Big, Powerful, And Big

Author's Rating:

Pros: Powerful, Hard Drive, Internet Support, Halo

Cons: Doesn't seem that it will have much for RPG's

The Bottom Line: 
Now that the Xbox is only $200, I recommend getting one even more

Author's Review
One night this past January, my mother came home with an Xbox and a few games. I was eager to get it hocked up, but unfortunately it was late and I had to wait until tomorrow. When I came home from school it was hooked up and I put in Halo as soon as I got up stairs. The hook up is simple. You have the audio/video wires (the colored ones), and the power plug. Hook each one into the system then the power plug into an outlet. Most people with a game system have a TV or VCR that the audio/video wires can be plugged into. If you don't, simply go out and buy a $10 RF Adapter. Within the first few minutes of playing I was amazed by everything. The graphics, the detail and everything else. I played Halo a few days before I tried SSX Tricky, which also looked amazing. The Xbox impressed me much then and still impresses me alot 4 months later.

Accessories

The Xbox doesn't have much for accessories yet. There's a few types of controllers including the newly released one by Microsoft meant for people who couldn't get used to the original one. You can also buy a DVD Kit, for about $30, which allows you to play DVD's on your Xbox. There are cables that allow you to hook up 1-4 Xbox's and TV's for up to 16 player games! However, I believe the only game that can hold 16 players so far, is Halo. Also, look for racing wheels, flight and arcade sticks for around $35.

The Outside And Inside

The Xbox has a nice looking design. On top, there's a green circle that says Xbox in it. In front there is 4 controller ports which is great for multiplayer games. The power and disk tray buttons lay in between the controller ports. I have heard people saying that there is no fan in a Xbox and the thing will blow up with playing for more then an hour...what idiots. It's not true. That is a made up rumor by people who are either fanboys or jealous. There is a fan in the system which is not loud and allows you to play for many hours without the system heating up. Xbox is also the largest system I have ever seen. Weighing at about 8 lbs and about the size of a VCR, this thing shouldn't be carried by younger people. There is also a hard drive in the Xbox.

The Hard Drive, Some Say Xbox Is Just A Computer

This is a great feature that no other systems have. It has 10 Megs built into it. The hard drive can be used for a few things. First, you can save game data onto it. You no longer need a memory card, this thing has over 50,000 memory according to the memory manager. You can also download songs from almost any CD. Some burnt CD's won't work though. The downloaded music can be played during certain games instead of the original music to the game. Few games can do this so far though, Tony Hawk 3, Dave Mirra 2 and Project Gotham Racing are a few. I have saved 6 games and downloaded 12 songs in the HD and it still says that I have over 50,000 memory block left....I won't need a memory for years, if I ever need one.

Internet Support

I'm not an online video game player, so I won't be using this. But for the online game players out there, Xbox will have broadband support soon. Some online games will be released this summer, a Rainbow Six game will be one of them. Currently, Halo is the only game that can be played online with some LAN connection.

The Controller

This is one of the biggest complaints about the Xbox for most people. It's big and maybe a bit hard for people with small hands. However, to satisfy the people unhappy with the original controller, Microsoft just released a new Xbox controller. This one is a little smaller and should be easier to get used to. I only own the first one so I can't say much about the new control.

The control is big and can take more then minutes to get used to. I wasn't used to it right away. In fact, I didn't really like it at first. Now that I'm used to it, it's great. In the back of the control is the usual L and R buttons. On top, is two slots for such things as memory cards. On the top of the middle is a Xbox logo, which is perhaps, a bit to big. Just under that, the start and back buttons sit. I'm not to sure what the Back button is as I don't remember using it. To the left is the first analog stick with the D-pad under it. To the right is the white & Black (but looks somewhat blue) buttons which are used in few games. Under is the regular X, Y, B and A buttons and the second analog stick is under that. The entire control is black with the exception of the buttons and the wire.

The wire as a cool feature which snaps it into two pieces when pulled enough. This is useful to prevent the system falling when the wire to the control is stepped on. That can save your Xbox from being smashed.

Graphics

Out of the three next-gen consoles, it's clear that Xbox has the best graphics. While some games don't take advantage of the Xbox's graphical powers, others like Halo and DOA3, do. However, some are pretty much straight ports from the PS2. Tony Hawk 3 and SSX Tricky don't really look much different from the PS2 versions. Developers will have easier times working on Xbox games then the PS2 games which is plus to Xbox. Xbox has much more V Ram then Playstation 2 which is one thing that makes Xbox games easier to make.

Most Recommended Games

Halo

Halo was one of Xbox's launch games, and in my opinion, is still the best game for Xbox. It's a sci-fi FPS which takes place on a ring world called Halo. You won't get much of the story by playing the game, you'll have to read the Halo book or wait for sequels. I have been reading Halo websites that talk about the story and not even all those websites know the full story. Besides a great story, there is also great gameplay. Use about 10 weapons and control 4 vehicles. 10 great campaign missions, even more multiplayer maps and two great multiplayer modes will keep you playing Halo for months.

Project Gotham Racing

Another launch title for Xbox. Most people agree, it's the best racer for the system. Tons of cars and over 100 tracks. Great graphics and your even allowed to use your own music. PGR is a sequel to the Dreamcast racer, Metropolis Street Racer. If your into racers or not, odds are that you'll be into Project Gotham Racing.

Jet Set Radio Future

I do not own this game but I know it's great. I have the prequel, Jet Grind Radio, for Dreamcast and I loved that. It's a unique roller blading game. Your goal is to spray paint the level to mark that area, your gangs territory. It won't be that easy as there is other gangs that try to stop you and you also have to deal with cops. Get other people to join your gang and take out the other gangs. Sounds stupid, but it's pretty fun.

Disappointing Games

I have only played about 20 Xbox games and find just a few that I didn't care for. The only one I own that I will talk about is WWF Raw.

WWF Raw

Every year, a new wrestling game, or two, comes out. As of late, wrestling games have been disappointing. SmackDown 3 (PS2) and WWF Raw (Xbox) were hyped up very much. However, they both weren't what they could have been. WWF Raw failed in quite a few ways. No tag team titles and few match types. Great looking entrances, moves and realism are the only things that saved Raw from totally sucking. One thing that I was hoping for was the ability to use songs from your hard drive for created wrestlers theme music...that woul have been great.

Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee

I never played any of the other Oddworld games for PSX, so I didn't know what I'd be playing on the demo. Oddworld is sort of a puzzle like adventure game. Nice graphics, but the game bored me. I can't say to much as I only play about 15 minutes. It seemed kind of lame, but some people like it. It got decent ratings.

Final Comments

Xbox is my favorite of the 3 next-gen consoles. I just hope that there will be some good RPG's for it. If you have the money for one, I recommend getting it. If you have one, Halo is a must get game.

Final Rating: 9.1/10