Santa needs advice: PS2 or something else, and 4 player games

[JoeBlank]

My sons, ages 7, 5 and 3, are going to get a new gaming console for Christmas. I'm not a big video game player, so I need a little advice.

By far, the leading choice is the PS2. We have a PSone, which the whole family enjoys, but we are not typical console players. We get the most play out of Crash Team Racing (a big favorite) and the kids enjoy the Spyro games. Other games are hit or miss, with nothing becoming a must-play game. So we lean towards the PS2 for familiarity, the wide range of games available, and the compatability of our existing games.

Other consoles may have nicer graphics and a few exclusive high-end games, but we are not into those anyway. My oldest son is barely at the age where he is aware that other kids have different systems, and so they have some games he does not. Maybe our next system, a few years from now, will have to take this sort of thing into account, but not at this point.

So, first question: Do you agree that we should go with the PS2? If not, what do you suggest?

The next question is more specific. We like to play 2-player competitive games, especially racing games. The wife and I have been doing this for almost 15 years, starting with Mario Carts. We like the unrealistic racing games, where you get silly power-ups and shoot things at other racers, rather than realistic games where you drive real cars. The boys like these games too, and the oldest regularly beats us at them.

I know some systems come equiped for 4-player games, and the PS2 requires some add-on. It might be fun to sometimes be able to play 3 or 4 players, and we may even try some RPG-type games doing this. Are there any decent 4-player games for the PS2? Is it worth it to get whatever you need to be able to play more than 2 players? Or does this change your answer to the first question and make you suggest a different game system entirely?

Santa thanks you for your help, and so do I.

 

[drothgery]

So, first question: Do you agree that we should go with the PS2? If not, what do you suggest?

You've got three young kids, and like the idea of four-player games. You love Mario Cart. If you're picking up a console late in its lifetime, you're doing so for the lower cost. That seems to shout "Get a GameCube" to me.

You'll probably end up buying another console by 2007, with the next generation launching over the next year (the Xbox 360 launches next week; Sony and Nintendo should launch their systems in the US next fall), so I wouldn't want to invest too much in this one. Nintendo's got the cheapest console, four controller ports, a somewhat accurate kid-friendly reputation, and franchises that have a done well for multi-player.

 

[mojo1701]

The next question is more specific. We like to play 2-player competitive games, especially racing games. The wife and I have been doing this for almost 15 years, starting with Mario Carts. We like the unrealistic racing games, where you get silly power-ups and shoot things at other racers, rather than realistic games where you drive real cars. The boys like these games too, and the oldest regularly beats us at them.

I know some systems come equiped for 4-player games, and the PS2 requires some add-on. It might be fun to sometimes be able to play 3 or 4 players, and we may even try some RPG-type games doing this. Are there any decent 4-player games for the PS2? Is it worth it to get whatever you need to be able to play more than 2 players? Or does this change your answer to the first question and make you suggest a different game system entirely?

Santa thanks you for your help, and so do I.

For that question, I think that the GameCube answers it the best. Not all PS2 games are very well done in terms of four player multiplayer, and the X-Box games are more mature party games, as opposed to fun ones . And for more than two players for PS2, you just need what's called a multitap and two extra controllers.

 

[JoeBlank]

Good points, drothgery. I am considering the Gamecube, but I'm not sure all of your reasons apply.

1. Mario Cart: This was the first racing game we got into, but we have since found that all of the "cartoon" racing games follow the same format of 8+ cartoon racers to choose from, several laps around a series of funky courses, and regular "power-ups" that let you shoot other racers, go faster, etc. I think there will be a similar game in virtually any system. Currently we are happy with Crash Team Racing.

2. Price: I don't think the price differences I am seeing are much of a factor. With kids, we will get more than our money's worth out of whatever system we buy. I'm more concerned with the price of the games, rather than the console. And one advantage PS2 has is the number of games available. I have no problem with buying from used game stores, and my 3 year old does not care if his Bob the Builder game is pre-owned.

3. Console Lifetime: one thing I really like about playstation is the backwards compatability. Will this be true of the PS3?

 

[JoeBlank]

Another vote for Gamecube from Mojo! Hmm, I really need to check that out.

That brings up another point, our PSone is on the fritz. Most of the time, games will not load on the first try. If you keep turning it off and on, and cleaning the game on your shirt, it will eventually work. So part of the reasoning behind the PS2 idea was to be able to keep playing our PSone games after that machine dies on us. Not a huge factor, as I could probably just pick up another PSone eventually, if we decide to go with Gamecube or some other console.

 

[dpmcalister]

I've just "upgraded" from my PSOne and went with a PS2. The backwards compatability (sp?) was a massive boon as is the pre-owned game market at my local GAME store. My wife and I regularly play multi-player games (but not 4-player games unfortunately - for that you will need to buy a multi-tap and additional controllers (the PS2 only comes with one controller anyway!)

 

[mojo1701]

And from what I've seen, there's been some longevity issues with the PS2. A friend of mine has his, and has to regularly clean it and re-adjust the laser, etc.

Also, with the Cube, loading times (if at all) are very short compared to the other games.

 

[JoeBlank]

Longevity concerns are certainly a concern to me. We let the 3 year old play games, as much as he can, and I don't want to worry about a fragile little box.

The Cube looks pretty sturdy though.

Just check Consumer Reports and I can't see where they have ever done a full analysis of the various game systems. Anybody know a good sight with some pro and con breakdowns?

 

[drothgery]

3. Console Lifetime: one thing I really like about playstation is the backwards compatability. Will this be true of the PS3?

Sony hasn't made any formal announcements of PS3 backward compatibility. The best guess is that it will be compatible with the PS2 via software emulation (similar to how the Xbox 360 is backward compatible with the Xbox); Microsoft's covering 200 or so games at launch that way, with the intent to get everything sooner or later. But it probably won't be backward compatible with the PS1.

 

[Zulithe]

I'd say definitely either PS2 or Gamecube. Both are relatively cheap right now, with Gamecube being the cheaper. Gamecube also has more games that would appeal to your young children, but PS2 is no slouch in that area either, as you've already discovered with the Spyro and Crash lines. PS2 has the largest library of games, but I'd say Gamecube comes out on top when it comes to games that appeal to famalies who want to sit around the console together.

Gamecube easily wins if you want 3 or 4 player games. The Gamecube versions of Mario Kart and Smash Brothers sound PERFECT for your situation.

As long as you don't mind that both of the above systems may be obsolete in a year or 18 months, they are great values and should last long enough for the NEXT systems to drop in price a bit.