XBOX 360

The Microsoft XBOX 360 came upon the gaming scene as one of the strongest consoles to date. I was lucky enough to get on January 1st, 2006. With it's very straightforward interface, excellent online play, and varied selection of launch titles it made a great statement. Now over a year since it was released, many would consider the best current system. Though it does have flaws such as quite a few reports of system failures (i've had a few issues myself), the pros completely outshine the cons.

The graphics and sound are no doubt the best on any system. I own a Sony 42 inch HDTV and Pioneer surround sound. They really make my experience amazing.

The controls boost this experience even further. The controller is extremely comfortable to me and has survived many drops. I have yet to damage this or any other hardware with the 360.

On to the game selection, there's really something for everyone. A wide selection of children's games make it very great for families. There's also a large amount of 18-25 demographic games that suit the older gamers. The system also comes with parental control.

The largest draw with the XBOX 360 is easily the XBOX Live service. It's the online multi-player part of the system. It runs around $60 per year. You set up a main account and it keeps track of everything, downloaded content for games, achievements, and etc progress. It allows you to not only play games online with friends and other people, but also allows you to buy and download game demos and xbox live arcade games. The arcade games range from simple puzzle games to classics like Pac Man.