I am an age-old gamer of the Commodore 64. Old-fashioned, a young nip of the X-Box 360 generation might say, but I know I could reduce that young nip to tears if I fully and justifiably explained to him how woefully inept the games of his brand new console are, at the time of this writing, in comparison to my eighties masterpieces like CASTLE WOLFENSTEIN. Indeed, as yet no game of the 360 comes anywhere close to the Commodore 64's ZORK I: THE GREAT UNDERGROUND EMPIRE. In fact, no game of the 360 comes anywhere close to the Commodore 64's TAI-PAN. No game of the 360 comes anywhere close to the Commodore 64's SID MEIER'S PIRATES! No game of the 360 comes anywhere close to the Commodore 64's WIZARDRY: PROVING GROUNDS OF THE MAD OVERLORD. These games are masterpieces and I can tell you why although I have to save you the effort of finding out since, before I forget, this is a review of the X-Box 360. The fact is a console is only as good as its best games, therefore the Commodore 64, with all these gaming masterpieces, can be justifiably deemed gaming genius. I will, then, not lower its high standards by comparing it with the 360 just to quench the modernistic tendencies of any young nipper of this new gaming generation. I will, instead, use what gaming experience I have to enlighten and inform as to the 360's only advantage over not just this greatest of gaming consoles but, at the time of this writing, any console ever made. This advantage, simply put, is its immense possibilities. The 360, because of its state-of-the-art gaming technology, has far more possibilities, immense possibilities, than the Commodore 64 ever had when it was released early in the eighties. The scope of the 360 is still beyond my non-technical mind.

Speed: 3.2Ghz (compared to the C64's 1.02Mgz)
Memory: 512MB (compared to the C64's maximum of 512KB)
Storage: detachable and upgradeable 20GB hard drive, 12x dual layer DVD-ROM drive and a Memory Unit support starting at 64MB. Two memory unit slots
Support for up to four wireless game controllers
Three USB ports
Access to X-Box Live features
Built in Ethernet port
Wi-Fi ready
Video camera ready
Plays all media types: DVD-Video, DVD-ROM, DVD-R/RW, CD-DA, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, WMA CD, MP3 CD, JPEG Photo CD.
Multi-Channel surround sound
Backward compatible with the most popular X-Box games (note: not all)
Description of unit: Smaller and sleeker than the original X-Box, operated in a vertical or horizontal position, very smooth looking

The only question after all this back-of-the-box information is: so what? Next generational consoles have been released before at the height of what was then technological brilliance but still ultimately fared less than their lesser consoles because of their emphasis on new features rather than quality of games. What concerns the 360, then, is to use its current state-of-the-art technology to release gaming masterpieces, and if not masterpieces then at least great games, because the gaming world is chock-full of good ones, games we all love, but it's sorely lacking in gaming masterpieces like those available for the Commodore 64.

So before we ask whether the X-Box 360 will take advantage of the technological advantages it has over every other console, we will ask, a year after it was released, has it taken advantage of the technological advantages it has? How many gaming masterpieces are there, if any, so soon after the birth of the console? I have already played many good games, soon-to-be classics, all of which show signs of what can be done, albeit with a little more push and a little more inspiration, and all of which will easily satisfy the modern gaming hounds out there hounding for the next new thing; and as for great games, I have so far played two, which, of more consequence, I have listed and summarised for your perusal.

1. THE ELDER SCROLLS IV: OBLIVION (06)

If you have a life I advise you to not so much as watch someone else playing this game. I luckily have no life and therefore it's all the same to me. I can freely admit that I have lost big chunks of days since the very first moment I played this game some months ago, a cold and rainy morning I recall, and no doubt, as I sit typing and watching rain splutter against my window, today will be no exception. I can feel my fingertips itching already. THE ELDER SCROLLS IV: OBLIVION is a role-playing game no different to any other role-player in that your task is to do what the hell you want in a huge world, however with a slight twist on any other role-player in that with this game you might just forget that it isn't real. A vast improvement over its predecessors from other systems, everything has been 360 tweaked to near-perfection. The people who populate the world with you are now more or less fully functioning intelligent beings who react to the world around them. I use the terms "near-perfection" and "more or less" because there are still times when some of the people do nothing but stare at walls, repeat dialogue and, for me worst of all, disappear in front of doors. Another irritant is the loading times. They are certainly short but they are also certainly frequent. However, these niggles aside the game as a whole is immensely entertaining, immensely addictive (I have warned you) and immensely funny, dramatic and ultimately very, very satisfying; and to think, at the time of this writing, I haven't even completed the game yet!

2. TOM CLANCY'S GHOST RECON: ADVANCED WARFIGHTER (06)

Tom Clancy must be making a buck or two. A popular novelist with his ideas being turned into (some) fantastic games, I am usually a little sceptical when I see his name once again on another new title. Surely, I think to myself, it's a rehash of the same thing. With this rehash, however, I wasn't just sceptical, I was sure I would get nothing special from it having already played it on the original X-Box and having thought nothing more of it than entertaining. It was more for my own personal comparison of the original X-Box with the X-Box 360 that I eventually sat down with a beer and, if truth be told, remained that way for the whole weekend. Indeed, by the time Monday shone through my steamy window this game had made a 360 fan out of me. You are the Captain of a Ghost Force assigned to protect the North American Head of State from a terrorist attack as he visits Mexico City for a controversial conference. News that secret nuclear weapon codes have recently been stolen only adds intensity to your already intense task of guiding Ghost Forces and Special Operation agents through the terrifyingly hostile populated city streets to complete missions required to keep the peace. I have recently played this same game on the PC and, for anybody wondering, it is identical. Aside from a few of the missions bordering on routine and slowing everything down, it is still a world away from the lesser original X-Box, and so Playstation 2, versions due to the 360 starting to use its better game engine to full effect, which is atmosphere so heavy, visuals so crisp and sound so crackingly real that you can actually feel the danger, and so honour, of being Captain in command of such a harrowing situation. By far the most accomplished 360 game so far.

So now we come to the three hundred and sixty million dollar question: are there any gaming masterpieces yet? The short answer, at the time of this writing, is no, the long answer is the long wait we all eagerly have in store for us as the X-Box 360, barely warmed up, sinks its big steel technological teeth into its own far-reaching capabilities. Is it the greatest gaming console? Of course not. Can it be? You bet. Happy gaming.

really good

For the slower gamer kids ~ who don't already have one ~ or for those who you love but don't love enough to shell out what it takes to get a ps3 ~ there are rumors flying about that amazon will drop the price on this soon to an enticing $199. Who knows, you know how internet rumors go ~ but either way, it's an option in your gift options ~ just don't forget to hook up that special someone with the video camera and headset too, so you can game and keep in touch from afar?

I have one and love it.

We bought this for my stepson, but we use it as a DVD player. We got a HDTV, and only the Xbox 360 does justice to it. I also play Amped 3, a snowboarding game. I started playing it to help my son over some of the challenges, but found that I really enjoyed it also. For me, console gaming has some advantages over the pc, but since I have trouble getting the Xbox 360(s) away from my stepson and son, the argument's kind of moot anyway.

The XBOX 360 #d gaming is excellent, the games are better than the Playstation 2 (via digital life)

The Microsoft Xbox 360 provides a variety of features like audio streaming, games, and video streaming (via digital life)

Microsoft Xbox 360 is simply awesome (via digital life)