Which was actually the better system: Xbox vs Gamecube

[Veknoid_Outcast]

Oh man, it’s really close.

Both systems had a lot of the big multi platform games of the day, although they performed better on Xbox. Also, Xbox got a handful of important titles missing on GCN, namely MGS 2/3 and Grand Theft Auto III/VC/SA. So that’s advantage Xbox.

But I think exclusives — both first-party and third-party — are more impactful for this debate. Let’s start at the beginning. In terms of launch lineup, I think Xbox wins. Halo: Combat Evolved is, in my mind, the best console game of the entire 6th gen. And Dead or Alive 3 is excellent. GCN had a really solid launch thanks to Luigi’s Mansion and Super Monkey Ball, but I feel that Rogue Squadron II and Wave Race: Blue Storm are inferior to their 5th gen counterparts. And that’s sort of a running theme for GCN. A bunch of IPs failed to reach the heights achieved on N64: 1080 Snowboarding, Mario Tennis, Star Fox, and, most significantly, Super Mario. To be fair, though, some IPs maintained their greatness or even improved: Zelda, Paper Mario, Mario Kart, Mario Party, Mario Golf, F-Zero, and so on. Then there’s Smash Bros., which represents an enormous leap in quality over its predecessor. And we can’t forget about Metroid, which didn’t appear on N64 at all but which thrived on GCN. And Pikmin. And Baten Kaitos. And weird, quirky stuff like Jungle Beat, Chibi-Robo, and Odama.

The first-party output on Xbox simply wasn’t as good. Apart from Halo and Dead or Alive 3, you had Oddworld, PGR, RalliSport Challenge, Crimson Skies, Forza, Fable, etc. — all good or great games that pale in comparison to the top homegrown games on GCN. Halo 2, conversely, is right up there with GCN’s best.

Where Xbox made the biggest splash is with third-party exclusives and PC conversions: Ninja Gaiden, Psychonauts, Escape from Butcher Bay, Panzer Dragoon Orta, Far Cry Instincts, Doom 3, Half-Life 2, Morrowind, KOTOR, Jade Empire, etc.

GCN was no slouch though, in terms of third-party exclusives. Three amazing Resident Evil games, include RE4, one of the best games of all time. Viewtiful Joe. Super Monkey Ball 1&2. Tales of Symphonia.

Honestly, I’m right back where I started. These are incredibly well-matched rivals.

I decided to go to my top 50 list from last year to break the tie. I have more Xbox games than GCN games on the list, so I guess that settles it. For now…