phungus's Full Review: Microsoft Xbox 360 Core System White Console
A few years ago, I had a Sony PlayStation 2 and enjoyed it quite a bit, though I always thought it wasn’t quite as good as a PC. I sold the PS2 shortly after building a sweet gaming PC and I played PC games almost exclusively for a year. When Hurricane Katrina swept away my apartment building, I replaced my gaming PC with a basic laptop. I eventually purchased a Microsoft Xbox to support my gaming habit since it was much cheaper than building a new gaming PC.
One of the reasons why I chose to go with the Xbox over another PS2 was that the Xbox is heavily rooted in PC gaming and it had a more interesting lineup of games that I wanted to play. There were many games available for both PC and Xbox that wouldn’t run well on my laptop, but I knew they’d be perfect on the Xbox since they were designed for the system. I also liked knowing that through Microsoft’s Xbox Live service, I could play games online with other people.
When you look at the hardware specs on the Xbox, it sounds very much like a computer because this console basically is a stripped-down computer. It comes with a 733 mhz processor, 64 megs of RAM, an NVIDIA graphics card, an 8 gigabyte hard drive, and support for Dolby Digital Surround. While 733 mhz and 64 megs of RAM might sound very weak, you have to remember that this machine doesn’t need to run Windows and all that other stuff that drag down a regular computer. Instead, this thing is designed specifically for playing multimedia-intensive video games, and it does a great job of it.
Another big selling point, for me at least, is that this system supports HDTV going up to 1080i format. I have an HDTV and I look forward to anything that will utilize its capabilities. You can really tell the difference in quality when switching between standard 480i resolution and high definition picture. Only a few games were made that use the 1080i format, but at least the option is available. I also like being able to use an optical cable to get 5.1 channel surround sound out of all my games.
I think the controller design of this system is brilliant and I find it very comfortable to handle. The thumb sticks were not placed parallel to each other, like on the PS2, and while this might look like it would be difficult to control, the result is quite user-friendly. You can also buy wireless controllers or extension cables for them, and the Xbox will allow you to connect up to four controllers at once.
The majority of games available for the Xbox are action-oriented, and there are some great ones out there. If you want to pilot some giant robots and blow up other robots, check out the MechAssault series, which is like a console version of the popular MechWarrior series for PC. If you want to play some military-style combat, it doesn’t get much better than Battlefield 2: Modern Combat, which is the superior console equivalent of the Battlefield 2 PC game. If you are into driving games, Forza Motorsport is the Xbox equivalent of PlayStation’s Gran Turismo series. If sports games are your thing, you can rest assured that all the major Madden and other EA Sports releases are also available on this system.
The Xbox is, unfortunately, short on role playing games. RPG’s are my favorite genre, but I think some of the best have always been on the PC, so I’ll let the Xbox slide in that regard. Even though there are only a handful of decent RPG’s for the Xbox, the ones that are available are really good. They include: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 1 and 2 - These two immersive games put you in the Star Wars world like never before. The first one is better than the second, but these are still both really great games. Jade Empire - Originally an Xbox exclusive game that is now available for the PC. The gameplay is very much like the SW: KOTOR series, but with a completely different story, set around ancient Asian culture. This is one of the best role playing games ever made for any system. Other honorable mentions include Fable and Morrowind, both of which let you freely roam around while exploring the game and unfolding the story.
I’ve been playing my Xbox for well over a year now and still enjoy it very much. While I do still enjoy my PC gaming, I find it convenient to be able to simply put in a game disc and start to play without having to worry about updating video drivers or downloading patches to make my games work. I work full time as Computer Support Specialist and when I get home, I often don’t feel like working on my own machine after having worked on everybody else’s all day long.
Another benefit of the Xbox over PC gaming is with online play. With PC games, they are very easy to hack and cheat and you’ll find a lot of this happening on Internet games. Since the Xbox is a standalone system that is very difficult to modify, it greatly reduces the number of hackers and cheaters, though you will sometimes still find people exploiting bugs in some games online, especially with Battlefield 2: Modern Combat.
Today, the Xbox may not have the same quality graphics you might see in a modern PC game, but at the time of its release, it was quite competitive with most PC games. I still think it looks great, but I’m also one who puts gameplay ahead of graphics when determining how much I like a game. If the gameplay is solid and fun, such as in Battlefield 2 or Jade Empire, then I can tolerate a few jagged edges in the graphics. It does have much higher graphical ability than the PS2, though.
I am very happy with my Microsoft Xbox and play it several times a week. Since the Xbox 360 has been out for a while now, I don’t think it would be a good idea to pay top dollar for a brand new original Xbox. Instead, I’d suggest you go on eBay or check your newspaper ads for a good used one. Since this system is considered ‘old’ now, you can find a lot of really great games for dirt cheap prices, and many of them are still being supported by other players.
By now you ve already heard how Xbox 360 puts you at the center of the most powerful games on the planet, hence the 360, as in 360 degrees (geometry s...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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