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Hmmm, it's a tricky dilemma, so let's look at where the latest SEGA games have gone and are going:
(I've not included any of the American sports titles, as it's all too confusing.)
*GAMECUBE*
Super Monkey Ball (out now/exclusive)
Super Monkey Ball 2 (exclusive)
Phantasy Star 2 Online
Sonic Adventure 2: Battle (out now/further Sonic games in the pipeline)
Beach Spikers (exclusive)
Soccer Slam
Virtua Striker 2002 (out now)
18 Wheeler Pro American Trucker (out now)
*PS2*
Shinobi (exclusive)
Rez (out now)
Virtua Fighter 4 (out now)
Space Channel 5 (out now)
Space Channel 5 v.2 (exclusive)
Sega Bass Fishing
Ecco the Dolphin (out now)
Zombie Revenge (out now)
18 Wheeler Pro American Trucker (out now)
Skies Of Arcadia
Ferrari F355 Challenge
Gungrave (exclusive)
*XBOX*
GunValkyrie (out now/exclusive)
Jet Set Radio Future (out now/exclusive)
House of the Dead III (exclusive)
Toejam & Earl III (exclusive)
Panzer Dragoon Orta (exclusive)
Sega GT 2002 (exclusive)
Shenmue IIx
Crazy Taxi 3: High Roller (exclusive)
* * * *
At first glance the GameCube line-up looks very good especially on the Sonic front. Even though SONIC ADVENTURE 2 isn't the best Sonic game by a long way, future Sonic titles are being developed exclusively for GameCube.
Also there's SUPER MONKEY BALL which I'm reliably informed is a quality game, and there's a sequel in the pipeline.
PHANTASY STAR 2 ONLINE and SOCCER SLAM can't be classed as exclusives because several magazines claim that they are both coming to XBOX.
The VIRTUA STRIKER games have never been anything more than mediocre, and BEACH SPIKERS is a limited albeit flamboyant SEGA arcade title.
So the future SONIC games, the SUPER MONKEY BALLS and PHANTASY STAR 2 ONLINE are the main SEGA games that stand out on the GameCube.
(It also should be noted that SEGA are collaborating with Nintendo on the new F-ZERO game, but traditionally F-ZERO is a Nintendo title so I haven't included it on the GameCube list of SEGA games.)
* * * *
Now let's look at SEGA's line-up on the PS2.
REZ, ECCO THE DOLPHIN, SEGA BASS FISHING, SKIES OF ARCADIA, 18 WHEELER, SPACE CHANNEL 5, ZOMBIE REVENGE and FERRARI F355 were released on the Dreamcast many moons ago, so these games are nothing new, although I must say that REZ and SKIES OF ARCADIA are quality.
SHINOBI, SPACE CHANNEL 5 v.2 and GUNGRAVE are the three SEGA exclusives on the PS2. An update of SHINOBI sounds very interesting indeed; GUNGRAVE is a completely new game and reading previews it also sounds promising; and SPACE CHANNEL 5 v.2 should also be good if you like that kind of thing.
VIRTUA FIGHTER 4 is not a PS2 exclusive as a version of the game entitled VIRTUA FIGHTER 4.1 is planned for release on XBOX and perhaps GameCube, yet at the moment information and release dates are sketchy.
So as it stands I'd say that REZ, SHINOBI, VIRTUA FIGHTER 4 and perhaps GUNGRAVE and SPACE CHANNEL 5 v.2 are the SEGA games that stand out on the PS2.
* * * *
Every SEGA game (but one) on the XBOX is an XBOX exclusive - whether they stay that way is another matter - but looking at the line-up I think that the SEGA games on XBOX just beat the other two consoles.
JET SET RADIO FUTURE, PANZER DRAGOON ORTA, HOUSE OF THE DEAD III, CRAZY TAXI 3: HIGH ROLLER and TOEJAM & EARL III are all updates of celebrated SEGA classics.
Further to these it appears that the SHENMUE series will be continuing exclusively on XBOX - this is another huge plus in the XBOX's favour.
Even though the GameCube has snapped up Sonic and the PS2 has the likes of Shinobi and the largest number of SEGA titles, I think it's pretty clear that the freshest, most varied and generally most wanted selection of SEGA games are definitely being released on XBOX - at least in the present and near future.
The GameCube and PS2 only have a limited number of exclusive SEGA titles whereas every game but one on the XBOX is an exclusive.
So if like me you are a SEGA fan and you only have enough cash to buy one console, I'd say that for current and future SEGA games the XBOX is the place to be.
Of course if the Dreamcast had been a commercial success and had flourished, all of the above games would have been "exclusively" released on the Dreamcast - which is how it was meant to be but alas it now cannot. Just think how good the Dreamcast software library would now be if it had survived....
Xbox.
I also don't reckon that SEGA would be doing all that better with the games they producde if they were still pushing the Dreamcast forward or even a just released machine.
What's wrong with them!???
Hopefully they'll get it right within time.
Consider the early days of the Saturn and whole life of the Dreamcast. Sega were able to produce their most inventive games ever (Rez, Jet Set, NiGHTS!) as well as exceedingly good technological developments (Virtua Fighter 2, Daytona) and some of the greatest games of all time (Panzer Dragoon Saga).
Now all they are doing is porting some titles for the DC and nitpicking with updates and quick fixes.
The fact is that Sega have one of the biggest inhouse development teams in the entire world- they could dominate every single genre in gaming today! Indeed, they invented lots of them!
Sonic
> I'm sure I read that Skies of Arcadia had been cancelled for GameCube,
> but if I'm wrong I stand corrected.
Boy, I hope you're wrong!!
This is possibly the hardest Dreamcast game to find right now!
But hey, I agree with you - some great games coming out on XBOX [including the SEGA exclusives].