Like many DSers, I just got my Xmas bonus and, like many DSers, i've decided to blow it on video games.

I've narrowed it down to a GameCube and a few games or Oblivion for PC. For about $80 I can get a GC and 2 or 3 good games (Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem, REmake, RE 0, RE 4, Metroid Prime, etc), but for $30, I could get Oblivion.

I haven't played any GC games, though I've heard rave reviews. I have played Oblivion on 360, but got quite bored with it after a while, as the game world is kind of dull and the leveling system induces fits of rage, so i would of course mod the crap out of it. I'm leaning towards the GC because I'm more of a console gamer and i prefer the simplicity and not having to tinker with the settings.

And as a subquestion: basic Oblivion for $30 or Oblivion w/ Knights of the Nine and Shivering Isles for $50?

Any advice and recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

I'll throw in my bit.

Personally I own both, but I only own like three games for my GC, not much that ever really apealed to me. And of course I now have a Wii, so everything is reverse compatable anyway. But that is aside from the point.

Now I admit I haven't played Oblivion in a long time (because my comp crashed and lost all my files for it). But if you get the right mods for it, it is an increadably fun game, and looks really nice too. I'd suggest mods for you but I lost all of mine and have had trouble finding them all again. I know there are two that you -need- though. One sets it so you always get the x5 on stats when leveling so long as you've raised at least one skill in that. The other reworks your UI so that the icons in the windows are smaller so that you can see 12 items at a time instead of the normal 6.

There are thousands of others, and plenty that you'll want but these are the big ones. Some of the others off hand that I remember liking is one to reduce the absurd weight of weapons, and one to add more arrows into the game (if you use a bow that is).

Knights of the nine never really apealed much to me, so I'd suggest against it. And I never got around to getting shimmering isle so I can't say anything at all about it, but it is good from what I've heard.

Sorry for the incoherentness but it is late.