My first impression of the gamecube was that is was cheaply made. The controller that I tested at Best Buy felt like that I was gonna break it. After my roomate bought one and I played it for a while, it kinda grew on me. The controller, awkward at first, is very powerful. (Thats what people said about the n64 though.) The games are limitted, I've only played two, but the release line-up looks promissing (waiting for Melee!).

On the other hand, I fell in love with the xbox the moment I picked up their behemoth of a controller. It fits my hands nicely, and the buttons are comfortable. I haven't got 'fireball motion burn' from the d-pad yet, it is smoothed and shaped for easy rocking. The titles out are REALLY good (DOA 3 and halo, need I say more?) and more are expected to be released soon. The sprinkles on the ice cream is that it just looks cool! I love the green and black, even though it is breaking my entertainment center with its massive bulk.

If you have the money, go with the xbox (if you can find one), otherwise get a gamecube. Both are worth their price. Even if both are out of your price range, you could always get a gameboy advance, especially if you are an old-school gamer like myself. There are a lot of old rpgs for it, and even the original doom! Blood pixels here I come!