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Staff recommendations: Gamecube
Lately, a couple of lists have been speeding through the tubes of the intertron, reminding new Wii-owners that in fact, your new system has all the functionality of one recently passed away: the Nintendo Gamecube. As such, the library of playable games from launch is actually quite large. But how is one to discern the hidden gems amongst such a vast field? Worry not, fair readers: we're here to help.Let's be fair: you're here reading Nintendo Wii Fanboy, for goodness' sake, so you probably know about absolute wonders such as Super Smash Bros Melee, Metroid Prime, and The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker. These games, of course, must be played under penalty of death. What follows are fifteen fourteen of our personal recommendations, leading you from the AAA-released to barely known wonders of the little purple box. Most of these games can still be found, used, at many outlets nationwide. Take a look, and buy a game! We believe in you.
Panasonic opens up Plasma Concierge service to the public for the holiday blitz
If your tiresome Black Friday campout left you incensed at that fellow ahead who snagged the very last HDTV that you had been eying, take heart. Panasonic feels your pain, and is opening up its exclusive help lines to help you deal with the hassles of searching for the perfect plasma. The company's Plasma Concierge service -- which opened earlier this year -- is stocking up on customer service representatives to field any questions you may have, regardless of whether or not you own a single Panasonic product. The program is open to the public through December 31st of this year to craft "customized flat screen profiles," determine which set would be better suited for your room, and even tips on mounting and wiring. So if you're befuddled over where to get some reliable, free information (aside from the site you're currently ogling) on which plasma to pick up this holiday season, give Panasonic a ring, but be sure to dodge those sure-to-come sales pitches while you're at it.
Sony's PlayStation 3 review roundup
Ok, even though we didn't think Sony would ever pull together enough components to actually launch this thing (which probably explains the two week queue), the PlayStation 3 is finally upon us. You've witnessed the PS3 getting unboxed, getting some playtime, and getting ripped apart, but now you can finally hop off that fence you've been occupying and decide which console suits you best. Although you may lust after Sony's sleek and sexy new toy, chances are that you won't snag it on day one -- unless you don't mind getting shot at while you wait in line, of course. Nevertheless, the initial wave of first reviews are in, and those fortunate enough to have already given the highly coveted machine a few hours of their time have spoken. Generally, reviewers felt that ported titles didn't do much to take advantage of the PS3's extra horsepower, and a Business Week reviewer "walked away more impressed with what it could do than with what it currently does." Moreover, nearly everyone mentioned the obviously high pricetag, but somehow felt that the PS3 packed a big enough punch to justify it, and CNET even went so far as to state that you'd "feel you got your money's worth, from both a gaming and multimedia perspective." So whether these reviews send you shooting out of the office in hopes of landing a good spot in line, or solidify your feelings that the Xbox 360 or Nintendo Wii would better suit you, be sure to read on before swiping any card anywhere.Read - CNET (8.8 out of 10; Excellent)Read - Business Week (4 out of 5)Read - DigitMag ("Very versatile")Read - ITWorld ("I want one, but perhaps not immediately")
360 dashboard update to be ready by morning
The long awaited 360 dashboard update is finally coming, arriving by invite for most Stateside gamers sometime early tomorrow morning.The update will actually begin to go out by 2:00 AM PT, but, according to Major Nelson, it "can take up to four hours for a user to be prompted to receive this update," so the invitation to download the small-in-size (but large-in-scope) update could arrive as late as 6:00 AM PT.Patient gamers can look forward to 125 new features for their cream-colored Xboxes, including the ability to queue multiple Marketplace downloads, keep your place in DVDs, and even fast-forward to just the choicest parts of videos (like the one featuring the titular Tomb Raider above). Plan your evening and/or morning accordingly, folks.See also: A video tour of the Xbox Live Spring update 360 BC update "in the next few weeks" [Thanks to everyone who sent this in; also via Xbox 360 Fanboy]
Cheaper PS3 loses HDMI, slots, Wi-Fi, 40GB
As you can see above, there are a few things different between the two PS3 SKUs planned. (Hint: the obvious alterations concern high-def output and wireless connectivity -- though Bluetooth controllers should work just fine with both, with or without any chrome case highlighting.)So what's HDMI, built-in multimedia card-reader slots, wireless internet connectivity, and an extra 40 gigabytes' hard disk space worth to you? $100? Now that Sony's gone with the 2-SKU approach with its next-gen hardware (a la the Xbox 360's premium and "Core" systems), we can expect some tough consumer choices after six months -- with console shortages possibly for another six months after that -- as $100 separates the base $499 and premium $599 versions of Sony's "Clear Black" hope.HDMI is important to those who want to take full advantage of Blu-ray high def and have the new screens to use it; MemoryStick, SD, and CompactFlash slots would be nice for the PS3 memory-card users and those will run multimedia on the system; Wi-Fi's the only way to avoid stringing ethernet cables for online access; and 360 owners might appreciate the full 60GB available to potential buyers of the premium PS3 model. Neither model comes with a second HDMI port; thankfully, one should hopefully be all most users need. The details are laid out in a feature-comparison table at the end of Sony's official PS3 hardware press release, available in both Adobe Reader and Microsoft Word formats. Determine what's most important to your PS3 ambitions there.[Image pieced together from the PlayStation.com forums; thanks, Guru]
