A great console - a great price! (Microsoft Xbox 360 Arcade)

Member Name: shamis4

Product:	Microsoft Xbox 360 Arcade
Date:	16/07/08 (178 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Quite cheap with all perks of normal xbox as well as 5 free games

Disadvantages: None - (just get an extended warranty)

I originally owned the xbox premium console which was extremely good, especially as it came with the 20gb hard drive which proved very useful. However, it broke just after the warranty ended so i decided to purchase the xbox arcade console as it was the cheapest on the market. I also got the free xbox arcade compilation disc and another free game.

The xbox 360 in my opinion is probably the best console available to buy on the market at the moment. This is a great next generation console which includes loads of great features.
However it does not go much beyond being a games console - unlike its competitor the PS3.

The xbox 360 console has loads of good features. You can play a variety of different games available on the market including sports games such as Fifa 08, FPSs such as Call Of Duty 4, and more kids games like Viva Pinata. There is a massive variety of games to buy and many are of a very high quality. You can also watch videos and play music on your 360 as well as being able to connect to your computer (thanks to microsoft making a large majority of the world's computers) and access a lot of it's content.

However it is in the online features where the xbox 360 truly shows its potential as being a great console. The xbox live system is great and every owner of an xbox is entitled to a free silver membership in which you can download games, music, videos, wallpapers, pictures (i could go on for a while) from the marketplace. Although these may come at a cost - which is where you can use microsoft points to buy these. of course there is still a lot of free stuff available and lots of demos of most new games.
You can also purchase a gold membership for only about £30 - £40 and access all the above as well as being able to play for unlimited time onlin on games such as Call Of Duty 4 (probably my favourite game).
The xbox 360 is also a very attractive console ad looks quite sleek and stylish - fits very nicely next to most televisions!
The power button is really cool land lights up depending upon how many controllers are turned on.
Of course the controllers also fit in with the same style and you can read one of my other reviews to find out more about the controller.

However the HD DVD player for the console has been a failure in some ways as these DVDs are no longer being produced as blu-ray has won the battle (and this is unfortunately a feature of the PS3). Although you can purchase it cheap and get loads of back dated films!
The xbox 360 is also known to have certain technical problems which will only happen on rare occasions to some consoles or to over-used consoles. For example my previous console had the rings of death (red rings on the power button) and it had also run out of warranty.
I would therefore advise anyone getting a new console to get an extended warranty! ( i have purchased a five year warranty for my new console).

Now on to the extras:

This console as i said near the beginning comes with a free arcade disc and this is of course a great benefit as you get to experience a variety of the arcade games at no cost. The free games are:
- Pac Man Championship edition
- Uno
- Luxor 2
- Boom Boom Rocket
- Feeding Frenzy

Pac Man is of course that classic game we all used to play - one of the best original games there has ever been. This championship edition includes the first new mazes to be released for over 25 years - once that can even change shaped during levels and there is also newly enhanced graphics. Can you survive for long enough! Verdict 5/5

Uno is the classic card game bought to life in this arcade game. The game is the same of course with some extra features and cool packs to donwload. You can change diffeent options to play how you like. Online is also great fun and video chat can be used during online play. Verdict 4/5

Luxor 2 is set in the land of ancient Egypt and you must save it from the angry God. You do this by shooting using your Scarab and destroying coloured balls by matching more than 2 of each colour. You have to collect power ups and gems to gain more points. Very addictive. Verdict 4/5

Boom Boom Rocket is in my view the worst game on this disc in which you detonate fireworks in time with the music. The graphics and sounds are quite good and a range of difficulties for the more hardcore gamers. Though can be rather boring. Verdit 3/5

Feeding Frenzy has to be one of the most addictive games i have ever played where you are a small fish and have to eat smaller fish than you in order to grow. The bigger you get the more you can eat until you complete the level. Power ups to collect and a long campaign (over 40 levels) to complete progressing through a variety of fish from small puffer fish to eventually a shark!
A great game. Verdict 5/5 (the best on the disc)



This console comes with the following:

- 5 Free LIVE Arcade Games - UNO, Pac-Man, Feeding Frenzy, Luxor 2 & Boom Rocket
- 256MB Memory Unit
- Wireless Controller
- HDMI Port
- Standard AV Out
- Xbox LIVE Silver Membership

Price: From £150 (play.com)
It would be advised to shop around for the best deal as certain retailers may offer free games with the console such as Game.

This in general is a great console and with the Arcade version you can benefit greatly as it is an excellent price with some extras such as the 5 free games!
Suitable for all ages and all varieties of experience of gamers.

Summary: Great console which is suitable for anyone