Halo 3: Wristband Sweatband - Grunt Logo

THIS IS AN OFFICIAL LICENSED HALO 3 COLLECTIBLE PRODUCT. IF YOU ARE AHALO 3 FAN THEN THIS IS FOR YOU. THIS IS A HALO 3 ORANGE & BROWN WRISTBAND. WITHT HE FACE OF HALO 3 ON THE FRONT OF THE WRISTBAND.

Price:

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Playseat Evolution Gaming Seat (Black with Silver)

With its completely renewed design and double-stitched vinyl cover, the black Playseats Evolution gaming seat puts you smack dab in the middle of your favorite racing game. The seat works with almost all racing peripherals on the market and every game console, including the Xbox 360, GameCube, PlayStation2, PCs, and more. More importantly, the chair is notably comfortable while delivering the most realistic racing simulation around.

Details include a reinforced steel tubular construction that adds stability and eliminates excess wobble, a non-flammable seat material, and an easy-to-assemble design. Just install a game steering wheel, such as the latest Logitech model, on the middle pole and attach a couple of pedals along the bottom (all sold separately). The setup is also easily adaptable, with multiple adjustment knobs letting you move the wheel and pedals closer or farther, depending on your height. Appropriate for ages 8 and older, the Evolution seat is the perfect accessory for gamers who want to boost their lap times in style.

Price: $349.99

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Mini Game Console Storage Plastic Shelf in Black

The "Game Caddy" is the ultimate organizational solution, to enhance your gaming experience. The Game Caddy has been designed to accommodate virtually all of today's popular gaming consoles. With the unique console management area, your gaming console fits in the Game Caddy without protruding cords and cables getting in the way. The Game Caddy also allows you to store your games and accessories, keeping them together and organized. The ventilated tiers also help to prevent your consoles from overheating.

• Dimension: 17"W x 13"D x 24"H
• Color: Black
• Material: Plastic
• Mini Game Console Storage Shelf Plastic Construction in Black
• High quality; made strong and durable in black solid design.
• Made from non-toxic materials with ventilatd tiers and console management ports.
• Game dividers for video game organization.
• Designed for smaller game consoles such as Nintendo Wii, PS2 and gamecube, etc.
• Tiers can be inverted and used accordingly.
• Easy to clean and maintain, sustaining a long product life; rust free.
• Can be used to organize accessories, from smallest handhelds to larger bulkier items.
• Each tier consists of ventilated openings to prevent moldings or mildew.
• Support ribs on the underside of each tier.
• Support up to 50lbs per tier.
• 1 year limited warranty.
• Bureau Vertias Certified.
• Also available in Mega size.
• Easy to assemble and disassemble.
• 100% made in USA.

Price: $62.08

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Logitech PlayStation 3 Vantage USB Microphone

High performance USB microphone for use in singing games on the PLAYSTATION 3 and PlayStation 2

Price: $29.99

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Nintendo DS Lite Handheld Game Console

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Everybody is trying to slim down for this summer and the Nintendo game console is not an exception. In our review of the original Nintendo DS handheld reviews, we had mentioned that, the only characteristic of the console that we did not like is its bulkiness and Well, Nintendo heard us! They have addressed this issue with a signature Nintendo remodelling. In fact, it has been given an extra dosage of style, not only has it slimmed down, it has brightened up too. Called the Nintendo DS Lite, it improves upon its predecessor in almost every conceivable way.

The DS Lite Game Dual Screen console is a beauty of a machine that is a major argument in its own right for clever thinking over packing as much tech into the box as possible. The key selling points of the original DS, such as the dual screen displays, built-in wireless connectivity, touch screen with stylus and microphone for voice control over certain games. The launch of the DS back in the year 2004 was limited success; with the release of the DS Lite in the year 2006 giving it a new lease of life and driving the UK market crazy.

We are reviewers, so it is really hard for us to go past without saying the cons of the model. As far as the Nintendo Lite is concerned, the downside is that the enhancements in the console are only cosmetic than anything else, just offers the gamers a light weighed and much more stylish way of getting their latest Magnetica and Super Mario Bros on.

Design:

The Nintendo DS Makeover:

The tangible weight and size reductions, repositioned buttons, sharper visual performance, repositioned stylus holder, everything is a welcome addition to the Japanese giant’s celebrated family of portable gaming console, the Nintendo DS. Aesthetically the Lite looks absolutely terrific.
This Nintendo DS Lite Handheld console that has got a very notable make-over attempts to make the same fashion statement for video games that the iPod did for the MP3 players. As in the case of iPod, the Lite too comes in a wide spectrum colours. It is also available in a limited edition Pink supported by the female artist with the same name. But at the time of its release only the black and white models were available. Although the DS Lite is available in different colours, it’s the lacquered white finish that shows Nintendo’s new baby off to best effect, hence the obvious Apple comparisons. As in the original DS, the DS Lite too comes with two vertically tiered screens. The bottom touch screen is the one that you will be using on stylus or a finger to perform operations like selecting the moving options and moving characters. If you are not very comfortable with the touch screen operations, a normal face button layout is also available and it gives you a more standard method of control.

It is really lite:

As the name indicates, the console has shredded a lot of weight and is not a much more compact system, measuring (H x W x D) 133 x 72 x 21 mm and weighs just 217 grams. These figures show that the console is about 39% smaller and 21% lighter than its elder brother. In the original model, the bottom half was over sized, but this model has the top and bottom halves symmetrical and rounded corners that are more tampered. Despite the overall size reductions, the trademark twin displays have the same dimensions. With these changes made to the design, the DS Lite is now a much more pocket friendly console.

Finger print and scratch magnet:

The single biggest problem with the DS Lite is that, it comes in a high gloss finish and so is a magnet of fingerprints. Nintendo has also failed to include the rudimentary cleaning cloth in the package. The Black coloured Lite is the device that is most affected by this characteristic of Lite. On the positive side, the clamshell design makes sure that the DS Lite travels well, limiting the scratches and marks to the exterior, while the dual touch displays remain fully protected.

Some repositioning:

The layout of DS Lite is mostly similar to that of Nintendo DS with some slight beneficial changes. The speaker retains its place in the top half of the clamshell, taking the centre position and despite being smaller than the original DS, it sounds as loud as its predecessor. The bottom part of the console feels more flimsy, maybe because we got used to the bulkier model. To the left of the touch screen, you will find the D-Pad that is about ¾ the size of the original, but not reductions in the efficiency. Though the four X, Y, A and B face buttons are essentially the same, they feel a little more pronounced than the original DS. You will no longer find the semi ovals on the top, as the start and stop buttons are now small circles and you will find them on the bottom.  The power button also has been moved to the right side of the system, a re-location from just above the D-pad. This change is one of the most welcome changes as the original looks exactly like the select and start buttons, and had been placed in the same area on the opposite side; this led to occasional turn off instead of pausing.

The facia of the DS Lite Console system has been left untouched, from left to right, you will find the volume control, the GBA game slot and the in-line enabled headphone port. You will find the microphone in the hinge between the screens. The rear of the unit too is basically the same and the only difference you will notice is that, the stylus holder is moved from the back of the system to the left of power switch. Though the left and right triggers have been miniaturised, as in the case of the face buttons, they are more pronounced and much easier to press. The DS cartridge slot is centred at the top, and the AC power port is off to the left. The system includes an AC adaptor, two styli that match the Lite’s colour, and a smaller wrist strap that.

The cartridges:

The DS Lite Console from Nintendo has its own cartridges that have a size that is in between SD and CompactFlash cards. It is almost fully backward compatible with the GameBoy Advance titles; we had to use “almost” there because the unit does not play multiplayer modes of the GBA games. Though the cartridges of DS are much smaller in capacity than the Sony PSP’s UMDs, the good news here is that they can be played without the wait for the unbearable load times of this proprietary format of Sony.

The GBA slot:

The GBA slot itself has undergone some makeover. Instead on an empty cartridge slot, Nintendo has now included a plastic cover that looks like a half size GBA game. It looks as though you will lose it for sure, though it is quite sleek it also put itself in the place of our criticism. The GBA games stick out of the cartridge slot by about a centimeter; the original DS fits the cartridges perfectly. There is nothing very serious to worry about though, as it does not impede the game playing even in the slightest way. And when you consider the fact that the DS is backwards compatible with tons of GBA games, it is really a very small price to pay.

Features of DS Lite:

Forget what the DS Lite does not offer: major interactive feature upgrades, improved quality of games, better software performance or ace out the PSP in terms of whiz bang 3D graphics technology. Instead concentrate on the strides that the system makes like enhancement in the overall quality of gameplay, improvement in visibility and of course more pocket friendly.

Excellent WiFi service:

Being introduced just after a year after the system had launched, the WiFi compatibility on the DS is surprisingly solid, especially considering the fact that it is a free service that is hosted by a company that is known for its aversion to online gaming. As in the case of the original DS, the WiFi setup is extremely simple and efficient in the DS Lite too. The WiFi system recognises most of the wireless connections. If you have no WiFi hot spots nearby, you can always create one from a broadband connected PC just by attaching the Nintendo USB Wi-Fi connector to it.

Play with your buddies nearby:

If you wish to create a friends list, just enter a 12 digit friends codes for each game that you would like to play with your buddies. But if you wish to play against the non-friends, it will either be a hit or a miss as you will not be finding a game to join as fast as you will on an online console like the Xbox 360, but as long as you are playing a fairly popular game in a reasonable hour, it will not be long before you locate your competition. You can even have a voice chat using the offered microphone. We prefer the local wireless as it is much more reliable with the additional benefit of allowing multiplayer via a single cartridge. With the GBA multiplayer games, you will not be able to play head to head over a wireless connection and with the absence of a link cable port, you will not be able to have a wired bond to the older GBAs or Nintendo GameCubes. This is not possible at least until Nintendo releases yet another adaptor that interfaces with the proprietary power port of DS Lite.

Graphics Quality:

The quality of graphics of the DS Lite games is pretty decent. They are better than the PS1/N64, but were nowhere near the quality of Xbox or PS2 or the Nintendo GameCube. And they are no better when compared to the games of PSP. One area where the DS Lite over powered the other consoles is in its innovative quality of titles. While the PSP games were much like the games of its siblings, while the touch screen set-up of the DS-Lite that allows the designers to create some really unique game play. It is quite disappointing that the DS Lite does not have the audio, video and web surfing features of the PSP.

Improved Brightness:

Nintendo has made some real improvements in the brightness settings by upgrading it to four, whereas the original DS had only two of them. At the lowest setting, the Lite is just as bright as the original DS, but at the brightest setting, it is simply brilliant and is as bright as the GBA SP. But the GBA game’s colours look very much washed out while played with the lite, whereas the good quality backlighting of DS makes the graphics of the games stand out.

Games for all:

No body can deny the fact that a console is only good as its games and equally, a console also gets the games that it deserves. As far as the Lite is concerned, Nintendo has led by example with its range of touch generations by producing some groundbreaking titles that not only appeal to the veteran gamers but has also ensnared brand new audiences who previously would not have touched a video game.

For instance, the Nintendogs is essentially a pet simulator having some unique features that will allow you to interact with your digital mutt like never before. With the help of the stylus you will be able to actively tickle and stroke your pooch, throw Frisbees for it to chase and much more. With voice recognition, you can call the pet and even teach him to obey command and teach tricks by speaking directly into the console. In the Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain? You take part in a wide range of number and word based challenges against the clock. Based on an analysis of your performance, the game then calculates your brain age and offers a regime for self-improvement. Again, it is the interactivity that makes this such fun, and you will be scribbling down words memorised from lists, shouting out colours and much more.

Software:

The DS software catalogue is expanding at a terrific rate. But it is worth noting that an in-built cartridge slot provides full compatibility with the entire back catalogue of Game Boy Advance games; perfect for retro heads.
For testing the battery performance of the Nintendo DS lite against the DS original, we played an exact same game at the brightest setting and max volumes of each of the systems. The Lite lasted for about five hours whereas its predecessor came out as the winner with about six hours and forty five minutes. It takes about three hours to get the system fully charged and as in the case of the DS original, Lite to goes into sleep mode when the system is closed.

Power Supply:

One thing that is annoying about the DS Lite is that it uses a different power supply to the original DS. Given, it is the same PSU as the GBA Micro, but that is not going to help current DS owners that want to upgrade and fancy having a PSU at work and at home.

Warranty:

Nintendo offers its DS Lite with one year manufacturer’s warranty.

Verdict:

If you still do not own a portable gaming device, the Nintendo DS Lite is worth having a consideration especially with its list of quirky and original titles. So, if you have not yet got the hip to the dual screen diversion’s charms; the touch sensitive titles experienced through top and bottom mounted visual displays using stylus or d-pad and button based front end, this is just the perfect chance. But if you already own the original model, then we would say that the improvements are not very significant enough to shell out another 100 more pounds, unless you are really desperate to get rid of the bulkiness of the handheld console. If you like to own a portable console with more mature titles with decent multimedia capabilities and web browsing, the Sony PSP is a best buy.

Nintendo DS Lite Console - Technical Specification Table

2 Backlit, 260,000 colour, 3? diagonal reflective TFT LCD screens.
Lower one is a touch screen. 2D and 3D video accelerationD-pad; four buttons plus shoulder buttons
and select and start buttons;
stylus on lower touch screenOne ARM7 processor and One ARM9 processor.
4 megs memory.Built in stereo speakers with virtual surround sound,
mic and headphone jackPictoChat wireless messaging application.
Clock and calendar.
Metroid Prime: First Hunt (first person shooter)
demo included.Two slots: one for Game Boy Advance games
and another
for DS game cartridges.
The DS is not compatible
with Game Boy Color and earlier games.Touch screen, embedded microphone for voice
recognition, A/B/X/Y face buttons, plus control pad,
L/R shoulder buttons, Start and Select buttons.
The stylus is 1 centimeter longer and 2 millimeters
thicker than the stylus of the original Nintendo DS.Nintendo DS game cards and Game Boy
Advance game paks, terminals for stereo
headphones and microphoneEnglish, Japanese, Spanish, French, German, ItalianFive to 19 hours of play on a four-hour charge,
depending on use; power-saving sleep modeNintendo DS Lite with battery installed,
two styli, wrist strap
with “thumb stylus”
attached at the end, instruction
booklet and charger

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Microsoft Xbox 360 Pro Review

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The fall of 2005 marked the launch of the first “next generation” console – The Xbox 360, a year ahead of the nearest rivals – the Sony Playstation 3 and the Nintendo Wii.  Microsoft’s second venture in gaming managed to capitalize on a strong demand that translated into good sales growth.  It realized that right price is the key to winning half the battle. Keeping that in mind, Microsoft has launched 2 versions of the Xbox- the Xbox 360 Core and the Xbox Pro. Both these versions are improved versions of the original Xbox – a bigger storage capacity, improving multimedia and offering several other formats. The Xbox 360 Pro features a three CPU that runs at 3.2 GHz ATi 500 MHz graphics processor and an in built DVD Drive.  The 20GB console has an in built Ethernet port and is HDMI ready and with an HDMI output that promises to make gaming a great experience.

The following is a review on the Xbox 360 Pro; there are several different versions of the Xbox basing on the storage capacity and the A/V capabilities. Does this console promise to set newer heights or is it better to wait another couple of months for the Playstation or the Wii, read the review to find out.

Design:

Form Factor:
At 12.1 x 3.27 x 10.1 inches, the Xbox Pro Gaming Console is smaller than the original and can be laid vertically too thanks to interchangeable face plates. Microsoft has managed to keep the weight down to just 8.8 pounds because they built a laptop style hard drive which is detachable from the main unit instead of building a desktop style drive. For Data entry, there is a small keyboard accessory provided that snaps on the controller. The IR Port on the front panel allows using compatible remote controls without any external dongle. The Xbox 360 has in built Wi-Fi capabilities and can support up to 4 wireless controllers. Did we mention that the Xbox is now available in a host of colours including pink and black?

The worrying power supply and drive:
However, the design has 2 major shortfalls – its over sized power supply and extremely noisy disk drive. The power brick is very big. At 6 pounds, it is bigger than anything its rivals will have. The Cable to it is equally huge and the DVD Drive is very noisy. The fans run loudest when the GPU and the CPU go into the game mode. The system tends to get heated up soon, to avoid it, it is recommended to put it in a well ventilated area.

Ports:
The stylishly designed Microsoft Xbox 360 Pro 20GB console contains 2 memory slots on the front and the power button. One can connect any wired controllers or any USB accessories as well as cables to connect to a digital camera, Mp3 player or even an iPod. The HD Cables do not come with an optical cable so one should buy them separately. The Hard Drive is hardly noticeable when plugged in.  Two more USB ports are hidden behind a spring loaded door and one more is in the rear of the system below the adaptor. There is an HDMI port, am Ethernet port and an infrared port provided as well.

Controller:
There are 2 controller options – the wireless and the wired. The wireless controllers can be synced to the system by holding the connect button down on both the system and the control. 2 AA batteries are required for using the wireless controller.

The Controller for the Xbox Pro is not a new design however, it is much better than the original Xbox controller. They are nice and small, and the white and black buttons have been moved to the top of the controller like the double button design of the dual shock. There are the left/right joystick, a directional pad and X, Y, A and B Buttons as well. The buttons have a quick response time and the green light around the “X” symbol is a nice touch. The Type S Controller has triggers which are not as quite as deep as they were, but still very responsive. That makes playing racing games a pure joy. One feature, we have liked is the ability to switch off/on the 360 using the controller, which means you do not have to get up from your couch to switch off the console.

Setup and Installation of 360 Pro:

It is relatively easy to setup the Xbox 360 however the documentation is skimpy. To install the 360, one needs to control the AV Cable to a television or the AV receiver. Connect the Ethernet cable and the power supply to the Xbox 360 and switch on the power.  If you use HDTV you would need to flip a switch on the AV Cable that switches the display ratio format from 4:3 to 16:9 otherwise you will see only 4:3 ratios on the display. One point to note is the fact that the Xbox 360 supports only optical digital cables and there are no ports for co axial digital cables.

The Core package does not come with component A/V Cables, one of the several reasons why it is better to prefer the Pro package.

Features:

User Interface:
The Dashboard interface of the Xbox has been redesigned. There is a vertical tab interface that you can flip through using controller’s joystick knob. The tabs are intuitive and easy to browse through. There are four major vertical tabs – the Xbox live, Games, Media and System. The Xbox Live tab allows you to log in and see your Xbox live profile information, check email and browse the Marketplace. The Games tab is where you will be able to see your achievements and play the game in an optical drive and view game demos and trailers. The Media tab is where it becomes evident that the 360 is more than just a gaming console. One can view photos and listen to audio files from XP machines on the LAN. The Settings tab is where you can modify the system settings, memory settings and network settings.

The Ring of Light and Xbox Guide Button:
The ring of light present on the front of your console is the power button and it is divided into four quadrants that can display a variety of colours depending on what’s going on. There is another button on the controller – the Xbox X., which is also divided into four quadrants. On activating the wireless controllers, the colours on the quadrants of controller as well as the console light up. If they match, it means that a wireless connection has been made.

Another prominent button present on the controller and the remote control is the Xbox guide button. This button gives access about the information on a person who has challenged you on the Xbox Live and find downloadable content for the game currently being played. This button also functions as a power button allowing you to switch on/off your console using the controller.

Xbox Live and Xbox Marketplace:
Microsoft has launched the Xbox Live feature that allows you to access special features of the game and your favourite game online. There are 2 versions of the Xbox available – The Silver version and the Gold Version. The Silver version allows you to access the Xbox Live Marketplace and communicate with other users. The Gold Version gives access to all the available features and more importantly play online.  Microsoft has promised Gold service for the first month to all new Xbox 360 owners. The market place is an area where one can download game trailers, demos and new content. They do have some pretty neat games and lots of exciting content. Thumbs up to Microsoft for doing such a great job in this segment.

Digital Entertainment:
The Xbox 360 Pro System allows you to watch DVD movies, pictures and other content on CD/DVDs. It allows you to rip music to the hard drive even if you plug a MP3 player in to a USB 2.0 part. The Remote provided allows you to control the Xbox while it behaves as a DVD/CD player. The console is compatible with iTunes and Zune as well as other audio formats.

Internet Connectivity:
When it comes to Internet connectivity, the Xbox 360 uses the very popular 0802.11 wireless model in favour of the original 100MBit Ethernet connection that the original Xbox ran on. The Xbox 360 allows you to access internet and download stuff. The appreciable feature is the fact that its performance is comparable to desktops at least in terms of cached memory and computational power. There are browser functions that allow you to watch Live TV and this gives it a strong foundation taking it beyond game play and establishing itself as a central entertainment staple.

Video and audio specs:
The Xbox 360 Pro boasts of a customized IBM Power PC CPU with 3 processing cores running at 3.2Ghz. But perhaps its most notable feature is its availability to output graphics. All the Xbox 360 games are designed to output a minimum of 720p and they can be upscaled to 1080p. The HD Component is available via the component video cable or you can use your own HDMI Cable. The other alternative is using VGA Adapters provided by Microsoft and JoyTech which allows you to connect HDTVs and PCs. There is even a fallback composite output and the system provides an output of standard 480i resolution for 4:3 sets.  The Xbox 360 offers an amazing video experience with unbelievable speed and consistency.

The Xbox Pro offers top class Dolby digital audio. The in game sound tracks are rendered in full real time surround creating an immersive effect. All the AV Cables include an optical audio output and standard analogue stereo connections for connecting to a TV or stereo. But by doing the latter, you lose the surround effect. You can use HDMI and have digital video and audio handled by a single cable. The Xbox supports the following formats - Support for DVD-Video, DVD-ROM, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, CD-DA, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, WMA CD, MP3 CD, JPEG Photo CD

Performance:

At the first look, you might wonder what all the fuss is about. The Xbox 360 does not look futuristic enough to entice interest. But once you start playing some games you would realize the huge potential that the Xbox has.

Graphics:
High Definition is a pre requisite for Advanced Gaming. For High Definition, games have to be either in 720p or 1080p. Put in a game and experience the incredible HD clarity. We played the Call of Duty 2 on the Xbox and wow! The graphics were incredulous. They were sharp and the game play was very fluid.  The high resolution details enable one to enjoy gaming and takes things to the next level.

The online networks:
Apart from Gaming, the Xbox 360 opens doors to the online network of Xbox live. With Xbox live, the possibilities are endless. The 360 is intended to make the console a centre piece of digital entertainment.  The 360 is capable of playing DVDs and CDs like before. The Dashboard interface transforms into a media centre interface when you pop in an audio CD. The Xbox has inbuilt Windows Media Centre Extender software, which is a remote desktop to your MCE Box and displays everything the MCE is capable of performing. One can stream high definition content from an MCE making it the best implementation of a media centre extender today.

Red Rings of Death:
There have been reports of hard ware failures in the case of the Xbox 360. The most infamous of them being the three flashing red lights around the 360’s power button, nicknamed as the “Red Rings of Death”. It represented an internal problem that required service, such as freeze – ups, graphical problems etc. When an error occurs, the user’s attempt to turn the console on results in the lighting up of only 3 out of 4 quadrants of the X and the console does not function. Though usually it occurs due to some internal hardware failure, it sometimes is due to the lack of sufficient power supply or power surges . The General Hardware failure results in a similar looking error warning when 4 red lights appear.  When the console is overheated,  the users are warned so by the indication of flashing of 2 red lights.

Accessories included:

Clearly, the focus has been on using wireless technology for everything from controllers to headsets. By doing so, they have eliminated the mess of cables and lines. There are host of accessories provided along with the Xbox 360. Apart from the console system, there is a headset, a wireless controller, an Ethernet cable, a Component HD AV Cable and an AC power adapter. Regarding the headset, the microphone can be adjusted for quality and noise cancelling microphone improves game response to voice commands and provides good voice communication.

Power Consumption:

The Xbox 360 is a power hog considering the fact that it draws about 160 watts of power twice as much as its rivals do. It consumes more power than most home entertainment devices. The Bulky power adapter is another dampener.

Warranty:

There is a warranty of one year on the console from the date of the purchase. There is a 90 day warranty provided for the accessories provided along with it. Microsoft however, charges for any sort of problems after that for a fee. One can access help and support using the telephone, online chat and email assistance.

Note: As of 2010, Users who face the problem of the “red rings of death “ can claim for replacing the console under the extended new warranty as it falls under “General Hardware Failure”. The Warranty for Xbox 360 models has been extended to 3 years now and it covers errors under the E74 code as well.

Verdict:

Microsoft has done it again! They have managed to launch a next generation console reaching all the expectations. The 360 has set newer targets for its future rivals – the Playstation 3 and the Nintendo Wii. It truly is the best Media Centre Extender available today. Apart from Gaming, it’s ability to read DVDs/ CDs and view pictures are a marvellous addition. The Internet connectivity is another bonus. But the Xbox Live and the marketplace have added a whole new dimension to gaming. Their amazing features will give it an edge amongst all its other rivals. However, there are a few downsides to this marvellous device. The Power adapter is too big and so is the power consumption.  The ROM Drive was extremely noisy and the console got heated in a very little time. However, these are minor irritants when compared to the joy the console offers especially while gaming. Definitely a must buy!

Note: out of the two models, Xbox  Core and the Xbox Pro; we suggest you to choose the Pro because it offers component A/V Cables, hard drive memory and HD output. Something that the core lacks and hence will deprive you of the pure pleasure the console offers.

Check 2010 latest Game Consoles, other Microsoft console reviews in this website.

Microsoft Xbox 360 Pro Console - Technical Specification Details

20GB External hard drive
One HDMI port
Processor Type is IBM PowerPC with 3 cores at 3.2 GHz
Ethernet port
MS Windows XP Media Centre compatibleATI Xbox 360 - 256-bit - 2D/3D graphics acceleration
and a Video adapter memory of 10 MB - integrated
16-bit / Surround Sound at Rate 48 kHz1 x HDMI cable
1 HD AV cable, 1 Ethernet network cable, wireless controller,
a Xbox Live headset, a20GB external hard drive

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Nintendo Game Boy Micro Review

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Gaming has become one of the most important activities in everyday life for most of the contemporary people. It features in the agenda of almost all the youth. Of late, gaming has attained serious attraction from people of all ages and is now not just a juvenile fashion. People from all walks of life also now prefer gaming to watching television shows. And with the advancement of technology, as we have already seen, the sizes of all the electronic devices have been slaughtered. The gaming consoles, which once looked like the tower of your computer systems and which were situated inside the house, are now fitting into the hands of many ebullient youths. So, this is the perfect part of the panorama for the little Game Boys to play a cameo and to show their mettle. Now, Nintendo is one very illustrious company which features as the prime producer of gaming consoles along with the other champion manufacturers in the form of Sony and Microsoft. We are right now going to discuss about one of Nintendo’s excellent and also best selling gaming console, The Nintendo Game Boy Micro.

Design:

The X Factor is here!

From quite a time, we were dreaming of a gaming console that would differ from the norms and that which has a special characteristic that makes it a very unique console.  Well, we were very happy to see the almost dream-come-true console. Everything we dreamt of a handheld console was there in this Nintendo Game Boy Micro Console,  except for the fact that the edges are not that curvy in reality. It is sleek, stylish, portable and most importantly, landscape oriented. This is more important because landscape oriented devices always get the better off their portrait oriented counterparts when it comes to gaming. Imagine playing games on the latter, is it not kind of disquieting? Wowing at the design for some unknown feeling it creates when you take in your hands, we were still slightly disappointed at the same time, to see a smaller screen.

But, nonetheless, as we must accept the reality at the end of the day, we feel that you have got an almost perfectly designed console. It looks pretty stylish and is also not too big (4.0 x o.7 x 2.0 inches), hence its design supports portability. Let us now look further to find more details regarding its design. As usual, the screen takes the centre position and the controls lay surrounding it. On the left, we have the directional keypad, just like in most of the handheld gaming consoles. On the right are the A and B buttons, whose importance will be explained by any exuberant young player, even before you complete your question. Below the screen are the Select and the Start buttons. Another important feature here is that the faceplates of the device are removable and customisable and hence are praised by people because, they allow for personalization. Now, this means that regarding the buttons and the display, everything seems simple, normal and quite common. But still, the way they are arranged and put up makes it impressive for even a very stubborn pessimist.

Display:

The 2.0 inch TFT active matrix colour LCD is used in Game Boy Micro for display. It can produce as many as 32000 colours in all. This makes it ideal for almost all the latest games in the market. The games look all the more realistic when they are played. Since the device is landscape oriented and then the screen takes the centre position, the console is pretty much ideal for playing. You will feel prosperous this way. Now, even though the screen is slightly smaller than usual, we believe that Nintendo has given importance to the buttons this time around. User interface is also very essential and hence the screen is shrunk to just 2.0 inches. But even then, an average gamer would have expected a slightly bigger screen so that he could have had a good visual spectacle. But nonetheless, it is really a commendable effort put in by Nintendo in trying to adjust the available space and also in providing a very good and solid display mechanism. This very backlit screen of the Game Boy Micro is commended well and also received positive critiques for being superior to that of the original Game Boy Advance SP, which is a later model from Nintendo, and it also has been praised for its good visibility. The screen is very uniformly lit, and also the brightness is made adjustable due to the presence of a fine dot pitch. This smaller dot pitch is also accounted for the improvement of the sharpness of the Game Boy Micro’s display.

Features:

Processor: It is Really Sharp!

Now the Game Boy Micro handheld gaming console has got an impressive new processor designed by Sharp, which means that the device runs at lightning quick pace. In general, the Game Boy players do not come with a very fast processor because most of the games they feature require modest graphics and processing system. But this time around, the tables have turned and the 32-bit 16.8 MHz ARM processor (ARM7TDMI) is a really fast processor that makes the Game Boy Micro a very good player and manager of games, and more importantly, it also avoids the little problems, like hanging or delay, that frustrate you. You don’t want your Game Boy to cause problems while you are amidst a game. Do you?

Memory:

With a built in 32Kb cache memory and 256KB WRAM, you can expect the device to perform really quick.  The WRAM is a very fast version of RAM and it helps in the dynamic storage of data in the form of bits. This dynamic storage is important in the field if gaming and the magnitude 256KB simply means that the device is really advanced in terms of technology.

Joystick:

This is the only thing you will find to the left of the screen. The four way directional joystick is of great importance. It has two functions. One is helping you regarding the directions inside the game as you can manipulate your subjects in the game with the help of the joystick only. Another thing is that it helps you navigate through the menu and the other different items in it. But, one disappointing thing is that this joystick is only four way but not five way when it comes to directions. Most of the contemporary joysticks are five way directional, which means that they have an additional feature, which makes it easy for you to select the options by just the press of the centre button. But here, you need to use other button for the purpose of selection. Although this may sound like it is a petty issue, some pro gamers are very particular about this.

Headphones:

In order to make things more personal here, the Game Boy Micro comes with a headphone jack, which is often not seen in many other Game Boys. The Headphone jack is at the bottom of the device and any 3.5 mm headphones can be connected to it comfortably. Most of the times, if not every time, this option gives you better and more personal gaming experience and also it takes you to your own world of gaming without having to disturb your neighbours.

Games:

There are no specific games provided along with the Game Boy Micro, either built in or separately since the device is not provided with sufficient in built memory. This version of the Game Boy only supports the cartridge type inputs for gaming. There are lots of and also a great variety of games available in the market in the form of these cartridges. You should buy them separately as there is none given to you along with the Game Boy.

Customisation: Dress Your Game Boy

The Nintendo Game Boy Micro comes with a variety of faceplates that are available in the form of different designs and colours. These faceplates can be changed at any time by the user themselves in no time. The designs, silver with black, Ammonite, Ladybug, and black with silver, Flame and Camouflage faceplates are available in the market and they are also pretty colourful. The 20th anniversary edition faceplate was also released of late. These colours make your player a very interesting one and the designs are a feast to the eyes. Hence, the customisation option really has helped in boosting the sales of this player.

Performance:

Since this is a very new player and also since it is a revitalised version of the previous hit model from Nintendo, it is natural for anyone to expect that the Nintendo Game Boy Micro performs really well. Let us look at the performance details of this player so as to find out whether or not the beauty is on the inside as well.

Sound:

For you to experience the best of gaming you also need to have a solid audio mechanism on your Game Boy and that is what you can see on the Game Boy Micro. The speakers are revamped and redesigned so that the new ones are able to give out excellent sounds, which is, at the end of the day, all you need when you are on top of your gaming. On the device, these speakers are put in a very unique and new position which helps in giving some really good sounds. But, in order to experience or test the optimum sound experience, you need to connect your headphones. When we did that, we have found that the sounds were really good and they were nicely complementing the games and hence making the games more lively and energetic. We also recommend you to purchase good quality headphones so that you will have a great feel while playing.

Video:

As we have already seen, the screen is a great one and its display is very lucid and good. This is what any pro gamer would dream of. Some of the LCDs in the market are not sufficiently good and they create a few problems while playing and this really annoys any loyal gamer. The re-modeled screen also has a better dot pitch and hence better pixilation. This means that the subjects inside the game are clearly visible and are also distinct. This is really vital for any Game Boy player. And since the processor is also a pretty good one, you will be quite happy to see that there are no errors while playing. Hence, it can be said that the video performance is excellent from the Game Boy Micro.

Graphics:

Considering the array of graphically appealing games that are coming out of late into the market, it is quite necessary for your Game Boy to have a very solid graphics acceleration system. Fortunately, The Nintendo Game Boy Micro has got one such system and this makes your games run at a very good pace. Most if the games you play today need some graphics acceleration and the graphics chip of the Game Boy Micro has enough power to drive even the highest end games in the market.

Battery:

As usual, there is a 460 mAh rechargeable lithium ion battery inside the device. This is one of the better batteries you will find in the market. It takes just about 2.5 hours for complete charging and then the battery life is about 10 hours on an average. An external power adapter is also provided for the charging purpose.

Warranty:

The Nintendo Game Boy Micro is warranted against damage for a period of one year from the original date of purchase.

Verdict:

As we have come to the end of our journey, we can conclude that the Game Boy Micro is one of the best handheld game consoles available in the market. And it also focuses only on gaming and is so far successful in doing so. Its design is really captivating and its features are somewhat less in number but still, they proved their mettle in the end. The performance aspects also reached the expectations. Most importantly, the device is not highly priced and hence any enthusiastic gamer can afford to buy this one. It is really a commendable effort put in by Nintendo in providing a very good Game Boy for a moderate cost.

Check other Game Consoles from Nintendo and read Microsoft Game Consoles Reviews in this website.

Nintendo Game Boy Micro - Product Specification Details

Available Enclosure Colours and DesignsSilver with Black, Ammonite, Ladybug,
black with silver, Flame and CamouflageStereo speakers, 3.5mm headphone plugAnalogue joystick, built in triggers and action buttonsSharp 32-bit 16.8 MHz ARM processor (ARM7TDMI)Nintendo Game Boy Micro Console, AC Adapter,
one lithium ion battery, instruction manuals (Quick
Start Guide and Tips and Tricks booklet)
and warranty.

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Sony PlayStation 3 Slim Review

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Four years after the original PlayStation 2 was launched in 2000, Sony bought out a slimmer and a much more compact PS2. It was around the same time the highly popular Grand Theft Auto:  San Andreas was released which made the redesigned console liven up the PS2 franchise.  A couple of years later, Sony launched the PlayStation 3. A vast majority of these PS3 consoles sold to date were sold at a loss, even original 60 GB model. Thankfully, the guys at Sony have bought about some changes in the manufacturing procedures and the redesigned Cell processor as well as other similarly small and power efficient components reduced Sony’s manufacturing costs significantly.

Sony hopes that this trimmed version of the PS3 will similarly improve Sales of the PS3 which has not only lagged behind Nintendo Wii and the Microsoft Xbox 360 but also took some luster off the PS brand. This revamped version was launched as the PS3 slim and could well herald the start of a new profit making era for Sony. The Sony PS3 Console powered with a 45nm Cell Broadband Engine processor sports a 256MB RAM and has BD ROM Blu-ray player and a 120GB hard disk drive. The graphics adapter is a 256MD nVIDIA RSX which provides a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels.  Lighter and smaller than the hefty 60 GB classic, how was Sony’s console evolved? Read on to find out.

What’s New?

The Sony PlayStation 3 Slim is actually pretty similar to the original PlayStation 3.  The Slim offers a smaller size, reduced power consumption and more importantly a lower price. The usage of the 45nm manufacturing process ensures a lower power usage and shrinking in the size of the unit. The PS3 Slim also allows you to bit stream Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD audio. The lift up flap housing and array of memory card are gone, so are the ability to install a different OS, play older PS 2 games and the set of 4 USB ports. Though the new matte look makes the console look less premium, it eliminates the fingerprint and dust prone-ness of the original. There is a blu-ray disc drive an inbuilt Wi-Fi as well something that the XBOX 360 does not.  This perhaps explains why it is more expensive than the 360. Mind you, if you account in the cost of a Wi-Fi adapter and a Blu-ray disc drive to the price of a 360, the PS 3 Slim is cheaper.  Overall, more practical and buyable.

Design:

A Slimmed Down ‘PS 3’:
Undoubtedly, the first thing one would notice in the PS3 Slim is the design.  The design is very similar to the original PS3 but only two thirds of its size. At 2.6 inches tall, 11.4 inches wide and 11.4 inches deep, it feels like a little brother of the original PS 3. It has a dull matte finish with a plastic casing that neither feels classy or robust. The mirrored strip beside the opening of the disc slot and the plastic on the sides make it glamorous. It feels textured and this makes it feel inexpensive.

Stripped Down:
Remember the chrome trimming with the Silver PS 3? It is now replaced with a plain PS 3 logo on the top of the case.  The touch sensitive on/ off and eject buttons are absent and we have actual buttons that work when you push them.  The number of ports has been reduced from 4 to 2. The master power switch is removed and the newer power button present on the front has a low response time and boots up the console in 20 seconds.

Ports:
The Playstation 3 Slim 120GB Gaming Console does not have as many USB ports the original PS 3.There are only 2 USB ports around the front and behind the back is the HDMI, AV multi-out, optical out and Ethernet ports. The presence of a HDMI connection will satisfy most users and the optical out for connecting it to an AV receiver to take advantage of the Dolby True HD and DTS HD Master. Like the original, the HDMI connection can output 48 bit Deep colour and X.V colour. There is an AV multi connection with a cable which allows you to hook up to TVs which do not have HDMI. There is a memory card missing. And the power cable is now replaced with a slimmer 2 pin cable.

Controller:
Inside the controller is a high precision six axis sensing system that detects fine movements in roll, pitch and yaw and all the three dimensions of movement. This means one thing: Future PS 3 games would involve the usage of hands rather than just thumbs.  The PS 3 controller looks like its Dual Shock predecessors; it lacks the force feedback vibrations as it would interfere with the sensing system.  It runs on Bluetooth technology and is a hot swappable system.  The latter would allow you to pause your game and connect a USB cable to charge your controller while playing.

Looks Cheap:
What we did not really like about the PS 3 Slim is the fact that it looks cheap. As part of a cost cutting measure, Sony has had the choice of removing all the aesthetic design features of the original. We are not against it, but the XBOX 360 sells for cheaper and looks better than this.

Accessories:
Apart from the main gaming console, there is the Sixaxis wireless controller, an AC power cord, an Audio / Video cable and a USB cable provided with the package.

Hardware:
In terms of Volume, the Sony Playstation 3 Slim Game console with Blu Ray Player is one thirds slimmer than its predecessor and at 7 pounds; it joins a league of a more reasonable weight class unlike the original which weighed 11 pounds. It has a 45nm Cell Broadband engine processor and a 256MB RAM. The Cell processor and the co developed Nvidia graphics processor helps the system about 2 trillion calculations which makes it 350 times faster than the PS2, There is a BD ROM Blu-ray disc player and a 120GB hard drive. There is the BD ROM Drive that keeps your discs safe in the event that the console gets moved about. If you have ever accidentally tapped your XBOX 360 the wrong way and found your CD rendered unusable, you would appreciate the feature. The 256 MB Nvidia RSX provides a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. Its HDMI ports boast of delivering uncompressed and unconverted digital picture and sound which enriches the Home Theatre experience. There is also support for Dolby Digital True HD and DTS 5.1 which provides a great sound experience. The wireless interfaces supported are Bluetooth and IEEEE 802.11.

Setup:
Setting up the Sony PS 3 Slim Console is easy as well. When turned on, there is a standard setup option that lets you choose your video and audio outputs, video connections and network settings. If you choose HDMI, the PS console determines the best settings according to your equipment and lets you confirm the changes.  One can further refine settings under the XMB menu.

Interface:
The PS 3 uses a version of Sony’s Xross Media bar Interface.  While the same interface was slow on the BRAVIA TVs, it was worthwhile on the Slim. It lies at the centre of the PS 3 and is more accessible than the Xbox interface. There is access provided to the PlayStation Network as well for which one does not need to shell out extra.On a machine as powerful as it, the menus were fast and responsive. The easy to use and good to look at menus also respond fast to user input. One can even download themes from the PlayStation Network to change appearance of the menus. Viewing files on a USB is weird as one has to press the triangle button and choose View all which we think is unnecessary.

Supports:
The Sony PlayStation 3 Slim supports a wide variety of formats and hence saves you from forking out for a media bridge. The File format is not fully comprehensive with MPEG4/H.264, MPEG 2, AVI (MJPEG), AVCHD, DivX and WMV video support. If you have a diverse set of videos, you will realize that there are holes in the codec support for some of these file types. But do not worry, there are conversion software that will cure those problems and save one from the “The File is Corrupted “messages. The Music support gives you AAC, WMA and MP 3 as well. One can access BBC iPlayer directly from the XMB too. It also can be used to act as a media hub to stream contents from DLNA compatible networked devices such as computers and hard drives that are connected on routers. There is an inbuilt web browser that allows you to access the Internet.

Features:

If we talk about features on the PS 3 Slim, there is nothing new. However, as a cost cutting measure, Sony has stripped down features like the ability to add another OS such as Linux. One cannot play PS2 games and this might be a negative for some users.  The PS 3 uses an all in one remote control which is luxurious, but one cannot use a universal IR to control it.  But Omitted features aside; one can expect to achieve the same capabilities as the original PS 3 at a cheaper price. Did we mention that the console has an inbuilt browser and Wi-Fi?

HDMI:
For 1080p video HDMI is a preferred connection as the output is capped at 1080i. It does not offer multichannel analogue outputs and even the audio options are limited. The PS3 supports only multichannel PCM, it had to decode Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus and DTS Master Audio and convert them to PCM. Now the transmitter is changed to allow a raw bit stream output for Dolby TrueHD, DTS HD Master Audio etc. But secondary audio like PiP or those clicks and beeps in Blu-ray disc menus.

Blu-Ray Player:
The PlayStation 3 is not only a great gaming console, but an equally good Blu-ray device as well. The PS 3 games are encoded onto the Blu-ray disc media format which holds 6 times more data than a standard DVD. This increase in capacity along with the powerful processor and great graphics promise mind blowing fames. The PS 3 supports CD ROM, CD RW, DVD ROM, DVD R and DVD+R formats as well.

The PS 3 software update version 2.20 and above includes BD Live support with which one can play discs that support Blu-ray Disc Profile 2.0 and connect to the Internet while playing the discs. But the fact that the PS 3 has a BD ROM player gives it an edge over its rival the Xbox.

BRAVIA Sync:
When you connect the PS 3 Slim to the 32 inch BRAVIA L series TV, you can utilise the BRAVIA Sync and manage the system with the TV remote. To enable it, Go to System settings and select the Control for HDMI option. Once you do that, one can navigate through the XMB Menu and control video playback. You also can turn the display off and the PS 3 with the power button. But you cannot turn the pair back on. It is a neat feature, but considering the limitations, it is pretty useless as you will still need the DualShock 3 handy.

Gaming Device:
The PlayStation has always been intended to be a gaming device and in this field, it is more powerful device than the Xbox 360.  In terms of graphical fidelity, the PS 3 is good. But in terms of being an all round gaming device, the Xbox lies miles ahead of the PS 3 thanks to the ton of games available.  Sure the Xbox was launched a year early and has more titles than the PS 3 does. But the Xbox 360 has a great gaming platform and XBOX live is way better than the PlayStation network and hence it leads in sales. The PlayStation is expected to catch up with the Xbox 360 soon., let us hope it does.

New Titles:
Apart from the several games which are exclusively available on the PS 3 as well as an extensive list of major gaming titles, The PlayStation is still a gaming console. There are several top titles in high definition waiting to be released such as the Call of Duty Modern Warfare, FIFA 10, Final Fantasy XIII, Metal Gear Solid 4, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Tekken 6, Gran Turismo 5, MAG and many more

Backward Compatibility:
Other than the original 60 GB model, no other version of the PS 3 is compatible with the older and popular PS 2 games. If you own a PS2 and loads of PS 2 games and plan to ditch them to upgrade, beware. If you want to play all your PS 2 games, you will need to hang on to your old console.

PlayStation Network:
Like the XBOX Live, Sony has introduced the PlayStation Network and with 120GB storage capacity one can store downloadable games, music, photos and videos. The PlayStation network has applications such as PlayStation home, a 3D gaming community that allows interaction, communication and sharing of your gaming experience.  While connecting to the network is free of cost, the games and other content come at a cost.  Since it is newly launched, it has a couple of loop holes and as of now, the Xbox Live is much better than this.

In-built Web-browser:
There is a built in browser in the PS3. One can connect a standard keyboard to it for typing without using the tedious virtual keyboard Sony provides. The browser is fairly decent and offers limited flash support. The web browser allows accessing the XL version of YouTube as well as other media sharing sites such as Picasa etcetera. One can transfer files from your PC or other media device over the network without the need of a media PC.

NetFlix:
The PS 3 Slim 120GB allows Netflix streaming and one needs an Instant Streaming Disc that uses BD Live to stream movies and television episodes from the Netflix server.  Netflix streaming requires a membership subscription, the Streaming Disc and a broadband internet connection. For installing and title selection, a computer and a PS 3 are needed. After the Streaming Disc is inserted, your PS 3 will sync up your Instant Queue and one can hop over to their Netflix account to watch your selected titles, just like a DVD queue. While it is free and easy to use, it lacks quality and is bothersome.  Hopefully, with time, things video and audio quality would improve.

Performance:

One might wonder that whether the new slimmer processor and its stripped features might affect the performance of the PS 3 Slim. There is no need to worry as Sony has retained the internal power horse it was originally.

Blu-ray Playback:
The results surprised us and hence we had to test them over again. The Blu-ray player is actually slower, just a tiny bit slower than the 60GB PS3. The time taken in between inserting the disc and having it register in the menu was the same, about 10 seconds. Time taken for the movie to get loaded was a few seconds quicker on the classic. Not a huge difference, but considering that it has been quite some time since BD ROM technology has been around, it should have been better off.

Home Cinema:
One of the major trump cards that the PS 3 Slim has is its in built Blu-ray drive that allows you to play back Blu-ray movies in full HD 1080p. The most important home cinema feature is the ability to bit stream Dolby DTS and DTS HD Master Audio to a receiver over HDMI. To be sure we checked the console through a HD audio receiver and popped in a CD. After selecting bit stream from the BD/DVD Audio output format from the Video Settings, the audio output never sounded better. Does it make any difference? Unless you are an audiophile, it would not make much difference to the regular users.

1080p/1080i Playback:
The PS 3 handled all video content flawlessly well. The Sharpness test showed that no edge enhancement was added to the video after decoding. The machine delivered 1920 x 1080 pixels without any sort of cropping. The machine makes sure that the images from a movie are not tampered with and the image is portrayed as it was intended to. Since it decodes video and audio well, we give it a thumbs up.

DVD Playback:
One of the key factors that determine the picture quality of the standard def content is the quality of the Film mode detection.  Though the player was not able to smooth jaggies in extreme angles, one part where PS 3 is impressive is Scaling.  These scalers do not over emphasize on things or cause things to get blurry. Instead the image is “scaled “ up to smooth edges and ensure detailed areas remain as they are intended to be.

Noise:
Not only is the PS 3 slim power efficient, but it operates a lot more quietly as well. With less energy being wasted as heat, the fan does not need to work hard and hence lesser irritating noise is pumped out.  The 17 blade fan and the 95 mm fan seemed to be slightly quieter than the original even while playing games. Most of the noise produced is actually from the disc drive. The Spinning disc makes more noise than the fan and is annoyingly loud enough. The PS consoles have always been pretty quiet. When compared to the XBOX 360, the PS 3 is stealthier.

Power Consumption:
The one area where Slim shines is the electrical efficiency department.  Though the results are not as drastic as the newer fat models, the power consumption has been cut nearly to half since its initial 90nm CPU iterations.  The results remained the same across all applications but the consumption during plugged in mode or when the unit is idle is almost as much as the original PS3 consumed.

Warranty:

There is a warranty period of one year provided on the Sony PlayStation 3 Slim from the date of purchase.

Verdict:

The PlayStation 3 Slim is an attempt for Sony to boost their dwindling sales and will it work? We guess it would. Considering that the major problem with the original PS 3 was its price, Sony guess cleverly cut down costs by compromising only on aesthetics and a few features. What they did not compromise is on quality. It is a great blu-ray disc player and its DVD and HD Playback are great. Its inbuilt Wi-Fi and browser are a great plus as well. But if Sony really wants to capture the market, they should work on the PlayStation Home concept and try adding a couple of other features to this marvelous piece. On the whole, a highly recommended model.

Sony PlayStation 3 Slim - Technical Specification Table

Video Memory Installed ( Max )Video adapter memory - 256 MB - GDDR3 SDRAM - IntegratedBluetooth , IEEE 802.11 and gigabit EthernetSupported Format (Progressive)AV Output, HDMI Output, SPDIF Digital Output, USB 2.0Blu-ray drive, XrossMediaBar interface,
Cell processor, Nvidia RSX graphicsMotion Detection, Vibration, BluetoothA/V cable, Network cable, USB cable

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GP2X Wiz Game System Review

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GP2X Wiz gaming handheld console

Ah! The wait ends. Korean manufacturer GamePark Holding’s fourth generation handheld GP2X Wiz has finally been released. The machine, intended to be the successor to the highly popular GP2X, sadly has been subject to a lot of delays. The company has developed a Linux based hand held gaming console to cater to homebrew games and emulation. The GP2X Wiz is not another ordinary gaming console as it differs from the mainstream competitors like the Nintendo DS and Sony PlayStation Portable.  While the latter makes sure users stop writing their own software, the Wiz is completely open. It means anyone can write new applications and software using Adobe Flash or the native code of the machine.  The GP2X Wiz is an extremely compact hand held gaming console that features a 533MHz processor with a 3D accelerator.  It has a 64MB RAM and a 1GB NAND Flash memory and 12 inbuilt games.  It also has a 2.8 inch OLED touchscreen with a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels, a USB 2.0 port and a SD card slot. Sadly it lacks Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support. However GamePark claims to incorporate those two as well in the future. Is it worth the wait or should you rather wait for the Pandora – another equally powerful console, read the review to find out.

What’s in the Box:

GamePark has always had a knack for catchy packaging and they have not let us down this time.  The heavy cardboard box has been designed to look like a treasure chest.  The Wiz logo is present at the centre of the box with the caption “Whatever you want” printed below. Sony and Nintendo ought to learn a thing or two from GamePark when it comes to bright and attractive packaging.  Inside the box was the unit present in a plastic bag, a mini CD, a lead for connecting PC and a Quick Start guide. There is also a packet of Silica gel present in the box, which is a first as no other gaming console packaging  has ever had Silica gel included. A Carry case, headphones, a stylus and a screen protector are to be separately bought if needed.

Design:

Impressions:
The initial impressions of the GP2X Wiz device are pretty favourable. Made up of matte black plastic, it resembles a toy. The build quality is better than GamePark’s earlier models. It might be small, but it feels very solid. It has dimensions similar to that of an iPhone or an iPod touch but a bit thicker. Moderately larger than the Nintendo Game Boy Micro, the console beats the GP2X F-100 / 200 in terms of design. The buttons feel good and smooth to touch.  It seems to have all the amenities we have expected to be towed in as well.

Controls:
GamePark never really had great controls in their earlier models. The First version of the GP2X, the F 100 had a micro switched joystick intended to be used on Sat-Nav devices.  The F 200 had a four button D pad which still had issues. The Wiz fortunately features a proper D pad and while it could have been much better, it is still a bit spongy. The controls could do with having a solid pivot company and in spite of all this; the console has a substantial improvement over its predecessor.

Buttons:
The buttons in GP2X Wiz Gaming System are a bit close to each other and are quite small.  There is a Menu and a Select button on either side of the screen, rather reminiscent of GP32’s layout. The implementation of the function of the select button depends on the specific game or application.  On the right side are the four action buttons (A, B, X and Y) also located similar to the joy pad cross. They have a surrounding silver edge that has a metallic look. Though mushy, they would not be used much during game play.  The Joy pad can be pressed not only in the four basic directions, but also diagonally as well. By pressing at the centre, one can gently move the thumbs to rotate without much problem. On the upper side are present two more “action” buttons that are well placed. They make a “click” sound when pressed so that you do not have to check for it.  The power button is located on the left side of the device and is used to switch on or off the console. The device can also be used to lock the device as well.  There are buttons on the bottom side as well: 2 to control the volume (that is to either increase it or decrease it).

Ports:
At the middle of the bottom is present the USB slot to which one can connect the supplied USB cable.  The right hand side of the bottom is the location of the 3.5mm jack adapter which allows one to connect a pair of headphones. Next to the left button on the top is present the microphone hole and on the middle of the upper side is present the slot for SDHC. This leaves out one slot on the device for the strap.    So a pretty decent set of ports, nothing extraordinary here.

Display:
The display has a diagonal measurement of 2.8 inches and a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels points. Most Emulated games faced problems while running in high resolution. However, a wide screen such as the one PSP has is not necessary as most games were made for 4: 3 aspect ratio earlier. The touch screen uses the same technology used in PDAs. The screen responds to a touch pen or a finger with ease. We wish the screen were larger but it is not really much of a deal breaker. It does display images very beautifully. One also can choose from four possible intensities, brightness and display. The touch pen provided is hard to lose because the holder is located in the device.

Using the GP2X Wiz:
To turn on the unit, one needs to slide a self returning switch on the side of the unit.  Since the Wiz uses a trimmed down version of the Linux operating system, it takes some time to start up unlike other handhelds with just cartridge software that take 20 odd seconds to load. Once the Wiz boots up, there is the icon driven menu which is pretty okay, but the quality and brightness of the screen will bowl you over. The Wiz runs a Qplus embedded Linux and is capable of playing some homebrew games created for its predecessor. It also has a GUI that allows one to play videos, view photos, record audio and read eBooks and comics. It does not come with emulators built in but one can download them free of charge. The Main menu has the following icons : Wiz Game (that allows you to play purchased SD card games), Built in games, Flash Games, Entertainment(which is further subdivided into Video, Flash, Music, Photo, Comics, EBooks, Tools,  Launcher and settings.

The OLED screen makes it viewable from any angle and allows you to view bright and sharp images. One small niggle we found in the Wiz is that the volume resets itself every time we reboot the machine.

Connectivity to PC:
In order to connect the GP2X Wiz Game console to the PC, one needs to use the USB cable and connect one end to the bottom of the console and the other to the PC. The connector has an LED that goes green if the console is connected and turns red when the device is not. The console shows up as a separate drive on your PC and one needs to select on the display whether you would like to see the internal memory or the memory card.

Features:

Although the GP2X comes loaded with a host of applications such as a video player, a clock and a voice recorder, it is best as a gaming console.

Powerful Processor:
The GP2X Wiz features an ARM9 533MHz CPU with 3D acceleration which means one can enjoy cutting edge music, games and movies with this powerful Processor. It is 100 more MHz than the Dingo which is under clocked at 400 MHz. It is capable of over clocking to 800MHz and hence is powerful enough to play with if you are interested to write your own applications. However, it is still weaker than Pandora’s 600 MHz and one really cannot observe the difference between this processor and the one of its predecessor the GP2X. However, it was able to handle emulators, some homebrew software and flash based titles pretty well. When we played the game Quake 2 on the Wiz, it seemed choppy at the default clock speed, however, over clocking to higher speeds eliminated that as well.

AMOLED Display:
One of the USPs of the GP2X Wiz is that fact that it is the first handheld console which boasts of modern AMOLED (Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode) display. How is it different from conventional TFT? These LEDs are thinner, do not need a backlight and are excellent in clear and contrasting views. Even in pitch black darkness, the colour black is visible and the device consumes a significantly less amount of energy. However, it is difficult to make out anything on the screen in direct sunlight. It also does not suffer from ghosting like the Sony PlayStation Portable does.

Storage:
The Gamepark GP2X Wiz comes with an inbuilt memory of 1GB and most users would likely require more than that. The Primary storage device of the Wiz is the SD Card (with SDHC supported) which can be placed into a socket at the top of the unit. The SD cards must be formatted as FAT16 or FAT32 and now cards up to 32GB can be added.  The console features an SDRAM of 64MB.

Built in Games:
The Wiz is capable of running several emulators, flash games, applications and freeware games and comes preinstalled with a number of games on NAND. However, gamers notice that the Wiz is best for playing eternally popular classic arcade games and one cannot expect game launches like the one PSP and Nintendo has. So does that mean missing out on a lot? Not really, thanks to the growing list of emulators in GamePark’s application store. GamePark has announced that it will be making a handful of games available every month for download. The best part about all this is that one can download all of them for free. The following are a list of games that are included in the console.

IQ Jump : A collection of 5 brain training style “flash” games that allows you to look for the same pictures, or a missing number, addition and subtraction, looking for a coin in the saving pocket and Crisis ladder.Animatch by Ruckage: A regular match three game with cute little animal icons. The cutest thing was that the game says “Paws” when you pause it.Square Tower Defense: A rather cubist tower defense game that did not have basic instructions included.Wiztern by Chemaris: A demo game that allows one to tap at the screen to shoot at cards flipping over.Myriad by WarmFluffyUK: A space invaders game that allows one to shoot a city from above and whips them.Space Varments by Ruckage: A point and shoot game where one has to tap the touch screen to shoot passing aliens.Tail Tale by RerofumiBoomshine 2x PeterR

Backward compatibility with previous models such as the GP2X is missing and one can make them compatible and copy them into console. This is unlike the PSP where one has to “hack” the console.

Emulators:

The inbuilt games are good enough, but what most users are excited about are emulators. They are basically programs that allow the Wiz to “emulate” a video game console. They are usually used to play older video games on PCs and consoles. They are usually used to translate games into other languages or modify existing games. However downloading emulators and ROMS usually violate copyright rules and is punishable by law. For Emulators and ROMS to work on the Wiz, one needs to first find an appropriate emulator and then the actual ROMS. Once you have both of them, one has to drag them into proper folder on the device. To do that one needs to connect the console to the PC via the USB cable.  One can navigate the Wiz folders on the PC and can even store ROMS on an SD card to save space on the device. We did try a couple of emulators and they worked flawlessly. The Wiz supports Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Super Nintendo, various arcade machines, Sega Master System, Game Gear, Mega Drive, Genesis, A Sega CD, Sega 32X, Sony Playstation and Neo Geo games and mind you, that is a very impressive list.

Music Player:

The GP2X also functions as a music player something that most users would also want in a console. Buyers will not be disappointed as the Wiz can handle music in MP3, OCG and WAV format. There is even a spectral analyzer that “visually” reacts to music and was an aesthetic add. The music player was equipped with basic functions alone and too bad it did not have an equalizer like its predecessor did.

Other Applications:

When compared to the older models, the Wiz features four new applications: Calendar, World Time, Calculator and Timer. A calendar is highly handy and thanks to the world time one can see what time it is in different cities in the world. The timer helps in measuring time intervals.  There is a recorder as well on the Wiz. With an integrated microphone one can record sound. There are only four controls: Start / Stop, recording, playback, delete and exit. The recorded audio files are stored in WAV format. Another mentionable feature is that the Wiz acts as an eBook with limited functionality. One can read .TXT files on the Wiz along with images and enjoy comics on the handheld as well.

Support:
One can download and view photos taken from a digital camera or a phone through your PC. There are options to enlarge or abridge the image from 320 x 240 to 1024 x 768. One also can rotate the images in 90, 180 and 270 degrees. The Wiz supports JPG, BMP, PCX, GIF and PNG files. Amongst the wide range of video formats, the console supports DivX 3/4/5 and XVid (MPEG-4) and the audio formats of MP3 and Vorbis.

When it comes to audio, it is capable of replaying music in MP3 and OCG formats on its multi codec MP3 player.

Performance:

First and foremost, the Wiz as a gaming console does excellently well. Although it does not stray anywhere close to the territory of Nintendo or the PSP, it excels at what it is aimed to: Open source gaming and emulators.  Emulators such as Pico Drive (Megadrive/Genesis), GP2Xpectrum (ZX Spectrum) and Mame4All (Arcade) worked wonderfully well and the OLED screen made them look even better. Controls, sounds and sights were great. The new processor does not seem to enhance the performance of the GP2X Wiz and then there was the problem of screen tearing in some fast paced games. There was a diagonal split across the screen making the game look like it was running 2 displays at once perhaps due to different refresh rates. We hope that GamePark will launch a software fix for this soon.

There were some occasional crashes and freezes but a quick reboot solved the problem. The built in games were fun and the best was perhaps Animatch, a clone of the Zoo Keeper.  Video playback through the inbuilt media player was at best average. The movie files we played were occasionally marred by stuttering. The music playback was far better. The recording capabilities were good too as it was able to accurately capture spoken audio well. We believe that future firmware upgrades will greatly enhance the performance of this already well performing device.

Battery:

The GP2X Wiz features a Li-Pol battery with a capacity of 2000mAh that lies hidden under the removable back cover. To remove it one needs to unscrew the 2 little screws and there you have 2 AA rechargeable batteries. In order to charge your GP2X Wiz, you need to connect the console to the PC using the USB port. Charging the battery through the USB port was gruesome and slow and it gets slower if the console is switched on. It took 5 hours to get totally charged with the console off and a whopping 10 hours with the console on. So we suggest that you leave it for charging overnight. For faster charging times, we suggest you buy a classic charger with a USB port as an output and connect using it in place of the USB cable.

There is a battery status icon located on the upper right corner of the display. Though it is not linear, it shows the remaining energy and once you reach the minimum value it displays the low battery message. Unlike the GP2X100 it does not “die” when the power ends and energy saving is possible thanks to power saving measures such as reducing brightness of the display and the automatic shutdown screen (which switches off screen and is handy while listening to music). So the main thing is how long does the Wiz last? 4 hours 35 minutes was all it took for the battery to get empty.  One can replace the batteries easily without having the need to reset the date and time every time you do it.

Warranty:

The GP2X Wiz is provided with a warranty period of one year on service and labour.

Verdict:

The Wiz is an amazing successor to the GP2X and manages to meet our expectations. Though it is much better than its predecessor, it seems like a more enhanced version than a full fledged successor.  Apart from the fact that it has a small screen, the console has a great design and is perfectly sized for handheld gaming. Like most other handhelds the Wiz tries to cater to Audio and Video playback but with mediocrity. The Wiz sadly can handle emulators that the GP2X could handle as well but only slightly better.  Its closest rival is The Dingoo Digital A 320 is available at half the price with similar specifications and another rival the Pandora has not yet been launched.  If you owned any of the predecessors and feel like the Wiz addresses any of your past problems, it is highly recommended. As mentioned earlier, the console caters to emulators and home brew games and so if you like some hardcore popular titles such as the GTA, you can pick up the Sony PSP or the Nintendo.

GP2X Wiz Game System - Technical Specification Table

98g without battery and 136g with batteryUp / Down / Right / Left
A/ B/ X/ Y
HOME/SELECT
Volume Up/Down
Power On/ Off / Hold533MHz ARM9 (overclockable to 800 MHz) 3D AcceleratorMagicEyes Pollux System-on-a-ChipDivX, XviD for video
MP3 and WAV for audioFlash Player 8 with Action Script 2.0Internal 2000mAh Lithium Polymer Battery

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Nintendo Dsi XL Review

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We all know how we react when the Nintendo comes up in a conversation. The King Kong of the gaming industry started out small, manufacturing playing cards in which they were quite successful. Their thirst to prove themselves and carve a niche in the world helped them become a household name and a basic necessity. They are the world’s best-seller of hand-held gaming consoles and the second best seller of video game consoles worldwide. Having made landmarks in the gaming industry, they set the standard for other video game consoles. How can we forget the gameboy and its series which went on to become the best selling portable gaming console of its time? Their choice to dabble in electronics was perhaps a turning point all over and we certainly do not regret that.

Surviving many a pitfall to eventually reign the gaming industry, we all wait and watch to see what this company will come up with next. Their video game ventures including hand held consoles of recent times, include the Nintendo DS series and the wireless Nintendo Wii. The Nintendo DS series consist of the original DS, the lighter and sleeker Nintendo DS Lite, Nintendo DSi and its successor which we will be discussing, the Nintendo DSi XL. The Nintendo DSi XL boasts bigger screens and better quality. We will tell you whether it is a reasonable upgrade or if you should save up for the upcoming 3DS system instead.

Is it bigger and better? Or is it better since it is bigger? Let us find out.

Design:

Compact:

The one feature that has everyone wanting to get a good look at the DSi XL Portable Gaming Console, is the bigger screen which is said to be the star of the show. Weighing at 314 grams and measuring (H x W x D) 161 x 91.4 x 21.2 millimetres, this console is still extremely comfortable once held and does not feel bulky. It comes in three beautiful shades of blue, maroon, white, black and brown.

Dual Screen Interface:

The dual screen interface of the Nintendo DSi XL is enhanced by its 4.2 inch displays. There was speculation about how this would make the picture more pixillated, and hence making it seem blurred. But once the cartridge was put in and the device turned on, it delivered crisp and clear images. The Nintendo Dsi XL is rumoured to have been aimed at the older generation who find it harder to look at the tiny images and text on screen. Well, the DS Lite and DSi have small screens of 3 inches and 3.25 inches respectively and they have never failed to deliver. But a 4.2 inch screen is a significant difference and it shows when a game is played. The controls are clearer within the game. The dialogue and other text is clearer which relieves eye strain. Older citizens are waiting to lap it up. The top has a glossy finish and the rest has the matte appearance. Also the wider viewing angle seems to make it the social device that Nintendo has described it to be.

Navigation:

The detachable component of the system, i.e. the stylus has a new member in its family. The Nintendo DSi XL comes with two styli. There is a longer stylus compared to the previous consoles which fits into the slot that is located on the device itself. The new member is more like a fountain pen and there is no slot for it. This will help those who find it hard to navigate around certain features of the console without their fingers cramping. We will get to those features later.

Connectivity and Slots:

The DSi family sadly, has done away with the popular GBA slot previously provided on the DS and DS Lite systems. This means you can chuck out all your GBA cards as they will not be compatible with the DSi consoles. This is one of the aspects which continues to disturb us as there is still an impressive library of games for the Gameboy. However, they have introduced the popular SD card slot. You can save your photos on the SD card and transfer it to other consoles or upload it onto the internet.

Speaking of the internet, the DSi family does not come installed with software that allows you to access the internet. You have to set up the connection yourself. It does have wireless communication which is what helps you share photos and use pictochat. With its built in WiFi , you can connect with players across the globe and participate in various multi player games. Maintain a range within 65 feet and you can play with other DSi users within the locality without internet access.

Features:

As you turn on the unit, the Nintendo logo will appear after which you will be directed to the main screen displaying options to change your brightness, settings and alarm at the lower part of the screen and in the middle, there will be options like the Pictochat, DS download play and the game that is inserted. The feature list of the Nintendo DSi XL include the Pictochat, the cameras, the new DSi shop, multi playing and downloads, DSiware, the Flipnote studio.

Camera:

The Nintendo DSi family comes with two built in 0.3 mega pixel cameras with eleven different lenses. One is placed internally facing the user and the other is on the outer part. Everyone who has been cribbing about the resolution of the cameras in the Dsi system will be disappointed as they have not improved in the slightest in the Nintendo DSi XL.

Pictochat:

Pictochat is nothing new to existing users of DS consoles. To those of you who have not heard of it, Pictochat is used to communicate between other DS users. It is pre installed into all the Nintendo DS, Nintendo DS Lite and Nintendo DSi consoles. It is quite convenient and user friendly with its easy to use interface. After you select Pictochat, you will be asked to pick a chat room. There are four chat rooms each sharing a capacity of sixteen people. After selecting your chat room, you can communicate via Pictochat. There is a range within which your device has to stay in order to participate. Then you can get started. You can use the stylus provided to write on the screen and then click the send button located on the side to submit. It also has an on screen keyboard. Pictochat supports quite a few other languages like French, German, Spanish and Japanese. The pictochat is pretty cool to use for animations. You can create several frames and scroll by fast and watch them play. Many display their creations online too.

Flipnote Studio:

The Flipnote studio is quite popular with those who like to draw and animate. This is a free download which gives a boost to the Nintendo DSi XL. The Flipnote Studio, as the name suggests, is used to bring to life your creations. Its interface is very simple and users seem to love it. You just draw on the screen and tap to move to the next frame. The previous frame will be displayed lightly for your convenience in a light box and it displays up to 4 frames this way so you know how your animation will end up. You can share your creations by directly sending them to your friends who own a Nintendo Dsi or DSi XL console or you can upload them onto the internet via the Flipnote Hatena website. You will also be able to go through the uploaded content of other users which makes it a fun aspect.

DSiWARE and DSi SHOP:

The DSi shop is where you can redeem your Nintendo points to download DSi software to your console. You will require a wireless broadband internet connection to access this through your DSi XL. You will find its icon on the main menu. The DSiware is exclusive to the DSi and DSi XL systems. Nintendo Dsiware is a service that provides games and applications that can be downloaded for free or a price. They can be bought with Nintendo points which are in turn bought with money. The selected game is downloaded onto the internal drive and the Nintendo points are deducted from your account.

Pre-installed Software:

The Nintendo DSi XL Game Console comes with three preloaded software titles, the Brain Age Express: Math, Brain Age Express: Arts and Letters, and Photoclock. These are perhaps the only few features exclusive to the DSi XL without being shared by the DSi. Let us see if they are worth it.

Brain Age Express: Math

Brain Age Express series are well played games. They are designed to keep your mind mentally fit. This is the first version of the Brain Age Express games. The game has been modified slightly keeping in mind the DSi family. It has been made with the intention of spiffing up those dead brain cells and to keep your mind young even if you are not. Solve problems with your stylus as quickly as you can. Your progress is recorded using the internal clock in the console and new challenges are introduced. With internal storage being available, the game play is fun. You can save your challenges and access them later.

Brain Age Express: Arts and Letters

This is the second instalment in the Brain Age Series.

Arts and Letters has seven different challenges. Read on for a detailed explanation.

Read Aloud: You are given reading material and have to read as quick as you you can for a good speed result.
Word Scramble: Unscramble the given words in the required time period. The words become harder as you go farther into the challenge.
Photo Recall: A photo or a group of photos will be displayed on one screen and you will have to pick out the photo that you last saw on the other screen. Sound easy? Check it out for yourself.
Word Attack: Think you are fast? Then, in this challenge you have to memorize and spell out correctly the word that is flashed quickly on the screen.
Piano Player: On one screen, you will have a piano with labelled keys. On the other screen, red arrows will progress along with the given sheet music and when they hit a particular note,you will have to try and play it on the piano.
Meet and Greet: This is an interesting challenge which requires you to memorize the face of a person along with their details as fast as you can. As you progress, you are quizzed upon them. This gets very tricky with multiple people.
Virus Buster: You will have to eradicate viruses by placing them in multicoloured capsules. Align them in order to form vertical or horizontal rows of four like colours.

Focussed on words and letters, Brain Age Express: Arts and Letters gives you timed, audio and physical challenges which are bound to keep you occupied. So with improved handwriting recognition, unlock new challenges, act out a scene and train the literary part of your brain.

Photoclock:

This is Nintendo’s second clock application. Well, there is not much to say about this software. The name says it all. You can have your desired photo displayed behind the clock and that is about it.

Performance:

Video:

The video performance is definitely its biggest asset. With its bigger screens, it makes you go crazy the minute you open up the case. Even while playing games that are not made for its screens, it pulls off a decent picture and there is not a single noticeable pixel in sight and even if there are, it will not be noticed because you will be busy playing the games in awe. Say goodbye to cramped images and enjoy the larger experience.

Audio:

The audio has also been significantly improved and there is less interference than before. However, the only format supported  for audio files is AAC. It is high time that Nintendo switches over to the widely and more conveniently used mp3 format.

Battery:

The original DS has a battery life of four to ten hours depending on how much you play. The DS Lite gives us five to nineteen hours of play depending on the level of brightness that you choose. It has four levels. The DSi and the DSi XL both have an extra level of brightness. The battery life of the DSi is around three to fourteen hours and the DSi XL gives us about four to seventeen hours of play accordingly. This is a big difference for those avid gamers.

Warranty:

The Nintendo Dsi and Dsi XL systems both come with a warranty period of twelve months from manufacturer defects which are applicable to all the included components, i.e. AC adapter and stylus. The software and accessories come with a warranty period of 90 days. If you wish to extend this period, you can do so by registering your system to your Club Nintendo account. Visiting their official site will give you more information.

Verdict:

So are you confused yet? If you are thinking that the DSi XL Hand Held Console is nothing more than the Nintendo DSi with a bigger body, then you are mostly right. Sure the screens are bigger and there is an extra stylus, but it really does not have much to offer. The audio has improved. If you already own a DS Lite or DSi , then you will fail to understand why you should upgrade to a DSi XL. The DS Lite comes with a GBA slot and is backwards compatible. The DSi, though it has done away with the GBA slot has the DSiWare to make up for it. What does the DSi XL have to say in this regard?Though it will play the DS games, you cannot transfer the games that you have downloaded through DSiWare to your DSi XL console which is a major setback for all those gamers who have a library full of them. This will put down any thought of buying one. Most of those who own a DS Lite did not think it necessary to upgrade even to a DSi as they were quite satisfied just playing games which is what the central idea is.

The introduction of DSiWare provided some incentive for them to buy the DSi but we cannot say the same for the DSi XL. It offers nothing that makes us want to run and get a new console. The screens make us say “wow” but that is just about it. As for their wider viewing angle, it does not really serve any purpose nor is it really necessary. After a while, you begin to notice the low resolution of 256 X 192 pixels per screen. The extra juice provided by the battery powers up those huge screens and still gives you good playtime though. The release of the DSi XL has also been badly timed with another upgrade soon to be available. The Nintendo 3DS is to be released. It boasts backward compatibility with all the existing DS titles till date and 3D experience. The pre installed software though popular is not enough to justify the price tag. We recommend the DSi XL to those who do not own a Nintendo DS Lite or Nintendo Dsi console and are waiting to game. Those who like to buy the latest gadgets or have slightly big hands too can go ahead. But if you wait a little longer, the Nintendo 3DS might be a more reasonable upgrade for the extra dough that you have worked hard to save up.

Nintendo Dsi XL  Console - Technical Specification Table

LCD TFT (Active Matrix) With TouchscreenAvailable Enclosure Colours and DesignsDark Brown, Wine Red , Natural White, Black and Blue1 x 96mm internal stylus
1 x 129.3mm pen style stylusPlays DS games and new DSi games
(Does not play GBA games)Brain Age Express:Math, Brain Age Express:Arts and Lettersbuilt in triggers and action buttons16 MB RAM and built in 256 MB memoryThe DSi and DSi XL support WEP, WPA (AES/TKIP)
and WPA2 (AES/TKIP) wireless encryption.
Supported speeds 1 or 2 Mbps

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