Xbox owners help me out--$400 to spend, Xbox plus ???? (1 Viewer)

[Kevin Reckelhoff]

Ok, the wife and I have "agreed" to $400 for an xbox. The good news is that I have a $50 gift certificate, which gets me the console for $150. Other necessities are HiDef AV pack ($20), optical cable ($30), and second controller ($40). Are there any significant differences between controllers?
Ok, that leaves ~$160 for games, so basically 3.
What should I start with? These first games will likely have to last me through the summer, as the remainder of our disposable cash is going towards a vacation.
I currently have a game cube, with the following titles: Rogue Leader, Resident Evil, Super Smash Bros, Luigi's Mansion, Super Monkey Ball, WaveRace, Gauntlet, and Extreme G something or other. That should give some idea of my interests, although I haven't really played consoles since the SNES days so I'm not sure what I'm missing.
My first take on Xbox games would be Halo and some of the Star Wars games, but I'm willing to be persuaded otherwise...
Opinions greatly appreciated!

 

[James Zos]

Having owned both, I vote for the Xbox controller S rather than the original controler, mainly because the triggers on the new controller are a lot less resistant than the old one, which makes playing Halo a lot easier after several hours straight ...
As for games, that comes down to individual likes and dislikes. I love the UFC fighting game and have invested more time in it than any other game, but no one else around here mentions it much.
If you want advice, you might think about explaining what you are looking for in a game ...

By the way--no way an optical cable should cost you $30. That is a total rip off.

 

[Gary King]

Pass on the Star Wars games (Jedi Starfighter, Starfighter SE, and Obi-Wan) -- they aren't that good (the Starfighter series is decent, but Rogue Leader on the Cube is similar enough to make them redundant).

In addition to Halo, I'd definitely recommend Jet Set Radio Future. Hunter: The Reckoning is also getting a lot of rave reviews. I just picked a copy up this afternoon, but haven't played it yet. Amped, Project Gotham, Munch's Oddyssee, and Rallisport Challenge are all worthy of a look, too (and, to a lesser degree, Dead or Alive 3).

As far as controllers -- buy Microsoft. I've been disappointed with all the 3rd party controllers (Xbox, Playstation, and PS2) that I've tried. Decide if you want an additional standard Xbox controller or the smaller S-Controller, though.

 

[Evan S]

I would second Munch's Odyssey...but if I were you I would wait until they release Morrowind if you like RPG's. That one looks massive and should be out soon.

Halo is a must buy, so that leaves you with 2 or 3 more games depending how cheap you can get the accessories (KBToys was having a 50% off sale on accessories recently so you may be able to convince them to still accept the terms of that deal).

I would stick with Halo and probably either Munch's Odyssey or Rallisport Challenge and wait for the next wave of games this summer and fall.

 

[Dan B]

My top 3 favorites to date, in order:

1) Halo
2) Project Gotham Racing
3) Jet Set Radio Future

These three games are all high quality, fun, and will last you a long time. (I've played Project Gotham Racing & Halo for more than 50 hours & just a bit less on Jet Set Radio Future...& I still play them)


-Dan

 

[Travis Olson]

I just got my X-Box last week so I haven't played too many games yet. But, stay away from Star Wars: Obi-Wan and Jedi Starfighter, they suck. Well, Starfighter isn't too bad, but Obi-Wan is awful. I can't recommend Halo enough though, it rocks. The other title I have played so far is Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions, it's ok but it is too damn hard, rent it first.

 

[Calvin Watts III]

Hey...I like Jedi Starfighter, though it is a bit short. If you haven't played the original,with the price recently having gone down,then I'd say pick it up. I'd probably stay away from Obi-Wan,though,especially at full retail price.
I'd also say Halo is a must. Every XBox owner should have one,period.
So,if you get a SW title & Halo,then that leaves you with one left. For a fighting game you have DOA3, if you like sports,there is NFL Fever,the Sega 2K2 games,& Madden. I'd also think about some of the other games the others have recommended,like JSRF & Munch.
I'm currently playing Spiderman. If you like action/adventure games,that is a good one. The only games I'd stay away from at all costs are New Legends & Kabuki Warriors(at any price).
Controllers,stick with the offical MS brand.
Also,any standard optical cable will work fine - you don't need the Microsoft one,so you should save some money on that. Let us know what you get, & then how much fun you have!
Calvin

 

[Chris Bardon]

My vote's in for the standard controller-the "S" one is just too tiny and awckward.

Obi wan isn't as bad as people make it out to be. Sure, it could have been better, but from what I've played of Jedi Outcast the lightsaber control is MUCH better in Obi Wan (and the force powers are fun). Still, worth at least a rent, but perhaps not a buy.

Munch is a solid game though. A good 20 hours of gameplay in there, and you'll probably go through more than once just to get the different endings. Already been through once with the "good" ending, and now in the process of going for the "kill as many mudokons as possible" ending.

 

[Robert Ma]

The S controller is a must in my book. Then again, my hands are smaller so I couldn't wait for it.

I agree with Chris, Obi-Wan wasn't that bad. Yes, it could have been much better but I still enjoyed it.

Halo is as addictive as CRACK!

And I give a big thumbs up to Madden 2002 if you dont have it on another platform.

 

[Rob Lutter]

I have to put a vote in for the standard XBOX controller. The 'S' controller just felt cheap and small to me... and didn't fit my hands very well, and I HATED the button placement (of the start/select and black/white buttons).
Plus, the standard controllers are 50% off at KBtoys (well... at least when I bought 3 of them)

 

[Jake Gove]

I liked Obi-Wan (I own it) as well. The graphics weren't the best, but it was SO DAMN FUN controlling the lightsaber with the right thumbstick and using the force powers (favorite was shoving battledroids into walls with force push). Definitely worth a rental, since you like Star Wars already.

For purchases, Halo is a given. I hear Hunter is awesome, I will be getting it this week. I also enjoy Tony Hawk 3 quite a bit (first TH game I ever played).

Other games I have:

SSX Tricky - worth a purchase

Bloodwake - didn't like it - anyone want to trade/buy it?

Silent Hill 2 - bought it, played a little bit, went back to Halo. Now that I've beat Halo and played a lot of multiplayer, went back to SH2. Appreciate it more now than I did when I first got it.

Genma Onimusha - a lot of fun, but I have two gripes: you can't use the joystick to control it, you have to use the pad; the fact that it has stupid "save points". It's the XBOX, it has a harddrive, use it!! Save anywhere should be a standard feature on all XBOX games, even ports from other consoles.

Games I rented and didn't like:

Rallisport Challenge - just found it boring
Madden 2002
Wreckless - mainly because no free roam mode, everything is timed.

 

[DavidAM]

I don't know if you're an ebayer or not, but I'd buy my games from ebay. Most games go for around $30-$35 on there so you'll get a couple of more games for the same amount of $$$$.

 

[Kevin Reckelhoff]

Thanks for the suggestions--I ended up with Halo, Jedi Starfighter, and Silent Hill 2. So far I've spent most of my time on Jedi Starfighter. It reminds me a lot of the Xwing and Tie Fighter games, which I loved. Plus the 2-player coop mode is great
Halo looks and sounds great, but I haven't gotten into the gameplay yet.
My wife really enjoyed Resident Evil, so Silent Hill is for her until I finish the other games.

 

[Dave E H]

I played PGR for the first time this weekend and really liked it (looking for one if anyone has a copy they will part with - can trade a new Oddworld!) If you like driving games, it's pretty fun. More on the 'sim' side of driving games (as opposed to the arcade like Crazy Taxi type game) but it's pretty sweet.