Gaming Systems

There are three major gaming systems available: the Nintendo GameCube, the Sony PlayStation 2, and the Microsoft Xbox. Many gamers opt to buy more than one (or even all three), but not everyone can afford the hundreds of dollars that would cost. Therefore, making the decision on which one to buy becomes paramount.First, consider the games. Most games released by third-party publishers are available on all platforms. There are games, however, that are only available for one system. Nintendo offers their stable of characters and games, including Super Mario Brothers, Metroid, and Legend of Zelda. The PlayStation 2 has Disney's Kingdom Hearts series, and the Xbox has Halo. Both PlayStation 2 and Xbox offer titles in the Grand Theft Auto series, but the GameCube does not. The GameCube is, generally, better for kids and teens, and the Xbox and PlayStation 2 are better for older teens and adults.Now, onto the gaming systems themselves. Each has strengths and weaknesses. The Xbox offers the best graphics and performance. The PlayStation has the most games, and the GameCube is the most compact and probably the most portable. The Xbox is the bulkiest, but the performance and internal hard drive make up for this. Neither the PlayStation 2 or the GameCube have a hard drive, so the gamer must purchase memory cards. The GameCube is the only one of these gaming systems that cannot play DVD movies.