Imagine a console so compelling that seriously flawed design processes couldn't prevent it from going gangbusters, and you've pretty much hit the nail on the proverbial head when describing the Xbox 360. Microsoft's second consumer console is the successor to the original Xbox, a bulky, awkward behemoth of a machine that did reasonably well in an industry that has come to be dominated by Japane...

Memory Stick and its many variants are the format of choice for Sony products - that is to say, the only choice. Sony's proprietary storage medium is rather inhibiting in that it can only be used in a handful of devices, such as Sony Ericsson mobile phones and Sony PSPs. However, due to the popularity of said products, the Memory Stick has lingered in about 4 different incarnations; I am a PSP ...

It was a bold move on Sony's part to attempt a spirited foray into the previously monopolized handheld gaming market - Nintendo has dominated the industry with its Gameboy range for years, and the name is instantly identified as THE pocket system. I applaud Sony for their effort, but rather than shipping a half-baked product to try and squeeze the leftover market share, the PSP is in my opinion...

Counter-Strike 1.6 has become the mainstay, the perennial and prominent cornerstone of multiplayer gaming; the blend of quick-drawing shooting action, team-oriented tactics and good ol' fashion fun was a winning formula. The game began life as a mod for critically lauded first-person shooter Half-Life, and has evolved into a phenomenon. Counter-Strike Source is a graphically-overhauled remake o...

Apple has monopolized the media player market with its ubiquitous iPod range - the success of the sexy gadgets can be attributed not only to the 'cool' factor that is associated with carrying one, but also to the reliability and build quality that stands as a testament to Apple's commitment to creating one of the best in its field. Over several incarnations, the iPod has evolved from what was o...

The iPod AV cable is one of many accessories geared towards the iPod power-user market, and allows one to expand the video and music functionality beyond the miniscule display of the aforementioned media player. Use of the cable is simple - one end into the headphone jack of the iPod, the other into the relevant AV connectors of your television set. One must also select "TV Out" when before pla...

Half-Life 2 is the follow-up to the similarly titled original, that is widely regarded as one of the greatest first-person shooter experiences ever conceived. The original made waves in '98 upon its release by delivering an intense, gripping title that paved the way for the modern era of shooters - and in 2004, Half-Life 2 achieved quite the same effect once again. The game takes place after t...

Yu-Gi-Oh! is the Japanese Anime TCG phenomenon that escaped from the pages of Manga and found its way into a veritable plethora of branded crap. Over the years, several videogames have attempted to capture the spirit of the embarrassingly addictive 'duel monsters,' dating back to the PS1 and possibly beyond. Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Tag Force is a moderately successful attempt to recreate the 'excitement' ...

Ironically, in my opinion, the Xbox 360's white-clad joypad is the highest-quality controller of the next (now current) generation of consoles, while the original Xbox sported the most awkward and uncomfortable. While these may not exhibit new-fangled motion-sensing technology like its competitors, what the 360 controller offers is ease-of-use, versatility and durability. The unit slides natu...

Epic Games has a decorated history for delivering highly visceral, quality shooters in the Unreal series that has seen several incarnations on the PC and console (despite a couple misses at the hands of other developers, *cough* Unreal 2 *cough*). However, despite their great successes, none have achieved such grand critical and commercial applause as what has come to be the 'killer app' of the...

Rockstar Games isn't exactly a publisher renowned for its family-friendly titles - the Grand Theft Auto series has become a staple of the industry, and the bane of many a concerned parent. In what seems like an almost ironic twist to the Rockstar story, they've released Table Tennis for the Xbox 360 to little hoopla from cranky old anti-gamers such as Jack Thompson and the like, who are too bus...

Its generally accepted that movie tie-in games suck. This is not a biased or misinformed assumption - precedent dictates that pretty much videogame adorned with the title of an upcoming film is destined to be a rushed, half-assed and ultimately lackluster effort that is nothing more than a moneysink for poor, unsuspecting parents who think they're doing the right thing when they slap down $60 f...

Nokia is possibly the most prolific mobile phone manufacturer out there, and the sheer breadth of its release spectrum is boggling; not surprisingly, the company has had to continually refine its product with every incarnation. The 6280 takes some of the manifold functions of a smartphone, crippled albeit, and bundles it with an appealing slider design and big, bright display to hit the right c...

Two core factors prevent many MMO startups from getting off the ground - one is World of Warcraft, and the other is subscription fees. There is a psychological barrier (I believe its called "common sense") that prevents most stringent dabblers from plunging into the pay-once, then pay-again-and-again-and-again universe of persistent online games. Guild Wars, released in 2005 to a warm reception...

'Kameo' carries the lofty legacy of being a Rare game - it is a creation of the team behind such classics as Goldeneye on the Nintendo 64 and Banjo Kazooie. However, Kameo fails to fill the immense shoes it must wear simply for being progeny of the aforementioned dev team; despite this, it manages some light, simple frivolity, that is clearly aimed at the younger crowd. If you're in the market...

Tony Hawk, the poster-boy for skateboarding worldwide, has monopolized the skating videogame genre with his franchise of eponymous games since its first incarnation on the Playstation 1. While early versions were lauded as excellent by critics and fans, over the many re-hashes and semi-sequels that have materialized, the series has hit somewhat of a snag, remaining stagnant and somewhat played ...

The Outfit plunges player into the very familiar warzones of Europe in the grips of World War 2. While the WW2 game has become a videogame genre of its own over recent years since the inception of Medal of Honor, Call of Duty etc., The Outfit attempts to bring something new to the table with its squad-based, pseudo-strategy gameplay. The game's plot is expectedly thin, told primarily via la...

The illustrious Call of Duty series has seen a decorated and acclaimed history since its inception on the PC in 2003. While the third iteration may not be as earth-shattering as its forefather, the final game of the main series set in the World War 2 millieu (CoD 4 is dubbed "Modern Warfare") is a solid and enjoyable FPS.The game takes place over various battle theaters during World W...

Saints Row is unashamadley derivitave of the Grand Theft Auto series, and makes no excuses for being a carbon copy of the aforementioned phenomenon. Suffice it to say, theres only so much one can do with a genre monopolised (and for good reason) by the ubiquitous mayhem of GTA; despite this, Saint's Row manages to surpass being a mere imitatorby delivering a polished, diverse alternative.Th...

Where Counter-Strike is a deeply tactical multiplayer FPS that requires cunning and cooperation, Half-Life 2 DeathMatch requires a toilet to the temple of your foe to acquire victory. Originally bundled with the universally acclaimed title of 2004 - Half-Life 2 - HL2:DM is a frenzied, frenetic, frivolous endeavour that is likely to please fans of frag-fests like Unreal Tournament.The core objec...