Most overrated, underrated console in your "career?&quo

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Aug 27, 2002 11:55 am

Hi all:
 
 Just trying to stimulate some conversation here, and this topic sprung up: What is the most overrated console and most underrated console that you´ve ever played, and why?
 
 My picks:
 
 OVERRATED
 -- PlayStation 2. The Emotion Engine was supposed to be the next big jump in console gaming. Yeah, right. Then why did many Dreamcast games look as good or better than PS2 games for about the first year of the PS2? I keep reading posts about programmers not willing to extract the power of the EE because of lazy programming. Please. I´m tired of reading that. We´re well into the second generation of PS2 games, and only a handful of titles are true visual stunners. Sure, the PS2 has a deep, wide software library, but few of the exclusive games really held my attention long other than World of Outlaws and Grand Theft Auto III. I sold my PS2 for an Xbox in June after just 7 1/2 months with the PS2. No regrets.
 
 UNDERRATED
 -- Dreamcast. This is the best console I´ve ever played, hands down. The DC was the Tucker of video-game consoles -- way ahead of its time. Online gaming, four controller ports (N64 did this first, I know), analog triggers on controllers, VMU, true 128-bit graphics, all sorts of funky titles in just two years of commercial viability (Seaman, Jet Grind Radio, etc.), small size compared to the PS2 and especially the Xbox. This console was amazing. It still also is the best console for racing gamers available. F355, Vanishing Point, V-Rally 2, Metropolis Street Racer, Daytona USA Online -- I rest my case. In fact, the DC is the only console I´ve ever regretted selling of the six different consoles I´ve owned. I still miss it to this day, but I´m console monogamous. <IMG SRC="images/forum/icons/icon_smile.gif">
 
 What about you guys?
 
 Take care,
 PK
 
 [ This message was edited by: pk500 on 27-08-2002 08:57 ]
 
 [ This message was edited by: pk500 on 27-08-2002 08:57 ] [ This message was edited by: pk500 on 27-08-2002 09:58 ]

blueseater · Post by **blueseater** » Tue Aug 27, 2002 12:32 pm

not too sure about overrated consoles. I´ve had most of the consoles since the Atari 2600 and personally, I´ve been pretty happy with each one.
 Underrated: I can´t possibly agree more, Paul. the Dreamcast was way ahead of its time. This machine had online capabilities way ahead of anyone. I can´t believe this machine didn´t make it. The games were really very good even if you judge by todays standards. At least I can get most games for between 5 and 20 dollars and have discovered alot of lost treasures. I found Striker Pro for about 8 dollars, and I love the game and get in a few matches a week. The DC sits right next to the PS2 and still gets almost as much play time. If only they did a better job with baseball...

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Tue Aug 27, 2002 2:14 pm

Overrated:
 
 I´m like BlueSeater in that I really have enjoyed all of the consoles I have owned. That said, I still feel that the X-Box is slightly overrated. When I had a N64 I wanted a Dreamcast so much, but I wanted to wait for the PS2 since I was "console monogamous" at that time and I was still enjoying the N64. I just don´t feel the same way about not having an X-Box. It really doesn´t bother me at all, especially since games like Rallisport Challenge and Halo have been announced for the PC. I feel the same way about the PS2 to X-box comparison as PK feels about the PS2 to DC. I just don´t see much of a difference in graphics considering the PS2 is a year older. The hard drive for the X-box is nice, but I have only ever owned two PS2 memory cards so it really isn´t an issue for me. Considering that you probably should backup key X-box files to a memory card due to the quesionable reliability of the hard drive and that you have to buy a remote for the DVD it seems like a wash cost wise. As far as exclusive titles, I think I would have been missing out on more than just WoO and GTA3 without a PS2. I´ve also enjoyed Ace Combat 4, ICO, Final Fantasy X, Virtua Fighter 4, High Heat 2003, and Jak & Daxter. That doesn´t even count the dozens of exclusive PS one games, such as ISS Pro Evolution and Metal Gear Solid, I was able to enjoy for very little investment.
 
 Underrated:
 
 I will always hold a place in my heart for the N64. It is bashed by many (mainly due to the limitations of the cartridge format which really hurt sound), but I think what it lacked in quantity it made up in quality with landmark games like Goldeneye, Mario 64, and Zelda. It wasn´t a great platform for sports games, but I still enjoyed it tremendously.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Aug 27, 2002 2:52 pm

Leebo:
 
 Good call on some of the PS2 exclusives. I guess the only PS2 exclusive I miss now is WoO.
 
 I finished Ace Combat 4, played HH 2003 to death, plus 3DO is developing for the Xbox next year, and I played out Grand Theft Auto III. ISS Pro Evolution is a push for me because ESPN MLS Gamenight plays just as well even though it was developed by Konami Honolulu instead of Konami Tokyo.
 
 Maybe it´s just me, but I´m suspect about GTA: Vice City. I just can´t see how it will have so many innovative new features since GTA III was released less than a year ago unless Vice City has been in development for a while.
 
 Maybe I´ll be wrong -- I hope I am for the sake of PS2 owners. But for some reason, Driver 2 -- a hugely disappointing sequel to a great game -- keeps ringing through my head when I hear GTA: Vice City.
 
 But yes, I still miss WoO. Very much.
 
 Take care,
 PK