console

Buy a media-center extender for $169.99, get a free Xbox 360

I admit it: That headline is a bit misleading. But let me 'splain. Not many people know that the Xbox 360 can double as a media-center extender, meaning it can stream to your TV all the videos, photos, music, and whatnot stored on your PC. To my thinking, it's superior to all the standalone extender products because a) It's cheaper; and b) It's an Xbox! (As you might have heard, they're not bad with the games.)

All of which brings us to my bit of headline trickery: CompUSA has refurbished Xbox 360 Core systems on sale for $169.99 (… Read more

WiiWare and Virtual Console releases for this week

Virtual Console

Chase H.Q. (1992, TurboGrafx-16, 600 Wii points): You, Tony Gibson, and your partner, Raymond Broady, are of two cops from the NYPD's special "CHASE H.Q." unit. It's your mission to catch criminals by chasing them and ramming them off the road in your unmarked car--all in 16-bit graphics glory. Art of Fighting 2 (1994, NeoGeo, 900 Wii points): 12 characters compete in the toughest fighting contest of them all: King of Fighters. The game is notorious for having some of the most difficult opponent A.I. in the long history of fighting … Read more

Get a 13-month Xbox Live Gold subscription for $39.99 shipped

As a general rule, I despise paying monthly fees for anything. But a little over $3 per month for an Xbox Live Gold subscription? I can live with that. Newegg has 13-month Xbox Live subscription cards on sale for $39.99, with 3-7-day shipping included free.

In case you're new to the Xbox scene, a Live Gold subscription enables you to play games online against others. If you buy one of these cards directly from Microsoft (or, say, Best Buy), it'll cost you $49.99. You can use the 10 bucks you save to grab a new game … Read more

WiiWare and Virtual Console releases for this week

The classic ape makes a comeback and competitive eating gets its own game--all on the Nintendo Wii console. Virtual Console

Donkey Kong 3 (1986, NES, 500 Wii points): Stanley the Bugman's greenhouse has been infiltrated by Donkey Kong. Armed with a can of bug spray, you must chase the ape away before he destroys the greenhouse. Ninja Commando (1992, NeoGeo, 900 Wii points): Ninja Commando is a top-down, vertical-scrolling shoot em' up, known for its unintentionally funny English translation.

WiiWare

Major League Eating: The Game (Mastiff, 2008, 1,000 Wii points): Based on competitive eating contests held by Major … Read more

Microsoft cuts price of Xbox 360

Microsoft on Sunday cut the price of its best-selling Xbox 360 Pro model game console with a 20GB hard drive from $349 to $299.

The company also introduced a new Xbox 360 model with a 60GB hard drive. It will go on sale in stores in the U.S. and Canada for $349 in early August.

Microsoft's announcements, which were widely expected, come on the eve of the start of this week's E3 video game industry trade show in Los Angeles.

Rumors of the Xbox price cut swirled on popular gaming blogs Joystiq and Kotaku last week. The … Read more

WiiWare and Virtual Console releases for this week

This week you can try your luck at an arcade-racer or destroy cities with the wag of your tail. Virtual Console

King of the Monsters (1991, NeoGeo, 900 Wii points): From SNK comes King of the Monsters, an action/fighting game that allows you to play as skyscraper-tall monsters in a worldwide battle to become the champion.

WiiWare

SPOGS Racing (D2C Games, 1,000 Wii points): SPOGS Racing is an arcade-style racing game that lets you upgrade your vehicle on-the-fly for instant advantages during gameplay.

What games do you think are missing from the Wii Virtual Console? Sound off here!… Read more

Get a refurbished Xbox 360 Premium system for $199.99 shipped

These will sell out crazy-fast, so I'm going to keep it brief: Buy.com has reconditioned Xbox 360 Premium consoles on sale for $199.99--and shipping is free!

This is the non-HDMI version, but it does include the standard 20GB hard drive, wireless controller, and headset. Alas, you get only a 60-day warranty--though arguably a reconditioned Xbox will outlast a new one.

This deal is $20 sweeter than the last time I posted about a refurb Xbox 360, so if you've been waiting to pull the trigger on this killer console (and media-center extender), wait no longer.… Read more

WiiWare and Virtual Console releases for this week

This week's games all originate from Japan and are now playable on your Nintendo Wii console. Virtual Console

Dig Dug (1985, NES, 600 Wii points): Dig Dug is the classic digging game where you must destroy underground monsters all while making sure not to get caught by them. Originally released in 1982 as an arcade game, the NES version of Dig Dug can now be enjoyed on your Nintendo Wii. Bio-Miracle Bokutte Upa (1993, NES, 600 Wii points): Bio-Miracle Bokutte Upa is a Japanese import that was originally made to run on the Famicon Disk System. In the game, … Read more

Report: Game consoles, plasma TVs major power sucks

If you're aiming to be green these days, I'm afraid I have to counsel you to turn the power off on your next-generation video game console.

According to Reuters, an Australian research firm has concluded that machines like Sony's PlayStation 3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360 lead the field when it comes to consumer electronics that consume the most power.

And no, not using them is not enough. As the Australian researchers at Choice found, the machines continue to gobble up power, even when they're in stand-by mode.

The PS3 topped Choice's list, followed by … Read more