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A logical, fair review

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 31 / 41
Date: October 16, 2001
Author: Amazon User

This is a long review, but if you're having trouble deciding, you should read it.

...I am a gaming enthusiast, and I like Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony equally. Nintendo has been making games for a long time - they know exactly what they're doing. Microsoft is a newcomer (in terms of console gaming), and Sony has been in the gaming business for several years.

Now, some people on this site have been posting X-Box specs. Basically, these are the numbers that describe what the machine is capable of - but that's all they are, numbers. Although the posted specs of the Gamecube are less than the X-Box's, Microsoft did not take into account textures, lighting, etc. In short, these specs are not what you'll be seeing when you play the system. In reality, there are very slight differences graphic-wise...

On to features. X-Box is like a PC - it has a hard drive, a Pentium processor, etc. This is both good and bad. As with PC's, the X-Box has been known to crash. I don't know if the bugs are worked out yet, but it will impossible to get them all. The X-Box has a DVD player. The Gamecube does not. However, if you want a DVD player, buy a dedicated DVD machine. The prices nowadays are as low as $100 and they'll be better quality because they're designed specifically for the task. Gamecube uses 3.5 inch propriety discs rather than DVDs. They have stated that their emphasis is on gaming, and gaming alone. This is a good strategy, as far as I can tell. Also, it causes the GameCube to have a much lower price...

Games...Although Microsoft has designed some excellent PC games, there are very few first-party (designed by Microsoft) games for X-Box. This means that the wealth of the games will be available for other systems or on the PC. If you're going to be playing the same games, you might as well spend money on a cheaper system (Gamecube or PS2). Nintendo has a lot going for it in this category - games are what they do best, just like operating systems are what Microsoft does best. Although several of the games have kiddie appeal, this does not mean people of all ages will like them. If you want blood and guts splattered over the screen, look other places than Nintendo, but honestly, blood doesn't make a game better.

Okay, I'm almost done. Thanks for bearing with me. In conclusion, I think you'd be better off buying the GameCube or Playstation 2. This doesn't mean you won't enjoy the X-Box, you may very might! I would reccomend playing it extensively before you buy it - otherwise you might be disappointed. Microsoft is very good at computer-related technologies, but they just don't know much about games. Sony and Nintendo (especially) have the experience in games. And games are what really matter - not the name of the system, not the specifications, and not the look of the console. I hope that whichever system you choose, you enjoy it.

God Bless America.

Don't be bitter....

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 16 / 17
Date: December 05, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I wish people who didn't like Microsoft, or simply preferred the PS2/GC to the XBOX, would just say so and be done with it. I'm getting tired of reading idiotic posts across the net screaming "dudz this xbox thing suks its to big an hevy so I wont by it an nintendo iz soooooo kewl". If you prefer another system, fine. But, please, don't bother trying to bring down a quality product you haven't yet purchased or played with retarded drivel.

And playing the XBOX in a game store doesn't count. Of course it's going to be lame; you're invariably playing on a scratchy 13-inch screen listening to tinny mono sound from a 2-inch speaker. If you see the XBOX hooked up as it should be, i.e. to a large-screen TV (S-Video or HDTV) and quality sound system, you'll be blown away.

I've been playing games since Pong. You name the system, I've played it. (...) I'm very impressed with Munch's Oddysee (...) and although I have to admit I haven't played it quite as much, the graphics in both are sharp and clean. The story in Munch is somewhat dark and melancholy, but, hey, I'm over 18 and can handle it. (...)

All this nonsense about the controllers is exactly that: nonsense. They are the best designed controllers I've ever used. Oh, sure, the angled diamond button layout is not what you're used to, but you'll get over it fast. The L/R triggers, IMHO, are much better located than those on the PS/PS2. I've got small hands as well, and the XBOX controllers fit snugly and comfortably in my palms and I can reach all buttons without difficulty. Plus, the angle your hands are at (your wrists are much straighter) while holding it is much more natural than the PS/PS2 controllers. For those who've ever suffered CTS from excessive keyboard use, you'll understand what I mean. The positioning of the analog joysticks is ideal. Anyone who doesn't like the controllers is either not giving them a fair trial or is terminally biased toward one of the other console platforms.

The whole thing is quality, through and through. The box itself is large and heavy, true. But it's solid and well laid out. The controller ports are easy to access and there are two easy-to-see and access buttons on the front to power up and eject the disk. The machine starts up instantly, games load quickly and the hard drive is an incredible boon for saving games. The days of pondering "So which old save should I delete so I can make a new save" are over with the XBOX. The break-away cable on the controllers is a really nice touch to keep the box from getting yanked around when someone trips over the cable.

Finally, while I love PC games, it's tough to get four of your friends to huddle around a 15-inch computer monitor to play football or a FPS. Console games are all about big-screen entertainment. Frankly, I think the XBOX is the best choice for living-room gaming. It already has some great "party" games (Halo and sporting/racing games) and some quality "solo entertainment" titles. Microsoft, love `em or hate `em, has assembled some powerful developers to continue churning out newer and better games. Since the XBOX uses DirectX to drive games and not a proprietary code (as PS2/GC do) it will be easier for PC programmers to also write games for the XBOX as well. And as far as needing constant PC-style hardware upgrades, I doubt we'll see that for a standardized console platform. Even if we did, I'd be all over it. Fifty bucks for an upgrade to play better games? Sure beats having to buy a new console! Besides, Nintendo did the same thing for the N64 with the memory module. I don't recall a general boycott urged over that....

Anyway, the decision to buy should all come down to "Is it Fun?" Folks, the XBOX is fun! My friends and I have had a blast playing these games. The sights and sounds the XBOX creates are out of this world; sometimes you'll actually stop playing the game just to admire some of the detail in the graphics. I've had none of the imaginary problems that people are clearly making up to try and slag the XBOX (like the Blue Screen Of Death hoax: IT'S NOT RUNNING WINDOWS, PEOPLE! GIVE IT UP!). It's all smooth and polished, easy to set up and get running, and a lot of fun to play. My only gripe would be with the "nickel and dime" approach to accessories (like the advanced AV pack and the DVD kit), but that's just a minor inconvenience. Overall, I'm completely satisfied with my purchase and heartily recommend the XBOX to anyone seeking a high-quality console game platform.

Don't be bitter....

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 11 / 12
Date: December 05, 2001
Author: Amazon User

(...)If you see the XBOX hooked up as it should be, i.e. to a large-screen TV (S-Video or HDTV) and quality sound system, you'll be blown away.

I've been playing games since Pong. You name the system, I've played it. Halo is, without question, one of the best games I've ever seen. The graphics are jaw-dropping. The soundtrack is a perfect fit, and the sound effects are spectacular. The in-game physics are as realistic as you could hope for. I really loved Perfect Dark, but Halo stomps all over it. True, the weapon selection is more limited and there are no bots, but the arenas are much better and the action is much faster, smoother and more intense. Sure, at first I found the controls very awkward. But before I knew it I was running one way while looking the other without even thinking about it. Not the sort of “strafing” action in most games, but actually running left while panning right. I’m also very impressed with Munch’s Oddysee and Madden 2002, and although I have to admit I haven’t played them quite as much, the graphics in both are sharp and clean. The story in Munch is somewhat dark and melancholy, but, hey, I’m over 18 and can handle it. Admittedly, Madden is pretty much equivalent to the other platforms, but it’s still a lot of fun to play and looks and sounds great.

All this nonsense about the controllers is exactly that: nonsense. They are the best designed controllers I’ve ever used. Oh, sure, the angled diamond button layout is not what you’re used to, but you’ll get over it fast. The L/R triggers, IMHO, are much better located than those on the PS/PS2. I’ve got small hands as well, and the XBOX controllers fit snugly and comfortably in my palms and I can reach all buttons without difficulty. Plus, the angle your hands are at (your wrists are much straighter) while holding it is much more natural than the PS/PS2 controllers. For those who’ve ever suffered CTS from excessive keyboard use, you’ll understand what I mean. The positioning of the analog joysticks is ideal. Anyone who doesn’t like the controllers is either not giving them a fair trial or is terminally biased toward one of the other console platforms.

The whole thing is quality, through and through. The box itself is large and heavy, true. But it’s solid and well laid out. The controller ports are easy to access and there are two easy-to-see and access buttons on the front to power up and eject the disk. The machine starts up instantly, games load quickly and the hard drive is an incredible boon for saving games. The days of pondering “So which old save should I delete so I can make a new save” are over with the XBOX. The break-away cable on the controllers is a really nice touch to keep the box from getting yanked around when someone trips over the cable.

Finally, while I love PC games, it’s tough to get four of your friends to huddle around a 15-inch computer monitor to play football or a FPS. Console games are all about big-screen entertainment. Frankly, I think the XBOX is the best choice for living-room gaming. It already has some great “party” games (Halo and sporting/racing games) and some quality “solo entertainment” titles. Microsoft, love ‘em or hate ‘em, has assembled some powerful developers to continue churning out newer and better games. Since the XBOX uses DirectX to drive games and not a proprietary code (as PS2/GC do) it will be easier for PC programmers to also write games for the XBOX as well. And as far as needing constant PC-style hardware upgrades, I doubt we’ll see that for a standardized console platform. Even if we did, I’d be all over it. (dollar amount) bucks for an upgrade to play better games? Sure beats having to buy a new console! Besides, Nintendo did the same thing for the N64 with the memory module. I don’t recall a general boycott urged over that….

Anyway, the decision to buy should all come down to “Is it Fun?” Folks, the XBOX is fun! My friends and I have had a blast playing these games. The sights and sounds the XBOX creates are out of this world; sometimes you’ll actually stop playing the game just to admire some of the detail in the graphics. I’ve had none of the imaginary problems that people are clearly making up to try and slag the XBOX (like the Blue Screen Of Death hoax: IT’S NOT RUNNING WINDOWS, PEOPLE! GIVE IT UP!). It’s all smooth and polished, easy to set up and get running, and a lot of fun to play. My only gripe would be with the “nickel and dime” approach to accessories (like the advanced AV pack and the DVD kit), but that’s just a minor inconvenience. Overall, I’m completely satisfied with my purchase and heartily recommend the XBOX to anyone seeking a high-quality console game platform.

X-Box: PC or Console?

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 22 / 34
Date: November 18, 2001
Author: Amazon User

To start, I'd like to say that the X-Box has great hardware and great potential to be a dominant force in the gaming market. Personally, I would prefer a GameCube for two reasons: 1. Nintendo and its 2nd party developers create some of the best games possible for consoles and 2. The X-Box controller has a very cheap feel to it, and puts your hands in an awkward position. I have large hands, but even then my fingers were strained after five minutes of using the controller. The GameCube's controller is very comfortable, although a little small for my liking, and could be considered more comfortable than the N64 controller because of its better button placement. All these given, there is one fact that people seem to be overlooking in this war of consoles. To many, what I am about to theorize may seem a little off the wall at first, but if you look into it, this may be what will happen.

First, is the X-Box more like a standard console or a PC? Definitely a PC. The standard life of a successful console is four to five years. The PS1 was released in 95 and is still going strong. The N64 was released in 96, and remained a power for about four and a half years. The Dreamcast, unfortunately, is pretty much deceased after two years due to harsh competition from the PS2. The standard life for a PC is approximately 2 years, as you have to upgrade your hardware to keep up with newer software. This is where the X-Box comes in. It's more like a PC because it has a hard drive, processor unit, graphics card, sound card, and network card. Due to of this property, the X-Box will, in about a year and a half, seem to be out of date. This is where our old buddies at Microsoft come in. They, like everyone else (including developers), will want to create better looking, better sounding, higher performance games, but like a PC, will be limited by the machine's abilities after a while. Thus, a word used in the computer industry will be applied to the X-Box: upgrades. Now, this is not necessarily a bad thing, as the X-Box would be able to have greater capabilities. However, the strategists at Microsoft are very shrewd and know how to make money. This will be the situation: A new generation of games will come out that will require the machine to be upgraded, be it hardware (esp. the hard drive - what happens when it runs out of space?) or software (esp. the operating system), in order to play the new games. So, owners of the X-Box, in order to play new games, will be forced to upgrade their existing consoles (or purchase an entirely new one). This causes the X-Box to become a money trap: "Upgrade, or you'll never be able to play these new games because they require the new OS, a bigger hard drive, a faster video card, etc." Microsoft knows what they are doing here, and consumers should make a calculating decision on whether to buy one or not, because this is what I think will happen two years down the road.

Tested at E3

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 16 / 22
Date: September 06, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I tested this system out earlier this year trying a number of different games on it.

Every game had beautiful rendering every moment, clearly outpacing efforts by the Playstation 2. The controller is easy to handle, and designed to prevent larger hands from cramping. The button layout most closely resembles the superior Dreamcast Controller, avoiding all of the pitfalls found in the cramp champ Playstation Controller.

Top games include: OddWorld- Munch's Oddysee- this makes any Nintendo Adventure game(Banjo, Conker, Mario) look like amateur hour; Project Gotham Racing- Beatiful racing game with incredibly realistic textures, and handling; Mad Dash Racing- a kids racing game that Grown Ups can love; Cel Damage- a car fighting game with cartoon styling, a blast to play or watch; Halo- an Incredibly Sharp First Person Shooter that allows team play and includes incredible vehicles and intense fire fights; NFL Fever- so detailed, even the shoe laces on the pigskin have true dimension; Simpson's Road Rage- while unfinished, this demo outpaced the PS2 version in a side by side comparison.

I tried many more games, all of which were fantastic, fun, and amazing to watch and play.

HIGH POWERED CONSOLE...............

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 19 / 31
Date: October 22, 2001
Author: Amazon User

With Xbox, Microsoft has made the impossible, and as big
a company as it is, Xbox will make them even bigger. Not that I'm saying thats bad, but what I'm saying is xbox is going to be a big hit! I mean it has a DVD player, bandwith so you can play people on the internet, and of course who can forget it has games on it! I mean what other games out there has all of that power and the speed on it, which makes it even more exciting and the stuff I listed off, arent the end of it. You got the games! Now some people think that the games they have out right now for Xbox, arent good and that there games are bad and all of this other stuff, but that isn't true! Xbox will come out with more and cooler games! So if you are looking for the speed and power in the Xbox. GET IT!!!!!!!!

Xbox is the first REAL next generation peice of Hardware

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 12
Date: October 20, 2001
Author: Amazon User

The games featured in this set are launch titles for the Xbox gaming platform, yet they set a new bar in both graphics technology, and gameplay experience. Microsoft's Xbox will pave the way for a new generation of videogames, with exciting titles like Metal Gear Solid X, Dead or Alive 3, Halo, Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2X, WWF Smack Down, Sega games galore, EA sports games, and much, much more! Additionally, Xbox will be the only console for quite some time to be broad band enabled out of the box, a built in hard drive for more expansive worlds and less loading times than any other console (including Playstation 2, and Gamecube)... not to mention - it smokes all the other game consoles in terms of raw graphics power. Another interesting thing to think about... unless you want to take your saved games to a friends house, you'll NEVER need to spend a dime for a memory card. How many memory cards does the average Playstation user have? Probably around 3 or 4. ...you could easily get a whole entire game for that on Xbox, since you've got a hard drive on the Xbox, so saved games don't require a memory card.

All in all, this is the system to end all others. Buy it. It's that good.

The best all around gaming system.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: December 07, 2001
Author: Amazon User

When deciding on which box to choose, hands down you cannot compete with the Xbox. On a purely technical basis, it is the most powerful system with the most RAM out of its competitors. It has a hard drive, which means that you don't have to spend extra money to purchase memory cards, unless you want to transport your saved games, and it has the fastest load times of any of its competitors. The harddrive also allows you to copy audio cds to your Xbox to be set as the background music for your games. Also, I think an interesting fact that should be pointed out is that the Game cube uses a proprietary DVD format that only allows for about 1.5GB of information on its DVD's, compare that to the 4.3gbs on both Xbox and Playstation and you will tend to miss out on multimedia features such as video and music. If that isn't enough, games like Halo and NFL fever 2002 are amazing, both graphically and as far as continued playability. I have played both the playstation 2 and the Xbox and I can tell you that the Xbox is definitely the way to go.

The XBOX

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: December 08, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Controller: Too large, but comfortable, button placement is a little odd but is quick to adapt to. Feels like your holding a football in your hands compared to the PS2 controller.

Graphics: Excellent, but there is potential for better quality as game designers become for familiar with full XBOX capabilities. I've played Oddworld and Tony Hawk so far, and graphics are excellent in both. Quality and speed appears better than PS2.

Sound: Excellent. No complaints.

Interface: The menuing system is very slick, but I noticed I had to reset the date/time each time I unplugged the XBOX...

Footprint: The XBOX is bigger than PS2 by several inches on every side, so be prepared to make more room for it in your entertainment center.

DVD: Seperate DVD module required? This is a big problem compared to the PS2's inherent DVD capabilities. XBOX loses a star for this alone; especially since they neglected to provide enough DVD modules during the first release... XBOX would have been a "true" entertainment console had they included this feature "out of the box".

INTERNET: There is a ethernet port (for network play, DSL, or Cable Modem) integrated with XBOX. Although I haven't used it yet, this is an excellent feature to include with the system; making it truly "Internet Ready". Now we wait for the games...

OVERALL: XBOX is the best game machine out there. I've not seen the Game Cube, but the features just aren't there for it to compare to XBOX. Happy gaming...

A REAL REVIEW

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 11 / 20
Date: September 22, 2001
Author: Amazon User

How about a real review of the Xbox, instead of just people giving non-informative comments? I for one, have already pre-ordered the Xbox, and a anxiously await its arrival. I chose the Xbox over the GameCube, and PS2 because of its POTENTIAL for success that neither the GameCube or PS2 can ever achieve. The specs alone told me that Microsoft intends to not just share the videogame system market with Nintendo and Sony, but to dominate it. Granted, not every game produced for the Xbox will not be an instant classic, but I expect that a majority of them will.

As for the bundle packs that you must purchase, I would prefer to buy the unit as is, and let myself choose which games I wanted. I know that I will spend many hours on Project Gotham Racing, OddWorld, and Tony Hawk 2X, but I would not necessarily choose to purchase these games if I had the option. Oh well, that is the sacrifice you must make if you want the Xbox when it is first released.

Games that I expect to be immediate hits are Halo, Dead and Alive 3, WWF, and Morrowland. One game niche that I am worried a little about is the numerous amount of football titles that are coming out. I went ahead and pre-ordered NFL Fever 2002, because it will be something fresh. However, I do not know how it will do compared to Madden 2002 and ESPN NFL Prime Time.

I don't want this review to be too long, but I will be sure to give another one when I have been able to actually experience the Xbox firsthand.

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