by Dave DonovanThe Playstation 3, the Nintendo Wii, the XBOX 360 -- oh, which one to buy? They each have so many great features it can be difficult to decide! Luckily we’ve come up with a little buying guide to help you make your decision.
This buying guide is not a side by side comparison. If you want that, you can read our Next-Gen console comparison article by clicking HERE<<link>>. This article will give you an idea about each console's:
Available games
Playability
Entertainment options.
The Nintendo Wii Buying Guide
The Nintendo Wii is a wonderful Next-Gen console that offers a wide selection of games exclusive to the Wii. Some of the most popular games include:
Super Mario Galaxy
Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
The Nintendo Wii is a gaming console which is more family-friendly than the PS3 and the XBOX 360. The games are less racy and violent, but equally as addicting. Plus, the Wii has a number of games which actually require you to move, like Game Party or AMF Bowling Pinbusters, so children (and adults) can actually get a mild workout rather than lounging on the couch.
As an added bonus, the Wii also plays the older GameCube discs and if you have been craving a chance to return to the days of the SNES or the Nintendo 64, log onto the Wii website and download your favorite classic game to the Wii!
The Nintendo Wii is strictly a gaming console. It has no entertainment capabilities other than playing games. The price for the Wii is around $250, and most new games retail around $49.99.
The Playstation 3 Buying Guide
With the PS3, it’s all about the Blu-ray! No other console has it. The Blu-ray capabilities allow games to be more vibrant and detailed. Plus it allows you to watch Blu-ray movies as part of your home entertainment system. To help introduce you to the world of Blu-ray quality, the PS3 ships with a copy of Spiderman 3. Here are some of the titles which are hot on the PS3:
Eye of Judgment (requires the Playstation Eye)
Assassin’s Creed
NFS: Pro Street
Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune
While the PS3 may lack a large number of titles exclusive to the console, the games that it can present look absolutely gorgeous. It doesn’t have a wide selection of games targeting younger kids, but for teenagers these consoles are attractive. Most new PS3 games retail between $59.99 and $69.99.
Although it claims to be backward compatible with the older Playstation and Playstation 2 discs, those games may not actually play on the PS3. Once Sony gets over that hurdle, the $400 price tag won’t appear so steep. However, where else can you get not only one of the most advanced gaming systems, but a Blu-ray disc player as well, for the cost of a stand alone Blu-ray player?
The XBOX 360 Buyer’s Guide
Microsoft’s Next-Gen gaming console, the XBOX 360, is beloved by fans in the gaming world. Why? Halo! The Halo series of games have turned the gaming world on its head, and with the release of Halo 3 the fervor went up another notch. Thousands of XBOX 360s are being purchased to play this single game! Why? Because it’s exclusive and it’s only available on the XBOX 360. Here are a few of the 360’s other popular titles:
Mass Effect
Gears of War
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
WWE: Smackdown vs. Raw
Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock
The XBOX 360 does include a DVD player and HD capabilities, so it can effectively become a centerpiece in your home entertainment system. It has HDMI connectivity support for the ultimate in clarity and it is compatible with your older, original XBOX games. Most new XBOX 360 games retail around $59.99.
The XBOX 360 can be customized with different faceplates, which can be purchased separately, and it comes in a variety of different configurations like XBOX 360 Arcade, XBOX 360 Standard and the XBOX 360 Elite. For the hard-core Halo lover, there’s even an XBOX 360 Elite Halo Edition. The Arcade version of the console sells for around $280 while the Elite version goes for nearly $450.
Now that you are armed with a little more information about the latest gaming consoles, maybe you can decide which one to pick up for yourself or your child. Once you have the console of your dreams, the only thing left is to decide which games to buy. Oh, the possibilities!
Dave Donovan is a freelance copywriter living in Atco, N.J. An electrician for 15 years, an injury forced him to pursue his true passion - writing.
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