Chris McCann asked:


To the average Joe, when you ask him or her what a Sony PSP (Sony Playstation Portable) is, they will tell you it a handheld video game console. The average person has no idea what all you can do with a Sony PSP. It's not just a fancy Gameboy! It does a whole lot more than just play video games. Let me explain.

Gaming- video games The Sony PSP has over 350 game titles and more coming all the time. They are constantly adding titles all the time. You can get all the hottest titles of all your favorite games. Plus, one thing I absolutely love about the PSP is you can download emulators and play all you favorite games from the past. Super Mario Brothers, Sonic, Castlevania, Punch Out, Street Fighter, just to name a few of my favorites. So even if you only used it for video games it is fun little device to have. But that's not what this article is about. I want to talk about all the other cool stuff you can do with a PSP.

Video- More than 460 feature films, TV programs and music videos available on UMD disc (each sold separately). If you travel a lot like me, and you do get sick of playing video games all the time, you need a chance to just sit back, relax and watch a movie on the airplane. The PSP is perfect for this. The screen is just the right size to watch movies while you travel.

Music- The PSP also plays music file of all the top formats including MP3s, WAVs, WMAs, ATRAC3+ and MP4s Not quite as compact as an Ipod, if that's what you would really use it for, but a very handy feature to have. But I'll bet most people didn't know you could use the PSP as an MP3 player.

Photo- Another nice little feature of the PSP is the ability to create a slide show of your photos. If you have kids like me and you want to show grandma the latest pictures of the kids, you can do like I do and always keep the most recent photo's on my PSP to show them off. You can even beam them to other devices via Wi-Fi.

Network- I know this relates to playing games, but most people don't realize that you can communicate with other PSP systems and play games online. Not only that, but you can browse the internet right from your PSP.

As you can see the Sony PSP is so much more than a little video game player, it really has become the best device, that fits in the palm of your hands, for all your entertainment needs. Another thing I have to mention that is fairly new, is that there are more and more websites offering PSP downloads. Now you don't even need to leave your house to get the games, movies, and music. You can get everything you need from a click of a mouse.

Musa Aykac asked:


Games consoles have now been in our lives for at least 5 decades. The systems have come and gone and we are now on our new generation of consoles, which include the Nintendo Wii. Which has taken an innovative turn and given the user more control, over the character it plays with. We then have the two power horses which are the Xbox 360 which was created by Microsoft themselves and the ever so successful Sony Playstation 3. But forget about the current consoles lets dive deep back in time and find out what happened to the consoles that the nation loved and who will win the top spot.

Lets first begin in the 80's where the games console boom began, a fairly new Japanese company had released a games console to the nation called Famicom. This ultimately became a global success and was eventually renamed NES ( Nintendo Entertainment System) for domination in America and the UK. This is when we were first introduced to characters such as Mario and Donkey Kong who are still a global brand name. Moving on to another relatively small company in the name of Sega, who created a new games console called Master System, which was supposedly meant to eliminate the NES, but it never really obtained any kind of significant market share.

Moving on to the fourth generation of consoles and this is where Sega wanted to get it right, they delivered the ultimate 16 bit console called the Mega Drive. The Mega Drive gave us the likes of sonic and the system quickly rolled out globally. A year later and the console war was at an all time peak with Nintendo also releasing there new generation system called SNES (Super Nintendo Entertainment System), the console war was now hotter than ever.

As we move into the fifth generation a new competitor seems to be lurking in the backgrounds! Sega in the meantime were set to release a new mood of system called the Sega Saturn, the first ever system to use a CD Rom as the standard game play mode. Unfortunately Sega's rein as a leader in there genre was coming to an end. The first ever console from Sony was born and was called the Playstation, this console was born out of a bitter feud with Sony and Nintendo, as Sony were due to create a CD add-on for the SNES, but Nintendo backed out and went to Phillips. Sony Playstation was then officially born; with there unparalleled technology the unit shifted 100 million consoles and became the most successful console in history.

Meanwhile Nintendo had to act and act fast as Sony were growing in dominance, so they released the N64 which beat all consoles processing power by double, but Nintendo were still using cartridges which was a downside.

We now move onto the sixth generation consoles and with the dominance of Sony we had to finally lay the once legendary Sega consoles to rest. There last effort came in the form of the Sega Dreamcast, but Sony's dominance was too much to handle, would there be anyone can stop them? As the Dreamcast lay to rest Microsoft released there first ever console which eventually took some of Sony Playstations market share. The sales were levelling out once again but it looked as though Nintendo were heading for the same fate as Sega, as there fourth console the GameCube became a flop due to insufficient production of games. Sony and Microsoft were Head to Head.

Finally our present day has seen the rebirth of Nintendo as they launched there innovative Wii console which has been a major success. Slowly behind them are Sony's Playstation 3 console and it now looks as though Sony is suffering, as they no longer have a positive grip on the market. Microsoft has taken the lead with the Xbox 360.

Well all in all I believe that there is not one overall great console, all have had there time and all have performed well for there genre. What has the eighth generation of consoles have to offer? Who knows, with richer companies in the mix we may see a new breed of consoles, with Google being my favourite.

Musa Aykac asked:


Computer games have been around for decades, we have seen virtual characters come and go. The likes of Mario and Sonic are still around on the new generation of consoles, but what happened to the one time famous characters of the gaming world? Let's take a trip down memory lane and see what we can remember:

First and foremost the character that comes to my mind is Alex the Kidd, or as I used to call him Alex the squid. This contender was up there with Mario and Luigi and was first seen on the Master System in 1986, with his trademark paper scissors and stone. Since then he has been locked in the virtual lost world, recently cleaned up for a superstar tennis game which never really took off. RIP Alex the Kidd.

Next was one of my best games in the 1990s, and they come in the form of Battle toads. They used to have big chunky hands and feet and could eliminate any enemy. They have surprisingly been given a resurrection as a new movie is set to be released by universal studios. Undoubtedly the games are to follow one after another until they kill off the character once again.

Another game which was not as far back was the character Croc, his time is now over due to poor sales, but I found croc back in the day, to be quite interesting to say the least. A worthy contender for Spyro, Mario and Donkey Kong.

Next we have the ever so camp Wonder Boy, he looked a bit like the guy out of Beauty and the Beast. Sega have tried to bring this character back millions of times without the success they had wished. Now sitting on the shelves in various compilations, it looks like Wonder Boy is now just Boy!

So many more characters and games have come and gone over the years. Games such as Streets of Rage are what some of us grew up playing. Who can forget other characters that have died off such as Abe from Odd world? Who can also forget the amazingly funny Joe and Mac who were brought to life on the Mega Drive? It's weird how characters come and go. In a few years time I may be doing the same article about GTA, Lara Croft in Tomb Raider, Spyro and Mario. But some how I don't think these will ever make themselves to the lost world.

JJGames asked:


Video games are undeniably popular, but there are so many out there, you want to make sure the game you choose is worth it. Fortunately, there are many used video games that you can buy without much money. You can then play them and not have lot much if you don’t like them.

When you are looking for the best games out there, you need to check out the following types of games and game consoles that are popular pre-owned purchases.

All About Used Playstation video games

If you are working on a collection of Playstation 1 games, there are some musts that you need to have. That includes Crash Bandicoot, which take you through many challenging levels and comes in a few different versions. You will be challenged by the many levels and enemies. It’s good for adults and kids.

Then there is the PS1 game which feature the Die Hard Trilogy. In it, you work your way through the Nakatomi Plaza building and blast away at the bad guys. The game is one of the best used Playstation video games you can buy.

All About Used Playstation 2 video games

You will still be able play Playstation 1 games on a Playstation 2 consolte, so with a PS2 you get access to a lot more games.

There is the Sonic Mega Collection, which allows people with a Playstation to play the popular Sega game hero Sonic the Hedgehog. The game includes seven games inside of it, so it is well worth your money.

Then there’s something a little more off-beat. The Simpsons starred in many of their own video games. One of the best you can find is The Simpsons Hit and Run. Who in your family wouldn’t want to jump on as one of the Simpsons characters and try to outdrive Chief Wiggum? Good fun!

All About Nintendo 64 games

Wow, with the Nintendo 64 games, you can really turn back the clock to play some classic game. One of them is Ms. Pacman, offshoot of one of the greatest games of all time. In the Nintendo 64, Ms. Pacman has more than 100 levels of play, so it’s not as easy as the days of the old Pacman game.

The Nintendo 64 also has many fund racing games that many people will enjoy. Lego Racers and Top Gear Rally are among those that give you interesting layouts and many options for the types of cars that you can choose to drive.

Look into the types of games you want, how much you want to spend and then you can pick a console that will be fun and the people you play with.

Sam asked:


In today’s modern gaming world anything is possible, players no longer need to use their imagination to immerse themselves into the game when it looks as realistic as life. But being a 22 year old gamer Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3 were not my introduction into games. I want to take you back to a pixelated world where soundtracks were midi files instead of orchestral scores and we fell in love with a fat moustachioed plumber and the fastest animal to don a pair of red sneakers.

 

I want to talk about my favourite game series of this time, Sonic the hedgehog on the Sega Genesis/Megadrive. Compared to its more recent instalments the old sonic games were simple side scrolling levels that can be completed in anything from 20 seconds to about 3 minutes. But the short playing time does not take anything away from it. Arguable the best game in the old Sonic series was Sonic 3.

 

The evil Dr Robotnic… that’s Robotnic not Eggman!!!! Has found a secret hidden floating island in the sky inhabited by a naive echidna named Knuckles, and corrupted this hot headed brawler that the blue streak on the horizon is an evil hedgehog that wants to steal the secret of the islands floating power, the mysterious Master emerald.

When our hero Sonic and his twin tailed companion Miles “Tails” Prower land they are ambushed by Knuckles and their own Chaos emeralds are stolen.

 

As you take control of sonic you must retrieve your chaos emeralds back by entering secret zones and fight Robotnics machines and the fat man himself while knocking back Knuckles when he attempts to stop you. While Robotnic uses the time that Knuckles is distracted to steal the islands power for himself.

 

The controls are simple and there’s no CG cutscenes but this is a beautifully bright, fast paced and entertaining game. This was one of the first games where progress was saved which was revolutionary at the time especially as it worked all the time! I have moaned many times in recent years after I have beaten a final boss and found my progress wasn’t saved and I know I’m not alone here.

 

To add to the fun this game could be combined to the Sonic and Knuckles cartridge and the story continued but to find out what happens you will have to play yourself on a re-release compilation. For others this is a great trip down memory lane and triggers floods of memories from other classic games of childhood some of which I intend to write about.

 

It has a completion time less than an hour but if you want to take yourself back to the time when you were 6 or if you would just like to enjoy a simple quick game that doesn’t cost £50 find a copy download from xbox live or dig that old console out from the attic and take a super sonic trip down memory lane.