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Best ver. of games during the Gamecube, PS2 and X-Box era

Tizoc

Tizoc

Member
Resident Evil 4 was first released on the Gamecube before Capcom released it on the PS2, afterwards there were games Capcom, for example, released on both PS2 and Gamecube.
I'm curious to know what games that got a release on 2 or more systems at the time is considered the best version of that game, and would like some insight on them please.

EDIT:
Per Jamix012's suggestion, I'll be adding a list of games mentioned in this thread in the first post for any collectors or those looking for the best ver. of a game to play:

Killer 7- Gamecube>PS2
Viewtiful Joe 1- Gamecube>= PS2
Shadow the Hedgehog- Gamecube=Xbox>PS2
Sonic Riders- Xbox
Simpsons Hit & Run- Xbox
Final Night Round 2- Xbox>Gamecube
SSX on tour- PS2
GTA games- PS2
Metal Gear Solid 2- PS2
Timesplitters 2- Xbox=Gamecube
Timesplitters 3- Xbox=Gamecube
Splinter Cell 1-3 - Xbox>PS2
Freedom Fighters- Xbox
Sonic Heroes- Gamecube
Tony Hawk games- PS2
NFS Underground 1- Gamecube but lacks online
Megaman Collection- PS2
Megaman X Collection- PS2
Silent Hill 2- PS2
Silent Hill 3- PS2
Burnout 3- Xbox>PS2
NFS Hot Pursuit 2- PS2
Tales of Symphonia- Gamecube>= PS2
Resident Evil 4- Gamecube>PS2
The Thing- Xbox
Vexx- Xbox
Sphinx- Gamecube=Xbox
Alien Hominid- Xbox (EU only)>Gamecube
Fatal Frame II- Xbox
Just Cause 1- Xbox>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>PS2
Super Monkey Ball 1- Gamecube
Super Monkey Ball 2- Gamecube
Rayman 3- Gamecube>= Xbox>PS2
Beyond Good & Evil- Gamecube
Spiderman 2- Xbox>Gamecube>PS2
 
T

TheYanger

Member
For the vast majority?
Xbox>GC>PS2.

There were outliers as there always are, but in terms of raw power that was basically the way it ran and most multiplatform games kind of bore that out.
 
D

dragonlife

Member
Killer 7 was best on GameCube. The PS2 version suffered from longer load times, framerate drops, and stuff of that nature, iirc. I remember hearing it back in the day, but I never owned it on PS2 to confirm.
 
A

Alrus

Member
RE4, Viewtiful Joe and Killer 7 ran better on Gamecube afaik.

Outside of that the xbox was the superior console for multiplat.
 
HUELEN10

HUELEN10

Member
I can only attest to what I've played, so here goes. All of these were played on all 3.

Shadow The Hedgehog: GCN
Wins due to parity with Xbox, plus better load times.

Sonic Riders: Xbox

Has no framerate hiccup, unlike GCN version.

Simpson Hit & Run: Xbox

Ran smoother than the GCN version of the game, though loads were slightly longer.

Simpsons Road Rage: PS2

Oddly enough, it was better on this platform all-around, except for load times. Less pop-up as well.

Fight Night Round 2: Xbox

Though the GCN one had more content, the Xbox version ran the best.

SSX: On Tour: PS2

Simply put, there's less framerate hiccups with the PS2 game.
 
T

TheYanger

Member
Specific ones that didn't follow that trend off the top of my head, USUALLY the games that ran better on PS2 were the super technically demanding ones that were coded pretty specifically for the picky ps2 hardware and later ported elsewhere.

Examples:
-MGS2 substance, the Xbox game had a lot of framerate dips that the original PS2 game didn't.
-GTA games had framerate problems when you had too much going on.
-Graphically a bit inferior, but NBA Street v.2 had its entire control scheme designed around 4 shoulder buttons, so it had flat out less moves you could do IIRC on xbox and GC.

Things like that tended to be the stuff that bucked the trend.
 
J

Joqu

Member
Recently I've been getting into the Legacy of Kain series and Blood Omen 2 apparently has the least amount of glitches on Gamecube. Still not a very good game from what I understand, however.
 
T

TheYanger

Member
TechOne said:
The first 3 Splinter Cell games on Xbox.
Click to expand...

Oh god I forgot about the ports....Showed how badly things went when they were Xbox exclusives being downported. PS2 up ports sometimes had framerate issues, but Splinter Cell got completely gutted being pushed down.
 
D

D-e-f-

Banned
1) what's an X-Box? :)
2) Soul Calibur II: GCN 'cause LINK! :p
3) Tales of Symphonia: PS2 because more content (but worse graphics, iirc?)
4) Freedom Fighters: Xbox because widescreen with 720p support and most ideal controller layout (second hand info, could be wrong there on the latter part)
 
D

Data West

coaches in the WNBA
TheYanger said:
For the vast majority?
Xbox>GC>PS2.

There were outliers as there always are, but in terms of raw power that was basically the way it ran and most multiplatform games kind of bore that out.
Click to expand...

I don't think that GC>PS2 part is true.

I remember a lot of third party games on Gamecube being glitchier, foggier, or having worse textures on gamecube compared to their ps2 counterpart.
 
M

Madness

Member
TheYanger said:
For the vast majority?
Xbox>GC>PS2.

There were outliers as there always are, but in terms of raw power that was basically the way it ran and most multiplatform games kind of bore that out.
Click to expand...

Perfect answer. The best 'version' was always Xbox which had sheer power on it's side. Even though GC was powerful as well, another big factor in ports not being upto snuff, even with ps2 versions, was the smaller disc size. Often audio tracks were limited for GC games.
 
T

TheYanger

Member
Dragonzord said:
I don't think that GC>PS2 part is true.

I remember a lot of third party games on Gamecube being glitchier, foggier, or having worse textures on gamecube compared to their ps2 counterpart.
Click to expand...

Madness said:
Perfect answer. The best 'version' was always Xbox which had sheer power on it's side. Even though GC was powerful as well, another big factor in ports not being upto snuff, even with ps2 versions, was the smaller disc size. Often audio tracks were limited for GC games.
Click to expand...

True, GC was definitely more powerful than the PS2 generally, but it wasn't super beastmode in comparison like the Xbox so the port differences were more hit or miss...and the disc size compression stuff for music and video was always apparent. So maybe it'd be more accurate to say:
Xbox >> GC=>PS2 for MOST games.
 
D

Data West

coaches in the WNBA
It might have been a West and East thing. Like I know Sonic Heroes was much better on the Gamecube than PS2, but the GC versions of Tony Hawk and other Neversoft titles were assy. Finnicky frame rates and worse textures than PS2
 
D

danielcw

Member
The built-in scaler on the Xbox meant,
that almost no 50hz PAL game had "PAL-bars".


The later we got in that generation,
the less work seemed to be done on the GCN versions,
and so they often were the worst one,
at least among the games I read comparsions back then.

On the other hand:

I read that
Need For Speed Underground (1)
ran best on GCN,
because it could load the next track segment without major hickups.

The GCN version had no online though.


TechOne said:
The first 3 Splinter Cell games on Xbox.
Click to expand...
Didn't the first game have more content on PS2 and GCN?
(plus streamlined controls on GCN and the GBA gimmick)
 
I

Into

Member
There actually are a few instances where the PS2 version is the best, such as the Mega Man Collection, not only is the PS2 controller more NES/SNES esque thus fitting better with Mega Man but the Jump and Shoot button are placed correctly, on the GC its reversed and sucks and you cannot change it. It makes that version useless

Silent Hill 2 and 3 i found to have far less glitches, freezes and issues than the Xbox and PC versions. I rather have stability and the "real deal" than a souped up PC version with bugs and weird glitches.

I got Burnout 3 on both PS2 and OG Xbox and find the Xbox version better looking, especially seems more crisp and you can see slightly further in the distance.
 
P

Pooya

Member
danielcw said:
Didn't the first game have more content on PS2 and GCN?
(plus streamlined controls on GCN and the GBA gimmick)
Click to expand...

I guess they had 'more' content on paper...
the first 3 games on PS2 are quite a bit different, they had to alter the level designs even and removing some of game features or changing them. They are slightly different games with even slightly different stories in first two games iirc.

only Double Agent is similar to Xbox version, as in it's the same game with same features and level design only with way worse graphics due to lack of dynamic lighting and shadows and lower poly models and textures.
 
breakfuss

breakfuss

Member
Yeah, lol, I remember being slightly jealous of the Splinter Cells on Xbox, but they still ran fantastically to me. Also, I think the ps2 version came with extra/different content.

And, I know this doesn't count since it wasn't multiplat, but I don't I remember being more in awe of a game's graphics than Rogue Leader on GCN. I'm sure something may have outdone it on xbox, but that game was just so damn gorgeous.
 
T

TheYanger

Member
Yeah, Splinter Cell was the 'same' game but jesus the difference. This pic isn't as big as it should be but you get the idea.
GC PS2
93QiJ6E.jpg

PC Xbox
 
A

angular graphics

Banned
miladesn said:
I guess they had 'more' content on paper...
the first 3 games on PS2 are quite a bit different, they had to alter the level designs even and removing some of game features or changing them. They are slightly different games with even slightly different stories in first two games iirc.

only Double Agent is similar to Xbox version, as in it's the same game with same features and level design only with way worse graphics due to lack of dynamic lighting and shadows and lower poly models and textures.
Click to expand...

They also made the first game much easier because the playstation audience was considered more casual.

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/131239/postmortem_tom_clancys_splinter_.php

The fact is that we reduced the difficulty of PS2 version on purpose, since almost all of the playtesting of the Xbox version indicated that people felt that game was too hard. We keep in mind that there are more "casual" PS2 gamers than there are in the Xbox market. So in order to adjust the game to this market, we adjusted gameplay in Splinter Cell for the PS2 in a few respects, including player control, AI and level design. However, it's possible we might have gone too far, as some players seem to find the game not challenging enough.

We didn't have much time to fine tune the game play for the "Hard' mode. Only some parameters are affected in that setting, like the damage dealt by NPCs, the quantity of Sam's ammo, and tolerance for triggering alerts. Also, there's no extra reward to player who play the "Hard" mode.
Click to expand...
 
R

Rich!

Member
Timesplitters 2 and 3 were the best on the XBOX due to the online and lan capability, but the GameCube version was graphically nigh on identical.

Apart from the fact that unlike the GC version, TS2 ran in widescreen on the XBOX, unless my eyes are mistaking me.
 
Tizoc

Tizoc

Member
tHAT REminds me:
Which ver. of Spiderman 2 and Hulk Ultimate Destruction is the better one as they appear to have been released on all 3 consoles.
 
T

TheYanger

Member
richisawesome said:
Timesplitters 2 and 3 were the best on the XBOX due to the online and lan capability, but the GameCube version was graphically nigh on identical.

Apart from the fact that unlike the GC version, TS2 ran in widescreen on the XBOX, unless my eyes are mistaking me.
Click to expand...
Wikipedia says it didn't. It did have 480p though as many games did.
I don't actually recall, despite owning it :(
 
R

Rich!

Member
TheYanger said:
Wikipedia says it didn't. It did have 480p though as many games did.
I don't actually recall, despite owning it :(
Click to expand...

Ah ok. I've been playing it on my Xbox recently and could have sworn it was true native widescreen (menus are in 4:3, gameplay in 16:9). Must be just stretched.
 
A

ascii42

Member
richisawesome said:
Timesplitters 2 and 3 were the best on the XBOX due to the online and lan capability, but the GameCube version was graphically nigh on identical.

Apart from the fact that unlike the GC version, TS2 ran in widescreen on the XBOX, unless my eyes are mistaking me.
Click to expand...

Timesplitters 2 didn't have online play on any system, but Future Perfect did on PS2 and Xbox.
 
R

Rich!

Member
ascii42 said:
Timesplitters 2 didn't have online play on any system, but Future Perfect did on PS2 and Xbox.
Click to expand...

Doesn't Timesplitters 2 have LAN play on the XBOX? In a hacky way, you can use that to play an online game against someone.

Similar to how you can still play against people online in Halo 2 via the LAN mode.
 
A

ascii42

Member
richisawesome said:
Doesn't Timesplitters 2 have LAN play on the XBOX? In a hacky way, you can use that to play an online game against someone.

Similar to how you can still play against people online in Halo 2 via the LAN mode.
Click to expand...

Yep, PS2 as well, though the first game was before the Network adapter so it used the iLink cable instead to link systems. So that one probably wouldn't be able to be played online.
 
A

ascii42

Member
Majestad said:
Soul Calibur 2 best on GameCube.

Mostly everything else was Xbox > GC > PS2
Click to expand...

The Xbox version supported 720p, granted it was 4:3. Link was cool, but he was probably the worst of the three exclusive characters to play as, in my experience, at least.
 
R

rallaren

Member
I know I enjoyed the hell out of NFS Underground on Gamecube, alot thanks to the controller I think. NFSU 2 on Xbox wasn't nearly as fun or good.
 
petran79

petran79

Banned
games like Marvel vs Capcom 2 and Capcom vs SNK 2 were, and still are, better on the Dreamcast. they were perfect arcade ports after all.
 
R

Rich!

Member
Blearth said:
And then the PS360 version came out and gave us it all in glorious HD.
Click to expand...

Well, maybe it was HD - but it was based on the inferior PS2 version and retained the low-poly models. Also, the Wii version has Wiimote support which is absolutely fucking amazing.

The best version is the Wii one played in 1080p via Dolphin. No fucking contest.
 
B

Bgamer90

Banned
For the majority of them: Xbox > GC > PS2

For EA Sports games pre-2004 & Need for Speed Hot Pursuit 2: PS2 > Xbox > GC
 
C

Canis lupus

Member
The few instances I know are Resident Evil 4, the visual difference was very apparent. I bought the game on both the GC and PS2. The other is Splinter Cell.

There is probably a lot more but as the PS2 was getting all the 3rd party games, it was my primary console. I didn't know there were visual differences in most of the games, I had the Gamecube before the PS2. Renting was still legal back then, rented lots of multiplats on Gamecube, and by the time I had a PS2 those games were cheap enough and bought it on PS2. I can't say I noticed graphical differences in games like SSX. I played games on a small SD TV and assumed each version looked the same.

richisawesome said:
Well, maybe it was HD - but it was based on the inferior PS2 version and retained the low-poly models. Also, the Wii version has Wiimote support which is absolutely fucking amazing.

The best version is the Wii one played in 1080p via Dolphin. No fucking contest.
Click to expand...

Are there comparison shots between the PS360 HD version and Wii version on Dolphin? RE4 always felt right with a normal controller, does the Wii version have GC controller support? Can't imagine playing it with a motion controller.
 
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