Picking a gaming console: I'd rather choose the winning lottery numbers
Jun 12 '01
The Bottom Line A tough decision, as all consoles have pro's and con's. Decide what your needs are, and then make a purchase.
Who would have thought that in the early days of gaming consoles (Odessey, Atari, etc), that some twenty years later, there would still be console wars? Graphics, multi-player options, cartridges vs. CD disc, etc., are all issues at hand when trying to choose the “best” gaming console for your money. Of course, rather than choose a gaming console, one solution, as many hard core gamers do, is to just buy whatever comes out on the market. However, with several systems being launched every year, this can be a pricey proposition. Toss in a few games, controllers, and memory cards, and you have several hundred dollars wrapped up in a console before you even turn it on.
So, if you can only buy one gaming console, which should it be? Well, that is an individual decision, based upon needs, finances, and gaming preferences. Myself, I am guilty of buying whatever console comes out on the market. Crazy? Perhaps, but to me, gaming is a source of entertainment. Some people enjoy movies or watching TV, while I prefer to buy a great game. Okay, so here is my take on “picking a console”. As I don’t believe in reviewing items that aren’t out (Xbox, GameCube, etc), I will only mention consoles that are currently out on the market, that games are being manufactured and developed for.
Nintendo 64 - The Nintendo 64 (N64) has been around since 1996, and for the most part, is on its last leg. With Nintendo putting much of its time, resources, and money into developing the Game Cube (and who knows when this will be out, as Nintendo is notorious for pushing back release dates), quality games for the N64 are about as easy to come by as a strip joint in Utah. The N64 is a 64 bit console, that uses cartridge formats. As a result, games for this system are quite expensive, commanding anywhere from $29.99 (for a crappy game) to $59.99 for a “premiere” game such as “Conquer’s Bad Fur Day” or the newest “Zelda” title. For me, this price tag is a bit hard to swallow, especially when the console retails for $99.99. However, you do get two controllers (if you buy the “Atomic Purple” package), as well as four player capability, right out of the box. Graphics for this system are pretty good, considering it is five years old. But when compared to the PS2 or Dreamcast, the N64 really shows its age, and is a staple in many homes with families, as many titles released on this system are geared towards a younger crowd (Mario, Pokemon, Zelda, etc).
Playstation - The Playstation (PS) , released by Sony in 1995, is still going fairly strong, considering that it is the oldest console on the market today. Games are still being developed and released for this system, admittedly at a slower pace, and with the release of the PSOne (which is essentially a smaller, more “cooler” looking PS), Sony is doing a good job of breathing life into this system. You can pick up a PSOne for $99.99, and it comes with one controller, but only supports two players. Want to play with up to four people? For over $24.99 for a Multi-Tap, and you are in business, until then, you are stuck playing with yourself. The PSOne is a 32 bit system, and gives Nintendo a run for its money in the graphics department, as it uses a CD format. Games like “Crash Bandicoot”, “Resident Evil”, “Gran Turisimo”, and “Metal Gear Solid”, prove there is something for just about everyone on this system. Plus, the PSOne games can be played on the Playstation 2.
Dreamcast - Sadly, the Dreamcast (DC) is Sega’s swan song, as they are getting out of the hardware business and focusing on software development for rival consoles. The 128 bit DC was released in September of 1999, making it a fairly new system. And of course, you can now pick up a DC for an affordable $99.99, at least until the supply of these runs out. The biggest problem with the DC is that since Sega is no longer manufacturing these machines, many gaming developers are pulling the plug on games that were planned for this console; “Half Life” and “Soul Reaver” are perfect examples of this. Still, there are dozens of great games for this console out such as “Crazy Taxi”, “Resident Evil: Code Veronica”, “Sonic”, and of course, any of the Sega Sports games (“NBA 2K1”, “NFL2K1”, etc.), and there is still plenty of life left in this machine.
Playstation 2 - Sony gets the “Golden Goober” award for completely bungling the release of the Playstation 2 (PS2), when it was released in October of 2000 by shipping only 500,000 units and releasing 16 games at launch. Talk about poor planning: the demand for this console was so high, people were literally selling their unborn children to get one of these. Was all the hype worth it? Well, actually, no. The games were not “outstanding” as far as depth was concerned, and the graphics (which were, and still are, excellent), were about the only thing that saved many of them. So now, eight months later, quality titles like “Red Faction”, “GT3”, and “Silent Hill 2” are finally coming out (RF is out as of this writing). Add to the fact that Sega is now developing games for this title, and you have a “next generation machine”… at least for today. At a price tag of $299.99, the PS2 is priciest console, but is backwards compatible with PSOne games and also plays DVD. Games for this console are also a bit spending, with many at a tag of $49.99. Still, buying a PS2 is a worthwhile gaming investment, as the graphics on this 128 bit machine are great, as is processing speed.
Overall thoughts - Choosing just one gaming console is a tough decision, as each of the above consoles have their good and bad points, and there is always “something new” as far as gaming consoles are concerned. The N64, with is meager new (and pricey) games, is just about on its last leg, and is limping into the sunset with the Game Cube coming out (hopefully some time) this year. The DC is a great gaming console, but is dying a premature death. However, this console has some great titles in its library and has plenty of life left in it (it’s too bad developer’s don’t feel that way). The PS is also a great system, but for $200.00 more, why not buy a PS2 and have a DVD player to boot? Hey, the decision is yours, I’m not going to tell you what to do…
As always, thanks for reading!
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