It has been a crazy holiday season once again. Three mainstream gaming systems have hit the stands and are flying off the shelves at amazing speeds. Of course I'm talking about the Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and the Nintendo Wii. All 3 are great consoles and have great potential, but one definitely stands above the rest.



Let's take a closer look at the three systems.

The Playstation 3 offers the best graphics of the 3 consoles hands down. The technology enlisted to create this machine is nothing short of extra ordinary. The Ps3 uses a Cell Broadband Engine to deliver the most amazing graphics I have ever seen in a video game console. Also it's Blue-Ray-DVD is the latest generation of DVD readers that boasts the highest resolution of any DVD format on the market. The HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) allows you to enjoy the highest performance in HD on either an HD TV or conventional TVs. You also have the choice of on board hard drive, either 20GB or 60GB for ease of storing information for fast and easy access. In addition the PSP can be plugged into the PS3 to exchange movies, photos, or music. The PS3 will also run all PS1, PS2, CDs, and DVDs. For graphics this is the best system available.

The Xbox 360 is another great system. The technology in the Xbox 360 is much like a computer, Surprise! Built by Microsoft it's easy to understand that Xbox 360 is largely built toward those that game online. The core of the system boasts a 512 MB shared system/video RAM, a custom, symmetrical, three-core CPU with each core running at 3.2Ghz; and a custom-built ATI Graphics processor with unified shader technology. Also a 20 gig hard drive (not in the core pack) to save your games, You can also download previous Xbox titles straight from the internet. Throw in wireless controllers, headset, and Ethernet capability and your all set for some serious online gaming. This is a great system all in all, the best online support, Xbox live (Xbox' online community) and the best computer support makes the Xbox 360 a force to be reckoned with.

Finally the Nintendo Wii. Nintendo has done it again. Nintendo has long been known for changing the gaming world. With the new controller system for the Wii, Nintendo is dominating the market once again. Nintendo has used an infrared system to make the user interface wireless. You have to move your hands to swing your sword in Zelda, swing both hands to box, and make a bowling motion to bowl in the Wii Sports game. This is an amazing interface. While playing with my kids a couple nights ago, I actually started to break a sweat playing tennis. In a world where video games have made us lazy Nintendo has really made it fun to get a little workout after work or school. This game console actually pulls you into the game, making you the hero or athlete you have always wanted to be. The console sits next to the TV, not floating around the floor to get kicked or stepped on. The sensor bar lives on top of the TV and picks up your movements and displays the result of your physical actions on the screen. The Nintendo Wii is simply an amazing system. The graphics so far aren't jaw dropping, but the user interface more than makes up for it.

To sum it all up:

We loved all 3 systems. The Playstation was a little more expensive than we liked and the lack of games currently available made the PS3 our least favorite, although it's an amazing system. The Xbox was also a great system, but we didn't feel like anything too new was introduced with the Xbox 360, seemed more just a newer model of the Xbox. Better graphics and great internet abilities, but not #1 this year. For our money the Nintendo Wii took the trophy. With a small price tag, and the best user interface innovation we have ever seen the Wii is the one to own.