A Wealth of Platforms Where You Can Play
December 6th 2009 02:31
Signature Tune
From: New York Times
By AZADEH ENSHA
CHOOSING the right platform is critical to getting the most out of one’s video gaming experience. Ask two gamers and, chances are, there will be two different opinions concerning the best available system.
EVEN FITTER The Wii Fit Plus adds new balance, yoga and strength-training exercises to the original Fit's workout activities.
SLEEK PLAYTHING The PlayStation 3 Slim console has a 120-gigabyte hard drive, a Blu-ray disc player and built-in Wi-Fi capabilities.
HOLIDAY EXTRAS The Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite Holiday Bundle is a premium version with two games thrown in.
SUITABLE TUNESSony's updated portable, the PSP Go, adds mood music to its list of features.
But there are plenty of options that fit the bill, no matter who’s behind the controller.
By now, even most nongamers have heard of Nintendo’s popular Wii console and its get-in-shape offshoot, the Wii Fit. The company recently introduced Wii Fit Plus, which combines the Fit’s original workout activities with selections from 15 new balance games along with six new yoga and strength-training exercises.
Younger fitness buffs can hop on the included Wii Balance Board to get in shape using skateboarding and kung fu games. The Wii Fit Plus ($95 at Amazon.com) even has a feature for weighing the family pet. And those who already own a Wii Fit can purchase the Wii Fit Plus disc separately for $20.
Microsoft has a premium version of its gaming system called the Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite Holiday Bundle. The 360 Elite throws in two games and a 120-gigabyte hard drive for $300.
Xboxers who enjoy social networking can now also use the Xbox Live service to access their Facebook and Twitter accounts. The service also offers a News and More feature that streams content from outlets like MSNBC and The New Yorker.
Sony is offering a slimmer, lighter version of its PlayStation 3. The new $300 PlayStation 3 Slim console comes with a 120-gigabyte hard drive, a Blu-ray disc player and built-in Wi-Fi capabilities. Gamers with an eye for design may also be pleased with the PS3 Slim’s simple, pared-down look.
The console, however, is not compatible with PS2 games and the “Install Other OS” feature has been removed, which means operating systems like Linux can’t be added.
If you prefer portable gaming, Nintendo’s DS Lite and DSi are both worthy devices. For the holidays, the $170 limited-edition Metallic Blue DSi comes bundled with five pre-installed Mario-themed titles including Dr. Mario Express. There is also a White DSi bundle featuring pre-installed brain-teaser titles like Brain Age Express: Math and Brain Age Express: Sudoku.
Sony has also updated its portable lineup. The new $250 PSP Go has 16 gigabytes of internal flash memory, and features Bluetooth and a 3.8-inch LCD screen. The Go may score some points with music fans as well, thanks to its SensMe music application, which the company describes as a mood-based music recommendation system. The PSP Go has also done away with the universal media disc drive in favor of a memory stick micro slot.
For PC gaming, Dell’s Alienware M17x gaming laptop is a welcome alternative to the traditional desktop experience. Thanks to its Nvidia PureVideo HD video engine, gamers are treated to stunning visuals. The M17x HAS a 17-inch widescreen LCD display and a QuickTouch system control pad, both of which enhance overall game play. All this gaming goodness doesn’t come cheap. The base model costs $1,699, but with all the tempting customization options that Dell offers, the laptop’s price can easily climb.
In the higher price range, the $4,699 Raptor Signature Edition from Velocity Micro remains one of the fastest gaming PCs available. The Raptor has a stellar graphics card, the company’s LiquiCool 4 cooling system for the central processor and 10 USB 2.0 ports, among other features.
The Apple iPhone 3GS and Pod Touch, while not exclusively gaming platforms, offer loads of free games and many others can be purchased for as little as 99 cents. Though the graphics may not rival those of gaming consoles and portables, the two devices have much to offer.
The iPhone 3GS offers a faster experience, thanks to a souped-up processor and better graphics chip. Also of note is the phone’s oleophobic coating, which is a fancy way of saying that the screen is much easier to clean. Add to this the new OS 3.0 software and, for some, an Apple phone may be worth its weight in gaming gold.
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