Price: $299.99 & eligible for FREE Shipping!

 

 

 

 

 

Product Description

The Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system places you at the center of the experience. Xbox 360 ignites a new era of digital entertainment that is always connected, always personalized, and always in high definition.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #94 in Video Games
• Brand: Microsoft
• Model: B4J-00174
• Released on: 2008-07-31
• ESRB Rating: Everyone
• Platform: Xbox 360
• Dimensions: 7.50″ h x 11.60″ w x 12.60″ l, 10.00 pounds

Features

• White finish
• 60GB hard drive
• Wireless controller
• Customizable interface
• Go online with Xbox Live

Amazon.com
Xbox 360 sets a new pace for digital entertainment. More than just a cutting-edge game system, Xbox 360 also integrates high-definition video, DVD movie playback, digital music, photos, and online connectivity into one sleek, small tower, and in the process puts true Next-Gen power right at your fingertips.

Xbox 360, shown with wireless controller, is a sleek, customizable gaming and entertainment system

Under the Hood
Xbox 360 is much smaller than its predecessor–it measures approximately 3.3 by 12.2 by 10.2 inches and weighs 7.7 lbs. It’s powered by custom IBM PowerPC-based CPU with three symmetrical cores each running at 3.2 GHz. It also carries a custom ATI graphics processor loaded with 10 MB of embedded DRAM, 48-way parallel floating-point dynamically scheduled shader pipelines and Unified shader architecture. This is powerful enough to draw 500 million triangles per second. In other words, it makes for great looking games in standard TV definition, and even better thanks to built-in support for HDTV 1080i televisions. It also supports the widescreen 16:9 format.

The unit has a 12x dual-layer DVD-ROM drive, which plays both the game media and progressive-scan DVD movies right out of the box. For game-save and media storage, users can choose between the detachable and upgradeable 60GB hard drive, or a separately sold 64MB flash Memory Unit. Along with storing files, the hard drive will make the Xbox 360 backward-compatible with part of the existing Xbox game library.

Control your Gameplay
Xbox 360 uses a refined button layout for its controllers. Back and Start buttons sit at the center of the controller and between them is a new Xbox Guide button, which instantly takes the user to the Xbox 360 user interface. From there, they can check for friends online, access personal digital content like photos and songs, and more. The black and white buttons of the first Xbox controllers have been replaced with new shoulder buttons placed above the left and right triggers. Xbox 360 can accommodate up to four wireless controllers and has three USB 2.0 slots to use for wired controllers or for streaming your digital media from digital cameras, MP3 players, and any Windows XP-based PC. Microsoft has also created a video-conferencing camera, sold separately, that will work with the system.

Xbox 360 can manage your games, your online friends, and your personal digital library

The Media Experience
All Xbox 360 titles can be played in either standard or high-definition resolution in 16:9 widescreen, with anti-aliasing for smoother graphics. Game designers will be able to take advantage of the system’s multi-channel surround sound. The Xbox 360’s digital media allows users to supplement any game’s music from tracks in their own personal library.

Go Live
A built-in Ethernet port allows users to connect their system to a broadband connection for access to Xbox Live. The Xbox Live Silver Membership included with the console lets anyone create a Gamertag and gamer card to express your online identity, chat live with voice chat, and connect to the Xbox Live Marketplace to buy expansions, maps, and other digital items for your games. You can also update to a Xbox Live Gold Membership at anytime for even more benefits. The separately sold wireless adapter supports the common 802.11a, -b, and -g standards.

What’s in the Box?

• Xbox 360 console
• 60GB detachable hard drive
• Wireless controller
• Xbox Live headset
• Standard AV cable
• Ethernet cable
• Detachable faceplate
• Xbox Live Silver membership

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Customer Reviews

Some things to note about this product
Things to note about this product:

-If you are looking at this in Aug. 08 then note that this is NOT the Jasper console, these consoles are the newer bundles they created to clear inventory of Falcon boards while they work on inventory of Jaspers (The Jaspers were to be produced in August and that is what they are doing right now. Producing, not releasing for retail sale -yet-) When the stores sell out of ALL Falcon units they will start putting Jasper units on the shelves. Two tips for spotting a Jasper: 1. Check the wattage information, it should be below 175w. 2. Check the manufacture date. Jaspers should be manufactured during August 2008 or later. (I’m pretty sure I have this in another spot in my post but I’ll put it at the top also, for easier access.

-This console will be reduced in price once again in early September. The new price-tag on these Pro bundles will be $299.99 (Edit: Next information may now give issues, as Amazon has done a bait and swap with their policy and removed their 30-day protection as of the 31st of August. Very low, Amazon, very low. If you bought a system before the change and before the 30 day period of the price drop you may still be able to get your price matched, but it will likely be a headache. See new section at bottom for possible ideas) Do not panic if you bought one at the $349.99 price. Why? Amazon has a price guarantee, meaning for 30 days if the price of any product goes down, you are entitled to cash back to price match the new cost. So in early September check back here when the price goes down so that you can get 50 dollars back.

-The September consoles are when ‘technically’ the new Jaspers should start rolling off the assembly line and into stores. HOWEVER there is a technicality with this. They may have them in the stores warehouses, but won’t put them on the shelves til all of that store’s FALCON units have been sold. This includes all the falcon units from that store’s warehouses. All Falcon units must go first before they start selling Jaspers. Keep an eye on the wattage information to confirm your Jasper units. As the new GPU should reduce the PSU wattage requirements. (currently they all use 175w) Also, look at the manufacture dates. Any console that was manufactured from mid to late Aug. 2008 and on should be Japsers. As you know, they said they would manufacture the Jaspers in August, so that is the manufacture starting points you want to look for.

That is technically all the current information available. Did a lot of research on this, since I’m currently in the market. Hope this helps all of you future buyers, as well as those of you who have already made a purchase.

Edit: According to the member who posted a comment if you ordered before Sept. 1 directly from Amazon and are still within 30 days, you will be able to get your price matched to the current price tag. However ONLY if you ordered directly from Amazon and not another retailer that sold via Amazon. If you don’t fit this category continue reading below.

If you didn’t order directly from Amazon: So Amazon basically pulled a fast one one people, on the 31st of August they discontinued the price guarantee. Gee thanks, Amazon! Way to screw over your customers. You may still be able to convince customer support that because of the fact that you bought when the policy was still active that you should be covered still since they made a guarantee to you at the date of purchase. If after trying to get your money from Amazon you still don’t meet with results, what you can do is return the 360 if you are still within the return period and get another 360 now that the price has gone down. Amazon provides free return shipping on some products so you may not have to pay for that. You wait for your refund, get a new 360 at 50 dollars cheaper and the shipping a 2nd time should still be free since all products over x dollar amount qualify for free super-saver shipping. Just don’t TELL them that is why you are returning it. Say the unit scratches up your disks or something since that is a common problem with some of these older units.

Product review (obligatory since someone pointed it out in comments): Solid system, great graphics, has been known to give RROD issues but should be fixed with Jaspers so will lead to an even more solid system. Tons of fun, great games. The list goes on.

Will you still love me…when I’m 60gb?
Just picked up the new 60gb sku of the Xbox 360 and have a few things to report. My main reason for getting this was mainly due to getting the RRoD on my first 360 (which was purchased when Gears of War came out). Microsoft, of course, sent me a replacement unit in March of 2008. However, the replacement ended up sounding worse than my original. The fan was louder. The disc drive was louder. I heard all kinds of weird chirps and whirs coming out of it, which was very distracting and irritating. Needless to say, I was not pleased.

I began hearing about the new mother boards and power supplies being shipped with the newer sku’s and started to get intrigued. Could Microsoft finally be solving the dreaded RRoD problem? Supposedly, the newer mother boards included a smaller, 65nm chipset that produced less heat and required the fans to spin slower (hence less noise and overheating). Many of you have probably heard of the Falcon chipset or the Jasper chipset. Well, I can’t really tell which one my unit has, but I can tell you there are some improvements.

The new 60gb 360 has the 175 watt power supply. It is smaller and lighter than the original power brick. The console does run a little quieter and cooler. I would not say that it runs whisper quiet, but it’s not nearly as loud as my original or replacement unit. The disc drive runs a little quieter as well. According to the label, my unit was manufactured in June of 2008, so I assume it has the Falcon chipset in it. If anyone has more information about these chipsets, please enlighten me.

It comes with an HDMI port, which I really like. I will say that after I connected the console to my TV, the image seemed a lot brighter than with component cables. I had to turn down the brightness on my TV, but it looked fine then.

The console comes preloaded with several demos, including Pac-man, Geometry Wars, and several others I can’t remember. It has a full version of Hexic installed. After I transferred my game saves and gamer profile, I had about 45gb of storage left on the hard drive. Plenty of room for other demos and whatnot.

Getting it connected to Xbox Live took no time at all. Set up was straight forward and easy. I certainly hope that this sku stands the test of time (at least until the Xbox 720 comes out). So far, I like what I see.

A lot of fun but Amazon should know better
Amazon, I know the new 360s, I’ve used the new 360s, new 360s have 12.1 voltage, Amazon this is not the newest 360 model. The 360 that I recieved was not the newest model, it was a Falcon board, not the new Jasper board. Just something to know. So far, no issues and the system works great but i’m not even sure that some of the offers included with the system are still applicable because it is clearly one of the first 60GB units that was put out to market especially since it has a giant “Now with 60GB Hard drive” label on the front of the box.

Price: $399.99 & eligible for FREE Shipping!

 

 

 

 

 

Product Description

Includes PlayStation 3 80GB system, Dualshock 3 wireless controller, free PlayStation Network membership, internet ready Wi-Fi, and 80GB of hard disk storage for all your games, music, videos, and photos. Every PS3 comes with a built-in Blu-ray player to give you the best high-definition viewing experience and pristine picture quality. Plus, the PS3 can play your entire catalog of CDs and DVDs.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #23 in Video Games
• Color: Black
• Brand: Sony
• Model: 711719801504
• Released on: 2008-08-20
• ESRB Rating: Everyone
• Platform: PLAYSTATION 3
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 16.00″ h x 9.01″ w x 19.00″ l, 15.00 pounds

Features

• Includes PlayStation 3 80 GB system, Dualshock 3 wireless controller, and free PlayStaion Network membership
• Internet ready Wi-Fi
• 80 GB of hard disk storage for all your games, music, videos, and photos
• Built-in Blu-ray player to give you the best high-definition viewing experience and pristine picture quality
• Play your entire catalog of CDs and DVDs

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Customer Reviews

Great Configuration, Great Console
A lot of people have written about the pros and cons of the PS3 vs. XBOX 360 vs. Wii. I’m not bothering with that, and assume you can find that information at elsewhere. I’m also assuming you can read all about why the PS3 would or would not fit your needs.

Instead, I’d like this review to explain what exactly this configuration is (there’s a lot of confusion about that,) and why I think it hits the sweet spot. Basically, there are currently 2 versions of the PS3 on the market now. Ignoring the size of the drive for a second (because you can always swap the drive anyway, and it has no real bearing on the rest of the specs) think of them as Version A (currently available – or not as the case may be – in the PlayStation 3 80 GB Metal Gear Solid 4 Pack) and Version B (this one.)

The first thing that you need to understand is that there are three relevant differences between these two versions besides the included bundle and the price (the MGS one is $499 from amazon, more from third parties.)

Difference #1: Version A (MGS pack) is backward compatible with PS2 games while this one is NOT (they are both backward compatible with PS1 games however.)

Difference #2: Version A has 4 USB ports as well as memory card slots, while this version has only 2 USB ports and NO memory card slots.

Difference #3: AND THIS FOR ME IS BIG: Version A has the older and larger 90nm Cell processor, while this one has the smaller (and some say more reliable) 65nm Cell processor. Power consumption on this unit is lower as well, dropping from 200 Watts to 135 watts. The end result is a machine that runs cooler and, according to all reports as well as my personal experience, much quieter. An extremely relevant factor if you watch movies with it.

For those that have been looking for a while, this is basically the 40GB machine that was offered recently, with a larger hard drive and an upgraded controller – they replaced the basic sixaxis controller with the Dualshock 3 controller (which means it has rumble.)

Now Version A is packaged with Metal Gear Solid. It has an 80GB drive like this one, and the same controller. The big differences are listed above. Until this configuration was released, the larger hard drive and Dualshock controller were 2 of the 4 reasons many people felt the MGS pack was worth the additional $100. Those two factors are now eliminated. The remaining differences are the backward compatibility with PS2 games and the MGS game itself, which can of course be bought separately.

So to sum it up, if you NEED PS2 compatibility, you might want to grab the MGS pack if you can get one – that or keep your old PS2. For new buyers though, and for all of the people that are going to just play PS3 games, as well as avid movie watchers, this particular configuration is fantastic. You get the big drive, the good controller, PLUS the cooler running chip, a quieter machine and a system that uses about 33% less power.

And ok – just to satisfy the basic requirements of a review, I’ll list some other nice stuff: It includes a Blu-ray DVD player (one of those runs almost as much as, or more than, this entire box), the online play is FREE, wireless connectivity is built in (you don’t have to buy an additional piece as with some others), reliability has been quite good (much better than some others), there are some great PS3-only titles, and you can stream media to it from your PC. There’s more, but there are plenty of people outlining it.

As always, do your research and see what’s best for you. Maybe the 360-only titles are must haves for you, or maybe your family fits a Wii. We have a Wii and I love it. But I also love my PS3, and in my opinion this configuration is the one to get (this month anyway.)

How to make it near-complete
Necessary disclosure: I do not own this model. I have what used to be a 60GB model, recently upgraded to 320GB – the gold standard.

As compared to the 60GB model:
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+ less expensive (I paid $599 for my 60GB PS3)
+ 33% more storage
+ needs less power
+ dual shock controller (rumble)
- no memory card interfaces
- 2 USB ports vs. 4 USB ports on the 60GB
- no PS2 compatibility
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This model comes with an 80GB drive. This is nice because, most would agree, 80GB is more than 60GB. If you feel that the extra 20GB is a big deal, maybe you should think again. I upgraded my 60GB to 320GB because I was about to run out of space, with only 10GB or so left. One month or so later, I’m using more than 80GB already – just downloaded the Ratchet and Clank minigame from PSN and it alone needs about 3GB. My advice is to buy this model and upgrade it yourself. It’s (relatively) easy and you can find a lot of advice if you Google for it.

If you are on the upgrade path, $80 would buy you a 320GB drive. I used the Western Digital WD3200BEVT 320 GB Scorpio Sata 5400 Rpm 8MB 2.5 inch myself but that was back in June/July and I paid about $150 then; you could get much larger drives for less now. 500GB drives are available for less than $100 and you should try to get one of those if you are planning to store lots of videos. One that I tested would be the Western Digital 500GB Scorpio Blue SATAII 5400RPM 2.5IN 8MB Bulk/OEM Hard Drive WD5000BEVT which replaced my laptop’s 60GB little drive and I helped a friend upgrade his own PS3 with. The nice thing about upgrading your disk is that you are also going to be left with a perfectly good 80GB or $160GB drive which you can place into a cheap enclosure, and the StarTech AT2510U2 InfoSafe 2.5-Inch USB/SATA Hard Drive Enclosure worked for me. I am using the free leftover drive as a backup device for family photos.

Upgrading the disk is (relatively) easy and you can find a lot of advice on the Net. Search for “PlayStation 3 Hard Drive Upgrade (HOWTO)” for videos that should help you decide if you are comfortable with upgrading. If upgrading is the first thing you do (before installing games or uploading personal files), everything becomes very easy because you need not worry about backups or restores. I upgraded my box in a couple of hours WITH the backup/restore steps.

The lack of memory card interfaces is annoying but you can get around it. Copy your stuff to a USB drive or flash drive and… problem solved. You can then upload your things through the USB. It’s somewhat inconvenient but it’s no big deal.

My old (10 months) 60GB model has 4 USB slots and I am using all of them. One for the PS3 Eye (camera), a second has a wireless keyboard dongle, the third is where the racing wheel plugs in and the last one I use to charge controllers. Can you live with 2 slots? I suppose you can but there’s going to be some plugging/unplugging if you begin adding peripherals. I suppose you could get one of those USB ports multiplexers. They’re ugly but… it’s doable.

PS2 compatibility… can’t get it. Sorry. I don’t play PS2 games but my kids do. In fact, they just bought some Sonic game a couple of days ago. I was surprised but… de gustibus. They’re also playing Kingdom Hearts and Destroy All Humans.

This model comes with a couple of improvements over the gold standard. It burns less electricity, which is a good thing for the rain forests, keeping them cool and maybe you save a few dollars on your electric bill. And, of course you get the advanced controller.

Briefly:
- If you are planning to upgrade, the 80GB model is the way to go because it is selling for $100 less than the larger disk version and you can use the savings to pay for your disk upgrade
- Get yourself a USB port multiplexer if you need more than 2 ports
- Transfer your photos to flash drives to get around the missing memory card interfaces
- Or or, even better, to address both the USB and the memory card issues, get the Playstation 3 Media Hub+ for 2 extra USB ports AND a card reader
- Keep your PS2 if you have one and still wish to play PS2 games in the future.
- Enjoy your new PS3.

Why PS3 was by far the best value for us, and arguably the best choice now available
I had sat on the sidelines of the next gen video games up until a couple of weeks ago. I had tried Wii almost as soon as it came out and was captivated by the motion sensors but the limited availability and sameness to the games as well as limited graphics was frustrating.

Xbox 360 the $50 a year subscription and more importantly it lost the Blu-ray/HD battle were big no points for me. I enjoy games, my wife does not. She does enjoy movies and the internet. When I pointed out that PS3 was a Blu-ray player (with excellent reviews) and could let us surf the internet, she was all for it.

I have an ‘old’ HDTV (3 years old). It has a maximum resolution of 1080i and a DVI input but no HDMI. I did some research before buying this so I bought an HDMI to DVI cable at the same time. I was worried about hooking it up and getting it to look right and also getting sound. I should not have been. It took literally a few minutes. Plugged the HDMI end into the PS3 and the DVI end into the HDTV. Received a picture (great picture) right away. It detected that 1080i was the highest resolution and I choose that.

Sound I simply choose the option to put sound out correctly and received gorgeous sound. I only use the speakers that came with the HDTV but it sounds fantastic on Blu-Ray. I can only imagine what people with surround sound systems will get.

The Blu-Ray discs are stunning. Even with ‘just’ 1080i. Truly beautiful. And it also up-converts very well. My favorite movies are the LOTR expanded editions. I have seen LOTR on TNT HD broadcasts. With the PS3 they look almost as good perhaps even better than the HD broadcasts. Also one of the coolest things and I have no idea if this for all Blu-Rays are just PS3 is that it remembers where you were on discs (Blu-ray and DVD discs)even if the disc was last played 8 discs ago. So say for instance you a third of the way through Fellowship. You then put a few game discs in, some other movie discs, then go back to Fellowship. It actually remembers where you left off that disc. Love it.

The internet browsing has been very cool. At first it was ok but it did not fill up the screen and the lettering was too small. But then I discovered zoom in and zoom out. And now it is really fun to browse. As an aside when I started browsing if someone was on our lap-top we would get a connection conflict and would not be able to surf on the lap-top. I called Linksys and they were able to change a bunch of settings on the router and it works just fine now, no problems on using both at the same time.

As for games I have Assassin’s Creed and Oblivion now. Both look amazing. I have also downloaded demos for Mirror’s Edge (stunning) and Motorstorm (fun and also amazing graphics). Even as a gamer truly I only really have time for a half dozen games every year or two or even three. A lot of these games last a long time. So in reality the 360s edge on variety is for all intents moot. I am planning to get Little Big Planet and maybe the new Spidey game when it comes down in price. That will more than hold me over to God of War and which ever other few games I will get in 2009. Having a handful of great games, to me, is more important than 50 titles coming out a year.

Bottomline is if you have an HDTV (particularly if you have a home theater set up) and no Blu-ray and enjoy gaming the PS3 is truly awesome. You get a great Blu-ray player, an 80gig hard drive, incredible gaming capabilities (just downloading the demos would be cool), internet browsing and video watching on your TV. You can also download the LIFE utility that has an incredibly cool visual globe where you can get live weather and news headlines around the world. And you can help cure diseases by linking to a Stanford project that looks at how proteins work and fold. If you allow it your processor can be added to the processing power being used for the Stanford project (when you are not gamin and such).

Sony has succeeded in making a truly great heart of your home media experience. This is so much more than Wii it isn’t even close. And with Blu-ray and free Sony playstation network, it really is a much better value than any of the 360 choices you have. Right now heading into the 2008 holiday season, PS3 stands alone as clearly the best system and the best value. Not only for gamers but for the entire family.

Price: $249.99 & eligible for FREE Shipping!

 

 

 

 

 

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3 in Video Games
• Color: White
• Brand: Nintendo
• Model: NINTENDO
• Released on: 2006-11-19
• Platform: Nintendo Wii
• Dimensions: 4.50″ h x 10.00″ w x 15.00″ l, 7.50 pounds

Features

• Plays two disc formats in a single, self-loading media bay
• Features a processing chip from IBM and a graphics chip from ATI
• Backwards compatible with all Nintendo GameCube games and most peripherals
• Built-in Wi-Fi access for easy connection to Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection gaming service
• Wii Sports game included

Amazon.com
Nintendo’s Wii video game system (pronounced “we”) brings people of all ages and video game experience together to play. This simple yet ground breaking idea is expressed not only though the system’s evocative name, which is easily pronounced in a variety of languages, and suggests two players side by side, but also through its innovative list of features and extensive list of playable titles.

Wii with Wii Remote. View larger.

A Little Box With Plenty of Power
As with every console, much of the buzz surrounds the specs. The Wii boasts 512 MB of internal flash memory, two USB 2.0 ports, and a slot for SD memory expansion. The system’s technological heart — a processing chip developed with IBM and code-named “Broadway” and a graphics chipset from ATI code-named “Hollywood” — deliver stunning performance. And instead of a tray, Wii uses a single, self-loading media bay that plays both 12-centimeter optical discs used for the new system, as well as Nintendo GameCube discs.

Revolutionary Control
No bigger than a small traditional remote control, the wireless Wii Remote is a truly multi functional device. The magic of the Wii Remote’s design lies within; acellerometers inside the controller measure movement in all directions and at all speeds. In a tennis game, it serves as your racket as you swing away. In driving games it serves as a steering wheel, allowing you to swerve to avoid obstacles or pickup power-ups. In first-person shooters, it acts as a firearm that you can point directly at an on-screen enemy. The controller also has a force feedback “Rumble” feature and an expansion port for use with accessories, such as the Nunchuck, which adds an analog thumbstick and trigger buttons. The system allows for up to four controllers to be linked at a time and utilizes standard Bluetooth wireless technology. For those who prefer the feel of a traditional controller an adapter is available that fits over the Wii’s remote.

Wii with cradle. View larger.

A Channel for Everyone
More than just a game machine, Wii also provides information and entertainment suitable for every member of the family. Some of the channels available include:

• Mii Channel – Miis are cute little caricatures you create to use as characters in a variety of Wii software. Store Miis on your Wii or load them onto your Wii Remote and take them over to a friend’s house to use on their Wii.
• Everybody Votes Channel * – The Everybody Votes Channel is packed with national and worldwide polls. Answer interesting questions and have your say. Up to six members of your family can vote. Just choose an answer and check in later to see the results.
• News Channel * – Wii might be great for games, but you can also use it to get updates on the latest news from across the Internet organized into easy-to-browse categories.
• Forecast Channel * – Your Wii can automatically update you on the weather from around the globe.
• Wii Shop Channel * – Download the Opera web browser and access games from classic consoles from the past. All you need is a Wii Points account.
• Virtual Console – Every Virtual Console game you download from the Wii Shop Channel appears in the Wii Menu as a separate Channel ready to select and play any time you like.
• Wii Message Board – Leave or receive messages for other family members on the calendar-based message board or use WiiConnect24 to send messages to people outside your home.
• Internet Channel * – Just download the Opera browser for 500 Wii Points and within minutes, you’ll be a professional sofa surfer, pointing-and-clicking your way around the web with your Wii Remote.
• Photo Channel – Show off all your digital photos on your TV. Just insert an SD memory card into your Wii and away you go.
• Disc Channel – The Disc Channel is backwards compatible with Nintendo GameCube, so you can play all your new Wii discs, along with all your classic Nintendo GameCube discs too!

Wii Sports. View larger.

Wii Sports is Included
This is what video games should be: fun for everyone. Wii Sports offers five distinct sports experiences, each using the Wii Remote controller to provide a natural, intuitive and realistic feel. To play a Wii Sports game, all you need to do is pick up a controller and get ready for the pitch, serve or that right hook. If you’ve played any of these sports before, you’re ready for fun!

GameCube controller and memory ports.

The Depth of the Nintendo Game Catalog
Each Wii comes with a game compilation called “Wii Sports,” including tennis, golf, baseball and bowling games, that show off the console’s intuitive new controller, but Wii also plays games developed specifically for it as well as fan-favorite games from Nintendo’s 20-year-old library. Its drive is compatible with GameCube discs, and select Nintendo titles from the original NES of the 1980s all the way through the Nintendo 64 are available for download through the “Virtual Console” for $5 and $10 respectively. To support this backwards compatibility the Wii includes four ports for classic Nintendo GameCube controllers and two slots for Nintendo GameCube Memory Cards. As if that weren’t enough, the Virtual Console will also make available a few titles from SNES console contemporaries, Sega Genesis and TurboGrafx 16.Also, Wii utilizes Nintendo’s newly-announced wireless feature, WiiConnect24. This worldwide feature allows players to receive content such as Wii Message Board messages sent from other Wii consoles, Miis, e-mails, updated channel and game content, and notification of software updates even while the console is on standby, keeping the fun going even when you are not online.

What’s in the Box:

• Nintendo Wii Game Console
• one (1) Wii Remote controller with Wii Remote Jacket
• one (1) Nunchuk controller
• Wii Sports
• sensor bar
• power cord
• standard composite cable
• stand

* Access to some channels may require your Wii needs to be set up with WiiConnect24.

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Customer Reviews

An Inexpensive Gaming Console for the Whole Family
The Nintendo Wii is the most inexpensive of the current generation of gaming consoles. It provides motion sensing controllers and 480p graphics. We tested the Wii before its launch day (I’m a game reviewer), and we had our own unit in our home the morning of launch day. Here are our findings.

The Wii is designed around a menu of “channels”. There is of course the game-playing channel, where the Wii will play any Wii or GameCube game. Simply load the disc in and go. There is a Mii channel where you set up a profile and avatar to connect to all your game playing. The Photos channel lets you look at photos on your TV. Other channels for news, weather, and online shopping require an interent connection; the news and weather were not actually working at launch time.

The system does NOT have a regular network cable port, which both the PS3 and XBox 360 have. Instead, it works with built in wireless or with a USB network adapter. I am a firm proponent of wireless – less clutter! So I am thrilled that they offer wireless automatically. With the PS3, you have to pay extra for the 60 gig unit to get this built in. The XBox 360 requires extra hardware as well.

It’s hard to generalize gameplay on any console – it really depends on what games you buy. That being said, the comes-with-it software of Sports is really quite fun and is about as basic as you can get. You swing at baseballs, lob tennis balls, bowl, box and play golf. A “fitness” mode puts you through a variety of tasks and then calculates your fitness age, sort of like how Brain Age keeps track of your mental age. If you did both every day, you could aim to be as fit mentally and physically as possible!

In a world where video games = couch potato, it really is quite amazing to have a game where it natively expects you to move and be active. You don’t lounge back and gain pounds here while playing games. Boxing can be quite strenuous, jabbing, blocking and weaving in real life. Tennis involves quick reflexes and strong arm movements. Bowling might be the most relaxed of the sports, but even there you are standing, moving, swinging. You get your heart going at least a little, and get some exercise. My boyfriend had a sore arm after playing for a number of hours, in a good way, as he would from exercising.

The 480p resolution is certainly not high def 1080p like the other two systems. It’s something you accept when you’re paying such a low price for the console. But really, it’s not that big a deal. I still play the old Zeldas and love them for their gameplay, even though you can’t see the pores in Link’s face. If they are going for the cartooney characters and environments, 480p is DVD quality and is quite good. If you really, really crave high definition super realism in your games, then the Wii might not be the best choice for you. However, if you’re fine with playing games with a more impressionist / cartooney look to them, the 480p can show that quite nicely. For example, there aren’t fans in the stands for baseball – there are colored blocks.

Nintendo has always been known as a “Kid’s Console” – but I really do think with the Wii that they have become a “Family Console”. It’s not just kids who will enjoy this. Seniors can have fun bowling without knowing anything “Tricky” about how to use a video game unit. It’s very intuitive. Moms can easily play with their kids, each with their own Wii profile. Adults having parties can have fun passing the controllers around. Family groups can share slideshows on the big screen while hanging out and drinking wine. Every person who has come over – from 8 to adult – has instantly understood and enjoyed the Wii, without much explanation at all.

With the price tag being so low, a gaming household that “needs” a higher end system can easily save up their money to get that XBox 360 or PS3 – and still be able to justify to get a Wii for the fun, casual gaming stuff to share with their non-gaming friends.

Well recommended! Since I own all three systems, and am playing all three wirelessly, feel free to contact me if you have any further questions.

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Update: One year later, and the Wii is still going strong! It’s really funny how many people said the Wii would bomb because it wasn’t as good as the PS3 or 360 – and here we are a year later and the Wii is still the system that people are really wanting to get. Hospitals are getting Wiis for their patients to play with. Senior centers are getting Wiis for their residents to play games together with. I was just on a cruise ship and they had Wii tournaments going on every day! This is a fantastically fun system that we really enjoy playing with and that literally the whole family can have fun with. There are great games for kids, great games for teenagers, great games for adults. I am really very pleased with how the Wii has held up and the game set available for it.

Update 2: 2 years later! Our Wii is still adored in our household, used just as much as the PS3 and XBox 360. I was just at a bar and they had two Wiis set up for people to play with, and everybody loved them. This really is an “every person’s gaming system”.

I’m running out of space here, but my nintendo.bellaonline.com site has full articles on exactly what you get in this box, and what else you should buy so you have a full system to play with.

The Wii Remote (Not a Kid)
Since the console has been covered in other reviews, this one will be a little more in-depth about the controller, and only the controller. I hope it can convince you, because it certainly enhanced my gaming experience.
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Wow. That’s all I had to say after plugging the Wii in at my home on November 19th. After months of waiting, it is finally here, and for once, this game system actually met and possibly exceeded my expectations. Know before continuing that I’m not a Nintendo fanboy, I hated the Gamecube, own a PS2 and will be buying an Xbox 360. Well, after buying this, I don’t know if i will be needing that 360.

The biggest thing about the Wii is it’s new controller. Instead of the traditional two-handed gamepad with 2-4 buttons and some analog sticks, the Wii’s input system is shaped like a TV remote control. It has a couple of buttons on it, but not nearly as many as the average controller. How can you play complex games with such a simple controller? The answer is motion control.

The Wii’s controller has accelerometers inside of it, allowing it to sense when you wave, swing, punch, stab, or shake. It can also interact with a sensor bar placed on top of the television to make a pointer for the TV. For example, to select a menu option, you just point at the option with the remote and click the A button. This creates a whole new gaming experience. It’s like one of those arcade games at the local mall, but it works better, and no more 25 cents per turn!

The remote is also very comfortable. For games that would need two analog sticks, such as shooters, there is a connectable perephial with an analog stick and two shoulder buttons, which is called the Nunchuk. In a shooting game, this would handle movement and the remote would handle the aiming. It takes a very short amount of time to get used to, but once you do, it is much more comfortable than the normal controller. You can spread your hands out instead of hunched up, holding your hands together.

The Wii Remote is functional, efficient, comfortable, and smart. It is so much better than controllers of the past, and I hope this is a sign of things to come from Nintendo.

XBOX fan saying it’s worth the money and this is the pong game of the new millennium
I have owned almost all of the game systems that have come out except for a few of the Nintendo. I just was not a big fan. These days I’m a huge XBOX 360 fan. When I saw the controllers for this new system I though if Nintendo pulls this off it will be huge for them. I decided to give the system ma try and waited in line for 13 hours at Wal-Mart with my 9 year old daughter. She loved the wait and interacting with all the other people waiting for the release. By the time we got it home that night we were both to tried to hook it up that night so it stay in the box till the next morning. The hook up was easy. I spent the money on 3 extra controllers and nunchucks and Trauma center (which I haven’t had a chance to play yet) and Zelda. The game that comes with the unit was one of the smartest decisions by a company I have ever seen. This reminds me of pong back in the 70’s when everyone at least tried playing the first video games ,because the games are so easy to play that everyone can and will be talked into playing them. I can’t wait to get my 76 year old mother year to play some golf and bowling. We had friends over on Sunday to watch the Bears-Jets game. They are not video game fans to say the least and made fun of me for sitting in line for 13 hours. I talked them into trying the system and then had to talk them into getting off the system because the game was starting and they were having too much fun playing a video game. They apologized to me for making fun of me waiting inline for that long.
I knew going into the purchase the unit was small, but it still shocked me how compact it is. It’s a nice sleek design that is simple. The main interface on the unit is manageable and ready for many upgrades. It seemed all of the online features were not available yet except for the Nintendo shop. 10 dollars for a Nintendo 64 game is a little steep. They need to take a look at that. The Mii interface was neat and I had to stop my daughter from creating miis for each child in our neighborhood. The only con I had witht he system was the remotes ran on AA batteries. It would have been nice for them to be on a rechargable system. I’ll just have to go get a battery recharger.

Will I stop playing and recommending the XBOX 360. NO, because I still believe the 360 is the best on the market at this time (The Wii could change that in time). But I will be spending less time on it because of the Wii. If you are on the ledge about this system get off and go and find one. It is worth it. If you’re looking for a system that the entire family can enjoy this is it. You will not be disappointed.

P.S. If you’re going to trash the system without playing it goes somewhere else. People come here for opinions on if this is a good buy for them. Not for some flamer that’s close-minded and loves only his playstation or XBOX and everything else stinks no matter what.

List Price: $59.99

 

 

 

 

 

Product Description

The biohazard threat has not ended: Just when it seemed that the menace of Resident Evil had been destroyed, along comes a new terror to send shivers down player¿s spines. Chris Redfield, returning Resident Evil hero, has followed the path of the evil literally around the globe. After joining a new organization, Chris heads to Africa where the latest bioterrorism threat is literally transforming the people and animals of the city into mindless, maddened creatures. He is joined by a new partner, Sheva Alomar, who lends her strength, intelligence and sharp-shooting skills to the mission. In order to survive, Chris and Sheva must work together to take on the challenges of discovering the truth behind this evil plot. Utilizing a revolutionary new co-op mode of gameplay, players will be able to assume control of either Chris or Sheva and experience Resident Evil in new ways. In Resident Evil 5, Capcom will have players fearing the daylight as much as they have feared shadow in previous games. Promising to revolutionize the series by delivering an unbelievable level of detail, realism and control, Resident Evil 5 is certain to bring new fans to the series. New technology developed specifically for the game, as well as incredible changes to both the gameplay and world of Resident Evil will make this a must-have game for gamers across the globe.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #83 in Video Games
• Brand: Capcom
• Model: 34008
• Released on: 2009-03-13
• ESRB Rating: Mature
• Platform: PLAYSTATION 3
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: .59″ h x 5.27″ w x 6.72″ l, .30 pounds

Features

• Tackle a horror-filled mission as Chris Redfield from the original ###LT!!!i###GT!!!Resident Evil###LT!!!/i###GT!!! or Sheva Alomar, a West African agent of the BSAA
• Take advantage of the new, two-player online co-op mode to double your team’s effectiveness in the face of a new breed of evil
• Use new weapons to defend yourself when faced with hordes of faster, smarter enemies
• Explore the remote desert setting of Kijuju with highly-developed, detailed game environments
• Experience groundbreaking graphics and effects delivered by an advanced version of Capcom’s proprietary MT Framework engine

Amazon.com Product Description
Experience the thrill and terror all over again with Resident Evil 5 for PS3. Featuring Chris Redfield of the original Resident Evil and Sheva Alomar, a West African agent of the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance (BSAA), this sci-fi survival game is staged in a remote desert colony packed with hordes of fast-moving, quick-thinking enemies that represent a whole new breed of evil.

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Cooperative game play options let you take teamwork to a new level. View larger.

Dramatic graphics and lighting effects add a realistic edge to your mission. View larger.

Move through vast environments that have a discernable impact on game play. View larger.

You’ll face faster enemies backed by improved AI. View larger.

Meet Two Fierce, Playable Main Characters
Back from the original title and Resident Evil: Code Veronica, former S.T.A.R.S. special forces team member Redfield is a battle-tested, founding member of the BSAA. With a reputation for superior marksmanship and phenomenal hand-to-hand combat abilities, he’s on the ground and up against a new strain of evil.

You’ll call his shots from the same over-the-shoulder third person viewpoint that distinguished Resident Evil 4, except this time you’ll also have the option of playing as his teammate, the fierce, local Alomar. Whoever you play as, updates to the earlier version’s third-person control scheme offer more options and promise intuitive interactions.

Learn to Work Together
The new cooperative game play element focuses on the realities of a dual-agent mission, highlighting the ways in which Redfield and Alomar must work together to survive the unexpected, while still allowing them to split up and work alone. To help you maximize the potential of this setup, two-player online and offline co-op modes ensure that you have options when picking a partner.

Steel yourself Against the Harsh Reality of Kijuju
An advanced version of Capcom’s proprietary MT Framework game engine brings groundbreaking graphics and effects to Kijuju, the highly-developed environment where this game’s action takes place. New, lifelike lighting schemes highlight the differences between harsh sunlight and extreme darkness, and when you move from one to the other, you’ll have to wait for your character’s eyes to adjust before you can see clearly, adding to the suspense and challenge of navigating this game’s environs.

Face the Next Generation of Evil
You’ll face new enemies with faster reflexes and improved AI, designed to be as dangerous alone as they are in groups and to keep even Resident Evil masters on their toes. Thankfully, they’re not the only ones who have evolved. This game also offers access to powerful new weapons variations that extend your destructive capabilities.

And the updated, quick-select inventory system allows for real-time inventory management, as well as allowing characters to trade items and allowing you to place an item on the directional pad for instant access. Add all this to a detailed storyline the touches on what the past ten years have meant for Redfield and a Hollywood-caliber soundtrack, and it’s clear that the latest installment in this series really does showcase all the elements at the heart of horror gaming.

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Customer Reviews

This game is not Resident Evil
In fact, I’m not sure what this game wants to be – is it Tomb Raider, is it Devil May Cry, is it Gears of War? It certainly isn’t a Resident Evil game. It’s so different from any other Resident Evil, except maybe part 4, that it seems like a debut to a new franchise; and not a good one at that.

I love Resident Evil (RE), which I’ve probably played over 20 times. I love RE 2. RE 3 was OK. RE: Code Veronica was great. Even RE, the remake for the Gamecube was good. I have not, however, played RE 4 because I was not into the PS2. I now have a PS3, so I bought it because there was a lot of hype.

Because of my background, I’ll be comparing this game to older REs instead of RE 4. On the other hand, having not played RE 4, my perspective is fresh.

The first thing I noticed when I started playing the game was how bad the controls are. Previous RE games had perfect controls for what the game asked you to do. Say what you must, but it was always easy to turn a corner. In RE 5, a sharp corner can be difficult because Chris makes such a wide turn. Too sharp a turn and he’ll stop to turn which is not cool. On top of that, guns are powerful, which throws enemies far with a few shots. This makes me lower my weapon, run to them and then raise the weapon again. There is always wishing that I could just walk over to them and continue to shoot. Overall, they feel clunky, and it really ruins the fun of shooting. What this game is missing are controls similar to GTA4.

RE 5 is less of a horror game, and more of an action game. For some reason Capcom believes that many enemies on the screen, constantly putting you in a time sensitive situation is considered horror, but it isn’t. There is nothing scary about that; all it does is make me anxious, which is not a feeling I enjoy.

Capcom got rid of the loading screen with the doors opening, which was a stupid move. The loading screen with the door opening, gave the illusion that there were no loading times. It also helped create mood for the game. Instead of that great idea, RE 5 has regular loading screens that say “Loading”, just in case you forgot you were playing a game. The worst part is that they put a small paragraph on the screen with some history of the RE series, but they don’t give you enough time to read it because the loading is so quick. That is sooo annoying.

The story in this game is blown out of proportion. You may not agree, but I rather liked that Umbrella was the sole company and that there was an isolated incident in Raccoon City. It seemed weird and scarier that way. Now that a global operation is revealed, it seems cheapened. It all makes sense, but it’s as if it just became generic instead of special.

There are other quirks about the game that annoy me too. The dialog is really bad sometimes – I thought we’ve moved past this. Handgun bullets appear, even if I don’t have a handgun equipped. Bullets appear out of illogical places. Enemies have great motor-skills until they get close to you – that doesn’t make sense and it ruins the immersion of the game. If you could assume that the Plagas parasite made them retarded in some way that would be one thing, but they don’t. Albert Wesker has a super human ability to move faster than bullets, but somehow, he’s really easy to kill. If you see the cutscenes in the game, he looks impossible to kill, this is a big “we made him easy so you can defeat him” move by Capcom. Do they expect me to take them seriously with these issues?

In conclusion, Resident Evil 5 is a playable game, but it isn’t that good. It doesn’t do anything special, it doesn’t make sense, and the shooting is not as entertaining as in previous RE games.

Resident Evil 5 Rocks
This game is incredible co-op, bring your best pal into the world of upgradeable guns and creepy zombies and enjoy a long and bountiful game.

Boo Get off the stage!
I was severely disappointed in this Resident Evil, I had bought the game, went back to my room and in the dead of night began to play, hoping for the pop out zombie-fest that I love from this series. What do I get in return? a day-time thriller that reminds me more of a bad 80s horror flick than a good Resident Evil game.

I returned it after 20 mins of gameplay.