The most popular devices are not simply designed for playing games on, although that is of course their primary purpose, but with enhanced multimedia functions like video and music support and web browsing, you have a powerful all-in-one device.

Console graphics have never appeared quite as real as they do right now and along with better video output and improved multimedia functionality, with a stronger emphasis on social media and interactive gameplay, we can pack those board games away forever as video games have never looked so welcoming.

It is the latest Nintendo Dsi that has most recently been grabbing the headlines, due mainly to it’s basic 3D qualities that allow users to play games on an adjustable 3 Dimensional screen without the need for special glasses.

Being portable the previous model Nintendo Dsi has become particularly popular with both the younger generation of school children as well as the older Saga generation, due mainly to its advertising campaigns to keep the brain active.

However it is the Microsoft Xbox, Sony Playstation and Nintendo Wii that you will find in most households, a stand alone gaming console that can connect to the internet, play DVD’s or Blu ray Discs as well as offering unlimited interactive gaming facilities.

For first time purchasers choosing one machine from the three top sellers will often come down to either price, peer pressure or a particular game availability, as with the Wii Fit for instance.

Unless you are pre ordering the latest yet to be released device, the likliehood is that shopping around the major outlets will get you a cut price machine with a bundle of free games or goodies thrown in. This is particular true once a new generation machine has been announced and the market needs to clear it’s current stocks.

While I can think of a few addicted gamer friends who own more than one video gaming console, the general truth is that there is an awful lot of brand loyalty shown by gamers, so be sure to compare the systems on the market before deciding which suits your needs the best.

Happy gaming!

Nintendo 3DS logo

Launching at midnight on Thursday at HMV on Oxford Street, the new Nintendo 3DS is on track to be the biggest games console launch in history. Introducing portable entertainment in 3D, without the need for special glasses, the console is packed with unique features.

The UK retail launch will take place at midnight in HMV’s flagship London store with over 100 branches opening simultaneously to meet the unprecedented demand for this gorgeous new piece of kit.

Already creating twice the interest of the launch of the Wii, the Nintendo 3DS is set to revolutionise gaming with its 3D graphics that do not require the player to wear special 3D glasses.

With special guests at HMV for the launch, including BRITs winners Plan B, comedian Russell Kane, rock band Hadouken and hot new girl band Parade, the crowds will get VIP treatment with a complimentary game of their choice on offer, special launch night pack with exclusive Nintendo rewards, and the chance to take to the stage to demonstrate their skills on Street Fighter IV and Pro Evolution Soccer in live head-to-head battles.

With two screens and a 3D Depth Slider allowing players to select the level of 3D, the Nintendo 3DS also includes a Circle Pad which provides 360 degrees of direction and a built in motion sensor.

The StreetPass™ feature allows players to exchange game information, while the SpotPass™ feature can connect to compatible public hotspots and to wifi, allowing the system to be regularly updated with new content. Other features include three cameras and the Mii Maker™ application.

Nintendo 3DS

You would have had to have lived on another planet during recent months not to be aware that Nintendo are about to revolutionise hand held gaming hardware with their soon to be released Nintendo 3DS.

Bringing 3D to the small screen has never been so highly anticipated, but the wait will soon be over as the Nintendo 3DS will be officially released on March 25th 2011.

Having secured its own niche in the gaming market with the superb standard Nintendo DS player and collected a loyal following along the way, fans will be champing at the bit to experience the 3D graphics on the latest model.

One of the biggest attractions of the 3D graphics on the new Nintendo device is that there is no need to wear special glasses to witness the superb depth of the three dimensional experience.

As well as the obvious and most important 3D feature, the new Nintendo is also an incredibly robust entertainment device, with built-in features and applications that are accessible right out of the box.

The Nintendo 3DS is a stunning little hand held device and with the standard pre-loaded software and advanced wi-fi connectivity this gorgeous looking portable device not only resembles a Note Book computer but offers all the functionality of one.

It is as  simple to browse the internet as it is to load and play games and by simply pressing the HOME button during play, this system will automatically pause game play and open the internet browser, safely returning to the game later at exactly where you left off.

Building a library of games can be an expensive business so it is reassuring that the Nintendo 3DS will still let you play your old games in standard 2D format without any problems.

Indeed on the 3DS model it is possible to watch or play 3D games and videos in standard 2D format if you desire, the console is fitted with a sliding device that increases and decreases depth of field.

The 3D depth slider enables the user to choose the depth of field that best suits them. In the off position the device will display in standard 2D format, while increasing the setting gives objects within the game world a feeling of space and depth that extends far into the back of the screen. It becomes easier to see the position of characters and obstacles in the world, making many game experiences even more intuitive for all types of players.

Available in two great colours, aqua blue and cosmos black, the highly anticipated hand held gaming device will be available in shops from March 25th, to be sure of being amongst the first to own one you can pre-order Nintendo 3DS with no deposit and nothing to pay until the dispatch date.

nexuiz

Independent developer and publisher, Illfonic, debuted the first-person arena shooter at GDC 2010 last week. The fast, fun addictive gameplay impressed editors and fellow video game designers. Nexuiz was redesigned and ported over on PS3 in two and a half months with a six person team using the Quake engine.

Nexuiz is an Arena First Person shooter coming soon to consoles. It is fast paced with extremely competitive game play. IllFonic brings Alientrap Softwares Nexuiz to next-gen gaming consoles around the world while staying true to the game play refined over the years through open source development.

IllFonic introduces a new Victorian influenced art style that is simultaneously futuristic and sophisticated. Nexuiz uses the latest version of the Dark Places engine ported for the next generation of gaming consoles.

The game will feature a mutator system that allows players to change the rules of the match; as players rank, new mutators become available for them to use. Leader boards are designed for social networking, letting players feel more engaged with the community.

Nexuiz features a heavyweight soundtrack from artists including Flying Lotus, Dam Funk and Trisector. On launch Nexuiz will feature multiplayer modes including Team Deathmatch and Capture the Flag. New games modes, models, and maps will be available as downloadable content post release.

For more information and updates visit the Nezuiz website.

Xbox 360

From today all Xbox 360 owners will find new entries on their game consoles as they will have Facebook, Twitter and Last.FM added to them automatically.

There is also to a brand new Zune-branded download portal and what’s more not one of them will need to be downloaded.

It is now expected that the same will also be appearing on the PS3 in the very near future, offering much of what is available via a regular web browser.

As well as being able to update your status, photo sharing and emails, there is also an option to save screen shots from the Xbox 360 games to show on Facebook, with the Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10, being the first of the games to support this application.

Wii Sports

According to reports, there is to be no price cut for the Wii hardware in the UK, instead, rumour has it that the manufacturer will be offering a new retail package for the continued retail price of £199.

The package is to include the new Wii MotionPlus peripheral, a nunchuck, the original Wii Sports plus its sequel the Wii Sports Resort.

An announcement is due shortly that the US and Japan will be getting the Wii hardware at a reduced price, while the UK have recently upped their retail prices due to escalating exchange rate.

The package, which has still not been confirmed, is expected to go on release at the beginning of October, but for all those of you only interested in the Wii Sports software, Toys R Us have this offer.

Lempel acknowledges that the Microsoft’s digital distribution platform offered many advantages over PlayStation early on, but insists that Sony have now closed the gap on it’s rival, and is now in ‘great shape’ to take the Xbox on head to head.

Lempel says;

“In some cases, I think we’ve got more. In terms of strengths, of course we’re still free, and we’re giving you a lot for free. It’s not just free online gaming, but we’ve got PlayStation Home, which is a massive community and application that’s totally free to use. Our video download service is also a little bit different from theirs in that we sell movies in addition to renting movies. I think there’s a lot we’re doing that in some cases they’re not doing, and I don’t see a lot of things they’re doing that we’re not.”

Do you agree that PSN has as much to offer as XBLA? What is your preference?

Okay, let’s assume you’re an avid Sega fan for whom the recently released PS3 and 360 Sega Mega Drive: Ultimate Collection didn’t quite cut it either because of the pads or the game selection. Where do you go to get your gaming fix? Blaze International think they have the answer, a re-released region free Sega Mega Drive.

Coming complete with two pads, 15 inbuilt games and an entirely reasonable RRP of just £39.99, it seems like a great package for someone with a whole stack of useless Mega Drive cartridges lying around. Presumably it will have a more modern input than the TV tuner style of old too, though sadly I can’t find any confirmation of what kind of picture quality you’ll be expecting.

Still, with 15 games and a retro system for £15 you can’t really complain. You’ll just need to track down cartridges of Sensible Soccer and Cannon Fodder to go alongside the impressive titles in built in the system, which include Alex Kidd, Golden Axe and Sonic & Knuckles.

You can pre-order it from Play.com for £37.99 – and the company also does a handheld version with 20 games for £27.99. Personally, I’m willing to wait another 20 years for a Dreamcast version. In the meantime will someone just port Chu Chu Rocket to WiiWare or Live Arcade already?

With the success of the Lego Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Batman games, speculation has been rife as to what Traveller’s Tales will do next. So far they’ve been tight lipped, waiting for the right time to launch in a blaze of press release hyperbolic glory, but they may have been beaten to the punch with a wimper. According to Kotaku, the CV of an animator working for the company has let slip that they’re currently working on two games: another Indiana Jones one and a Lego Harry Potter title.

Most people saw this coming several miles off, what with the Harry Potter licence and Traveller’s Tales being owned by Warner Brothers, and it’s a release that sounds like an excellent combination which is sure to sell millions. Though personally having never read a Potter book or seen one of the films, I was hoping for something a little more off the wall. Like Lego Goodfellas, or Lego Platoon.

The other release is sadly a lot more predictable, and adds Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull to the list of titles worked on. Given it’s only one film, I reckon there’s a good chance this could be added as DLC for Xbox and PS3, but there will probably be a “Complete Saga” tie in as well.

There’s one more juicy bit of gossip to be gleaned from the CV – apparently the animator was also involved in putting together a demo pitch based on the upcoming Hobbit films, which is another licence I’m completely unfamiliar with. That said, a well loved fantasy universe with plenty of combat sounds very familiar to the things which made Lego Star Wars such a breath of fresh air so fingers crossed this comes to fruition.

Update: The animator has now removed the details of the games from her CV. Talk about closing the doors after the horse has bolted.

Enemy Territory: Quake Wars brings newgraphics technology to the PS3 & Xbox 360 for the first time. The game allows you to choose to whether to play off or online and choose to play as the humans or the Strogg in one of five characters.

There are three ways to play Enemy Territory: Quake Wars. You can play the game by using a single map, three maps in one continent or play a two-round fight on a single map where teams compete to see who can finish the assault first.

Using a wide range of weapons, vehicles and armaments, gamers are tested for their skill and coordinated teamwork through a series of combat objectives.

The setting:
The year is 2065 and the Strogg race has attacked Planet Earth to strip it of its raw materials to create a fuel known as stroynet. If you are familiar with any of the highly successful Quake games then you will have much more background information to this story. But don’t worry, you can jump straight in.too.

As Game say in their review:

“[Enemy Territory: Quake Wars] is the ultimate online team and objective-based experience, delivering a new depth of multiplayer action to next generation consoles. […] The game pits the Allied troops of the Global Defense Force (GDF) against a sinister new Axis – the marauding, technologically advanced Strogg – during their initial invasion of Earth.”

I’ve lost several days already on this game. Quake War games are great fun and because of Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, they just got even better!

Play.com is currently offering FREE subscription to TM magazine when you buy Enemy Territory: Quake Wars for the PS3 or Xbox 360. Click on the Buy Now button below.