Remembering a generation

[Kubrick]

Love it, or hate it, the PlayStation2? was/is the best console this generation as far as I'm concerned. It's got the shooters, the fighters, the AAA driving games, the retro stuff...everything basically.

Yeah but the majority of releases will be completely shocking on PS2

In what way? And which games?

Specs are for people with bad eyesight

[JazzFunk]

I don't think this generation needs to be over. If it does have to be over, I will probably remember it for one (main) thing: The sheer volume of high-quality software pumped out by Capcom. Stuff like Resi 4, Viewtiful Joe, Devil May Cry, Gregory Horror Show and Killer7 is beyond sublime.

[John Beaulieu]

I think all 3 consoles this gen had their highlights (and low points) - put it one way, there is no console that I could say I would have been happy enough to discard, because all 3 had their moments of sheer greatness - from the moment you first controlled Zelda in a cartoon universe, to that first time you trashtalked somebody whilst overtaking them at 150mph in Motogp, or that first time you planned an assault in Ghost Recon via voice ops and carried out the plan perfectly, to the hours and hours you put into Winning Eleven 5, or Virtua Fighter 4, or GT 3. The first time you ventured into Liberty City, the first time you were bedazzled by the pyrotechnics in Panzer Dragoon Orta, shooting that first villager in RE4, hiding in the shadows that first time in Splinter Cell ....

This generation should be remembered by a series of special moments for every single gamer, we've all experienced them, on every console this gen.

[JazzFunk]

I think I must add one thing - the main beach/hotel/marina section in Vice City as it turns from day to dusk to night to dawn to day again. A very fondly remembered memory of this generation and true escapism (I need it - I live in Leeds!)

[Prof Frink]

This generation should be remembered by a series of special moments for every single gamer, we've all experienced them, on every console this gen.

That pretty much sums up my fellings of this gen nicely all three machines have given me great experiences and have all been worthy purchases. Highlights for me include meeting the your first colossus, exploring the halo for the first time, arriving on Tallon IV, finishing KOTOR for the first time and learning to master DMC3. Capcom have been the developer of the gen for me they even made better stuff on the GC than Nintendo. I still feel this gens got plenty left with Outrun 2006 on the Xbox, Twlight Princess on the GC and numerous RPGs and Shmups for the PS2 in particular for me Kingdom Hearts II, Valkyrie Profile Slimeria, Okami and hopefully a PS2 port of Espgaluda 2.

[MikeRox]

must say, it's been a gen where there wasn't a single duff home console. Dreamcast mid 2000 - mid 2001 release schedule definately being my highlight. To be honest, the releases have been so good and consistant across the board tho that I really don't think we've ever had it any better. ^_^

[Big Seany]

Apart from Xbox, which I have never played or owned (and probably never will), and the PSP/Ds (again, not tried those yet) all the other consoles this gen, GBA included, have been absolutely mint.

Game of this gen for me is Resident Evil 4. never thought I would like it either, not usually my cup of tea, but it has just knocked me dead. Awesome.

Only got it last week, but Katamari Damacy runs it a close second. I had already fallen in love with it before the crazy lounge jazz singer on the stage where you pick up the bird eggs started singing. After that, I decided that one day I was going to marry the developer of this truly spellbinding game.

Don't even get me started on the DC. You knows I loves the DC. Power Stone mmm mmm.

[feelgoodwhale]

having only owned a gamecube for the last 4 years, it's certainly been an interesting experience

i've played some of the most amazing games: metroid prime, smash bros melee, REmake, donkey kong jungle beat, f-zero, and animal crossing being the best

and still yet to play RE4 and zelda: twilight princess!!

then again.... a lot of games have just been downright disappointing, the biggest of which is Wind Waker for being utterly unoriginal and clearly unfinished

im not too keen on jumping into next-gen just yet, as there are about another 10 games im still looking to play on my cube

for now though, im grabbing a japanese cube and seeing what little jap oddities i can pick up (homeland and giftpia here i come!)

[eastyy]

Well with the ps2/cube/xbox generation there is one thing i remember very clearly

Felt like the ps2 had at least 2 or 3 good-great system exclusive games released per month with the xbox and cube it just seem to be a huge delay between good games.

Its all noticable when you look at how many games i have for the ps2/cube/and xbox

[charlesr]

As usual, I join the party late. When the DC came out, I took advantage and got a cheap N64 and a vast raft of games (and then sold the lot and replaced with ntsc versions... ooops.)

So to try and drag myself away from a 1080 addiction, I started the gen with a switched GC from liksang, as soon as the switch was available, for quite a lot of money. It was worth it though, as clearly here was a machine that was what I needed. Compact, fast loading and with exclusive Nintendo stuff, and an interesting controller. Releases were slow, but good quality. Standout moments were P.N.03, monkey ball, Burnout1 and the road tracks in R:Racing Evolution with the ?15 force wheel! (getting into the top 3 in the world was pretty satisfying)

Then I got a DC in argos brand new for ?50 with a bunch of games and got DC-X from gamestation. Suddenly, I could catch up on everything I had missed out on in the arcade side of things. Trad shooters, F355, Jet set radio. Brilliant. I really like my shooters and the DC has seen more action than my other consoles probably. Used to take it to work and fire up the vga cable for lunchtime Virtuatennis. Good stuff. Standout moment for me was Psyvariar2. Terrifyingly addictive. With Under Defeat and Radilgy on their way soon, this console is going to get just as much playtime on new games this year as any of the others.

Then the xbox plummeted in price around the time of Burnout3, so it was time to sort myself out with one, so I could try xbox Live. My weekends turned into 4am marathons on Rallisport Challenge2. Superb. And Forza online was just so friendly and good fun. Halo2 was awesome against all you guys, but ****e against random people. There was always someone singing or swearing. Incredible, but all the wrong reasons. Other games that caught me were, single player PGR2, MotoGP and PDOrta. Weird that the Xbox was such a good machine for racing games and yet didn't have a force wheel.

So, just before Christmas, I got a 2nd hand PS2 and am now racking through its huge back catalogue. ICO, Katamari, Siren (on it's way!), Call of Duty2 big red one (very good), eyetoy, god of war, Psyvariar, Time Crisis, DDR - the variety is immense. With Shadow of the colossus, siren2 and the devil may cry games yet to try, there's still a lot of life left in it before I have time to think about the next gen.

But when I do move on, I'm getting a Revolution first. The promise of playing GC games and old Nintendo back catalogue without having to have all the old consoles hanging around (or having to use my PC) is as big a draw as the new controller.
I really hope the backwards compatability of the xbox360 improves since it would be nice to get rid of the old brick, when upgrading. Same for the PS3 - fingers crossed it supports my old PS1 and PS2 games properly.

The earliest I'll move on to the next gen will be when the Rev comes out, or when the 360 price plummets on the PS3 release.

[Wools]

This generation should be remembered by a series of special moments for every single gamer, we've all experienced them, on every console this gen.

So true

For me Halo signified this generation and is probally my most played game in my collection.

[Commander Marklar]

I loving the, erm, love for the PS2. Such an amazing catalogue of games. Only just really getting into them myself (sure, I've played the big hits but, you know) and I'm really enjoying the quality and diversity of many games on the platform. I'm genuinely surprised to see many titles outperform the same release on other "more powerful" systems. Coupled with the most diverse array of peripherals and add-ons, I think I might even be a Sony Fanboy.

[spagmasterswift]

I don't think this generation needs to be over. If it does have to be over, I will probably remember it for one (main) thing: The sheer volume of high-quality software pumped out by Capcom. Stuff like Resi 4, Viewtiful Joe, Devil May Cry, Gregory Horror Show and Killer7 is beyond sublime.

What he said.

The cube has been my console of choice this Gen. I've returned to it after a long spell of handheld gaming and its great to be back Its controller fits my hands perfectly and those little Japanese card boxes are fantastic

[Team Andromeda]

Went from hating the PS2 to just loving it and couldn?t live with out it.
Whatever genre you like there?s at 3 to 4 AAA examples on the PS2. Add in its amazing amount of add ons, and its one amazing system.

Like the X-Box more than any other system this gen thought. Impressed me the sh8t out of me on day, and keeps on impressing me now.

[robrymond]

Xbox Live was the pinnacle of my gaming generation this time around.

I shunned the Xbox in favour of a Gamecube early on, however it was only until I spent a whole Summer at my friends playing System Linked Halo and eventually Xbconnect Halo games, that I realised that the Xbox was what I wanted.

You see, I'd hated FPS games. But Halo changed my thoughts. I was truely hooked that Summer of 2003 (I think). I soon got an Xbox just before the Christmas with Project Gotham Racing 2, and I got broadband along with Xbox Live.

This changed things forever. Xbox Live was amazing. My days and nights were spent on PGR2 and I bloody enjoyed it. Infact even now, those first few months were some of the most enjoyable I've spent on Live. Maybe its the fact it was new technology; but hell it blew me away.

And then Halo 2 came. I creamed. The pinnacle of Xbox and Live. Aside from hackers and cheaters, Halo 2 remains a firm favourite. Although sometimes it cannot compare to those memorable moments playing the original Halo over Xbconnect, the fact you could communicate with your team was a key thing.

As for Gamecube, well that was my first experience of the generation, and it was good for a time. I got a PS2 very late on (last year infact), and GTA kept me going while I did my GCSE's and I cancelled my Live account. And it was chipped, so I could play torrented games *ahem*.

Xbox is where it was at though. And I'm proud this generation to have owned all of the big 3 consoles.

If your counting Dreamcast (which seemed years ago), I had a 2nd hand one for a while, and Shenmue was an amazing experience along with Sonic Adventure. Aside from that, it's forgotten.

I look foward to another generation of fantastic gaming, but what innovation can they throw at us? Who knows...welcome to the next generation.