On Nov. 15 the Microsoft X-Box was officially released and was followed three days later by the Nintendo GameCube.

So how do these two systems match up? That depends on what you’re looking for in a system, how much money you want to spend and how bad you want the system of your choice. Let me break it down for you.

The X-Box has DVD capabilities, a hard drive, built in broadband adapter and four controller ports. However a remote must be purchased to play the DVDs and it adds about 40 bucks to the bill. Just for comparison’s sake, the PlayStation 2 lacks the added controller ports, although it has DVD capabilities.

In addition, Microsoft has announced that it will provide gamers with more “adult” oriented games as opposed to what many people call the GameCube–a “kiddy” console.

The GameCube may be considered child’s play by some, but it does have good qualities. For starters, Nintendo makes the best games on the planet, period. The GameCube is also being hyped as a console made purely for gaming.

You’ll find no DVD or CD players on this compact cube. Four controller ports insure that gamers will have the option of playing against a group of friends. The biggest thing though for most gamers is the price–the GameCube is $100 less than its competition.

“Electronic Gaming Monthly” has posted that the X-Box should have at least 41 titles coming out this year as opposed to Nintendo’s 20. That could make a difference, but I’d rather have quality than quantity for my gaming dollar.