online connectivity.

But for people like me, who have zero interest in playing online, this has resulted in one of the most enjoyable consoles in my memory (possibly only second to SNES).

people are always praising the gc controller. personally, ive never been very satisfied with it. maybe i have to be female to really enjoy it.

[edit]
i dont dislike the gc controller. i just havent seen what the hype is all about.

I say Gamecube for kids is a must. Tons of fun games for them and a decent number of games for you too. Plus it has a great controller, and its the least expensive as stated many times before.

Google cache of Customsex's link.

people are always praising the gc controller. personally, ive never been very satisfied with it

Obviously, people have different hands and ideas about what is comfortable to them. Just look at the XBox controller, widely considered to be one of the worst standard controllers every made. Yet I know some people like it.

But I'm willing to bet that the number of people who absolutely love the GC controller vastly out-weighs the number who love the one for the XBox.

ps- your link is broken
*edit*
Ah, that's a pretty messed up post by that parent. Yes, it's never the parenting at fault, always the outside element. Sure. Ban all video game consoles. And cell phones. And massaging devices. Good luck to him.

I hate these threads. Too many people like to state as facts their opinions (negative or positive) on certain systems. Someone just post the hardware specs and game lists for each of the three. If you can't decide which system you want and you have to have the best, this is what you need to look at.

Yes, the GameCube has more children-oriented games. But that doesn't make them any less fun. If you have to have blood and violence, then I'm sure there are quite a number of games, both old and new, that you can find for a PS2.

And I don't have much against the PS2. Really, the only thing I don't like about it is that it's made by Sony. But that won't stop me from getting one, as I'm currently thinking of doing. Over the past few years I've seen several games for both the PS2 and PlayStation that I was interested in. I just wish I could remember their names. But I've got some friends who will be happy to point me in the right direction.

I can't say much about the Xbox without it being opinion. IMO the graphics are no better than the GameCube's (nVIDIA vs. ATI - who's your favorite?). The controller is horrible; many people will agree. Also, I've looked over the Xbox's library of games, and I haven't found one I was interested in that couldn't be had on another system or the PC, and sometimes for less money.

I do have one serious gripe with Microsoft, though, as far as the console gaming world goes. There was at least one game I was looking forward to seeing a sequel to on the GC. And now that game doesn't even exist.

I think that the decision should come down solely to which console has games that you want to play. Who cares if console A has better graphics, or even a better controller if it only has two games you'd ever want to play on it?

I will have to point out that the Xbox apparently now ships with the smaller controller, which is a vast improvement over the original Goliath-sized one.

Gamecube man. Trust me. Especially for your little ones. I've got all three big hitter consoles, plus a bunch of the oldies. There's plenty of good adulty stuff for the Gamecube despite it's reputation, and the party/kid games are amazing. Mario Kart Double Dash man... you can play that with your kids for hours... and in co-op mode too. Super Monkey Ball! So many good party games for that thing. It's the only one Kelly will touch. Super Mario Sunshine, Metroid Prime, Zelda: Wind Waker... three of my top favorite games in recent memory. I'll bring some LucasArts GC games for you if you end up getting one. Actually, just let me know what your getting in the next week and i'll bring some for whatever you get. But i definitely say go for the cube.

As for the GC being the least powerful... WAY wrong. The GC is actually quite a bit more powerful than the PS2. Just as an example... we had Bounty Hunter running on the Gamecube with a max poly count of 8000 for Jengo... while the PS2 could only push 1500. It allows harware texturing and all sorts of other things the PS2 can't touch. I can get one of the programers here to write a diatribe about it i'm sure if there are any non-believers.

Oh, and if you do get the GC... spend the extra $10 for the wavebirds... trust me. It's one of those things you won't believe you got along without before.

My understanding is more along the lines of that the PS2 has a lot of power but is insanely hard to program to use it well. And given that game development is always trying to get things out the door, tripling the amount of time to code for it vs. the other two is just stupid.

I imagine we'll see that power when Gran Turismo 4 comes out.

loren, thanks for making the post that I didn't have the balls to.

Absolutely, Conker was a great game.

I agree with most of your statement, but will also point out that it's often the zeal of the people who own the systems that give a good indication of what they think about them.

I think it's mostly good to only talk about the system you own, and not bash other systems that you haven't had much experience with. I notice that every bad word about Gamecube in this thread has come from someone who doesn't own one. Perhaps you could chalk that up to the fact that they chose another system over the GC for the reasons they believe to be true, but that still doesn't mean they're 100% correct.

So people, talk up your systems. Let the good shine through! (or at least say something good about the other systems - but I won't take back my Xbox controller comment )

ps- as a selling point to consider, if it's GTA you want, remember that it was just released for XBox. I can only hope they'll release it for the GC soon...

nVIDIA vs. ATI - who's your favorite?

That's not exactly accurate. I pretty sure the graphics were developed by a company ATi eventually bought. I don't care either way. If it's fun, it's fun. 8-bit NES is still fun but its graphics really suck (by today's standars).

OPINION: I have Xbox and my friend has PS2. I think the Xbox's graphics wreck the PS2's.

My understanding is more along the lines of that the PS2 has a lot of power but is insanely hard to program to use it well. And given that game development is always trying to get things out the door, tripling the amount of time to code for it vs. the other two is just stupid.

Good point, that's one of the things that killed the N64, I believe.

My understanding is more along the lines of that the PS2 has a lot of power but is insanely hard to program to use it well

This is definitely true. It's way harder to program for according to my programmer friends. I have one friend who solely knows the ins and outs of the sound processors on the PS2 and he is in high demand because he's one of the few that gets it. When we were working on Starfighter he was having to reverse engineer the thing because all the docs were in Japanese. BUT, as far as raw processing power, the GC is still more powerful. I'm told this from the programers that worked on Gladius... which came out on all three consoles simultaneously. Not that it really matters in the end. If the game is fun i could give a flop how it looks most of the time.

I think the Xbox's graphics wreck the PS2's.
Yes, they do. But I meant Xbox vs. GC. I don't know about anyone else's, but mine and my younger brother's GameCubes have an ATI sticker right on the front.

Loren,

I was hoping you would chime in!!! I was origianally thinking GC but I wanted to see what others had to say. The kids games seem fun. I guess to me thats what its all about. I could care less for the blood and stuff like that. Fun, fun, fun! You have yet to steer me wrong!

And I have to admit the $99 price is very appealing.

It also killed the Sega Saturn (among other things). If I recall correctly, after the Saturn was EOL'd, Sega released a Sonic game that had vastly better graphics than any other title on the console. It had better graphics because they were the only ones that knew how to program for it efficiently.

I think that the decision should come down solely to which console has games that you want to play

I also agree with that. I based my entire decision on the fact that, one day, the Gamecube would have the next Mario Kart on it. That was a year and a half ago.

The other factors were: I know the kind of company Nintendo is (gameplay oriented), and they haven't steered me wrong yet.

Yes, they do. But I meant Xbox vs. GC.

Yeah, I know. I was just stating that to add my 2 cents.

but mine and my younger brother's GameCubes have an ATI sticker right on the front.

So does my brother's. That doesn't mean the people at ATi developed the hardware. They just bought the company.

Here's some news about Artx (the company ATi bought)
http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20030421S0028

I know the kind of company Nintendo is (gameplay oriented), and they haven't steered me wrong yet.

Damn right. And Double Dash - I love that game. I've already destroyed it in GP mode, but it's still hours of fun with my 9-year-old brother and his friends, or my 30-year-old buddy from work. It doesn't matter how old you are - it matters how much fun it is to push the buttons.

Oh, and if you've got yourself a Broadband Adapter, you may want to check this out.

The kids games seem fun. I guess to me thats what its all about. I could care less for the blood and stuff like that.

That statement just cries out the need to play Wind Waker (as in Legend of Zelda: ). You will absolutely love it.

I was hoping you would chime in!!! I was origianally thinking GC but I wanted to see what others had to say. The kids games seem fun. I guess to me thats what its all about. I could care less for the blood and stuff like that. Fun, fun, fun! You have yet to steer me wrong!

Now i'm pissed we got you what we got you for xmas! haha. I wish i'd have known... i'd have gotten you guys a GC! But anyhow, there's plenty of adult games for the GC. PLENTY. People have mischaracterized it simply because the Nintendo classic license "kid" type games are so freaking GREAT they outshine all the others. I'll bring some games. PM me or email me what you end up getting so i know what to bring.

You can always bring back what you got me and get the GC.

I'm glad Loren chimed in with the poly count figures. Since his company actually writes games for these consoles, his word is authoritative.

We like our gamecube, but I haven't spent enough time around an Xbox to compare directly.

I can compare to Tod's PS2 though, and I have the following comparisons to make:

On the Gamecube, certain games (not all of them, but enough of them) have an anamorphic widescreen mode. Very few, if any, PS2 games have this that I've seen. This is really cool if you have a widescreen television.

The PS2 pushes fewer pixels to the screen than the Gamecube. The Gamecube renders all 480 lines to the screen, the PS2 renders only 240 lines. So gamecube games tend to appear higher-rez.

The reason people like me say that the Gamecube controller is better than the PS2 controller is because of the layout of the action buttons. On the gamecube, there is a large green A button and a small red B button. On the PS2, all the buttons are the same color, shape and size, so you're never sure which button you're supposed to press. When I play sports games on the PS2, I'm always passing when I mean to shoot, and shooting when I mean to pass. This never happens on the GameCube, there's no doubt about which button I'm supposed to press for any given action.

The PS2 has about a billion games available for it. The Gamecube has very few games available for it.

So, despite the technical superiority of the Gamecube hardware, the number of available games is an issue. Some developers are simply not bothering to write games for the Gamecube at all. So if you want to have the biggest selection of games, get the PS2.

However... There are plenty of good games for the Gamecube right now, and since the GC is so cheap, it's worth it just to get those really good games.

Specific games you MUST play on the GameCube:

- Super Monkey Ball 1. (SMB2 is nice, but I liked SMB1 better.)

- Star Wars: Rogue Squadron 2: Rogue Leader. The single best gaming experience I've ever had. You know the scene at the end of Return of the Jedi where the screen just EXPLODES with enemy ships? You actually play in that scene, with all the enemy ships and everything. This is where the poly counts of the gamecube really shine. You have to take out entire squadrons of fighters and bombers, then singlehandedly bring down two stardestroyers, the hard way. Absolutely mind-blowing.

I don't have Rogue Squadron 3 yet, I'm told it's good. I'll probably get it for Xmas...

Wish i could. already been shipped. I blame Kelly.

Always blame Kelly.

Thank you for the game suggestions Tony. I'll check them out.

Absolutely, Conker was a great game.

From what I saw on Rare's website, there will be a sequel to Conker. But alas, this is not the game I was referring to. I've never even played it.

The PS2 has about a billion games available for it. The Gamecube has very few games available for it.

Technically, if you count the entire library of Gameboy games (Gameboy, GB Color, and GBA) that are playable on the GC via the "Gameboy Player," the GC has the most games of any console in history

Technically, if you count the entire library of Gameboy games

Okay, but I didn't get a console system so I could play handheld games blown up to 40 inches wide.

Although it brings to mind another point... If piracy is your thing, I get the impression that it's fairly easy to pirate PS2 games with a DVD burner and the right hacks. Gamecube went with a disc format that was nonstandard in size so that it would be more difficult to pirate. I was impressed with their design decision in this regard, they got the best of both worlds: The disks were cheaper to reproduce than the old Nintendo 64 cartridges, could store a lot more data, but were nearly as difficult to pirate as the cartridges were.

gc is now able to boot games over an ethernet connection. streamed from a pc. very cool. but also very niche

Interesting point. heheh. If piracy is your thing then you want the x-box. I know way to many people that have filled their upgraded xbox drives with games. It's too easy with the x-box. I don't know of any piracy stuff going on with the GC... but i haven't looked. Anyone know if it's even possible? The network hacking stuff going on for it is very interesting though.

EDIT: ah, you answered my question Caleb. =]

gc is now able to boot games over an ethernet connection. streamed from a pc. very cool. but also very niche

I didn't know about this. Very interesting. I didn't even know there was an ethernet adaptor for the GC.

Actually, I'd be happy with just using an ethernet connection to store saved games. Those little memory cards aren't cheap, and every time I go to the store to get a new one, they're out of them.

hey, i do what i can

if i recall, those memory cards are a normal flash storage standard. i havent looked into it, but thats the word i remember from the days around the gc release.

Yeah, I think they're just Compact Flash. But in a proprietary form factor with a proprietary connector.

tony, this might be of interest to you

google cache of a review, as lik-sang is blocked here at work

a place to buy

Cool, that's pretty neat!

Also, I see that the prices for the memory cards themselves has gone down considerably from when we first got the 'cube.

GameCube

Multiple reasons, one being innovative and different games. Case in point would be Super Smash Bros. Awesome 4 player "fighting" game, that is not anywhere close to Tekken in how they play. The controls are very easy to learn, but still annow for enough specific control for some interestign moves. And, it is pretty kid safe, while being fun for adults too. It gets more play time on my system then Soul Calibur 2 does.

And no, the GameCube isn't kid oreinted. Nintendo just manages to release some games fun for all ages. But there are Rated M games that are also a blast. Eternal Darkness is a must have. Better then any Resident Evil game, for the way it also screws with you while you play the game.

The XBox has quite a few games I can also get for my PC, or that have very similar titles on the other consoles. I will pick keyboard and mouse any day over the XBox controller for games like Halo. I do own one for one game though, that being Steel Battalion.

PS2. It has a good selection of games, but I just haven't justified the cost yet. Quantity to me just means way to many games I will want to buy and play, and my GameCube already has several games I still need to beat.

I still think that Gran Turismo is the PS's raison d'etre. Even more so once GT4 comes out. And the new steering wheel, which will supposedly have a shifter and 2.5 turns lock to lock.

But I didn't realize that GCs were so cheap these days. At $100 I may have to get one.

I do own one for one game though, that being Steel Battalion.

Ditto on that one. I bought SB before I even bought an Xbox. The only reason I got the Xbox was for that game.
The Xbox is great, and I've got a lot of entertainment out of it with other games as well.

Picking just one system is tough for me, there are pros and cons to each of them, and I honestly can't think of a reason why (or why not) to get one over the other. Sure, you all have made valid arguments for going with a certain system, but I think it really comes down to the type of "gamer" the intended party is.

As for myself, I'll be picking up a GC and a PS2 sometime in the next few months. There are just too many games that I want to play that are spread out over all three systems, and I would rather not be limited.

And no, the GameCube isn't kid oriented.

That's true today. But when I first bought the Gamecube, their entire selection of games was all kids games except for Rogue Leader and one jetski game.

Part of that perception comes from the fact that Nintendo consoles are the only place you can get the Maro and Luigi games. At Gamecube launch, Nintendo made sure that their cash cows were all lined up to come out of the gate, and their cash cows were all kids games. It took a while for more adult-oriented games to come out for the Gamecube, but now there is a good selection of them. Still not as many as PS2, but a good selection nonetheless.

I will pick keyboard and mouse any day over the XBox controller for games like Halo

Agreed. I CAN NOT do FPSes on console, other than Metroid for some reason. I get sick playing Halo, which has never happened to me with any FPS. Does anyone know if it's possible to hook up a mouse and keyboard to the XBox? I know we can on our Dev Stations, but i would love to play Halo with a mouse.

Does anyone know if it's possible to hook up a mouse and keyboard to the XBox?

I specifically asked one of the Halo developers that exact question at E3 that year.

His answer was: Even if there were a hardware mouse you could buy for the Xbox (there wasn't one at that time), the game itself would need to be specifically coded to take advantage of that control input. And Halo isn't.

Except for Phantasy Star Online, Microsoft specificially disallows keyboard/mice input devices to be used with games on the XBox.

Something to do with wanting the XBox to not becone a PC.

Though, there are PS2 titles, like Half Life, that allow a normal USB keyboard and mouse to be used. The USB ports on a PS2 don't make me think of it as a PC.

The XBox controller ports are all USB. The memory cards are USB mass storage devices with a special ID. Some people have hacked cables to fit a USB memory key into the controllers. Look at the Mega X-Key as an example.

I'm aware of that, and I actually own a Mega X-Key. Microsoft will not allow a game to be published with support for a keyboard though. Well, at least this was what I was told when asking at E3. Phantasy Star Online is the exception to the rule.

Sorry. It was for the general thread and wasn't specifically aimed at you

I heard that they don't want any games to have mouse/keyboard support as well. PSO was an exception as you need it to play.

If anybody wants to give it a try then get or make the adapter for the Mega X-Key. You can then plug a standard USB keyboard in and see if it'll do anyway. Unlikely it will though but you never know.

You can then plug a standard USB keyboard in and see if it'll do anyway.

Worked for me, but only because I had Linux installed on my XBox. It has no effect in any game I have tried. Based on the fact that the controller needs a driver if plugged into a PC tells me they went with USB only for the protocal standard, and didn't use any normal profiles.

The XBox controller is actually a hacked HID class item. The main changes are that the interface class ID and subclass ID have been changed to 'X' and 'B' respectively. There are a couple of other minor changes but the changed class ID means you need another driver to support it under a normal computer.

It's basically a reasonably quick and simple way of Microsoft ensuring that you don't use XBox controllers on a PC and cheap PC controllers on a XBox.

for a good coder, it should be possible to write something that patches the xbe, or replaces it and calls it later, that sends keyboard presses as joystick buttons. and mouse movement as an analog stick. you would be limited to six digital buttons though. and not many games allow you to fully map the buttons. stupid games

Agreed. I CAN NOT do FPSes on console

Same here. I also tried to play the GTA games on the PS2, and could not stand using those anolog sticks for looking around. The "aiming" feature is nothing when compared to the standard mouse aiming you get on a computer.

I'm glad I own those two games for PC, and can enjoy all the Gamecube games I love.

And ditto for Eternal Darkness. A guy at EB even told me about a couple of the effects that messed with you, and they still]/i] messed with me when I saw them. It's also a great buy, because it wasn't a very popular game and it's pretty "old" now, so it's cheap.

You could probably do it in the BIOS actually. They've already got an in-game reset feature so they must be able to hook into the controller input stream. Ask the Xecuter people nicely

true. but its still pointless, unless you want to use digital buttons to replace the analog face buttons. which is possible, as not many games actually take advantage of the analog face buttons

In reply to:

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Posted by robricc
I have Xbox and my friend has PS2. I think the Xbox's graphics wreck the PS2's.

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I've both an Xbox and a PS2, and I'd agree with robricc on this. If there's an Xbox version of a game, I always pick that one up over the PS2 version. Just look at the two versions of Splinter Cell, and you'll see what I mean.

I've modded my Xbox, and I've got to say, I use it more now to stream DVDs and music from my media server at home than I do to play games. I also have many, many Mame ROMs that I play on it quite regularly. The downside is that the PS2 still has *some* games you can't get on the Xbox - like Grand Turismo. That game was the reason I bought a PS2 in the first place.

Anyway, al the rambling aside, I'd get an Xbox if I had to choose just one.

I've only recently played an Xbox for a decent amount of time, and, as such, my views are based on a few games, but I've noticed framerate problems on the Xbox that I've never seen on any other console. I don't know if it's poor programming or what, but I've never seen games stutter on any other console.

BTW, you guys did it. I bought a GC last night. Too bad the controller cable is so short.

Too bad the controller cable is so short.

I think Nintendo did that just to ensure you look at the WaveBird controllers.

Honestly, take the hint, and grab one. I have 2 now, and hope to grab two more next time I see them on sale. I personally like the idea of releasing an awesome official wireless controller over the longer cords the XBox controllers come with. Sure, the XBox has wireless controllers by 3rd parties, but they don't come anywhere near the original controller in terms of feel.

Although I don't use it myself, I hear many great things about the Wavebird wireless controller for the GC. A friend of mine has it, and when he drops by to play, he always brings it along. I've used it myself briefly, and haven't noticed any differences from the wired one as far as functionality goes. But then of course you have to replace batteries, although I don't know how often.

Or you could always order an extension cable.

Yeap, like i mentioned before. Get a wavebird or three. You won't know how you did without them before. Exactly like the original controller, only wireless. It's got great feel to it.

Too bad the controller cable is so short.

You can get fairly inexpensive extension cords for the GameCube controllers at lots of stores (Radio Shack included, in our case). We got a couple of those extension cords and are very happy with them. We also got a Wavebird recently, so that also really rocks.

The only thing about the wavebird is that it doesn't have vibration. But I turn off vibration in most games anyway because it bugs me. I seem to recall that Zelda Wind Waker actually uses vibration to signal the presence of some element, but I don't remember what.

Not often, and they're only AA's, but I still got a 3rd party battery pack for my wavebird. Now, every so often, I just plug the AC adapter chord into the back of my wavebird and let it charge over night. The box it came with claims 12 continuous hours of use from it, and while I haven't played that long at one time, I'd say it more than matches that figure on non-consecutive plays.

The Wavebird is the best thing to happen to video games in a long time.

I've wanted one of those wavebirds for a long time, but I just can't get over the lack of rumble... I understand their reasoning for leaving it out, but I wish it was a switch or something. For those of you that picked up the Zelda collection, it is actually very handy for Ocarina of Time.

One point I didn't see brought up was the size of the GameCube's storage medium. That little 1.5 GB disc is very limiting. Sadly some of the multi-platform games suffer from it and some games just plain won't be ported to it. Still... You'll have to pry my little purple cube from my cold, dead fingers.

I already did. It rocks. It's not even heavy, and it never seems to miss a command. I don't think I'll miss the rumble, but for games that need it for some reason, I've still got the original controller, for which I've also purchased an extension, but I'm talking back to get a longer cheaper one.

Still, my couch is no more than six feet away from my TV and GC, and it's too short to reach there. It's just embarrassingly short. The XBox that a friend of mine just got came with a controller whose cable must be at least twice as long.

perhaps you meant 'taking back'

Wow. And I left out ``it''.

That is, in fact, what I meant.

Well,

I had to go with the GC. I ordered one over the weekend. It came with the Zelda bundle. I should get it tomorrow or Wednesday. It's going to be hard waiting for Christmas!

Thanks for everyone's input. It seems all systems have good points. It's a matter of what's important to each person. I was looking for a fun gaming system which would suit everyone in the family. Graphics were also a big issue. GC seems to have a some great graphics. Also, you can't beat the price. I know XBox's are better from what people have said but the playablity of the GC seemed to be better. When I looked at Xbox's site every game reminded me of games I could play on a PC. PS2 I have played a little in the past and wasn't overly impressed. Thats just me. Long story short, I went with the GC.

Ooh! I forgot about the Zelda bundle. I wish I had gotten that with my system. I got the bundle that came with a preorder of Wind Waker, but that was just Ocarina of Time and "Master Quest" (Ocarina of Time with the dungeons changed around).

As far as I understand, this bundle is Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, AND the first two Zelda games. Is that correct? That's just killer.

The bundle came with The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II - The adventure of Link, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. Also includes a playable demo of the Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, the Zelda Retrospective Movie, and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker Movie preview.

Here's a link...

http://www.ebgames.com/ebx/ads/shops/createabundle/gc/default.asp

Yeah. Zelda is one of the few games that I've played on the GC. It's excellent in my opinion and shows that when Nintendo do it right then they do it brilliantly.

Each to his own really when regarding console choices. It's like a religious choice or something. Some pople like this and some people like that. Just don't ever put down another console!

One thing though. I've got to ask again but what the heck is that green worm leaping thing? I've read the posts in the avatar thread but still....

Maybe it's just me, but I've always been less than impressed with the Zelda games and the 20 minute demo of the new one that I got really left me cold. Maybe I just don't get it.

Note that I'm not a big fan of shoot-em-ups, either, so it's not that there's not enough action.

Well, like Trevor said, to each his own. The Zelda games just aren't your style. I can't stand first person shooters as an entire genre, so there's a whole genre that doesn't work for me.

I will say that you should give Link to the Past a shot if you haven't before (the Zelda game that came out for SNES). It's still by far my favorite Zelda game, and so much fun I can't stand it. I'd say it's probably my second favorite game ever.

Oh, and Trevor, click here

The first Zelda game I played was around a friends house. He had a Japanese SNES and had a Japanese copy of Zelda as well. We got surprisingly far considering we didn't understand what anybody was telling us!

I've read that thread before. But you are right, it is oddly amusing for some reason and rereading the posts in the thread were really funny

Ways to get the new Zelda Disc

I subscribed to Nintendo Power, since I didn't have an interest in buying two of the eligible games on the list. Showed up last week, and I am now slowly working my way through Majoras Mask, since I never did beat it on the N64.