Introduction

Foundation

I'm a gamer that likes games regardless of platform. I don't care if the platform is the Atari 2600 or the brand new Xbox, I'm a gamer who cares less about hardware than I do about the actual games. Even the fastest and most powerful console can have bad games, and even the most humble computer can host some fantastic and fun to play titles. Tetris is a fun game to play, but so is the original Sonic the Hedgehog and Legend of Zelda. Every platform will have duds, and every one has the potential for breakout titles.

I decided to do some serious hands-on research of the big 3 and the one that's being left behind, the Sega Dreamcast, so that I could get a handle on what is going on and which one deserves some of that hard-earned cash. I did not focus on the hype and the bells and whistles, all I cared about was how the games played and how the consoles handled during extended sessions. I did consider value to some extent, but given that the Dreamcast is being dumped at underwater pricing, its not really fair to pay much attention to that in the end result. So, I'll focus on what plays well and what doesn't, and I'll let you know where I ended up after all was said and done.

I have a Sega Dreamcast at home. Bud of mine brought over his new Xbox this last week, as did a guy I know from a retail store that has a GameCube. Another bud brought over his PS2 and we hammered on all of the hardware until our brains were numb, and I'll cover console by console what the end results were and give you some frank opinions before summing it all up.