A new game system is surely on several wish lists for the gift-giving season. There are a few devices to choose from this year, but none is coveted by everyone, so choose wisely.
Here’s what each game system has to offer:
Sony’s PlayStation Portable (PSP): The premium portable system is also premium priced, but for good reason. Sony’s PlayStation Portable (PSP) has “technophile” written all over it, not only for its large, widescreen, high-resolution, console-caliber game play, but also as a portable movie and music player, image viewer, Wi-Fi Web browser and content downloader.
Bear in mind that most proprietary game and movie discs (called UMDs) for PSP are also priced at a premium, as are the various Sony-only peripherals and appendages you can buy for it. So be sure to give it to someone with an overinflated entertainment budget.
System price, $250 (Value Pack) or $300 (Giga Pack bundled w/1 GB Memory Stick. Games and movies, $30-$50 each. Info at playstation.com.
Tiger Telematics’ Gizmondo: A geek’s gadget that features middling horsepower and lackluster games but also movie and music playback, a digital camera, Bluetooth/GRPS connectivity, text messaging, Web browsing and downloadable content. Moreover, Gizmondo’s flagship trick is its onboard GPS, making it the only device to be innately self-aware of its location on the planet with the potential to integrate the real world with the virtual in truly unique ways.
Problem is, it doesn’t yet, and might never do so. Still, its GPS mapping software, Navigator 2006, (in $169 and $249 versions or in a $500 Gizmondo Navigator bundle) will make it a full-functioning, talking co-pilot that comes off cheaper than a Garmin or Magellan GPS while also playing cheap games, burned movies (or purchased ones), ripped music, etc.
System price, $230 or $500. Games, $20-$30 each. Info at gizmondo.com.
Nintendo’s Game Boy Micro/ Game Boy Advance SP: Because Nintendo’s Game Boy line has dominated the portable game market it practically (but not truly) invented, giving one as a gift is really a no-brainer. There are two modern models to choose from, the first and coolest of which is the Game Boy Micro. It’s a cellphone-sized version for the stolen-moment gamer who doesn’t want to look like a geek on the bus but fondly remembers playing with Mario and friends back in the day – and can do so once again, covertly.
System price, $80-$100; games, $15-$40 each. Info at nintendo.com.
Nintendo DS “Nintendogs” Bundle: The Nintendo DS is an innovative game system that has opened a completely new market for the games industry. The bifolding device has a touch-sensitive (finger or stylus) screen on its lower fold (like a PDA screen) and second view screen on the upper fold. It boasts voice recognition, wireless local and Wi-Fi game play ( free, where available, in “hot spots” such as coffeehouses) and a glut of unconventional and conventional games.
System price, $150 ($130 system only); games, $15-$40 each. Info at nintendo.com.
Alienware’s Aurora ALX: For the serious gamer, a Windows PC is the only game platform; everything else is just a toy. The ultimate gaming PC is Alienware’s Aurora ALX. So hot it’s liquid-cooled, even the base model ALX comes stuffed with nothing but state-of-the-art components (custom upgrades available), including an AMD Athlon 64 FX-55+ w/HyperTransport technology, at least 1GB Ultra Low Latency Dual Channel PC-4400 DDR RAM and an Audigy 2 ZS 7.1 HD sound card.
ALX also utilizes the industry’s new Sli architecture, which allows it to run two nVidia GeForce 6800 GT 256MB DDR3 video cards in tandem, making for brilliant graphics.
System price, $4,449 (and up). Games, $20-$50. Info at alienware.com.
Shaun Conlin is a freelance games reviewer for Cox News Service. E-mail him at shaunconlin@evergeek.com.
