We are now 7 days away from the return of Sci-Fi Friday and Khyron's Sci-Fi showdown.

Despite what is being called a 'box office slump,' 2005 was a great year for sci-fi/action/horror fans like myself. Two George's returned to end their legendary series', while several comic books made quite the transition to the big screen.

Welcome to part 2 of 2 for the Khyron's Choice awards. Listed below is my list of the top 10 movies of 2005. Many of these haven't been reviewed on KHYRON.NET, so this isn't a ranking of reviews. Instead, these are the movies that I enjoyed the most.

And before you bombard me with comments and emails beginning with "But what about _____?" keep in mind that these are Khyron's choice. I haven't watched every movie this year, not by a long-shot, so if I pass up your personal favorite, try not to take it personally.

1 - Sin City - I was pretty sure about the top three movies of the year, just not which among them was the best. All three are fine films, but also quite different in style and plot. I chose Sin City the victor for one reason: off all three, it was by far the coolest. With probably the greatest movie cast this year (Bruce Willis, Mickey Rourke, Clive Owen, etc.), the fantastic black and white style and campy noir dialogue made this revenge story the tops. And as far as comic book adaptations go, Sin City is by far the most loyal to its source. Kudos to Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez. Can't wait for Sin City 2.

2 - Batman Begins - In what is now my favorite superhero movie, director Christopher Nolan succeeded in bringing new life to the Batman mythos. Excellently describing Bruce Wayne's transformation into the Dark Knight, Batman Begins was a great mix of an interesting script, awesome cinematography, and two pretty cool villains.

3 - King Kong - Although it wasn't the biggest movie of all time like people were speculating, King Kong is still a good movie. A bit long, yes, but with the best CGI to date and some of the craziest action sequences put to film, King Kong is a winner in my book.

4 - Saw 2 - Sick, violent, and intelligent, Saw 2 is everything I want in a horror movie. More refined than the original Saw, and with a bigger scope, it managed to retain the low-budget realism and twisting plot that made this series popular. If Saw became a Halloween release tradition, I would indeed be a happy man.

5 - Serenity - I was never the biggest fan of the TV series Firefly (not so much I didn't like it, just that I didn't really want to watch it), but the movie transformation was a fine piece of science fiction cinema. A great cast of characters more than makes up for its at times shaky plot. And even though the ending didn't do much for me, I enjoyed the hell out of this movie.

6 - The Island - Almost universally hated be nearly everyone, I'm kind of confused as to why someone wouldn't like The Island. Great style, good action, and an interesting (if not unoriginal) story means a good movie in my book.

7 - Land of the Dead - Director George A. Romero has returned to create what was billed as his zombie 'masterpiece.' And although it doesn't meet the standard set in the original Dawn of the Dead, it was still better than Resident Evil. Yeah, it was too short and the dialogue was not Romero's best, but the zombie effects were pretty good.

8 - Star Wars Episode III Revenge of the Sith - By far the best of the new trilogy, Revenge of the Sith was a pretty good movie. Just as plagued by dialogue as Land of the Dead, RotS was flawed but enjoyable.

9 - War of the Worlds - Although Tom Cruise was a distraction overall, War of the Worlds was still a fine alien invasion story. I would have liked more military combat, but I'm sufficiently pleased with what was presented.

10 - Constantine - It's easy to forget movies released early in the year, but for me, Constantine was far from forgettable. The third comic-to-movie on my top 10 list, Constantine was a good mix of theology and action, with Keanu Reeves being just as cool as in the Matrix trilogy.

Honorable Mentions - All the movies that were good, just not good enough.

4 Brothers, Doom, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Devil's Rejects.

Well, there you have it--the top 10 movies of 2005 according to Khyron. Thank you for your time, and attention.

So I watched the 1986 James Cameron Sci-fi action/horror classic Aliens the other day, for what's probably nearing the one hundredth time... and no, I'm not just saying that. In all honesty, I have probably seen Aliens nearly one hundred times. For a while, watching it was almost ritualistic--popping in my tape recorded off of Pay Per View maybe 1 or 2 times a week.

I have come to the very real conclusion that Aliens is not only the greatest movie ever made, but also the greatest thing ever made. The scale goes something like this:


Even now that it's nearly 20 years old, some of the effects shots in this movie are still crazy good. Made in an age before CGI nearly ruined film, Aliens actually has sets, and real explosions, and doesn't suck. Something I think George Lucas needs to look into for Star Wars. Because even though some of the scale model shots may be showing their age, I will forgive any noticeable model over poorly done, lazy CGI. And as far as spaceships go, give me a model filmed over a space backdrop any day.

What has saddened me in writing this, however, is the realization of horrible truth. Hollywood has indeed run out of ideas. First they started remaking comedies, no big deal there. Then some of John Carpenter's stuff was 'modernized.' I was outraged, yes, but I don't hold Carpenter quite up to Cameron. Then came the bombshell that Dawn of the Dead would be remade, while George A. Romero is still alive, and while he is making a sequel to his Dawn of the Dead. Wrong on oh so many levels, Hollywood has begun to remake what many consider the all-time classics of sci-fi/horror cinema.

Rumored to be in the works are remakes for Day of the Dead, The Thing, RoboCop (Why dammit!?! WHY!?!), and Predator, of all things. All of my most cherished childhood memories are soon to be butchered in a theatre near you. I pray only that the year 2012 brings some kind of paradigm shift in crappy remakes.

In summation, I deplore you, go watch Aliens before someone the likes of Paul WS Anderson gets a hold of it. The truth must live on.

1. The license plate on the taxi Adrian Brody takes at the end reads "9Z 16"

2. When Naomi Watts first meets Kong in New York, a Wollworth store can be seen in the background.

3. When Adrian Brody is taking the elevator to the top of the Empire State Building, the highest floor number displayed is "101"

4. As would be accurate for the the time, the stop lights in New York have only a red and green light.

5. Peter Jackson makes a cameo as one of the biplane's tail gunners. One could say that he killed Kong twice: the ape, and the franchise. (J/K!)

6. When the chloriform bottles are first displayed, grenades can be seen accompaning them, though they are never used.

7. The two asian characters and the only black character (besides the natives) are all killed in violent deaths.

8. All 4 main characters (Black, Brody, Watts, and Kretschmann) all survive despite numerous life-threatening situations.

9. Jack Black makes a comment to Naomi Watts that with Vaudeville, you must kill the audience or else they kill you. Later, Watts must give her act before Kong, the audience, kills her.

10. Most of the New York sets in the beginning are revisited by Kong's path of destruction.

11. The neon advertisement sign in the background outside the theatre features an advertisment for Chevrolet.

12. The chocolate Denham offers to the native boy is Nestle brand.

Keep my list going over at IMDB: IMDB Forum

2005 has been pretty good for gamers. The PC has had a pretty steady stream of next-gen games, the PS2 is hardly showing its age, and the release titles for the Xbox 360 are pretty darn good. I've dished out some reviews here and there, but now it's time to dive a little deeper into the mind of Khyron.

Welcome to part 1 of 2 for the Khyron's Choice awards. Listed below is my list of the top 10 video games of 2005. Many of these haven't been reviewed on KHYRON.NET, so this isn't a ranking of reviews. Instead, these are the games that I have enjoyed the most, or have wasted the most of my year on.

And before you bombard me with comments and emails beginning with "But what about _____?" keep in mind that these are Khyron's choice. I haven't played every game this year, not by a long shot, so if I pass up your personal favorite, try not to take it personally.

1 - Battlefield 2 (PC) - What else can I say? When it comes to time spent playing, there's only one other game on this list that can come close to Battlefield 2. With plenty of maps, plenty of weapons, still great graphics, and fraking awesome 64-player matches, Battlefield 2 is the pinnacle of online military combat.

2 - Day of Defeat Source (PC) - For a minute there, I was pretty sure this game wasn't even going to be released. Almost a year after the Source engine and Half-Life 2 was released, this WWII online shooter was finally updated. Just like Counter Strike, it's fun, fast, and you don't have to think too hard. For mindless entertainment, nothing can beat Day of Defeat's pick up and playability.

3 - Call of Duty 2 (Xbox 360) - Glitches and mediocre multiplayer aside, this game is quite hardcore. Featuring what is probably the best single player experience in any historical game, this is World War II at its most fun...Well, 'fun' in the sense that I don't actually have to fight Panzers in North Africa...

4 - The Matrix Online (PC) - Say what you will about this game, The Matrix Online rocked. All you "WoW is better" haters can go suck a lemon, because I will take bullet-time, trench coats, and submachine guns over a bunch of generic fantasy any day.

5 - F.E.A.R. (PC) - Ah first-person slow-motion...such gaming bliss. It's a shame this game didn't sell very good, because as far as innovation goes, this is a milestone for the FPS genre.

6 - God of War (PS2) - One of the few console games I played prior to the Xbox 360, God of War is a pretty intense game. Great PS2 graphics, intuitive gameplay, and a pretty cool (i.e. adult) story all made for arguably one of the best games in all of the PS2's library.

7 - Hot Shots Golf Open Tee (PSP) - Of the about 4 Playstation Portable games released this year, Hot Shots is definitely my favorite. The fantasy, anime-style golf game is good fun, plenty challenging, and ideal for mobile gaming.

8 - Mortal Kombat Shaolin Monks (Xbox) - Come on. For an MK junkie like myself, Shaolin Monks is about as cool as it gets. Sure, the graphics weren't great, the voice acting was terrible, and the story was a stretch, but as far as gory-nostalgia is concerned, I love this game.

9 - City of Villains (PC) - Although I only played this game a short while before switching gears to the Xbox 360, I must say that as far as MMORPG's go, the City of series is one of the only true innovators.

10 - Kameo (Xbox 360) - Squeaking onto the list, Rare's Kameo has beautiful graphics, fun gameplay, and a light-hearted story that breaks up some of the violence of my preferred FPS military combat games.

Alright, so there you have it. The Khyron's Top 10 favorite games of 2005. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. Stay tuned next week for Khyron's Top 10 Favorite movies.

King Kong - 2005, Directed by Peter Jackson
Rated PG-13 for frightening adventure violence and some disturbing images.

For months now, we've been teased ad nauseam with Peter Jackson's (Lord of the Rings) new pet project. You'd have to be living under some kind of rock to have not seen at least one trailer for the hyped-up remake of King Kong. The buzz is as big as the ape, with all kinds of analysts predicting explosive box office numbers. Well, the wait is finally over. So does Jackson's labor of love meet the brouhaha? Yeah. It does.

In King Kong, an ambitious but down on his luck director (Jack Black), a reluctant playwright (Adrian Brody), and a crew of hardened sailors hit the seas in search of mysterious ground known only as Skull Island. Looking for the perfect location for a film, the group soon finds more than they bargained for. Before long (about an hour into the film), the beautiful young actress Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts) is captured by natives and offered as a sacrifice to a 25-foot ape known only as Kong. Long story short, you all know the rest (hint: it involves the Empire State Building).

My concerns going into Kong were twofold. If it were to fail, it would be in either the pacing or the special effects.

First of all, the tempo. Peter Jackson isn't afraid to make a long movie (Return of the King, for example). I like long movies, so long as the story and atmosphere is appealing. There's nothing more frustrating than a stylish film that ends too fast, or a piece of trash that drags on without end. Clocked at a little over 3 hours, Kong managed to fly by. Apparently having honed the skill with the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Jackson brilliantly paced this movie. The story splits up into three pretty even segments: there's the introduction/character drama, the hardcore action/adventure, then a bit of a mixture of both to end it. And despite a few action scenes that may have run a bit long, each segment is pushed along at a fittingly brisk pace to the inevitable conclusion.

Ok, so the runtime works fine, but what about the special effects? Being opposed to the widespread use of computer generated images, I was initially disconcerted about the fully CGI Kong. First off, what little is shown of the special effects in the trailers barely scratches the surface of this phenomenally beautiful film. Everything from steamy jungles inhabited by dinosaurs to 1930's New York with its bustling city streets, the CGI is so believable and so well done that it rarely pulled me away from the film's high-adventure setting.

Quite the contrary, the special effects, more so than any movie in recent history, actually succeeded to draw me into the story. By far the most technically accomplished film to date, Jackson did a great job making things exciting and visually stunning, while keeping it based in reality.

Andy Serkis (of Gollum fame) returns to act out Kong for motion capture. Word is that he studied apes for a long while in preparation for the role, and it shows. Kong moves and acts in a very fluent, ape-like manner. As hard as it may seem to believe, there were times I actually forgot Kong was computer generated--a great feat, indeed. I don't mind CGI done right. And boy, oh boy, this is CGI done right.

As far as the real actors are concerned, King Kong gets no complaints from me. Watts and Brody are both exemplary in their leading roles, Jack Black is competent enough in his first semi-serious role, and the strong supporting cast rounds out the list of fine performances. Special props go to Adrian Brody, whom I've doubted on many occasions as an actor capable of playing an action role. I'm pretty sure I saw him punch out a velociraptor, so for that alone I will give him just dues.

If I had to find fault with Kong (nothing's perfect), I would have to say it is in the scope of the story. In some places, it seemed like it was trying to be too many things to too many people. Intertwined are quite a few characters, sub-plots, and genres. One minute its a love story, then you get a big shoot-out, then a bit of dialogue--it can get a bit hectic at times, but the transitions are such that nothing is terribly detracting.

I could probably continue to ramble on here for a while, so I will just spare you and give you one final piece of advice. See this movie, I highly doubt you will be disappointed.

Memorable Scene: A ridiculous 12 dinosaur pile-up that seemed to last longer than it should have. Something about seeing velociraptors being crushed by a herd of toppling long-necks tickled my funny bone.

Seems I've overlooked a rather large review in the This Week. That is of course my review for Peter Jackson's King Kong. Expect that one later tonight, with my top 10 movies of the year awards comming next week.

Until then, enjoy the bit of Christmas flare at the top of the page.

~Khyron, out.

If it’s Wednesday, it’s the K-Files. Welcome to this very special edition—this being the very last K-Files of 2005. Even amateur paranormal enthusiasts take vacations, and for Khyron, that time is nigh. So sit back and enjoy… you know the routine.

This week, with Peter Jackson’s epic ape-tale hitting theatres, the Top Story covers the plausibility of such a king-sized Kong. Next, I present to you an update on the Kecksburg UFO incident. Finally, the remains of Nessie’s ancestors are sold to the highest bidder.

You’d better get ready, ‘cause here come the K-Files…Full Story

Check out the full K-Files archive at BinnallofAmerica.com.

Here's what you can expect this week at KHYRON.NET...

.:Schedule:.

• Wednesday: Wednesday. Khyron. K-Files. Read it.
  

• Thursday: The end of the year is coming fast, so I will be beginning my compilation of the year's best in games and film. First, I will give my list of the top 10 games of the year.
  

• Friday - Saturday: I will be finishing up my top 10's with my favorite movies of the year. Will King Kong top the list? Or will a couple of comic book adaptations tame the beast? Find out in the Khyron's Choice Awards.
  

Plan your internet surfing accordingly. Thank you.

~Khyron

In my review for this fine WWII action title, I justified a 2/5 rating due to a very annoying bug that caused my game save to be deleted. That, and the online multiplayer was inexcusably lacking.

In the near week since that review, I'm proud to announce that I have indeed beat Call of Duty 2. Fortunately, the bug didn't pop up again, so the whole process was pretty smooth. Still not quite sure what the problem was, exactly, but I have a few theories. According to the many forum discussions regarding the issue, one of the most common explanations is that the problem is with the Xbox 360's included hard drive. If this truly is the case, then the 2/5 certainly isn't an accurate representation of this, the leader of the WWII shooter genre.

However, I believe the problem has something to do with the game and its relationship with Xbox Live. I'm not sure to what extent, but 360 games use Live to keep your data. For instance, each game allows you to earn certain 'achievements' that grant you a higher score for your Live gamer-card. Apparently, Call of Duty 2 also used Live for other things because I found that when my save was deleted, I was not connected to Live.

My wireless network was rather unstable last week, and I couldn't keep a connection for more than a few minutes. But now this week, with a more stable connection, I had no problems with my save.

Anywho, long story short, I'm still not entirely sure what the problem is. Therefore, my review will go down as a 2/5 with a big ol' "*" to signify the potential bug.

Battlefield 2 Special Forces - 2005, Developed by DICE
Rated T for Teen

I spent more than a few hours (days is probably more appropriate) this summer playing DICE's popular shooter, Battlefield 2. Featuring expansive online play and gorgeous graphics, it was the bee's knees of military action. Now you can go elite with the expansion, Special Forces.

The expansion brings a lot to the Battlefield experience. Most notable of the additions is a plethora of new special forces gear, including smoke grenades, flash-bangs, and night vision goggles. The later of these come in quite handy in the selection of new maps--many of them taking place in the dark of night. There's also a few new weapons to play around with. Nothing too drastic or unbalancing to the gameplay, but it does bring some new life into the game.

The above mentioned maps are a mixed bunch. Nearly half are night-time raids (or at least have darkened areas) and all are mostly focused on infantry battles. There are a few new vehicles to be used (a Hind helicopter and just a plain old pick-up truck, among them), but most tactics involve using grappling hooks to flank the enemy.

I'd say that the biggest change made to the game is the pacing. In the original Battlefield 2, the size and scope of the maps created a more frenzied atmosphere. In Special Forces, however, things slow down considerably. For instance, when playing as an elite member of a spec-ops team, I don't feel as expendable. Every time I'm fragged (even though I know I will respawn in a few seconds), I feel a bit of personal loss. You're not just a faceless soldier, you're the best of the best. What this came down to for me was choosing to hold back more and not take the risks that made the original so fun.

Additionally, it wasn't just the gear that got expanded. The ridiculous loading times have been beefed up, too. Truly, the time it takes to load after you change your video settings is inexcusable. I'm talking nearly 10 minutes depending on your rig. By the time I actually got into the game, I didn't even want to play it.

In summation, Special Forces is a flawed expansion that brings a bit of variety to the Battlefield 2 experience. But at only $29.99 MSRP, it wont break the bank.

Rating: 3/5

~Khyron 2005

Tread lightly, paranormal junkies, for you have ventured into the sacred ground known only as The K-Files. Welcome to week 2 of the completely revamped 'Files. I'm starting to settle into the new format, and I hope you all are too.

This week, the Top Story covers the mysterious creature found in Borneo. Next, I present a mind-bending (or piercing, rather) story of a medical mystery. Finally, with Sci-Fi's 'The Triangle' airing this week, I've got a fitting piece on the Bermuda Triangle.

You'd better get ready, 'cause here come the K-Files...Full Article.

Check out the full K-Files archive at BinnallofAmerica.com.

Here's what you can expect this week at KHYRON.NET...

.:Schedule:.

• Wednesday: If it's Wednesday, then it's time for the K-Files. They're back with three more stories of the supernaturally strange.
  

• Thursday: With the Xbox 360 in full swing, its easy to overlook what's happening on other consoles. This week, I'm going to take a bit of a break from my 360 coverage with my review of the 'Battlefield 2' expansion, 'Special Forces.'
  

• Friday - Saturday: Hmm. What to do to end the week? Well, I'm at a loss, so I guess we will all have to just wait and see.
  

Plan your internet surfing accordingly. Thank you.

~Khyron

With so many titles to chose from, I feel it is my obligation to give you, the reading audience, the 411 on three of the more hyped Xbox 360 launch games. Get ready for a review smorgasbord:

Kameo: Elements of Power
Published by Microsoft

One of the games Microsoft personally published for its console, Kameo is a game that has been a long time coming. Developed by the legendary Rare team, Kameo had been slated to be released on the original Xbox--and boy am I glad they waited.

As far as showcasing the 360's graphics, this is the best looking of the games I've played. The colors are vivid, bright, and truly stunning while the vast 3D environments are a testament to what the 360 is capable of.

In Kameo: Elements of Power, you play as a young elf (Kameo), whose sister goes berserk after you are given the ability to turn into crazy animals. Now you must fight through hordes of trolls to rescue your captured family and stop your sister from destroying the world.

Basically, Kameo plays like a standard adventure/platformer, with the big twist being the main character's ability to transform into a variety of creatures. There's everything from a melee plant-man, to a rolling rock thing, to a big gelatinous water shooter...thing. It's a very clean, inviting, and enjoyable experience, with just enough challenge to keep you interested.

Key Moment: Riding horseback through a veritable army of rendered troll warriors--hundreds in all, each one being controlled independently by the AI. And with no lag or slow-downs, I might add. This is next generation.

Rating: 4/5

Condemned: Criminal Origins
Published by Sega

The team of Sega and Monolith is back (see my review for 'F.E.A.R.') with another gritty horror title. In Condemned, you navigate poorly lit and decayed urban locations in search of a serial killer called the 'Matchmaker.' As FBI Agent Ethan Thomas you wield a variety of weapons including pipes, crowbars, and sledgehammers, bashing the skulls of random drug-crazies that attack you for really no reason.

Just as 'F.E.A.R.' borrowed heavily from other sources, Condemned is pretty much what would happen if you mixed 'CSI' with 'Saw.'

Condemned is kind of hit and miss as a launch game. Some things, notably the brutal and violent hand to hand combat, are done very well and are quite entertaining; on the other hand, there are a few things that just don't work as well as they should.

First of these is the voice acting. The game is fairly dependent on cutscenes to reveal the story, but many of them feature some rather hokey and/or poorly delivered lines--which really brings you out of the game's dark atmosphere.

Secondly, the 'evidence collection' portion of the game is pretty underdeveloped. Apparently this game takes place in the future, because your tools include odor analyzers, molecular compound detectors, and all kinds of other made-up devices. And most disappointingly about them is the game just tells you what to do. For instance, when you need to take a picture, you're given a series of arrows that tell you where to focus, then you just need to hit one button and the game does the rest.

I would have liked to have seen the evidence collecting harder and more realistic, but as a thrilling (and occasionally frightening) experience, Condemned: Criminal Origins fits the bill.

Key Moment: A crazed druggy charges you screaming obscenities and swinging a rusty pipe, you then proceed to smack him across the face with a hammer, sending him to the ground. Finish things off by kicking his lifeless corpse, just to make sure.

Rating: 3/5

Call of Duty 2
Published by Activision

As far as World War II games go, the original Call of Duty was pretty much at the top of its genre. Just as intense as the original, Call of Duty 2 goes for the most realistic of shooter experiences.

Ranging from battles in the snowy ruins of Stalingrad to dusty trenches in Africa, this game beautiful. Explosions all around you, bullets zipping back and forth--the presentation of Call of Duty 2 is top notch.

By all means, the first player campaign is worthy of my coveted 5/5 rating, however, that's the only part of this game that works.

First of my gripes: online multiplayer. Talk about lame. Featuring a barebones Live interface (no creating game rooms or inviting friends), matches are limited to 8 players. Frankly, this is inexcusable. This is a next-generation console, so where's the 64 player games quite common in PC games? And the very limited fun of a 4 vs 4 deathmatch is only hindered further by excessive lag and frequent cheating.

But most of all what angers me about Call of Duty 2 is a known bug that causes your single player game saves to be deleted. The debate rages on as to whether or not this is due to an error in the 360's hard drive or a problem in the code of the game, but it is so incredibly annoying that I'm having doubts that I will even complete this game (or will even be able to). Seriously, I paid $60 for this game, it had damn better work.

Twice now my game save has been deleted after getting roughly 50% through the game. Granted, it's a fun game to play, but it's not that great when you're forced to repeat the same tedious sequences for no reason.

Key Moment: After securing a courtyard in a hard-fought battle with German Afrika Korps, you must defend you position from incoming Luftwaffe with an AA gun.

Rating: 2/5 (4/5 had it not been for the saving problems)

Well, there you have it. Despite a technical problem that will eventually (hopefully) be worked out via downloadable content, the release games for the 360 are strong if not damn fine in some places. Stay tuned for the coming weeks in which I will undoubtedly be reviewing more 360 titles.

Khyron.net, your home for unbiased reviews of video games from the average gamer.

Thanks for reading.

Well, it's going to be the hot item this Christmas, but does Microsoft's Xbox 360 meet the hype? I've had the pleasure to play around with the 360's HD next-gen experience for a little more than a week now, and the answer to that question is a firm yes!

::Design::

The first thing I noticed about the 360 was its size. The original Xbox was huge, and although the 360 remains larger than the Playstation 2, it will fit much easier into your existing entertainment system. Visually, it features a concave faceplate that can be removed and replaced with novelty ones (including wood grain if you felt so inclined). It's a high-tech piece of equipment, and it looks sufficiently advanced. I'm not the biggest fan of its matte white color, but it does bring back some fond memories of Sega's Dreamcast (of which the 360 shares many likenesses).

Another interesting thing to point out is no visible connectors on the front. There are two ports for memory cards and 2 USB ports nicely hidden under flip covers, but otherwise controllers are purely wireless. Yes, there is a PC compatible 360 controller that can plug into USB, but believe me, you'll want the wireless.

::Hardware::

One word can sum up the hardware inside the 360: powerful. 512 MB of RAM, a wicked fast IBM processor, and a custom ATI graphics engine all make for a very capable system. And although a comparable PC could be designed, the cost would be well over $1000.

Other nice features include a dual layer DVD player, 802.11x networking ability (with adapter), and a slot for a removable hard drive (20GB included with Premium bundle). However, it is at a disadvantage without having a HD DVD player--something Microsoft claims they will eventually offer.

::Controller::

This one is kind of a mixed bag. The original Xbox's smaller 'S' controller ranks among one of my favorites in terms of comfort. The 360's is very similar in shape and lay out, only things feel a bit more cramped. The biggest of my quarrels is with the added LB and RB buttons. The white and black button near the lower right of the older controller has been replaced by these two mini flippers at the top of the controller. They're easier to reach that the old black and white's, but the movement required is a bit awkward.

It is starting to grow on me, though.

::Interface::

More than any console in the past, the 360's interface is a big part of the gaming experience. Not so much a simple gaming machine, you also have the option to play movies, music, and photo albums. These can be read from either CD's and DVD's or streamed wirelessly from a PC running Windows XP. The menu screens for this are quite intuitive, and can be navigated with either the standard controller or an optional remote control.

The 360 interface also allows you to manage friends lists (via Xbox Live!), view your past gaming experiences and accomplishments, and even purchase and download extra features from a new service called Windows Marketplace. This adds a great deal to the 360's longevity, because not only can you download additional content for your games, but you can even download arcade favorites like Gauntlet for pick-up and play entertainment.

::High Definition::

Wow. To go with my 360, I purchased a 32" Sharp LCD television, and with the Premium bundle's included component cables, the image quality is nothing short of freaking fantastic. The 360 outputs at a native 720p, making crisp, resolute images. And although an HD ready TV would be preferable, the 360's graphics will still look pleasing on an older set.

::Final Thoughts::

The future is definitely now for console gaming. The Xbox 360 more than met my expectations (despite having already been spoiled by next-gen PC games) and was well worth the purchase price of $399.99.

Is it worth the thousands of dollars for it on internet auction sites? I don't think so. It's powerful, yes, and quite fun, but waiting a few more weeks to buy it retail is still your best bet. As I said above, you can get a comparable computer for about $1000 which will have a greater range of uses and be more upgradable. But, if your waiting for the Playstation 3, just be aware that you are indeed missing out.

Stay tuned for tomorrow when I rate three of the 360's more sought after games in a mini-review.

~Khyron