With more and more awesome games on the three (four, if you include PC) major platforms, I think there should be an easier way to find out what Need for Speed Underground 2 (for example) works best on.

I think e-mailing Hyper would be a wise thing to do, because they don't really specify if a game works better on GCN, or has better graphics on PS2/PC/XBX. Is there a way of telling Hyper, or us in Evolution about which way to go?

I'm also typing this because if things go the way I plan, I should be getting a PC at the end of term. Then it will get so much harder, choosing out of a GCN, PS2 and a PC.

well nearly every game comes out on ps2 and is supposed to play well on it (but i don't have one yet :( ) although it's graphics aren't exactly the best, while the x-box gets many multiplatform games as well and the graphics are the best out of the 3, but to me the controller just doesn't feel 'right', whilst with the gamecube you get lot's of good exclusive games but no where near as many multiplatform games, but the graphics are almost as good as on the x-box while the controller is incredibly comfortable and it has the shortest load times (because of the smaller disks) :D

Pretty much all EA games run better on a PS2, as they tend to make the game on the PS2 and then port it to the Xbox GCN and PC.

This is definiatly the case with NFSU.

Don't forget the PS2 version has online abilities. Despite the fact I've heard the service is kinda crap... :unsure:

Another thing to take into account, is that they give extra features specific to a console
eg. Splinter Cell - PT.
Xbox - out first, downloadable content at some stage
PS2 - extra mission in jungle, booby-trap defusing minifeature
GCN - extra mission in jungle, booby-trap defusing minifeature, GBA connectivity.

Not the best example, but I remember a game not so long ago, where each of the three consoles got a few things special that wasn't available on the other two. And to make it worse, all those features were kinda cool and would've been good to have in every version.

In other words, I think it's a good idea to get Hyper to detail which version is better, and specify what extra features are available in one and not another.

I always try to get my third party games for Xbox because:

1. Graphically, it's the best version of the game. Equal with the GCN, and ahead of the PS2.
2. With Xbox, I don't have to worry abotu filling up memory cards - so I reserve exclusive games for my GCN and PS2.

That said, I've been getting a lot of multi-format releases for PS2 because it's simply a lot cheaper.

For example, I've managed to pick up:
Rally Fusion: Race of Champions - $14.45 new
TimeSplitters 2 - $30 new

I know their XB/GCN counterparts are superior in the graphics department, but the slight increase in graphical performance doesn't justify the extra cost (both these games on Xbox are still $49.95 rrp).

Yeah I definetly think it should be done on a game to game basis. I try to get games on he PC first and all other second(unless it's a port to PC) so yeah llok what each has to offer than pick from there.

If there are exclusives for a particular console with regards to a new release game then it is obvious this is the superior version. However if all versions of a game have an equal amount of content then I think it's pretty easy to see that the Xbox will hold the best version based on graphical and audio capabilities.

The problem is some games get console-specific exclusives. So while all formats will have the game, console A will something exclusive which console B doesn't have, but at the same time console B will some feature exclusive to it only.

So long as this doesn't happen often though, it doesn't really worry me. It's just annoying when those extra features/exclusives are good and fun part of the game.

Good point, but what you are suggesting happens very rarely and even if it does, i.e. one different character in each Soul Calibur 2 version, it is an extremely minor exclusive. It would take far too long for developers to include major exclusive features different on all consoles for the same game.

Being lucky (or stupid) enough to own all three consoles (and I'm saving for a PC, I should have one by, ooh, half past the next ice age) I'm spoilt for choice. So let's look at my games collection... hmm, that's weird, I've just noticed that I own very few multi-format games (or games that were multi-format when I bought them). In fact, I only own 2 games that I deliberately chose to buy on one console over another, and those are Soul Calibur 2 and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004, and those I own on Xbox, because it has a hard drive, a decent controller for fighting games unlike the GCN, and in most cases better graphics... texture compression and all that.

Of course, if I had a PC I'd quite probably choose the PC version of any multi-format games. I love building my own levels and so on, so any game that can offer that gets my vote.