Here is my detailed review about the Xbox 360
I have had the Xbox 360 since 2005 (about 5 years now) and have played many different games on it, with the current games I am playing through being Grand Theft Auto IV
and Mass Effect 2
. Obviously, I have not played every game on this system, but I have played enough games to get a good feel of this system. Overall, the Xbox 360 is a very good game system and is definitely a formidable player in the current generation gaming industry. Did you know that even prior to the first Microsoft Xbox - Video Game Console
game system, Microsoft was already in the gaming business, making popular games on the PC, especially with hit titles like, Microsoft Fury 3
, Age Of Empires 
, and even MechWarrior 4 
(that game even offered a multiplayer mode where you can go up against real users all across the internet that play Mechwarrior 4). Now in 2010, Microsoft still remains a powerful player in the gaming industry.
Things I like about the Xbox 360:
--> Awesome graphics. If you have played games like Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, Grand Theft Auto 4, Fable, Halo 3, and many other Xbox 360 games, you will find that the grapics are just awesome. Some games may even make you feel like you are in a movie, such as Bully: Scholarship Edition
, Sonic the Hedgehog
2006, and even Red Dead Redemption: Special Edition
just to name a few.
Racing games like Forza above shows how awesome the graphics are on the Xbox 360.
--> Plenty if Memorable Games
Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 are among my favorite RPG's out there.
--> The controllers are fun and easy to use. Twin stick controllers rock, along with the extra buttons to use for your games. They aren't the Wii's motion sensor controllers, but are still fun to use. Also, unlike on the regular Xbox, most of the controllers are wireless, and so you do not have to connect them directly to the Xbox 360 and sit close to the system just to play it as you used to have to do. The only downside to the wireless controllers is that they run on batteries, and so you will have to replace them periodically (especially if you play for long periods at a time). Of course, Microsoft does offer rechargable batteries you can use for your system.
picture of a typical Xbox 360 controller
--> Lots of classics for this system. Some must have games for this system includes: Mass Effects 1 and 2, Halo 3, Fable 2, Gears of War, Fall Out 3, Call of Duty Modern Warfare, Grand Theft Auto 4, Red Dead Redemption, Star Wars Force Unleashed, and Knights of the Old Republic 1 and 2 to name a few.
Looking for a popular online multiplayer game? Be sure to check out Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2
--> Backwards compatability. Many of the games that you could play on the original Xbox are playable on the 360 (assuming you have an Xbox live account). The only downside to this is that not all of the original Xbox games are playable on the 360. Miccrosoft's official Xbox website at www.xbox.com has a backwards compatibility page that lists all of the original Xbox games you can play on the 360.
Star Wars Battlefront 2 is one of the many classic Xbox games you can play on the 360. Note: not all of the Xbox games are playable on the Xbox 360, so you will need to visit the Microsoft's Official Xbox site to see the full list of playable Xbox games on the 360.
--> Extend your game play with Xbox live arcade. If you find that the main line games are getting boring, you can always get an account on Xbox live arcade and get a much bigger collection of games. There are plenty of games for the Xbox 360 that can only be downloaded via Xbox live, including remakes of older games (such as Castlevania Symphony of the Night), games you might find on Newgrounds, such as Castle Crashers, some game series (such as Mega Man 9 and 10), as well as demo versions of games you want to play. Also, there are plenty of add ons for most of the games available for the Xbox 360 (such as new maps, extra missions, new playable characters, etc). Obviously, the Xbox live arade features are not free and many of the downloads will require you to spend some of your money (most games for download come in the form of free trials that give you more of a preview of the game, though you can always opt to buy a game you want).
Yes, that is literally Mega Man 10 and is available on Xbox live arcade. Unlike Mega Mans 7, 8, as well as "Mega Man and Bass", Mega Mans 9 and 10 return to the classic 8 bit format, making it feel like how it was in Mega Mans 1 through 6. Btw, rumor (seen rumors on the web) has it that the next Mega Man X game will return to its 16 bit origins whenever it gets released (though personally, I lked the 32 bit format more as well as the 128 bit format on Mega Man X8 more).
--> Go up against other players via Xbox Live on many of the games. If you like doing online death matches on first person shooter games, then the Xbox 360 is right up your alley, especially with games like Gears of War, Quake 4, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, and Halo 3 ODST online. This mode is geared more towards competitive players and so if you are a typical n00b at Xbox 360 games (especially first person shooters), I recommend you getting some practice before doing the real thing. One good first person shooter game that can give you good practice for doing FPS games on Xbox live is Perfect Dark Zero since besides being able to go up against real players, you can also opt to go up against bots (and you can tweak each bot's personality and difficulty level to better simulate a real death match).
--> Parential conrols. If you are a parent and want to limit what kinds of games your kids play or how long they can use the system at a time, the Microsoft 360 does have those options. Now, some people might find this unpopular (especially kids and teenagers), but it is worth pointing out. It can also be for one's one benefit as well. For example, if you are finding yourself spending too much time playing games on the Xbox 360 and want to limit yourself, you can set up a time limit that allows the system to shut off by itself ater a certain ammount of time (say 2 hours or so). Thie can also be useful if you have something coming up you do not want to miss (like going to work) and you want to play some video games to kill time (the time limit feature can keep you from accidently losing track of time, especially on role playing games as they tend to eat up a good chunk of time).
--> The Xbox 360 does more than just games. Besides playing Xbox 360, some Xbox games, and Xbox life arcade games, the consoles come with other features as well, such as acting as a dvd player (can be a good use of your money if you want both a game system and a dvd player without having to spend too much money), the ability to go on social networking sites like youtube and facebook, the ability to download and watch videos, and plenty of other extra stuff you can do.
Of course, the Xbox 360 is not without it's downsides. here are some negative aspects:
--> Not as interactive as the Nintendo Wii. If you prefer a system with motion sensor controllers, for example, then the Wii might be a better fit for you. Though, Microsoft is planning to change that with the new Kinnect system coming out later this year, which will the Nintendo Wii (Microsoft is actully going to be taking one extra step forward by creating games that do not require you to have a controller at all).
-->Red Ring of Death Glitch. This happened to me on 3 different occasions. Each time I had to send it in to Microsoft to get it fixed. I am sure it does not happen to all Xbox 360s but it is something to be aware of.
The "Red Ring of Death" is one of the most common issues with the Xbox 360. I am sure it does not apply to every Xbox 360 out there, but it is something to be aware of if you get an Xbox 360 (though it apepars many of the newer modles are made to not have the red ring of death issue any more).
-->Most games are geared more towards an older audience (usually T through M ratings). Sure, there are some games on the Xbox 360 that are geared more towards kids, such as Toy Story 3, Finding Nemo, Sonic the Hedgehog 2006, and Castle Crashers, but most of the real popular games for this system are rated t or m. In fact, Halo 3, Fall Out 3, Grand Theft Auto, Fable 2, and most other hit games are rated m for mature (recommended to people 17 and up). If you are looking for a good family centered game system, you might be better with a Nintendo wii.
Assasins Creed 2 is another popular Xbox 360 and is obviously geared more towards an older audience. After all, as the name implies. your guy is basically a hitman and has to lots of assasination missions in the game. Grand Theft Auto 4 (yes, Nikko will feel like a hitman in GTA 4 as many of Nikko's employers will have him go on assasination missions, such as punishing people who have crossed a particular crime boss, killing deliquents, and sometimes even go after former bosses) and Hitman have similar concepts btw.
Conclusion
While the Xbox 360 might not be the best choice for everyone, it is definitely worth your money if you are looking for a good current generation game system. Great for people looking for good first person shooters, awesome RPGs: compate games like Fable 2 or Mass Effect 2 with Wii's Zelda Twilight Princess. In Zelda Twilight Princess, while there were some improvements from the Nintendo 64's Zelda Ocarina of Time, the lack of voice acting, next gen feel, as well as the N64 style graphics as well as other flaws gives it a huge disadvantage over mainline RPGs on the Xbox 360, which make you feel like you are in a movie in a way. The Xbox live mode is an excellent choice for people who like online gamig as well as people wanting to take advantage of the Xbox live arcade features as well. By the way, while the Xbox 360 is not as interactive as the Nintendo Wii, they will soon be releasing the new Kinnect system which will give the games a Nintendo Wii style feel to it. I don't know about you, but if you are into gaming and want a good next generation game system, you might not want to overlook the Xbox 360.
