I'm getting an Xbox...what game?

[Sun Tzu]

Recently I came into some $$$, and after thinking long and hard about what to spend a chunk of it on, I decided to go with an Xbox. I was torn between the PS2 and Xbox for quite a while. I have lived with friends who had PS2's and I enjoyed playing them very much. Especialy NCAA Football 2004 (which is on Xbox also), and Madden 2004 online (minus the l337 d00dz). However the Xbox's graphics overall are nicer, online capabilities are built in, and the 40GB HDD is awesome. Here were my options.

PS2 w/ network adapter & 1 game = $250 (I already have a PS2 memory card)
Xbox w/ network adapter, <b>HDD</b>, and 1 game = $200

The Xbox having a built in HDD was probably the biggest selling point. Xbox it is...

I would very much like to get NCAA Football 2004, and I would if the 2005 version weren't coming out only 2 months from today. The fact that there is still going to be no online play with EA games on the Xbox is bugging me, but hopefuly ESPN Football will live up it's hype this year and I can use that to satisfy my online appetite. As of right now my main prospective game is MVP 2004. I have read many good things, and many bad things involving MVP Baseball this year. The ability to go 120 years in a dynasty, as well as playing out the minor league games intrests me very much. However I hear that once you get the hang of hitting, you can average 2-3 homeruns with several players per game. Also I have read that there is some "problem" with baserunning, however nobody (IGN, etc...) has actualy explained what this problem is. Anywhoot, I was wondering if any of the FOFCers would like to recommend a game or two. Also feel free to chip in your $0.02 on whether to go with a PS2 or an Xbox. Price is not an issue.

[RawIsDan]

If you don't get a sports game and don't already have it for the PC. Get Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic. Awesome game. I was torn myself between PS2 and X-box so I ended up buying both. :D

[bamcgee]

RawIsDan is right. The Star Wars game was fantastic.

[sabotai]

The Xbox having a built in HDD was probably the biggest selling point. Xbox it is...

I have both PS2 and XBox and this is the single reason why for games that are released on both, I'll be buying XBox.

As for what games to get, I have not had the XBox long and only have a few games (Hitman 2, EA Sports FIght Night and Top Spin Tennis). Top Spin was only released on XBox and is a good game. Kind of got tired of it quickly though (and the inability to save in the middle of the tournament kileld it for me once I got to the grand slam level).

One game that should be out soon is Fable (only on XBox). It's a RPG that looks like it's going to be great. It looks like it will be really open-ended, your guy will age and gain reputation as he goes. You can be a really good guy or a really evil guy (or somewhere in the middle).

[Tigercat]

I echo the sentiments for KOTOR, also Morrowind game of the year edition, both are great games if you like RPGs.

If you like a stealth game like Metal Gear, Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow(I think thats the name) is getting truly awesome reviews, as is the action oriented Ninja Gaiden.

I believe NCAA 2005 is going to be on XBox live? At least that was the news a couple of weeks ago. If you like sports games and the EA Xbox online deal goes through, XBox is the way to go.

[Turd Ferguson]

I own MVP Baseball for the XBox and it is a very fun game to play. If you are looking for something with a great stat layout and what not then I think you might be disappointed. I haven't seen much of a problem with the baserunning, it is tough to get hang of though. I would definately rent it first to see if you like it.

[SackAttack]

Recently I came into some $$$, and after thinking long and hard about what to spend a chunk of it on, I decided to go with an Xbox. I was torn between the PS2 and Xbox for quite a while. I have lived with friends who had PS2's and I enjoyed playing them very much. Especialy NCAA Football 2004 (which is on Xbox also), and Madden 2004 online (minus the l337 d00dz). However the Xbox's graphics overall are nicer, online capabilities are built in, and the 40GB HDD is awesome. Here were my options.[/b]

40 GB is the size of the PS2 HDD. Xbox's is only about 8 gigs. That's still way more than you'll ever use unless you're a religious downloader of Xbox Live content and you use the custom soundtracks to excess, but I thought I'd point that out.

Also, the online capabilities for EA's games won't be relevant for much longer, now that they'll be supporting Live.

PS2 w/ network adapter & 1 game = $250 (I already have a PS2 memory card)

Wrong. PS2 w/ network adapter & 1 game = $200. Unless you mean one game besides ATV Offroad Fury 2, which comes with the online kit.

Xbox w/ network adapter, HDD, and 1 game = $200

The Xbox having a built in HDD was probably the biggest selling point. Xbox it is...

Yeah, having that already there is still the biggest feather in Xbox's cap. They need to not take it out for Xbox 2, but I'm not optimistic.

I would very much like to get NCAA Football 2004, and I would if the 2005 version weren't coming out only 2 months from today. The fact that there is still going to be no online play with EA games on the Xbox is bugging me, but hopefuly ESPN Football will live up it's hype this year and I can use that to satisfy my online appetite.

The 2005 line of EA Sports games is supposed to be among the first EA titles to support Live, actually. You may get a pleasant surprise. ;)

As of right now my main prospective game is MVP 2004. I have read many good things, and many bad things involving MVP Baseball this year. The ability to go 120 years in a dynasty, as well as playing out the minor league games intrests me very much.

Put down the crack pipe and walk away. If you must have MVP, get the PC version, which you can at least fix. The Xbox one has a broken player development system (which negates the whole 120 year career mode), and lefties don't hit for power. And that's just the start. If you gotta have Xbox baseball and you want an enduring career mode, go with ESPN Baseball.

However I hear that once you get the hang of hitting, you can average 2-3 homeruns with several players per game. Also I have read that there is some "problem" with baserunning, however nobody (IGN, etc...) has actualy explained what this problem is. Anywhoot, I was wondering if any of the FOFCers would like to recommend a game or two. Also feel free to chip in your $0.02 on whether to go with a PS2 or an Xbox. Price is not an issue.

MVP has a multitude of problems this year. It's kinda the Adrian Beltre of video games - a world of potential, but it may be a few years before the series REALLY puts a package together that shows off what it's capable of.

On the subject of other games, KOTOR is a fantastic choice, and at $29.99 is hard to beat for value. You should at least try Halo, although that's certainly not for everybody. If you haven't already bought the console, and you want to try Halo, buy the bundle; you'll save 10 bucks.

Ninja Gaiden is freakin' awesome. Morrowind is good, but can be confusing if you're not used to wide-open gameplay like that. Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II is worth a look, as is Deus Ex: Invisible War. I'm biased, I know, but I feel like the Sega sports titles are the best of that bunch, although Project Gotham Racing 2 is better than Sega GT Online.

There's also a variety of pretty good games you can pick up on the cheap from Best Buy; I snagged the ESPN College Hoops for $15 there the other day, and I know my location also has Spy Hunter 2 for the same price. Not a great game, but it's at least on par with the first remake, which I really enjoyed.

[SackAttack]

I have no idea why the hell that post suddenly reversed the bold scheme, but eh. I can't be bothered to fix it right now.

[HornedFrog Purple]

I love my xbox. If a game comes out for both, I get the xbox version every time.

I would suggest the Star Wars game, NCAA Football 2004, Silent Hill 2, Ninja Gaiden (I watch the nephew play it, I suck at it), Halo, and Shenmue 2.

You can find all of those for pretty good deals on ebay if you are patient.

The new ESPN football is going to be made on the xbox first instead of being ported to it according to an article Kodos posted.

[MizzouRah]

My recommendations:

ESPN Baseball
ESPN College Hoops
Halo (if you haven't played it... awesome FPS game)
Fight Night 2004

At least that's my games worth keeping thus far.


Todd

[Ragone]

I really hope this year ncaa football 2005 has a random name generator.. so i can go xbox with it instead of ps2 for roster downloads.. :)

i don't need authentic names to enjoy it.. but i can't play with qb #5

[Bearcat729]

Star Wars KOTOR, Morrowind Game of the Year, and Top Spin are good $30 titles right now.

Ninja Gaiden, ESPN Baseball and the Splinter Cell games are good as well.

And I haven't played the XBox versions of the Grand Theft Auto games to recommend them.

[Easy Mac]

QB 5 is alive!

[tucker342]

Ninja Gaiden and Star Wars: Nights of the Old Republic are two games I highly suggest, also, keep your eyes out for Fable which is coming out this summer.

[Eaglesfan27]

I'm hoping Jade is good.. I'm also hoping I get an X-Box for my 5th anniversary tomorrow :)

[kingnebwsu]

1)Halo
2)Star Wars: KOTOR
3)Rainbow Six 3

I'd recommend the first two without hesitation, and the third if you have X-box Live. Also Splinter Cell 2 is fantastic if you have online (though it's not my bag).

Halo 2 could end up being one of the best games ever, but we'll see :)

[WussGawd]

Avoiding the usual PS2 vs. XBox flamewars, here are my recommendations:

RPG:

Star Wars, Knights of the Old Republic: If you haven't already played it on PC, this one is a treat. The best Star Wars game ever, possibly better than any of the films. It even has some replayability. Hook it up to XBox Live for another location and more weapons. As far as I'm concerned, this one may be even more of a killer app for the XBox than the next title.

Another excellent RPG title (again, only if you haven't tried it on PC) is Morrowind, Game of the Year Edition. Both of these can be had for $30 new, maybe even less used.

FPS:

Halo: The game that probably did more to save the XBox as a console than any other.

Ghost Recon: Great game on the XBox. Can be had as a budget title now as well



Action/Adventure:

Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow. Sam Fisher may be the coolest video game character ever. The lighting effects in this one is amazing, the gameplay even better. The multiplayer puts all other shooters to shame.

Splinter Cell The original is now a budget title. Single player, it's easy to see why this was one of the biggest XBox title of 2002. 3 New Levels available via XBox Live.

Sports, Single Player:

NCAA Football 2004: Best sports title going. Again, might be worth holding out until July for 2005, but this is a great game if you can find a deal.

Sports, Multiplayer:

Virtually any of the ESPN games are excellent on XBox. My personal favorite is ESPN College Hoops.

Hope this helps.

[WussGawd]

dola:

My current obsession is the excellent racing game Project Gotham Racing 2. Great racing game, a ton of different cars, a ton of different tracks, fully integrated multiplayer, cool ability to rank scores online with single player. Great, great game.

[WussGawd]

triple dola.

Since you don't have a PS2, if you haven't already played the PC versions, the Grand Theft Auto: Double Pack is a huge deal. The games definitely take advantage of the XBox's superior graphics hardware, and the ability to add custom soundtracks via the XBox's Hard Drive is great. I'd have got this if I hadn't already bought and played both games on PC.

[SackAttack]

Just wanted to point out again that, especially in light of the numerous recommendations for ESPN College Hoops, that you can pick the Xbox version up at Best Buy for $14.99. That's a clearance price, so there may or may not be any copies left at your location, but that's definitely worth looking into.

The chain still stocks the PS2 version, but they sell that for $30.

[MrBug708]

Josh = Xbox whore

[SackAttack]

Nono, Bug.

Josh = console whore. It's just that with the Xbox, I don't have to put a bag over its head (or turn the lights out).

[Sun Tzu]

Thanks for all the advice fellas. Today is the day that I actually go through with the big purchase. The verdict?

It will be a gametime decision. :)

[RPI-Fan]

I really hope this year ncaa football 2005 has a random name generator.. so i can go xbox with it instead of ps2 for roster downloads.. :)

i don't need authentic names to enjoy it.. but i can't play with qb #5
Great suggestion - I feel exactly the same way. Hell, I ever <i>prefer</i> random names to "real" names.

[Easy Mac]

Just wanted to point out again that, especially in light of the numerous recommendations for ESPN College Hoops, that you can pick the Xbox version up at Best Buy for $14.99. That's a clearance price, so there may or may not be any copies left at your location, but that's definitely worth looking into.

The chain still stocks the PS2 version, but they sell that for $30.
I love you... they also have ESPN NFL for $20. Goodbye bookstore paycheck, hello Best Buy.

[RPI-Fan]

I love you... they also have ESPN NFL for $20. Goodbye bookstore paycheck, hello Best Buy.Hmmmm.... is ESPN NFL fun if I'm mostly a single-player gamer (with the occasional hot-seat multi)?

- no online for me, though.

[Calis]

Nono, Bug.

Josh = console whore. It's just that with the Xbox, I don't have to put a bag over its head (or turn the lights out).

Not to mention you'd have to get a hefty bag if you wanted to. ;)

[kcchief19]

I echo most of the pros/cons listed above. But I must emphasize that if you are thinking about MVP 2004, rent it before you buy. I was tempted to purchase this first based on word of mouth, but after renting it I was bored after two days and felt like I got ripped off on a $4 rental. If I had purchased the darn thing, I would have had to hit myself over the head with a hammer.

KOTOR is cool, although I lack the time, discipline and skill to master it. I finally bought a strategy book so I could at least enjoy the story more. It probably wasn't a great purchase for someone who only has time to play for a few hours on the weekend, but it's a great product.

[MizzouRah]

If I had purchased the darn thing, I would have had to hit myself over the head with a hammer.

Where's my hammer? :)

Actually, I like the game, but after all the dust settles, ESPN is better for my tastes.


Todd

[Ragone]

I'm more of a sim Baseball fan myself.. console baseball just doesn't really excite me..

Football on the other hand. i love both :)

[gstelmack]

Hmmmm.... is ESPN NFL fun if I'm mostly a single-player gamer (with the occasional hot-seat multi)?
I really enjoyed playing about 2 seasons of the single player game (which took me a couple of months).

[kingnebwsu]

I bought the XBox/Halo limited edition bundle today for $170 from Toys R Us. I heard most places were out, so I picked up a limited edition console for next year when my current one (first-gen) fails. Even if I don't use it, I can sell it for $300 on E-bay next month :D

[Troll]

I got a launch PS2 and lauch X-Box. My PS2 got the damn disk read error so I called Sony and they agreed to fix it for free. Now my X-Box is freezing constantly. Couldn't finish Star Wars: KOTOR, and can't even hardly play ANY game without the damn thing locking up. Plan on calling microsoft tomorrow, wander if they will fix it. If not, I don't plan on buying another one.

[SackAttack]

Try a lens cleaner.

[MizzouRah]

I got a launch PS2 and lauch X-Box. My PS2 got the damn disk read error so I called Sony and they agreed to fix it for free. Now my X-Box is freezing constantly. Couldn't finish Star Wars: KOTOR, and can't even hardly play ANY game without the damn thing locking up. Plan on calling microsoft tomorrow, wander if they will fix it. If not, I don't plan on buying another one.
Here's a quote from Bill Abner:

Then, I perused the Xbox forms (the official ones at forums.xbox.com). It turns out I'm not alone. Apparently a lot of people who bought their Xboxes at launch have a "Thompson" drive, which I believe is made by RCA/GE. Apparently this drive is a big POS. See this picture to see what kind of drive you have (http://people.freenet.de/9370459/xbox_lw.jpg). They've even given the symptoms a name: the Thompson DDE (dirty disc error). At this point, even though the thread says you may be able to get your almost 3 yr old console under warranty, I might just go grab the new Halo box. We'll see. Either way, it's pretty frustrating!


You can search more on the issue here (and how he took care of the problem). :)

http://sportsgamer.blogspot.com/


Todd

[Troll]

indeed I got that stupid Thompson drive

[kingnebwsu]

I got a launch PS2 and lauch X-Box. My PS2 got the damn disk read error so I called Sony and they agreed to fix it for free. Now my X-Box is freezing constantly. Couldn't finish Star Wars: KOTOR, and can't even hardly play ANY game without the damn thing locking up. Plan on calling microsoft tomorrow, wander if they will fix it. If not, I don't plan on buying another one.

They offered to fix my system for $70. I said no and they said they'd have a customer service rep call me back within 48 hours. Still waiting for that call... :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[Troll]

could get interesting, called, said to ship it and pay 99 dollars, i told them they were crazy, and that my problem is the thompson drive and that it is their fault not mine, they checked to see if it was one that was still under warranty and said that it is not, so i asked for the superviser, and they said he's busy, but will call back within 48 hours, i'm damn sure gonna call back tomorrow night if I haven't heard from them.

[cthomer5000]

Just curious, did anyone here buy/play Jet Set Radio Future?

I thought Jet Grind Radio for Dreamcast was one of the best and most original games I've ever played. It would probably be in my top 20 games of all-time.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Just curious, did anyone here buy/play Jet Set Radio Future?

I thought Jet Grind Radio for Dreamcast was one of the best and most original games I've ever played. It would probably be in my top 20 games of all-time.

Never played it, but I didn't like Jet Grind Radio much. So I don't know why I'm posting this.

[Sun Tzu]

Well, here's what went down today. After doing some more digging regarding the Xbox I found out that you have to pay $50/year just to use Xbox live. That immediately sparked a "f'ing microsoft" throught process in my mind, and I started doing some more math.

PS2 w/ online play, 1 game (ATV 2), 2 controllers (I own 1), 1 memory card (same) = $200

Xbox w/ online play, 1 game (sold seperately), 1 controller, HDD = $250

After pacing the aisles in Best Buy for about 20 minutes I finaly picked up the online edition of the Playstion 2. For $199 you get a good deal of hardware, and I already had all of the accessories needed at my house. I then went a couple stores down to the local Gamestop. I am a big proponent of used CD-based games, and I figured I would be able to pick up 2-3 used games for around $50. Low and behold I spotted a NCAA Football 2004 jewel case on the wall and asked the man behind the counter to show me how scratched the CD was. He pulled it out and it was flawless...WOOHOO! I told him to wrap-it-up-and-selephant, and I went back over to the wall to see what else was available. I considered getting Resident Evil: Code Veronica, which was selling for $12, but I decided against it with <i>Outbreak</i> having already been released. After browsing the store for quite some time I decided to just hit Blockbuster on tuesday and pick up ESPN Baseball. My girlfriend is pretty into video games too, but mainly the Tomb Raider/Spyro types of games, so I'm figuring to pick up one of those in the next couple days.

[kingnebwsu]

Hope you're happy with your choice. And if you're not, you can pick up an Xbox for $150 now, and even less toward the holidays :p

X-box Live is the biggest innovation in console gaming since the transition to 3-D. I think X-box Live is even better.

[SackAttack]

Well, here's what went down today. After doing some more digging regarding the Xbox I found out that you have to pay $50/year just to use Xbox live. That immediately sparked a "f'ing microsoft" throught process in my mind, and I started doing some more math.

Very true. But look at the online feature set for Xbox, then compare the online feature set for PS2. What you're getting with Live is a much more coherent experience. Seriously. Find a buddy who has Live, bug him to let you play games like Rainbow Six 3 or Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow on it. I guarantee you'll be hooked within a week.


PS2 w/ online play, 1 game (ATV 2), 2 controllers (I own 1), 1 memory card (same) = $200

Xbox w/ online play, 1 game (sold seperately), 1 controller, HDD = $250

Well, yes, but not really a fair comparison, since the Halo bundle includes a game for $170. Add Live to that, and you're up to $220. That's 20 bucks more than you paid for the PS2, and did I mention that you have that spiffy hard drive that you can download game content to, and even create custom soundtracks with? If you want that from PS2, you have to buy the HDD for $100, and then wait for the firmware updates.

After pacing the aisles in Best Buy for about 20 minutes I finaly picked up the online edition of the Playstion 2. For $199 you get a good deal of hardware, and I already had all of the accessories needed at my house.

From a hardware standpoint, for $199 you get less than what the Xbox offers you for $169.

I then went a couple stores down to the local Gamestop. I am a big proponent of used CD-based games, and I figured I would be able to pick up 2-3 used games for around $50. Low and behold I spotted a NCAA Football 2004 jewel case on the wall and asked the man behind the counter to show me how scratched the CD was. He pulled it out and it was flawless...WOOHOO! I told him to wrap-it-up-and-selephant, and I went back over to the wall to see what else was available. I considered getting Resident Evil: Code Veronica, which was selling for $12, but I decided against it with <i>Outbreak</i> having already been released. After browsing the store for quite some time I decided to just hit Blockbuster on tuesday and pick up ESPN Baseball. My girlfriend is pretty into video games too, but mainly the Tomb Raider/Spyro types of games, so I'm figuring to pick up one of those in the next couple days.

NCAA Football 2004 is $19.99 new on Xbox at Best Buy. I hope you didn't pay more than that for the used one at GameStop. ;)

As for the girlfriend...yeah, if she's going to be a big user, then maybe the PS2 was the better choice for you. Just sayin' that the value justifications are off is all. ;)

Either way, enjoy it - gaming is a blast.

[Sun Tzu]

I see where you are coming from on all of your points SackAttack. However I just felt like I was going with something that I knew was a 100% sure fire winner with the PS2. I will most likely pick up an Xbox this holiday season for cheap, just like king said. I just wasn't up for shelling out $250 on a system that I had never played before, especialy after finding a new "microsoft catch" around every corner. Meanwhile I will enjoy using my brand new "Home Entertainment Console" (isn't that what sony is calling it these days?), and so will the old lady. :)

Now the only question is, who around here is an NCAA 2004 online gamer? :D

[mauchow]

Sheesh, X-BOx costs 150 at wal-mart now?

[SackAttack]

Meanwhile I will enjoy using my brand new "Home Entertainment Console" (isn't that what sony is calling it these days?), and so will the old lady. :)

Actually, they call it a Computer Entertainment System. The reason being there are certain countries that place a fairly high tariff on toys, but computers are exempt from that tariff. So in order to save money and keep the product attractively priced, they've been trying to kind of dress it up in words.

Nintendo did much the same thing in the '80s to avoid having to pay markdown money to toy stores.

[kingnebwsu]

Xbox is $150 everywhere now, $170 with the Halo bundle (if you can still find it).

[Sharpieman]

I'm glad that the XBox is giving Playstation a run for its money. I just wish Xbox wasn't made by Micro$oft. Sony has been able to fight off competition pretty well until now. Hopefull the Playstation 3 or whatever their going to call it will blow the xbox out of the water. PS2 loading on some games has been getting really slow, I think its due to the old system, the games always advance faster than the system.

[Neuqua]

The ETA on the next batch of systems was supposed to be sometime in 2005 right?

[SackAttack]

Sharpie,

You're absolutely insane if you think Microsoft is any more (or less) money-grubbing than Sony. Sony, in case you've forgotten, charges you $35 if you want four player games, they charge you $25 if you want to save your game progress, and if you want faster loading times with some of the newer games - such as Resident Evil: Outbreak, that's going to set you back another $100 for the HDD. Micro$oft? Sure. Just so long as you acknowledge $ony, too.

Neuq,

Not unless some specific announcements are made at E3 in two weeks. You generally see about 18 months' lead time prior to the launch of a new console in Japan, and Japan launches tend to predate North American launches by 3-6 months (except, perhaps, for Xbox and any successors).

In other words, if PS3 were going to be available Stateside by Christmas '05, we'd already be hearing about a launch in Japan set for no later than about June '05 or so. The hype machine needs time for the wheels to spin, you dig.

[Eaglesfan27]

I thought it wasn't until 2006?

[MizzouRah]

I had a ps2, traded it in on an Xbox a few months ago and honestly - there's a much bigger difference in the two consoles.

I'm not much of an online gamer, but games load MUCH faster (shoot, Halo loads incredily fast), the graphics look better (just read how much ESPN is going to use the Xbox's capabilities this year), and of course if you plan on or have an HDTV - there's only one console that will do it for ya. :)

I have a logitek wireless controller (the BEST controller ever, imo) and if you haven't played Halo yet... well don't try it out at a friends house. ;)

Not to mention Halo 2 is due out soon amoung other Xbox 'only' games.

I'm not downing the ps2, I used the heck out of mine, but I love my Xbox.



Todd

[RPI-Fan]

When is ESPN NFL 2005 expected out?

[Rich1033]

I believe ESPN Football's release date is around september. Halo 2, as far as I have read, isnt going to be out until around november.

The first Halo is a good game, but I really only got enjoyment out of it in multiplayer. In single player the levels keep repeating themselves and it takes a little while to figure out what direction you should be going.

[WussGawd]

Just curious, did anyone here buy/play Jet Set Radio Future?

I thought Jet Grind Radio for Dreamcast was one of the best and most original games I've ever played. It would probably be in my top 20 games of all-time.

I got it with the bundle they were selling at the time I bought my first one (got two now). I was terrible at it, but my boys played it for months. Good game from what I could tell.

[SackAttack]

I thought it wasn't until 2006?

I'm not saying they *will* come out before then. I'm simply giving an example of the kind of lead time one should generally expect between a console's official announcement (specs and all, even a mock-up) and when it actually shows up.

The last company to jump the gun was Sega back in the early '90s with the Saturn and, well...we know how that turned out...

[Eaglesfan27]

I just received an X-Box for my 5th anniversary. Have I told anyone recently how wonderful my wife is? ;)

Anyway, I want to get one more game for it for the month. She bought me SW:KOTOR, however, I've already played that on the PC. I'm not going to return that so as not to hurt her feelings at all, and I'll play through it again as an evil female which I haven't done yet.

However, I'm looking for some help on deciding which game I should get for the X-Box.

I like sports games of course, and I am consider ESPN Baseball. Has anyone found any serious bugs of any sort? Can you make fielding automated and is it based on range ratings? How is the franchise mode?

Another game I'm considering is: Splinter Cell: Pandora's Tomorrow looks very intriguing. I generally like stealth action games, but I don't like them when the levels are so open ended that it is easy to get lost if that makes sense? I like levels that offer several ways to do the task, but where it is not so hard to know which direction to go to complete the task(s). What are people's thoughts on this game?

I'm also considering Ninja Gaiden. I've heard this is a very difficult game. I'm not as young as I used to be and not as good at rapid button presses as I used to be. How are the controls? How difficult is it to excute the moves needed to do well in the game?

These are my top three choices right now, but I'm open to other game suggestions. I know quite a bit of discussion has occured in this thread, but I'm hoping to generate a little more to help me make my choice as I will go buy one game on Thursday for the X-Box. Thanks for the feedback.

[SackAttack]

All three of those are solid choices. I know kingnebwsu would be more than happy to sing the praises of SC:PT, so I'll let him do that. ;)

As far as ESPN MLB goes, I've been enjoying it. The franchise mode is a definite improvement over past years, and it's absolutely hilarious to see your owner send you an email saying "Todd Hundley is an overpaid waste, get rid of him!" It isn't particularly innovative, as it uses the old "contract goals" fallback: win x number of games, win a World Series, trade so and so, stay within your budget, etc., but it's still enjoyable.

I'm not sure if you can make fielding automated - I haven't tried to do so - but fielding isn't anywhere NEAR as frustrating and difficult as it is in All-Star 2005. The only caveat...the outfields in this game are HUGE. You're going to need to set strategy accordingly when you face various hitters.

The only real issue I have with it is that the faster pitch speeds are exceedingly difficult to deal with when you're playing online, and the 'zone' hitting sucks donkey dick, pardon the French. Just a slight tap of the analog stick often results in a hilariously overswing or underswing. This is one area where MVP still rules - timing-based hitting with an emphasis on *directional* hitting. Pushing right to take a pitch to right field, left to go to left, etc. That's what ESPN needs, instead of aiming for a particular part of the strike zone.

The First-Person Baseball mode is interesting, if a little disorienting, and it requires timing-based hitting, which is a good thing. There would be death and destruction if I had to use zone-based hitting in that mode.

[sabotai]

According to Gamespot, Fable has been pushed back to September. :(

[BigDPW]

I highly recommend AllStar Baseball 2005! My mom recently got me an X-Box as a housewarming gift and ASB is the only game I have for it so far... It has kept me occupied for the last month and I am having a blast with it... I think it plays better than ESPN did for me last year on PS2 but I have not played ESPN this year...

[SackAttack]

sabotai - if you know anything about Molyneux, that's not surprising.

BigDPW - you mean you can actually stand that horrid Fielder Cam?

[Eaglesfan27]

According to Gamespot, Fable has been pushed back to September. :(

I read that too. It was quite disappointing :(

[WussGawd]

Fable=vaporware.

[Philliesfan980]

sabotai - if you know anything about Molyneux, that's not surprising.

BigDPW - you mean you can actually stand that horrid Fielder Cam?

Blah! Just turn off the Fielder Cam!

[dawgfan]

Fable=vaporware.

I can assure you that's not true. :cool:

[SackAttack]

Blah! Just turn off the Fielder Cam!

I did, and the fielding still sucks. It's lovely to watch your glove get to the point where the foul ball or homer is at just the right time, only to have the ball magically pass through it.

[Eaglesfan27]

As I read more and consider all of my options, I found myself reading about ESPN Hockey for the X-Box which received very high scores of 9.0 on Gamespot. I'm not a huge fan of hockey on TV, but I like the sport and used to play the heck out of EA Sports NHL Hockey on the old genesis, but haven't bought a console hockey game in 5 or 6 years. Anyone have any thoughts on this most recent incarnation of ESPN Hockey? How good is the franchise mode?

[Pumpy Tudors]

As I read more and consider all of my options, I found myself reading about ESPN Hockey for the X-Box which received very high scores of 9.0 on Gamespot. I'm not a huge fan of hockey on TV, but I like the sport and used to play the heck out of EA Sports NHL Hockey on the old genesis, but haven't bought a console hockey game in 5 or 6 years. Anyone have any thoughts on this most recent incarnation of ESPN Hockey? How good is the franchise mode?

I didn't like ESPN hockey, because it seemed like it was really hard to get a long shot to go into the net. The franchise mode is a joke. Injuries are terribly unrealistic (someone gets injured every game, and many of the injuries are of the long-term variety). In addition, the game will automatically pull anyone from your pre-game lineup if they're injured, even if it's a minor injury. So you have to go in and add those players to your lineup every time, and like I said, someone's always injured. I heard that even if you turn the injuries off, they still happen to the human-controlled team(s), although I can't verify that, as I don't have the game anymore. I traded it in and got EA's hockey game this year, and it was just a lot more fun to me. I like ESPN Football, I like ESPN NBA Basketball, I love ESPN College Hoops and ESPN Baseball. ESPN NHL Hockey was a complete miss for me, though.

Your mileage may vary.

[BigDPW]

BigDPW - you mean you can actually stand that horrid Fielder Cam?
Yes I really like the fielder cam... It took about 5-6 games to really get the hang of it but I think it really adds to the game... I have come up with my own custom settings that allow me to play a pretty realistic game... I am currently about 3-20 so far and my bat is finally starting to heat up (I use 2-D cursor)... I pitch pretty well but typically end up losing on a late run or two for the other team...

[sabotai]

I heard that even if you turn the injuries off, they still happen to the human-controlled team(s), although I can't verify that, as I don't have the game anymore

I have ESPN Hockey and turned injuries off in the franchise mode (because of the high number of them). I never got an injury.

Unless they fix the goalies and few other things, however, I'll probably go with EA's NHL game next time.

[kingnebwsu]

ESPN NHL is way tough to score goals. They supposedly made it slightly easier this year, but it's still hard from what reviews said.

Game recommendations are tough to make for the X-box. It boils down to whether/not a person has Xbox live. I think it's freakin' sweet, but many people don't have it (cuz of no broadband/the $50 annual fee). If you have X-box Live, I recommend the ESPN sports games, Rainbow Six 3 (and its follow-up coming in August), and Splinter Cell 2.

If you're looking for an open-ended game, try Deus Ex 2 (also on the PC) or Hitman: Contracts/Hitman 2 (also on the PC). Hitman is s'posed to give ya lots of options.

Of course Halo is the coolest thing since fish sandwiches, so get that too :)

[sabotai]

After trying a few FPS on the XBox and PS2...I still can't understand how anyone can play an FPS without a keyboard and mouse.

[Eaglesfan27]

I'm going to get an X-Box Live subscription on Thursday (assuming I can find the starter kit which seems like a fairly good deal) in addition to one game. Halo is also in the mix among my top choices.

[kingnebwsu]

One game to go with your Xbox live...hmmm....the choices. Rainbow Six should be cheaper for you now, since it's been out for a while. But if you have that on the PC/want something different, grab Splinter Cell 2. It's not my bag, but it is really well done. It pisses me off because I get whooped a lot on SCell 2, though I'm awesome at R6. Halo is $30 everywhere but isn't online, so grab that as your second game.

BTW, a Rainbow Six follow-up comes out in August, so you could wait for that. And Halo 2 comes out in December ;)

[SackAttack]

I have ESPN Hockey and turned injuries off in the franchise mode (because of the high number of them). I never got an injury.

Unless they fix the goalies and few other things, however, I'll probably go with EA's NHL game next time.

EA's, the last time I played it (2003, I think?) was less of a 'game,' and more of a 'how many times can you score in one period?' contest.

I picked it up, scored 42 goals in a 3 game span, and haven't touched an EA hockey game since.

[sabotai]

Yeah, but according to reviews (and everyone who played it) for the 2004 game they redid it more like a simulation than an arcade game (mainly because of the previous SEGA hockey game. Competition forced EA to make a more realistic game).

[Eaglesfan27]

Well, I exited work much earlier today then expected due to two early evening meetings being rescheduled by the boss. So, I was able to pick up the X-Box Live Starter Kit (which came with Mechwarriors) and for my one game in addition I ended up picking SC:PT. I almost picked ESPN baseball, but I decided that OOTP is really serving my baseball needs right now, and I haven't played a really good action game in a long time. Funny thing is despite my excitement at this game, I also can't wait to play some CM tonight.

[Sun Tzu]

Well I finaly got the Xbox last night. I wasn't sure what game to get as I only had about 5 minutes to make my purchase until Best Buy closed. I didn't want to rush my choice. This afternoon I will most likely be picking up Rainbow Six 3. There is still a chance I will change my mind and pick up Pandora Tommorow. KOTOR isn't really my type of game, seeing as how I was never a big Star Wars guy, and I don't enjoy RPG's in the least. I'm also considering grabbing Prince of Persia in a week or so also, as it has gotten many excellent reviews from around the web.

I must admit after purchasing both a PS2 and an Xbox in the past couple weeks, the Xbox just seems much more professionaly done overall. From the packaging to the setup, it's just a much more polished system than the PS2. I'm excited to have both though.

:)

P.S. - I signed up for Xbox live last night. If anybody is interested, my Live handle is "Katsumura".

[cincyreds]

Just don't go and join any fantasy baseball leagues okay? ;)

Good Luck with you purchase.

I have an X-Box and Halo 2 should be out later this year.

[Sun Tzu]

Just don't go and join any fantasy baseball leagues okay? ;)



...oops! I completely forgot I was even in that league. Ugh, sorry man. I guess there was too much stuff going on for me to be able to keep my head in a baseball fantasy league. I don't usually sign up for them, and I think that was the reason why. Anyways I'll be looking for you when Halo 2 comes out. :) BTW what is your live handle?

[cincyreds]

No problems, Sun Tzu you are forgiven bro.

Just to let you know though, I took over your PHX team and in 2 weeks have moved them out of last place and into 7th.

Just wish my team was playing that good.

[Sun Tzu]

I think I've decided on Splinter Cell 2 : Pandora Tommorow as the game I'm going to get. That along with all of the other games I have for PS2 already (upwards of 5) should hold me over until the NCAA/Madden/ESPN 2005 series of games hits the market.

[Kodos]

Just for humor's sake, the X-box game I've gotten the most enjoyment out of so far has been...



Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis.



Halo was a bit of a letdown (at least in single player) for me. ESPN Football was good, but Madden and NCAA still get most of my playing time. I have College Hoops, but never quit playing football enough to get into it. :)

I'm thinking about adding KOTOR to the list of games I have that I haven't played (or have played only minimally).

Along with:
College Hoops
ICO
Silent Hill 3
Sly Cooper
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance (well, I played that one a little - it seemed pretty cool)
MGS2
Half Life
Need For Speed 2
Red Faction 2
Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution

Maybe I should stop buying games that don't involve a football.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Do any of you Xbox Live guys here have Project Gotham Racing 2? I haven't played it in a couple of months, but that's really the most Xbox Live fun I've had. Just asking.

[Sun Tzu]

I got Rainbow Six 3. With the $20 off I was able to pick up for a measley ten bucks. Can't beat a deal like that. Can't wait to get home and fire it up on Xbox Live. However right now I'm @ the womans house eatting dinner with her family. If I remember correctly Rainbow Six has a "training mode" to help you learn how to manuever and play the game...is this right?

Who here has RS3?

[SackAttack]

Sun,

What'd you do, buy the 3 month kit instead of the 1 year kit? you realize it's more expensive in the long haul to do it that way, right?

[Sun Tzu]

Actualy you are incorrect on that, Sack. I did the math in the store before I got it to make sure I wasn't paying more in the long run.

I paid 39.99 for 3 months of Xbox live, including the Headset.
The Headset is sold for $30.00, that means the live charge is $9.99 for 3 months
3 months divided by 9.99 is $3.33/month.

The 1 year kit is $69.99 for 12 months, including the headset.
Again, the headset is sold for $30.00, that means the live charge is 39.99 for 12 months
12 months divided by 39.99 is $3.00/month.
Normally I would be paying an extra 0.33/month for the 3 month starter kit.

However here is where my advantage kicks in. When you purchase the 3 month starter kit, and any game $29.99 or more you save $20. Therefore if you look at it like I paid full price for the game, and $20 off of the starter kit, I'm only paying $14.99 for 3 months of Xbox live AND a headset. If you look at it like I paid full price for Xbox live and $10 for RS3, I'll take that just as fine. Either way you look at it I saved some serious dough. I will be getting a 12 month renewal card ($49.99) in august when these 3 months are up.

I appreciate your concern though, it really shows you care. ;)
Just letting you know I did take all options into careful consideration before making this decision.

[kingnebwsu]

KOTOR isn't really my type of game, seeing as how I was never a big Star Wars guy, and I don't enjoy RPG's in the least. I'm also considering grabbing Prince of Persia in a week or so also, as it has gotten many excellent reviews from around the web.

P.S. - I signed up for Xbox live last night. If anybody is interested, my Live handle is "Katsumura".

I'm not a huge fan of Star Wars or RPG's, but KOTOR was the best game of 2003, hands down. Impressive package overall, and great replayability being able to play as the light/dark side. It's $30 and it's highly recommended from me, a non-RPG, non-Star Wars fan.

Prince of Persia is also s'posed to be fannntastic. Should be $40 or less by now too. Enjoy your X-box dude, it's so so sweet. My XBL name is kingneb, feel free to add me to your list (I love Rainbow Six, it's a blast...the expansion comes out in August).