Not counting my original Gameboy, that is.
And it's a Gamecube. I might consider buying an X-Box in the future if more exclusive titles come out for it (e.g. Jade Empirea and Halo 2).
The controller itself fits quite nicely. It's the R and L buttons on the side that I'm concerned about, as they seem to have sensitivity problems. I also dislike how many games use the control pad for actions (Control Pad <- World Map, Control Pad -> Dungeon Map, etc.). The A/B/X/Y layout however is pretty solid and I can play for hours without feeling any sort of pain in my hands.
The Console itself is kind of loud when you start a game, but luckily it seems to quiet down as you get going and easily fades away soon thereafter.
Games.
Metroid Prime: Let me say right away that the graphics in this game are fantastic. Especially some of the later areas (like the Chozo Ruins) look breathtaking. In fact, it's almost embarrassing how a 2 year old game for a 3 year old console with 486Mhz can look this good, almost surpassing some of the stuff I see in the PC market nowadays. If you were to take advantage of PCs excessive amounts of Ram to add higher resolution textures and use modern graphics cards to increase the resolution you'd have a game that would rival some of the best graphics you can find even today. The artwork and attention to detail really make the game shine.
How much you enjoy the game itself depends on how well you understand that it's a first-person action adventure, not a standard shoot-em-up. In fact, midway through the game, I got overwhelmed by all the areas and secrets and started over. On my second attempt, I kept track of everything I collected by dropping down notes on maps I downloaded from the internet. I also took advantage of the ingame help features. I'm not much of a puzzle-loving guy myself, but once I got organized, the game turned from a good one into a great one. It also rewards people for taking their time and scanning everything (computers and the like) with hints and story elements.
Make no doubt about it, Prime is a great game. It almost makes my Gamecube purchase worth it on its own. I'm looking forward to completing it again and playing through the sequel.
Zelda Wind Waker: I enjoyed Link's Awakening (the 1994 game for the original Gameboy, a game way ahead of its time). However, when I finally got the chance to play Ocarina of Time...I got stuck. A lot. Over and over again. I became so frustrated with the dungeons later in the game that I quit it completely. Wind Waker on the other hand is easy. The graphics are nice (although lacking detail), combat a ton of fun, sailing a blast (I haven't gotten bored of it yet) and the dungeons simple but fun. There really isn't a whole lot more I can say.
Resident Evil: This is not my kind of game. Instead of walking left or right with the control stick, you turn in that direction. I've played this for 30 minutes and gave up after getting immensely frustrated with the controls. I might give this another chance, or simply skip it until the promosing 4th title comes around.
I'm currently looking forward to Resident Evil 4, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, Adwance Wars Under Fire, the new Zelda, among other things. And that's that
And it's a Gamecube. I might consider buying an X-Box in the future if more exclusive titles come out for it (e.g. Jade Empirea and Halo 2).
The controller itself fits quite nicely. It's the R and L buttons on the side that I'm concerned about, as they seem to have sensitivity problems. I also dislike how many games use the control pad for actions (Control Pad <- World Map, Control Pad -> Dungeon Map, etc.). The A/B/X/Y layout however is pretty solid and I can play for hours without feeling any sort of pain in my hands.
The Console itself is kind of loud when you start a game, but luckily it seems to quiet down as you get going and easily fades away soon thereafter.
Games.
Metroid Prime: Let me say right away that the graphics in this game are fantastic. Especially some of the later areas (like the Chozo Ruins) look breathtaking. In fact, it's almost embarrassing how a 2 year old game for a 3 year old console with 486Mhz can look this good, almost surpassing some of the stuff I see in the PC market nowadays. If you were to take advantage of PCs excessive amounts of Ram to add higher resolution textures and use modern graphics cards to increase the resolution you'd have a game that would rival some of the best graphics you can find even today. The artwork and attention to detail really make the game shine.
How much you enjoy the game itself depends on how well you understand that it's a first-person action adventure, not a standard shoot-em-up. In fact, midway through the game, I got overwhelmed by all the areas and secrets and started over. On my second attempt, I kept track of everything I collected by dropping down notes on maps I downloaded from the internet. I also took advantage of the ingame help features. I'm not much of a puzzle-loving guy myself, but once I got organized, the game turned from a good one into a great one. It also rewards people for taking their time and scanning everything (computers and the like) with hints and story elements.
Make no doubt about it, Prime is a great game. It almost makes my Gamecube purchase worth it on its own. I'm looking forward to completing it again and playing through the sequel.
Zelda Wind Waker: I enjoyed Link's Awakening (the 1994 game for the original Gameboy, a game way ahead of its time). However, when I finally got the chance to play Ocarina of Time...I got stuck. A lot. Over and over again. I became so frustrated with the dungeons later in the game that I quit it completely. Wind Waker on the other hand is easy. The graphics are nice (although lacking detail), combat a ton of fun, sailing a blast (I haven't gotten bored of it yet) and the dungeons simple but fun. There really isn't a whole lot more I can say.
Resident Evil: This is not my kind of game. Instead of walking left or right with the control stick, you turn in that direction. I've played this for 30 minutes and gave up after getting immensely frustrated with the controls. I might give this another chance, or simply skip it until the promosing 4th title comes around.
I'm currently looking forward to Resident Evil 4, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, Adwance Wars Under Fire, the new Zelda, among other things. And that's that
![http://forums.massassi.net/html/smile.gif [http://forums.massassi.net/html/smile.gif]](http://forums.massassi.net/html/smile.gif)