[thechat] Games Consoles

[William Anderson]

I'm replying to this with a fresh message and a different subject line to 
get it out of the Evolt camera thread :)

Sabrina Dent, Apperception wrote:
 > So, someone please talk to me about game console systems?
 >
 > Basically, I want one :) And we've reached that really critical junction
 > in our relationship where, having left all our exes with all the good
 > stuff, we have to now decide if it should be a PS2 or an Xbox.

My heart says get a PlayStation2, but with an Xbox you can play me online at 
Moto GP or Halo 2 :>

 > The Xbox seems really spendy to me, but it does have guns/blasters for

Please define 'spendy'!  Both consoles are about the same price now, and the 
price of the original PS2 will drop, especially on the second hand market, 
once the slimmed down PStwo is released.  Both sets of games are priced 
similarly too.

 > shoot-em-up games and I didn't see any for the PS2. The PS2, on the

You're confusing shoot-em-ups (traditionally space-borne games with a ship 
you fly about and shoot stuff with) and shooting games (where you have a gun 
and shoot stuff first-perspective stylee) - just setting you right on the 
terms :)  FWIW, the PS2 has had a gun peripheral since launch, as PS games 
(remember the PlayStation2 can play PlayStation games too, and use their 
peripherals) that use the GunCon (and compatible devices) run on the PS2, 
and Namco released a newer PS2-specific GunCon a couple of years ago.

 > other hand, at least has games I've heard of and seems less
 > accessory-dependent. A friend complains that her other half's Xbox
 > doesn't have a lot to offer her -- he likes shooting games, she likes
 > puzzle/strategy games. I'd like the best balance of the two, really.

Both types of games are equally available on both platforms - your friend 
needs to look at the catalogues harder :>

 > In choosing a PS2 or Xbox, I'm not that worried about the comparative
 > graphics quality because it isn't a priority. I'm more interested in
 > overall investment, games variety, and having a good library of two
 > player games.

The two machines specifications are moot these days, and you've rightfully 
chosen software selection as your purchase criterion.  Both consoles have 
very good 3D graphics, excellent sound (with some games supporting Dolby 
Digital or DTS as both have digital out), >2 player capability (up to 4 
players on Xbox, up to 8 on PS2 with 2 multitaps) and online capability 
(incompatible with each other - Xbox has the unified Xbox Live service, PS2 
games use separate per-game online services).

 > Finally (and I know I'm going to look like an idiot now) could someone
 > explain to me why, if we both play PC games we want to play *on our PCs*
 > and basically want a console system upon which we have the option to
 > play stuff together, we shouldn't buy a good old fashioned Nintendo 64
 > and save a ton of cash? You can pick up all the classic stuff -- Super
 > Mario Bothers, Carmageddon, Quake -- for £5 and the console itself is
 > 1/3rd the price.

You could buy a Nintendo 64, but TBH the really cool stuff is out on PS2, 
Xbox or Gamecube.  Oh yeah, the Gamecube.  You'd be able to pick one up 
really cheaply with Super Monkey Ball 2, the ultimate party game ... well, 
after Bishi Bashi anyway!

If you're really gasping to buy a SNES or N64, go to a Computer Exchange 
(like the one on TCR) and pick one up unboxed for a tenner with cables, 
joypad and some boxless carts.

Some people swear by the N64's joypad, but I couldn't stand it.  The PS2 
Dual Shock 2 is the ultimate joypad if you ask me, but you're talking to 
someone who was a Speedball 2 demon on the Atari ST by plugging in a 
Megadrive joypad.  Then again, I was up against a mate who completely gutted 
a QuickShot II and used half a Parker pen with a ball on the end to have an 
almost travel-less joystick, with the other end used as the contact for the 
fire button ... now *that* was an interesting night of Speedball!!

-- 
_ __/|  William Anderson      | Brodie: The Force is strong with this one
\`O_o'  neuro at well dot com |    Jay: Dude, don't encourage him
=(_ _)= http://neuro.me.uk/   |  -- Mallrats, (1995)
    U  - Thhbt! GPG 0xFA5F1100 |