Entertainment/Gaming Consoles

I'm kinda getting back into game consoles, so I figure I'll open up a discussion here.

First of all, what's your favorite of all time?

Currently I have a PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Xbox, Dreamcast and N64 all set up and functioning. I also own a Gameboy Advance (sorta - I bought it mainly for Jenni but I play it sometimes too), Nintendo Entertainment System, Atari 2600, Atari 7800 and a Sega Genesis (original).

I really really <b>really</b> want to get a Super Nintendo and a Sega Saturn. A lot of people dissed the Saturn, but I liked it a lot - I thought it was pretty good overall. The most fun I ever had on that system was at my friend Victor's house, playing Dead or Alive all night with Tory. Man those were good days. As far as Super Nintendo, there was a bass fishing game on there that was really good, and the nostalgia of Street Fighter 2 (my favorite fighting game ever) is pretty strong. So I'd like to get it just for those few games.

PlayStation is arguably the best console ever, simply because it lasted so long (games are <b>still</b> coming out for it 8 years later), it had real 3D, it was far ahead of its time (okay, Saturn looked like shit beside it), and it had <b>so many games</b>. I just got one two years ago (Christmas of '99) and I've had a blast playing it. It's also got the best game ever (Metal Gear Solid). The controllers were (are) great. And now you can get games for like $10.

Dreamcast was a great console, and it still is. At only $50, game enthusiasts shouldn't be without one. Controllers are dirt cheap now too, and the games aren't usually very expensive either. I was really sad to see Sega fail, but somehow they managed to mess everything up. I only got a Dreamcast about a year ago and I've definitely had fun on it. Soul Calibur is <b>awesome</b>. It's probably the best fighting game ever (though not quite my favorite - see above). Crazy Taxi is good fun. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater really makes Dreamcast a great console to own - that game is beyond fun, and the Dreamcast made it look great before any other console did. Sonic Adventure is pretty fun too. Dreamcast is what Saturn <b>should</b> have been, but it was also ahead of its time. PlayStation2 came out six months afterward and even after its supposedly amazing graphics hardware, the games look about the same as Dreamcast games. Two years later and PlayStation2 still hasn't been "tapped" to its potential - the closest that comes to it is Gran Turismo 3. It's hard to compare a fighter to a racer, but Soul Calibur is easily just as good, graphics-wise, as Gran Turismo 3. Dreamcast is a great console.

All that having been said, my favorite console of all time is probably Sega Genesis. I think that it looked better than the Super Nintendo, and its games were hella fun. NBA Jam was one of the funnest basketball games ever released. There were some great WWF Wrestling titles available as well. Genesis had just about everything that I enjoyed playing.

Atari 2600 was simply a great console too. It didn't look as good as the 7800, but it had a ton of games. The controllers were so simple compared to what we have nowadays. A joystick and a button. But what made it, and what makes every console, were the games. Barnstorming. Combat. Pitfall! Carnival. Frogger. The Empire Strikes Back. Spiderman. They were all great. There were so many carts and they were <b>all</b> great! God that was a great console.

My favorite console that I currently have up and running is probably the Xbox. I have to say, it beats the pants off PlayStation2 for graphics, and Xbox hasn't even been tapped yet. Second generation games are going to be amazing. The harddrive is cool because I'm never going to run out of game-save space. The controllers are nice. The sound is good too. Everything about it is good. It seriously is a great console, despite what many Microsoft bashers say. But, as I said above, software makes the console. It needs to have games you're interested in. I have (and enjoy) Dead or Alive 3, Halo, Project Gotham Racing, Rallisport Challenge (wow!), Amped: Freestyle Snowboarding, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2x and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3. Silent Hill 2 is also sitting at my house, but it's Andrea's. Anyway, all of these titles are pretty tight. It's good.

To buy: a new Genesis, Saturn, GameCube, Super Nintendo, in that order.

What's your favorite console? Why? Which ones do you have? What do you enjoy most now? What are your favorite games?

Let's get talking about these