IT’S Shrek vs. Super Mario!Video gamers of all ages are clamoring for – and arguing over – the season’s two hottest tech toys.
Lines are forming out the doors at Toys “R” Us, Circuit City and The Wiz, for Microsoft’s Xbox, which came out Thursday, and Nintendo’s GameCube, which hit stores yesterday.
And don’t expect the frenzy over the game consoles to calm down till mid-December.
“Every other call is for Xbox,” said a sales associate at retailer Electronics Boutique on Friday, holding her head in agony. “We are only doing pre-orders now. We expect some to be available for Christmas.”
It’s too soon to say which console will carry the holidays – or whether it will be Sony PlayStation 2, which bowed last year – but the competition is fierce.
In one corner is the cute, purple $199 GameCube from Nintendo.
Most of its kid-friendly titles like Luigi’s Mansion, Pikmin, Super Smash Mario Bros. Melee (featuring Donkey Kong), and the much-anticipated NBA Basketball 2002 aren’t even out yet.
In the other corner is the $299 Xbox, Microsoft’s first foray into making consoles. When it went on sale Wednesday at midnight, more than 1,000 people jammed into Times Square – including Bill Gates himself, to autograph the first one purchased.
The sleek, black-and-green Xbox makes a sophisticated debut with adult-oriented sports, fighting, adventure and simulation games. Many of them – like “Star Wars: Obi-Wan” and “Batman Vengeance” – are also on back order or pre-order.
For the extra $100, Xbox users also get a built-in DVD player and the ability to download your own music onto the hard drive. It is also primed for online gaming, which Microsoft is expected to set up next year.
GameCube, on the other hand, is strictly for playing games.
That’s plenty for 16-year-old Matt Hedge, who was checking out the GameCube Friday at Toys “R” Us in Union Square, which had both models on display.
“Nintendo comes out with better games – I don’t trust Microsoft,” said Hedge.
“The Xbox is mostly eye candy. The people who make the games won’t be able to keep up with GameCube. It might be good for multiplayer games but not for role-playing games.”
But the Xbox managed to captivate gamers including 14-year-old James Cappabianca of Brooklyn.
“The games on Xbox are just unbelievable,” he gushed. “And I don’t like the design of GameCube. The controller is way too small. Xbox outruns them all.”
Tim Mainiero, a video game writer for various publications, said loyalties will likely divide along generational lines.
While GameCube is “more for kids,” he said, “Xbox is more for hard-core gamers and people in their 20s or 30s and people who want a DVD system.”
Meanwhile, over at Circuit City, 13-year-olds Jake Potent and friend Camillo Rayo were locked in a bitter argument over the two systems.
“Xbox doesn’t look as good aesthetically,” sniffed Potent. “They’re copying PlayStation 2. It’s not an original system. Just like what Microsoft did with Mac, now they are doing with Sony. They take everything that’s been done before. Nintendo always has its own game.”
Rayo said he’d take Xbox over GameCube anyday.
“It’s got more games and it’s more powerful,” he snapped back. “It has more gigabytes, and the graphics are better.”
TALE OF THE TAPE
GameCube vs. Xbox
Company
GameCube: Nintendo Xbox: Microsoft
Design
Cute, with colorful controllers and pastel colors Bulky, black and bright green
Famous characters
Super Mario, Luigi, Donkey Kong, Kobe Bryant
Shrek, Munch and his side-kick Abe, WWF star The Rock
Marketing
Contests in several states. Launch in L.A. loaded with young celebs
$500 million campaign, including nationwide Taco Bell contests and appearances spokeswrestler The Rock
Likely buyers
Kids, “Nintendorks” (devoted Nintendo fans)
Young adults, those who want DVD players, computer/online gamers
Extra features
Game Boy Advance can be used as a controller. A 5.4-inch color LCD screen can attach to the back of the GameCube for viewing
DVD, PC compatible. Will have online games next year
Magazine
Nintendo Power
Xbox Magazine
