Some of you may still remember my XBOX article that was posted here about a year ago � many of you are probably still going through the rehabilitation process after it all. I think the final count for comments was in the 105 region. In retrospect, that article was probably over simplistic and biased in favour of that big green x. Reading it back now, that rant feels and is a teenage boy convincing himself of a purchase � a purchase which, itself, has gone on to prove itself. Roughly a year on, and the black beast still purrs for me, almost nightly, but what has changed? Has Microsoft thrown the Gamecube off its position at the top of the pile?

It's true; the XBOX has been my most played console of 2004. Most certainly. I've purchased games, about 15, in fact, where as the Gamecube has had, as a rough estimate, 4. It's not that the Gamecube's games are of a lesser quality � far from it. Paper Mario 2 is of a quality that easily rivals the XBOX giant Fable, and Mario Golf matches Links 2004 stroke for stroke. When coming to decide which console to buy a multi-platform game on, though, there's little choice for me. When faced with the prospect of buying the normal game on the Gamecube, or the same game with online options for the XBOX, Microsoft's machine wins every time.

That's not to say that live is all that, however. Yes, scoring that free kick against the cockney-sounding Dolores I to finish off that amazing victory online in Pro Evo 4 was one of the crowning moments of my gaming year, but, unfortunately, not all online play can be like that. It's good to talk about the amazing goals and events on Pro Evolution Soccer 4 online, but to leave it at that would be but half of the story. The horrendous lag that any gamer (even those with decent internet connections) experiences at the 'prime time' of around 6 o' clock is more than enough to put me off most nights. The abusive geeks on Halo 2 who use anonymity as an excuse to tell you to 'pleasure' them after they capture your flag and the frustration it takes to find out simple stats on the Bungie websites have put me off logging on anymore.

It's not only the people that make Live the burden that it is. Sure, making small talk with French people who can barely speak a word of English as you try and capture your enemy's flag can be a bit rough for the unprepared, but that's only half of it. Any game with a multiplayer better than the single player is ultimately doomed to only be half used. The amount of people I've bumped into Halo 2 who haven't cared to venture past the first few single player levels is actually quite worrying. Looking past the fact that Halo 2's single player is possibly the most anti-climatic moment in gaming history, it's still definitely worth playing. Had the online play not have existed, however, the single player would've been smashed like the original's was. If you're looking for the premier single player experience, then the Gamecube is still definitely the way to go.

There's just something about sitting alone, Gamecube pad in hand that no other console has managed to create. Maybe it's the amazing single player games that I've already experienced with the glorious machine that have set the context for the rest of the generation � I mean, any game would love to bask in the reflective glory of Mario or Zelda if they could, right? I've owned all 3 consoles this generation and, if I'm honest, the Gamecube is the only one which doesn't need another player or an internet connection to fully enjoy. The PS2 never really captured my imagination, and the oinly game I ever played at any length when I owned it was the genius of Pro Evolution Soccer 3 (as you can guess, I'm a bit of a football fanboy, especially when it comes to Konami), and even that was with my step-brothers. The XBOX itself almost makes you feel guilty for playing alone. When you're on live, as soon as you turn on your XBOX it tells you how many friends are online, if you have any invites or friend request, tempting you with its fruits. The only way you can truly enjoy yourself alone this generation is with Nintendo.

There are two things that the XBOX does very successfully, however. As mentioned at first, it steals the purchase for those multi-format games with Live capabilities. Even if the user isn't going to use it, it's still an added extra. The other thing the XBOX has done with aplomb, this year in particularly, is give you all you need in one place. Want some shooters? Take your pick � Rainbow Six 3, Halo 2 and Counter-Strike are all waiting to steal your money from you. There are too many sports games to mention � Pro Evo 4 means that PS2 no longer has the footballing edge, and with EA now supporting Live, it's more attractive than ever to get your EA kick on the XBOX, as well as XSN's (now dated) sports series. Even the long �missing RPG genre is being filled, with Knights of the Old Republic 2 due soon and Fable and Sudeki holding fort.

But this isn't going to be the XBOX�loving rant that my old self would've written. The Gamecube may have lost ground in the past 12 months, but the race is far from over by any means. For all the racing, shooting, sporty games that the XBOX can give me, there's always one thing that'll always make any Nintendo console worth purchasing. The same thing which has prompted me to demand a DS for Christmas. The very reason why I'm into gaming as deeply as I am. Nintendo itself.

It may have been a bit of a drought this year for my Gamecube, but as soon as I placed Paper Mario in my disk drive, I remember what it was like to feel pure, utter joy once again. Humour, Nintendo humour done perfectly, and with a genius RPG to match� it's something you could find nowhere else across the land (apart from Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga, maybe). One scene early on in the game (a scene which Peach fetishists have waited many a moon for) had me open mouthed, shocked at just what Nintendo had done. It's that kind of stuff that I blindly followed Nintendo all those years for.

There have been doubters and critics of Nintendo for as long as I care to remember, and, obviously, since anyone ever cared. For most of their arguments, you can do nothing but agree � lack of 3rd party support, Dreamcast-esque drops in prices and even being 3rd in the console race. It's all very much true. But whilst the XBOX may be an essential purchase if you want a bit of everything, and the PS2 may be the go-to for RPGs and a lot of smaller titles, for all of us who want that regular dose of gaming innovation, humour and all around genius, the Gamecube is still the place to be.

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