"OK" video game console, but may want to consider alternatives...
I bought my XBOX as my first video game console (our family has had consoles, but this was the first console to be purchased by myself). I think I purchased my XBOX at least partly due to the fun experiences I had already had with XBOX, but also because there were games that I wanted to play that I had not been able to play until that point. I think for the first few years I had this console, which was back when I was much more into video gaming, I really enjoyed this console overall - the graphics, controller, and hard drive all seemed to be big positives. In more recent times though, there just don't really seem to be any XBOX games I've come across that are really memorable to me - I actually only have a few XBOX games now (I think the most I ever had was like 13-15 games, perhaps not a lot to most gamers, but considerably more than what I have now), but even those few games I have don't really impress me all that much anymore, perhaps the best one being Rallisport Challenge 2, an awesome racing game. In comparison, I think the Nintendo 64 and Nintendo Gamecube, together, have more games that I still enjoy playing and find more memorable. So, overall, I would rate the XBOX's game selection as "average." I have now experienced XBOX, PS2 Slim, and GameCube as of this year (I own a PS2 Slim as well, and my family has a GameCube), and I think all three consoles have their strengths and weaknesses, but I think the XBOX, despite it's power and cool looks, would have to be my least favorite of the three consoles; it lacks the amount of standard features seen with the PS2 Slim, like DVD playback (requires a separate package); it's much bigger and heavier than the GameCube and PS2 Slim; and it is the noisiest of the three consoles (not super noisy, but noticeable). The XBOX has it's positives though - it can pump-out some amazing graphics, as seen in games like Project Gotham Racing 2 and Forza Motorsport; it has four standard controller ports verses the PS2 Slim's two standard controller ports; you don't need to purchase memory cards since it has an internal hard drive (unless you run out of hard drive space and want to save more data); it is reliable, seeing it hasn't really changed since I got it in (I think) early 2006, or somewhere around that time - worst thing I think I can recall so far is the drive door recently started to stick, but using a q-tip and rubbing alcohol on the drive pulley seemed to fix that issue (the sticking issue only seems to appear every so often now, though if it does stick, I think generally within a few attempts the drive door will open just fine); and I think, compared to the PS2 Slim and GameCube, it has the best controller design (referring to the "S" controller), as it has a good amount of weight (feels well-made), and is very comfortable to hold and use. Overall, in my opinion, the XBOX is an "OK" console, but I think of the three consoles I have mentioned in this review, my pick would be the GameCube, as, in my opinion, it has graphics pretty similar to the XBOX, but it also has plenty of good games, runs quieter, and is much smaller and lighter. God bless!Read full review
