Battle of the Boxes

It's finally here: one of the biggest events in video game history. For the first time in the business's history, two major systems are being launched within the same week. Last Thursday, Microsoft launched its first system ever, the Xbox. This Sunday, Japanese company Nintendo will have its American launch of their newest system, the GameCube. With PS2 still going strong, people all over are asking one question, Which system should I buy? This is where I come in. I will try to sort out the systems and find out which one is the best.

The hardware is the most important part of the system; in fact, it is the system. Both systems, GameCube and Xbox boast power. GameCube's hardware has a 485 MHz processor compared to the Xbox's processor of 733 MHz. (The higher the amount of megahertz, the more powerful it is.) Overall, it seems that Xbox is the better system when it comes to the power of the system, but in a review by Marc Saltzman from the Gannett News Service stated, both consoles played and sounded remarkably similar. You may wonder how PlayStation 2 compares with the two new systems. Well, the PS2 has a processor speed of 295 MHz. That is just barely more than half of the speed of GameCube. It appears that the PS2 is already becoming a slow system. If you are looking for the best performing hardware, I suggest getting either a GameCube or Xbox.

Price can be the most important factor in purchasing a new system for some people. When it comes to price, there is no competition. GameCube is the winner pricewise. At a launch price of about $200, it is actually the cheapest of the three systems. PS2 and Xbox are both about $300. That means if you go with GameCube, then you will be spending $100 less than its competitors. On all three systems, you can expect to pay the same amount on games, about $50 each. For those who were tired of paying $60 for a game on a N64, saving $10 a game is a welcome change. If you are looking for the most inexpensive system, GameCube is for you.

For most big gamers, the power of the power or price isn't that much of a factor; the games are. Most have always considered Nintendo the creator of the baby games. Nintendo is changing that with the GameCube. Super Smash Bros. Melee, the sequel to the hit N64 game has a rating of teen. Compare that to the rating given to the original.