Fathoms (plural), why do you not have a Gamecube? Is it because you cannot afford it? The thing only costs as much as 2 games, not a huge investment. I am pretty sure you' d enjoy Tales of Symphonia. An if you can' t beat Super Monkeyball 1 and 2 on the hardest settings, then you suck as a gamer! They have that Zelda Wind Waker game where all you do is sail with a little bit of other styles of game play (fighting, dungeon crawling) thrown in here and there. But mostly you just sail. And I know you' re a big fan of the high seas! Then there is Metrod Prime, where you don' t even aim your gun. It locks on automatically. Then there is F-Zero GX, and you are a horrible excuse for a gamer if you can' t unlock and beat the arcade tracks the first time you play the game!

It' s time to get a Gamecube, Fathoms.

Yeah, fair play, I can understand " why" you liked DMC, I just never " got into it" as it were. I think you summed it up whith your comment on NG. " It was a chore to play" . Thats exactly how I felt about DMC and as a result, it neither held my interest or provide entertainment.

I know both games get loads of praise from reviewers so I must be missing something, but I guess we don' t always agree with the critics?

As for the other games you mention, I have both Max Payne 1+2 on PC and I love the serious. Now thats a game thats " cool" IMO. Absolutely loved the story as well, despite the fact I must have seen a very similar plot 100 times over the years. The bullet time is still great in the sequel and has never been implimented better than in this series of games (although I weas one of the few who actually liked " Enter The Matrix" although I could see its faults).

GTA is another classic. loved the original 2D GTA games and was looking forward to the new 3D ones. Played GTA3 on PS2 first at a mates and he gave me a loan of it. To be honest I never really got into it at the time. Too dark and found the controls a little awkward. However, once GTA:VC came out I had another look. This excited me A LOT more. Better, brighter, cleaner, clearer graphics have a lot to do with it. Coupled with a great soundtrack and a great, " do what you want" structure, I fell in love. I ended up buying the PC version on its release (I never actually owned the PS2 version) and this cemented it. Exact same game on PC, but again, so much cleaner and clearer, higher res and I have always been a large fan of mouse/keyboard controls. Didn' t think they would work for a game like GTA, as opposed to an FPS game, but it was perfect.

Can' t wait for the San Andreas version, but as much as it will torture me, I am going to wait for the PC version before buying.

Only played Onimusha 1 when I first got my PS2. Really enjoyable game, but it wasn' t good enough to make me want to play the sequels. Am I really missing out here?

Joe: Yeah, I know. I' ve been saying all that to myself for a while now. I think maybe the reason I' ve held off is simply because there' s only a couple of games that truly interest me, and one of them is certainly Metroid Prime. I also want to play Eternal Darkness. But I hated the Zeldas on the N64 (sacrilege, I know, but I will always believe that ALttP is the best), and Wind Waker wasn' t sweetening the deal, especially after I saw it at a friend' s house. I just didn' t like the look or feel, and it seemed like you could NEVER die. Maybe I' m wrong, but still...

Now, with RE 4, the new Zelda, and Metroid Prime 2 on the horizon, I probably will be getting a GC here at some point. The SMB' s are out of the question, though; I' m no good at those games. Platformers just aren' t my bag (although I can have loads of fun with the Ratchet and Clank games).

Pierre: I had never played the original going into Max Payne 2, and I just had an absolute blast. I must' ve played it through two or three times, and it' s great to just pick up and play. It' s one of my very favorite games of this generation (as you can see from my list).

As far as GTA: Vice City is concerned...man, don' t get me started. That IS my favorite game of this generation! GTA III was great, but Vice City just made everything better. The city was larger, there were more weapons, vehicles, and missions, you could buy/control property, more of the city was interactive, an entirely new dimension of travel (the air!) was effectively implemented, and we got a REAL main character this time! Could there be a better choice than Ray Liotta in a Scarface-based theme? And seeing as how I' m a HUGE 80' s fan, well...the radio stations just made the game so freakin' appealing for me. I think I must' ve put well over 100 hours into that game, and got to 93% complete. I just never finished up the last Unique Stunt Jumps, and I found the Fireman and Ambulance missions were too difficult and very un-fun. Other than that, I think I did just about everything...I' m assuming you' re aware of the " secret" vehicle...

I still pop it in every now and then just to drive around and wreak general havoc. I' ve seen it on both PC and PS2, and while the graphics are slightly better on PC (although not by much, IMO), I just HATED the keyboard/mouse thing for the driving, which is a major part of the game. The Sony DS just worked perfectly for that, for me.

And yes, you are missing out if you haven' t played Onimusha 2 and 3. Both are deeper, longer, and overall more polished than the original. It just got better with each installment. I won' t say for you to go out and drop $50 on Onimusha 3, but it absolutely deserves a look. You will also see, and I sh** you not, the single best introductory FMV you' ve ever seen in your life. For the longest time, FF VIII held that crown for me, but you just will not BELIEVE this one. Simply amazing. Unfortunately, it' s just about the only one in the whole game. LOL

And yes, you are missing out if you haven' t played Onimusha 2 and 3. Both are deeper, longer, and overall more polished than the original. It just got better with each installment. I won' t say for you to go out and drop $50 on Onimusha 3, but it absolutely deserves a look. You will also see, and I sh** you not, the single best introductory FMV you' ve ever seen in your life. For the longest time, FF VIII held that crown for me, but you just will not BELIEVE this one. Simply amazing. Unfortunately, it' s just about the only one in the whole game. LOL

Even though fathoms won' t advise you to go out and drop $50 on Onimusha 3, I will DEMAND that you do!! Right NOW mister!

As for the intro, he' s right about that, it is one of the best intros EVAR!!!1!
My favorite video game intro has always been that of the original Panzer Dragoon for the Saturn and the Onimusha 3 intros are right up there with it. There are actually two cool intros, there' s a lengthy intro and there' s a short one showing the demon invasion. Both TOTALLY friggin ROCK!!

Do Onimusha 2 and 3 both still have the " tank" controls that part 1 had? Y' know, where you push UP to go forward no matter what direction you are facing? If yes, that' s a deal breaker and I' d never even consider touching a game with such lousy control. I much MUCH prefer to be able to push the stick in the direction I want to move in. I am controlling a dude, not a freakin' tank! At least Silent Hill gives you the option.

Super Monkeyball 1 and 2 can' t really be classified as platform games. That is, unless you think a game like Marble Madness is a platform game? What say you?

Terry: DAMN SKIPPY. Just unbelievable. I turn it on every now and then just to watch it.

Joe: That' s the classic Resident Evil scheme, and I got used to it in the first two. Works pretty well, IMO. But in Onimusha 3, you have a choice, just like you do in Silent Hill. If you want to use the RE-style, you use the directional pad, if you want normal 3D action-game movement, simply use the analog. Despite the fact that I was used to the earlier style, I certainly used the analog.

Best system this generation? Eh, they all have their high points and low points. Currently at my dorm I have both an Xbox and PS2, along with numerous older systems. I also have easy access to friends GC. I' ve been playing a hell of a lot of the PS2 lately. I' m working my way through FFX. I' ve been plaing Socom 2 and such. GC hasn' t really impressed me. A few good titles but not enough for the buy.

Then comes the Xbox. With all the great titles, LIVE, and the system itself I' d have to say it' s my personal favorite. I' m dissapointed in its lack of traditional RPGs with very little on the horizon. Luckily there are plenty other genres that are well covered.

I just put down FFX to play Full Spectrum Warrior. Kick ass game and something you won' t find on other systems. I' ve even put that down as of yesterday though. I just picked up Steel Battalion and Line of Contact yesterday(something else you won' t find on any other system). I' ve gotta say I just love the Xbox exclusives especially Live enabled ones. Live takes the whole thing above and beyond anything this generation.

In the end though that' s just my opinion and it has no effect on what truely is the best system out. There is no way to judge that. It' s an opinion question and you' ll get an opinion aswer.

I am quite tempted by Onimusha 3. I especially like the fact that its full 3D as opposed to static backgrounds. The only time I have seen static backgrounds done well in in Resident Evil 1 and Zero on Gamecube. The rest are just too lifeless and its always obvious what is 3D compared to whats pre-rendered.

The question I have to ask is, does it matter if you haven' t played/completed the first two in the series? Is the story of Samanoske all disjointed if you never completed the first game for example?

Well, I think it would be beneficial to know the story of Samonosuke from the first Onimusha if you want to play Onimusha 3, but in the long run, it really doesn' t matter. It' s only background info.; it' s not like you won' t know what' s going on. And Onimusha 2 was entirely different (it featured Jubei instead), so no need to worry about that, either.

Although Terry is convinced of the purchase, I still say rent it. Some people don' t like to keep games they can typically beat with one rental, although beating Onimusha 3 in only a few days could be pushing it, depending on what kind of gamer you are. It took me about 16 hours, and I tried to do just about everything. In reality, it' s about a 12-15 hour game.

But the intro. movie alone could be worth it. It' s really THAT good. The voice acting is horrendous (despite the hired talent that includes Jean Reno), but the rest of the game is freakin' awesome to play. No free-roaming camera, though, so fair warning there.

Do I get to play AS Jean Reno? Will Onimusha 4 have Gerard Depardieu?

Yes, as a matter of fact, you WILL play as Jean Reno. Looks just like him too. Samonosuke and Jacque (Reno) team up together. Jacque' s character exists in modern-day Paris while Samonosuke exists in 15th century feudal Japan. The two accidentally " switch" time frames and they must work together to get back to where they belong, and in the process, try and stop Nobunaga who just so happens to be trying to invade BOTH time zones through the process of time travel.

You switch off between the two during the game. Samonosuke gets a large variety of weapons, as does Jacque, and each have separate moves and magic abilities. Jacque starts with a whip which is VERY cool, for example. There are several puzzles to solve throughout your adventure that is based on the time travel. For example, Samonosuke can' t get down from a high castle wall, so you time travel back to Jacque (who is in the same area, only hundreds of years earlier), and you can plant a vine plant against that wall. Travel back, and Samonosuke can now climb down the vine, that of course, has grown over the years. Very cool. And LOADED with action.

Btw, the game is NOT easy. It' s not as hard as NG of course, but it' s a pretty decent challenge.

Is there onimusha 2, 3, or 4 on the xbox? I' ve been wanting to play since i beat the first one. Anyways, I think i like Gamecube the best, and I will get one too. It has all the classic funs that xbox and ps2 doesn' t have. Plus, the price is very cheap.

Is there onimusha 2, 3, or 4 on the xbox? I' ve been wanting to play since i beat the first one. Anyways, I think i like Gamecube the best, and I will get one too. It has all the classic funs that xbox and ps2 doesn' t have. Plus, the price is very cheap.

AlleyHater: I' m a bit confused...the way that post is worded, it seems like you " like the GC the best," and yet, you don' t own one...?

Oh, and Onimusha 2 and 3 are PS2 exclusive. Onimusha 4, just recently announced, will be as well.

Let' s put it this way: I have better interests in the GC.

finaly a topic that did not turned into " my console is better than your' s" . so here' s my contribution in order of buying them:

dreamcast: one reason for me to buy one: crazy taxi ! also both sonic adventure are great games, and so is daytona usa and metropolis street racer. but to bad this console does not belong to the " now generation" . but becouse i do not have a gamecube, i felt i also wanted to have 3 consoles in my list

playstation 2: gran tourismo 3 a-spec, GTA vice citty, the tony hawk games, i love them all. exept for tony hawk' s underground i have all hawk games on ps2. for fighting games i like the controller of the ps2 the most. the size is also best of them all.

xbox: call me crazy or what, but this console gives me that good old " sega" feeling. no, not becouse outrun 2 is nearing completion, but the controller is verry close to the dreamcast one, and there are (yeah, just like anny other console) a few sega games on it. i bought my xbox becouse of the next games: project gotham racing (1 and 2), crazy taxi 3, and THUG. and the fact that i dont need to buy lots of memory cards becouse of that HD is also great. never having to search " on what card is my game save ??" is also a good reason for me.

i have more consoles, but they definately does not belong to the " now generation"

The most worthless console if you own all 4 big gaming machines (XBOX, GC, PS2, PC) is by far, Xbox. Most of the games that sells xboxes are available and play better on PC. I play Halo, DOOM 3, KOTOR, Splinter Cell, etc. at quadruple the resolution of an xbox and easily 3-4 times the detail in everything from lighting to textures.

My only reasons for owning it are DOA3, Ninja Gaiden, and possibly Fable if it ends up being any good, it' s very sad that alot of its best games can be played better on PC, MS should not allow games like Halo to be released on PC, it' s like Nintendo releasing Zelda on PC, or Sony doing GT3 on PC, it would take some of their consoles thunder away.

Now if I didnt have a capable PC Xbox would be on more even terms with the rest, but that' s not the case.

I rank them like this -

PS2
PC
GC
Xbox

My PC steals most of xbox' s games away, if I didn' t have a capable PC it would be like this:

PS2
XBOX
GC

" Most of the games that sells xboxes are available and play better on PC."

That' s a common misconception. While it' s true that one of the Xbox' s biggest weaknesses is a significant lack of " AAA" exclusives, the following list of " Xbox Only" games is more than enough to warrant a purchase, IMO:

Ninja Gaiden
The Chronicles of Riddick
Project Gotham Racing 2
Deathrow
Crimson Skies
MechAssault
Panzer Dragoon Orta
Dead or Alive 3
Moto GP 2
Otogi: Myth of Demons
Top Spin
Rallisport 1, 2

Of course, SW: KotoR, the Splinter Cells, Halo (and all other FPS' s), etc. are on PC as well, but the above list, coupled with the fact that the Xbox generally ends up with the best version of multi-platform titles, makes it worth owning for me. Much more so than the GC, which I do not own, and can find very, very little that might interest me. Besides Metroid Prime and Skies of Arcadia, I don' t really know what else there is...I' ve always hated Zelda in 3D, I don' t like platformers very much, Animal Crossing isn' t my bag, and...well, I don' t want to play FF: CC. If I want a real FF that' s part of the real series, I turn to the PS2.

So it' s a little different for me. But even without the PC games on Xbox, I still think it' s a worthier system than the GC overall (throw in Live, and it' s a no-brainer, IMO).

You make a good point, but it all comes down to preference. I would have to pick ps2 as the best system currently, but thats just me.

The xbox is a great system overall and i really enjoyed some of its games. It took a while to accumulate good titles but the wait seems to be paying off. In my opinion Microsoft shouldt release another console yet, especially since this one hasnt reached its peak yet.( and i havnt started saving money yet )

Most of Ninetendos games are obviously aimed at the younger generation, and may deter older gamers but theyre still fun and innovative. Sometimes its a good thing to get away from all the blood and excessive violence, and Nintendo gives the public( well, parents actually) one less thing to worry about. Which means those idiot polititions have one less thing to complain about.

the best console is the ds period.