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Choose Wisely When Shopping for a Game System

Posted on: Wednesday, 23 November 2005, 09:00 CST

By Shaun Conlin

'Tis the season of gift giving (or near enough) and a brand-new game system is surely on several wish lists. There are a few devices to choose from this year, but none of them are coveted by everyone, so choose wisely.

Here's what each game system has to offer:

> PlayStation Portable (PSP)

From: Sony.

System price: $250 (Value Pack) or $300 (Giga Pack bundled w/1 GB Memory Stick).

Games & movies: $30-$50 each.

Give to: Affluent gamers.

The premium portable system is also premium priced, but for good reason. Sony's PlayStation Portable (PSP) has "technophile" written all over it, not only for its large, wide-screen, high-resolution, console-caliber gameplay, but also as a portable movie and music player, image viewer, Wi-Fi Web browser and content downloader (in "hot spots").

Bear in mind that most proprietary game and movie discs (called UMDs) for PSP are also priced at a premium (shameless console knock- offs and stripped-down DVD movies though they are), as are the various Sony-only peripherals andappendages you can buy for it, so be sure to give it to someone with an over-inflated entertainent budget.

More info at www.playstation.com.

> Gizmondo

From: Tiger Telematics.

System price: $230 or $500 (Navigator Bundle).

Games: $20-$30 each.

Give to: Mobile propellerheads (only).

A geek's gadget that features middling horsepower and lackluster games but also movie and music playback, a digital camera, Bluetooth/ GPRS connectivity, text messaging, Web browsing and downloadable content (including force-fed ads).

Moreover, Gizmondo's flagship trick is its onboard GPS, making it the only device to be innately self-aware of its location on the planet with the potential to integrate the real world with the virtual in truly unique ways.

Problem is, it doesn't yet, and might never do so.

In fact, it seems on the precipice of going over like a lead Zeppelin, to coin a phrase. Still, its GPS mapping software, Navigator 2006, reportedly coming available by Thanksgiving (in $169 and $249 versions or in a $500 Gizmondo Navigator bundle) will make it a full-functioning, talking co-pilot that comes off cheaper than a Garmin or Magellan GPS device of similar function while also playing cheap games, burned movies (or purchased ones), ripped music, etc.

More info at www.gizmondo.com.

> Game Boy Micro/Game Boy Advance SP

From: Nintendo.

System price: $100/$80.

Games: $15-$40 each.

Give to: Spare-time enthusiasts/Avid pocket gamers.

Since Nintendo's Game Boy line has dominated the portable game market it practically (but not truly) invented, giving one as a gift is really a no-brainer. However, there are two modern models to choose from, the first and coolest of which is the Game Boy Micro, the cell phone-sized version for the stolen-moment gamer who doesn't want to look like a geek on the bus but fondly remembers playing with Mario and friends back in the day, and still can now, covertly.

There's also the Game Boy Advance SP, the larger, gawkier modern Game Boy that's been out for a while but was recently retro-fitted with a brilliant, back-lit screen boasting heretofore unseen clarity. Each device uses the same game cartridges (sold separately). There are hundreds of them -- dozens of them that are actually great -- and there's something for everyone.

More info at www.nintendo.com.

> Nintendo DS 'Nintendogs' Bundle

From: Nintendo.

System price: $150 ($130 system only).

Games: $15-$40 each.

Give to: Un-gamers.

The Nintendo DS is an innovative game system that, since launched, has opened up a completely new market for the games industry, i.e. "everyone else."

The bi-folding device has a touch-sensitive (finger or stylus) screen on its lower fold (like a PDA screen) and second view screen on the upper fold. Plus it boasts voice recognition, wireless local and Wi-Fi gameplay (which is free, where available, in "hot spots" like in airports) and a glut of unconventional games making use of each feature all at the same time (plus a large batch of conventional games).

And since you'll want to include at least one marquee game to play on the NDS, you might as well make it "Nintendogs." Currently available in a money-saving bundle (or separately), "Nintendogs" is the wildly successful, widely praised game of a personal pocket puppy that has users feeding, walking, training, talking to and doting on a personalized virtual dog. And eventually, many of them.

More info at www.nintendo.com.

> Aurora ALX

From: Alienware.

System price: $4,449 (and up).

Games: $20-$50.

Give to: Real gamers.

For the serious gamer, a Windows PC is the only game platform; everything else, toys.

The ultimate gaming PC is Alienware's Aurora ALX. So hot it's liquid cooled (literally), even the base model ALX comes stuffed with nothing but state-of-the-art components (custom upgrades available), including an AMD Athlon 64 FX-55+ w/HyperTransport technology, at least 1GB Ultra Low Latency Dual Channel PC-4400 DDR RAM and an Audigy 2 ZS 7.1 HD sound card.

ALX also utilizes the industry's new Sli architecture, which allows it to run two nVidia GeForce 6800 GT 256MB DDR3 video cards in tandem, so think of the best graphics the world has to offer, then double it.

As PC game developers continue to push performance expectations beyond what most computers can handle, an ALX can actually play the likes of "F.E.A.R,""Quake 4" and "Call of Duty 2" with all settings maxed out, which makes them entirely different and ferociously beautiful animals that no mere "toy" could hope to emulate.

For the budget conscious, fortunately, Alienware has other gaming PCs available, from the "all around" Area 51 3500 ($800 and up) to the more prevalent Area-51 7500 ($1,850 and up).

More info at www.alienware.com.

First of a series on what's hot this gift-giving season.

Source: Buffalo News

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