Console hunting

[SoWat]

Popped into my local GAME shop to take a gander at the range of game consoles available, especially after the recent price cuts.

I'm looking for something to play driving games on really, as these seem to play better on consoles. I'll use my PC for anything else.

Anyways, the XBox demo console wasn't working, so I didn't get a chance to look at that, but I did get to look at the Gamecube and PS2 demo consoles.

The PS2 graphics looked a bit jagged, and I'd guess that would look worse viewed on my 32" telly (it was running some sort of mobile shoot-em-up).

The Gamecube graphics looked a lot smoother (was running Rental Rampage... or something like that).

Vice city seems to be the big thing at the moment, but that's only available for the PS2 as far as I can see... but I am put off by the jaggies (could it be a badly set up system?).

I think I've settled on the Gamecube tbh, but I'd just like to hear other opinions on the quality of driving games available for it and the others.

Left to my own devices I normally buy stuff like this, then realise I should have bought something else

 

[Sar]

PC VC - mutt's nuts

 

[Ono]

XBox has some good driving games on it:

Rallisport
Colin McCrae 4
Project Gotham (sequel due Nov)


But has no good steering wheel.


PS2 has:

GT3
GT4 (soon)
Colin McCrae 4

Has Logitech FF wheel.

GC has:

F-Zero GX
Mario Kart GC (Nov)

Has Logitech FF wheel.


All 3 consoles have Burnout 2.


I say get all 3 consoles.

 

[Sir Frizz]

PS2, no contest (if only for the upcoming Gran Turismo 4).

If it's driving anyway.

You get;

Obligatory (As Ono said is available on all 3 systems) Burnout 2 - must have
Gran Turismo 3: A Spec
Grand Theft Auto 3 / VC, coming to other systems aswell
Midnight Club II, multi platform aswell
World Rally Championship II Extreme (Superior to Colin Mcrae by a clean mile)

edit:// Then there's auto modellista, a bit of an odd one really, more for the hard core racers.

Look Out for;

Gran Turismo 4
Need For Speed: Undergound also multi platform

Otherwise, these games are largely available on the GC and XBOX, and it depends how important graphics are (if it's fuzz, this can be sorted out with a decent scart cable), after a while you don't really notice (atleast, i don't), and it depends on your preference of controller.

Or as Ono said also, get the Logitech FF wheel.

 

[KevinUK]

Project Gotham 2 looks way better than the original, out November time on Xbox.

I dont know much about consoles, got an xbox a few months back and make sure I read lots of reviews before buying any game, most have very little depth and get boring quick.

Project Gotham is very good, graphics arent the best but has lots of game modes so you get bored less quickly
Wait for the sequel cos it should rule.

 

[SoWat]

Ono's suggestion to buy all 3 is something that's crossed my mind... especially now prices are very low.

I think I'd buy each one, then buy best of breed driving game for each one to see which I prefer, then flog the others

I bought a steering wheel to play Colin McRae, on my PC, a while ago. It was fun, but the disbelieving looks I got from the rest of the family made me a bit selfconscious (44 yo with 3 grown up kids... and a long suffering wife!).

 

[Yaka]

wot ono says i would agreee with, but have you looked at Live for Speed on the pc?

 

[Ono]

Live for Speed is OK but nobody really plays it much these days.

Just to give you a flavour of what Ono is playing driving game wise at the moment:

F-Zero GX (GC) - better than Wipeout ever was. Some corking levels and graphics.

Circus Drive (XB) - it's actually very shit but kinda addictive for some reason. Maybe it's because I can drive my real life car around the Monaco street circuit.

Indycar Racing (XB) - what can I say? I'm a geek who likes to race round ovals for 50 laps or so.


That's it really.

 

[Yaka]

not playing initial D any more?

 

[Ono]

Originally posted by Yaka
not playing initial D any more?

Nope. Got bored of that ages ago.

Also find the hassle of getting the steering wheels out to play these games a bit tiresome at the moment. No space, no time.

 

[CptDoom]

Burnout 2 always comes out when drunken mates are around, Xbox version is by far the best version in my opinion, something quite addictive with the online scoring thing.

Also playing Otogi (PAL) which i have to say is the most fantastic looking game on any console i ever seen, thought the game leaves a little to be desired in my mind. So good when you REALLY kick ass, so frustrating when you dont. Camera REALLY pisses me off.

As far as consoles are concerned, i have the lot and find just as much time for all of them for various reasons.

PS2 : FFX atm

GC: Timesplitters 2

Xbox: BO2 and Otogi

DC: Ikaruga (still)

They are all fantastic consoles, if given the choice id have to say get the xbox as it gets the best ports of whats around, bit more grunt to it and Live is fantastic fun for a while (did i notice you say you where on 56k?).

However they all have their merits and dont get me started on the dreamcast, Nintendo seems to be loosing their grip on me and the PS2 just seems underpowered and the games available for that are usually available on xbox nowadays. A few Rare titles coming for the xbox too...

I think its a bit of a nobrainer but if you got the cash, get the lot, enough reasons to have them all.

EDIT: Oh and Ono, i havent tried GX yet, you cant seriously be saying that its better than Wip3out? That has to be my all time favourite racer....

 

[Ono]

Originally posted by CptDoom
EDIT: Oh and Ono, i havent tried GX yet, you cant seriously be saying that its better than Wip3out? That has to be my all time favourite racer....

It's better.

 

[crazibeanz]

I have a Xbox, Gamecube, PS2 & a PC.

For racing games I recommend the Xbox. Racing games on the Xbox run alot better and feels more real life compared to all other formats. I bought an Xbox just to play Halo & racing games.

The Gamecube I thinks comes in second. It's graphics run slightly better than the PS2 and feels good as well.

The PS2 does not run racing games well at all. GTA Vice city doesn't run well but is a popular game.

GTA Vice city is being released on Xbox before christmas anyway.

 

[Ono]

Since when has GTA/VC been a racing game?

 

[Yaka]

more to the point how can he say gta3/VC dont run well on the ps2, no one woulda got it if it didnt werk

 

[lumox]

I would suggest an XB:

GTA3/Vice City
Burnout2
Sega GT
PGR/PGR2
MotoGP2
CM4

The only games you'd be really missing out on would be GT4 and F-Zero.

 

[pcg79]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=20391&item=3054055430

*ahem*

gwan you know you wannae

 

[GDW]

How many times are you going to post a link to that overpriced piece of crap

 

[pcg79]

as many times as it takes to get a fkin sale!

 

[r32]

Originally posted by Ono
It's better.

It isn't.

If you want racing games, the PS2 is still number one by a clear margin. You have 2 (soon to be 3) Gran Turismo games to choose from (and GT is still the daddy of driving games), Burnout 2, the two GTA's, Colin McRae's 4, NFS and The Getaway. Add in Wipeout Fusion for a bit of futuristic hypersledding shenanigans and I don't honestly see why you'd buy any other console.

"The PS2 does not run racing games well at all. GTA Vice city doesn't run well but is a popular game.".

How come the best looking racing game on the planet still resides on PS2 huh?

 

[SoWat]

So far I've bought the PS2 and the Getaway/Vice City games to go with it (was very surprised at the language in the opening cut scenes of Getaway ).

I hooked it up to my 36" Tosh, and I have to say it looks great! Very much better than what I saw in the Game shop. Sound is also excellent (it uses my surround sound setup very nicely). I was surprised to note that the console runs widescreen!

The games themselves are also surprisingly good. I prefer Vice City at the moment, mainly because it has great atmosphere and music. Getaway is also pretty good, especially as the controllers shake when the car hits kerbs/pedestrians etc.

I'm going to give these titles a good thrashing over the next week or so, then I'm going to try either the X-Box or the Gamecube... though I have to say they're going to have to be something special to beat the PS2.

 

[r32]

I presume you got one of the new improved PS2's with built in Network adapter and improved DVD playback?

 

[SoWat]

It's one of the new Silver ones (from our favourite retailer GAME ). It has an expansion unit for the network interface.

I'm not sure about improved DVD playback, as I have no experience of the previous version.

 

[leggy]

Take it back.

Seriously. You can get one that comes with a built in network adapter (not just an expansion slot) and improved DVD playback that supports DVD-r and DVD-rw to boot.

 

[SoWat]

I guess I could take it back, but I'm not really interested in networking it, nor do I intend to play DVDs through it (I have other kit for that).

One thing I dislike about it is the need for memory cards (I've already 'lost' one). I much prefer the X-Box method of having a hard disk inside.

That niggle aside, it's a great piece of kit.

 

[SoWat]

While in town this morning I saw that the X-Box was on offer, at most stores, for £139 + 3 or 4 games (The Crawley GAME store still doesn't have it's X-Box demo working btw!).

I ended up buying one from Woolies, as the bundled software was more to my liking (I did give GAME some money tho', I bought Max Payne 2 for PC ).

Unfortunately I won't be able to give it a whirl this weekend as 'the boss' has me decorating downstairs