Final Fantasy: PS2 vs GameCube

[OnyxCougar]

OK, now I know there's a consoles thread but it's got 511 posts, and I don't wanna wade through it all. So here's the situation:

I had a PS1 years ago, and my first encounter with Final Fantasy was installment 7. I fell in love and bought (and beat) 8 and 9. I've since lost the PS and games in the move.

Then the money grubbers put FFX on PS2 and I've played some of it, and although I'm not terribly impressed, I was fully planning on buying the PS2 just for FFX and FFX-2. Since I know PS2 is backward compatible, I've purchased FF 7, 8, and 9 already (on sale) and was sweating how to afford $300 for the PS2, FFX and FFx-2 before the boys got here for Christmas. (FF7 is Bryans, FF8 Justins' Christmas and FF9 Justin's Birthday present.)

I was talking to my ex (Mark) and told him the situation and he told me unequivocably, DON'T get the PS2, get Game Cube, because FF:Crystal C(something) is coming out on the Game Cube and the game cube is Cheaper than the PS2. He said the GC also has better games.

Now, the problem is this: I have 3 PS1 games wrapped and ready for giving. PS2 is $179 here(no game, no extra controller, no memory card) and PS1 is $60 (with 2 memory cards). Game Cube is $79 for the console only.

However... FF:CC doesn't come out until February or so, AND in addition to the GC and FF:CC, I'll need 4 Game Boy Advances (at $100 each, 1 for each member of the family because FF:CC is multiplayer) PLUS god knows what else.

So. What do you guys think I should do? My current leaning is to buy the PS1 and get older RPG games (and replay Legend of Dragoon because I LOVED it) and Chrono Cross and stuff like that, which makes the current gifts relavant (and cheap, which is important.) and scrap ever playing FFX or FFX-2. THEN, in the summer, when the boys move in, get the Game Cube and buy the rest of the crap one piece at a time. (I was looking today and GBA has Yugioh and Pokemon and a bunch of other games I think J + B would LOVE.)

So what do you think? Is there something I don't know/haven't considered?