Pros: Great Graphics, built in Hard Drive, System Link and Xbox Live.
Cons: Must buy a remote for the DVD player and Not a huge selection of games.
The Bottom Line: If you value your time run! This machine will eat away your social life. Who needs a life when you have Outlaw Volleyball, wait did I say that out loud?
Abraxmed's Full Review: Microsoft Xbox 360 Core System White Console
Why did Bill Gates have top punish me with this infernal time wasting machine? I could be doing things to improve myself like read or learn how to spell. Instead I sit around and play video games. Well I can't blame Gates because if it wasn't the Xbox it would be the PS2 or Gamecube. But when there is a choice, go with the superior product and this the Xbox is.
Now there are two major arguements when deciding on consoles. First that the PS2 has a larger selection of games. Secondly that the Xbox is a vastly superior piece of hardware then anything on the market(excluding PCs). Both of these arguements of true of course. The PS2 has a vast library of quality games. That can't be denied, coupled with the fact that it can play original PSX games, the selection of quality games dwarves that of the Xbox. However this won't always be the case. The Playstation will always have more games, I doubt in the lifespan of the Xbox(two maybe three more years) that Microsoft will be able to eclipse Sony's number of games. But what it can, and will, do is put out more quality games in the future. This is due to the fact that it is easier to program for and is using more up to date technology.
OK now that the rivalry paragraph is done away with let's move on to bigger and better things. I love the Xbox controller. I know I am in a minority here, but I do. I find, playing Halo, that the controller is almost an extension of my body. I don't find the movements to any of the buttons(except start and select) at all strained or distracting. The white and black buttons take a little getting used to, but they are usually not used very often. To use the previous example Halo they turn on your flash light or toggle your grenades, not life or death. If the controller is too big for your hands, or just plain awkward, you are in luck the newer Xbox's come with the smaller controller. Now the white and black buttons are bellow the other buttons to make them easier to reach. Everything else is the same except that everything is smaller and more compact.
The system link option is great if you are in a college dorm type atmosphere. You can link four consoles and up to sixteen people. Of course not all games offer that as an option, but many do. The problem is that you need one Xbox for each system link and also one TV. So for sixteen people to play you need four TVs, four Xboxs, four system links and sixteen controllers. That kind of adds up, but again if you live in very close proximity to other people it isn't at all inconceivable.
The hard drive is great. It almost completely eliminates the need for memory cards. You still need one if you are going to someones house and want to use your saved games. You can store music on it so certain games(Project Gotham 1 & 2) allow you to listen you like rather than music that is on the game. You can also use it as a stereo if you don't have one. True the sound out of you TV isn't great, but it is better than nothing. I stored around 30-40 full length CDs on my Xbox, along with save files for twenty or so games. If you have the DVD player remote you can make the screen saver big too. It is one of those types that changes with the music you are playing, a cheap thrill, but cool none the less.
The DVD remote which I mentioned earlier is another nice feature. True you do have to buy it, unlike the PS2, but I still like it. For $30 you really should get more options with the remote, but $30 for a DVD player isn't at all bad. You can zoom, fast forward, pause and all the other junk you have come to take for granted. You can't check the extra angle shots, so if you into porn you will need another DVD player, sorry guys. Not a bad DVD player, but not great either. I heard that only certain serial numbers of DVDs can be read by the Xbox, if this is true I have never had a problem. I own, rent and borrow alot of DVDs and use the Xbox for all of them, never any problem. I have had issues with the Xbox reading scratched or dirty DVDs, but that is it.
OK what about the games? The selection is getting very good very quickly. The GTA titles are here, Halo 2 is around the corner, a variety or sports and racing games and finally a few good RPGs as well. Morrowind is one of the best RPGs to come along on any console in a long while. Halo is one of the finest FPSs of all time and one can only hope that the 2nd does the first justice. Project Gotham 1 and 2 are great racing games, descendants of Metropolis Street Racer on the Dreamcast. Max Payne 1 & 2 are both great action games. Splinter Cell and Metal Gear are among the elite of stealth action games. The Xbox has come along way very quickly in giving a steady amount of quality games. At first it reminded me of the N64 where I would look at what two games were released that month and then see if they were even genres I was remotely interested in. This Christmas season gave a flood of new hot titles and the spring release dates are just as tempting.
Now one of the biggest reasons to have an Xbox is Xbox live. I can't honestly say much about it. I have never used it myself. I know it allows you to talk to other users with a microphone and some games, like Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic and Project Gotham 2, allow you to download extras with it. Sports games, as well as other types of games allow you to play head to head and co-op with other users. Pretty much what you probably have been doing on the PC for years now. The only real problem is that you have to pay for it and it is exclusively broad band. Unlike the Dreamcast you can't get by on a modem. But playing online with a modem sucks anyway so it isn't a great loss. But it will cut a certain portion of the population out of using Xbox live.
That the graphics and sound is great go's without saying. The hardware inside is top of the line. If you have a HD TV(which I don't) some games are supposed to look even better. How much so I have no idea, but I tend to doubt there is a big change. The Xbox can put more better looking images on the screen than any other console. True they are only finally now coming into their own with the graphics. But it takes time to push the limits of the machine. There is at least two more years of milking the Xbox for all its worth and the results will be beautiful.
Well that's about it. I love the Xbox even if it is big, ugly and has a big green dot in the center of it. It's price $179 now is a bargain, Microsoft is taking a big hit with each sale. Great for kids and adults alike. I recommend it to anyone who loves to play video games.
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