You can add my name to the growing list of both DS Lite and Wii owners. Over the course of the last few days I was able to get my hands on both of these little prizes and the results have been great so far.

The DS Lite is probably the best looking handheld device that I’ve ever played. And that’s no bullshit, folks, the screens on this thing are bright and crystal clear. Very impressive. I purchased Big Brain Academy, a Sonic game, and Children of Mana as well as a Gameboy Advance game (one of the old Mario games for SNES). I also got this nice little carrying case for it which came with a bunch of accessories like headphones, screen protectors, a shammy to clean the screens, extra styluses, etc. A pretty good deal.

I’m happy that I got this little handheld system. My Mom seemed to enjoy playing it when I was up in Roxbury yesterday, too. It’s a fun, addicting little machine…and that Big Brain Academy game is extremely addicting!

I also like the fact that it has Wi-Fi support as well as a system where you can play against other DS owners who are nearby – very cool.

And then I got the Wii. I had to wait outside of Circuit City yesterday morning to get it. I only waited 5 minutes until the store opened and I happened to be 5th in a line of 5 people, so it wasn’t like anything that you’d see on TV. However, we were all talking about how if there was a line of 5 people at the end of August, then the lines come November and December will be outrageous. Also, I found it interesting that a few of us knew about the chip shortage that will ultimately lead to a Wii shortage this Christmas season. I guess it makes sense, though, since we were all there buying the system.

In terms of gameplay, the Wiimote takes some getting used to, but it’s fun. I read about the problems with battery life in this thing so I bought a rechargeable battery and stand for the Wiimote, which worked well. I played the Wii Sports game that comes with the console and it was a lot of fun! I need to work on both my bowling and golfing skills, but I was surprisingly good at tennis. Weird…

I have 2000 Wii points, which will let me purchase old games and store them on my system. That’s pretty cool. They have a decent selection on there now, but it will only get better as time goes on. I also have Resident Evil 4 and Rampage for the Wii, but have not had a chance to play either yet. Resident Evil 4 looks crazy and who doesn’t love Rampage?

There will be more reports about my Wii-ing and DS Lite playing in the future, so stay tuned.

Since I’ve been doing research lately on finding a good “next generation” video game system to buy, I thought that I would offer some comments on my findings (so far).

First of all, good luck trying to figure out which nex-gen system is for you. Not only are all three systems great in their own ways, but they are cleverly marketed to make you think certain things about them. For example, the XBox 360 is marketed as a wireless system. And this is true, in terms of peripherals. But the XBox 360 does NOT support wireless internet unless you buy an additional $90 adapter. I know people that have been fooled into thinking that “wireless” meant “wi-fi” – it does not.

The Nintendo Wii, on the other hand, has wi-fi pre-installed in the system. So for the base $250 price, you get to access a wireless internet connection. If you are looking to use a wired connection, you need to buy an additional $40 adapter for the Wii.

I admit, I’m not really looking at purchasing a PS3 so I don’t have much to tell about it. What I can report, though, is that I have been to a bazillion stores in the last few days/weeks and none of them have a Wii while all of them have both XBox 360s and PlayStation 3 systems.

Which brings me to the core system stuff. XBox 360 couldn’t be more confusing to understand. Don’t expect to go to the store and simply buy one of these systems. No. There is the “core” system which retails for about $279.99. My hunch is that this system is priced to go head-to-head with the Wii. The problem is that the core system doesn’t have any of the stuff that makes the XBox 360 fun! For example, if you want the high-definition experience, you have to buy the VERY expensive cables in addition to the core system. And there is no storage unit that comes along with the core system.

But have no fear, XBox 360 also comes in a regular system (sometimes called the “Pro”). This is the core system along with high-definition cables, a 20 GB storage unit, a headset, and an ethernet cable (remember, with XBox 360 you need to plug into an internet connection unless you buy the additional $90 wi-fi adapter). This version goes for around $350.

Oh wait, there’s more. Now there is something called the “Elite” system. This is pretty much the same as the “Pro” or regular system, but it has an HDMI output, comes in a black case, and a 120 GB storage system (who needs so much storage?!). This system goes for about $479 or so. Oh, and if the HDMI output is what you’re looking for, then the Elite system is definitely the way to go…unless you wait a few more months when all of the “Pro” units will also have HDMI outputs.

Get all of that? Good.

In terms of the Nintendo Wii and various versions of it…there is only one. When you pick up a Wii console box in the store, it’s the same Wii in there all over the world. Granted, the Wii doesn’t have 1080i or 1080p support, high definition support, and you can’t play DVDs on the system. There are rumors that a future build of the Wii will incorporate all of these luxuries, but I like to deal in realities and the reality is that none of these are currently available in any Wii that you can buy in the store.

The main problem with the Wii? You can’t get one!

I don’t know what Nintendo is trying to prove by not producing a bunch of these things and getting them out there on the market, but the truth is that they are really hurting themselves. I understand that when the system was introduced months and months ago, there weren’t enough units available to meet demand. This is simple enough to understand – the system was expected to be a flop! But it wasn’t. In fact, it is the fastest selling nex-gen system in the United States (though XBox 360, having been released a full year earlier than Wii, has sold more units).

But the damn Wii was put on the market last November! There is absolutely no reason why Nintendo couldn’t have pumped out an additional 2 – 3 million units over the last 9 months. That’s basic business knowledge. However, it’s rather obvious that the shortage of Wii units on the market give the console that “must have” feeling…but with a ton of reports that the shortage will continue through the Christmas Holidays, Wii could literally be digging its own grave by trying to keep its console as an elusive must-have product.

So the fatal, foolish flaws of the XBox 360 are extremely high pricing, extremely high repair needs (and rude customer service – thank you Microsoft), and too many console options. The foolish flaws of Wii are the fact that you still can’t get one even 9 months after its launch and the main “guts” of the machine aren’t ready for a 2007 – 2008 consumer electronics market (no high-def or surround sound capability). And PS3? Hahaha! Well, besides the fact that no one is buying this thing, the price is just outrageous and there are almost no games for it. And the games that DO exist for the console are priced at around $60, which is $10 to $20 more than the competitors.

At this point, I’m looking to get a Wii, but if the ridiculous “shortage” problem stays in effect for the next few weeks, then the XBox 360 might be the way to go. Stay tuned to find out!

The other day I had the opportunity to purchase a Nintendo Wii, but I decided against it. I was torn between that and buying an XBox 360 Elite. My younger brother just purchased the XBox 360 and I thought it might be fun to play games against him online. Then, as I was about to pick up the XBox 360, the realization that I could buy 2 Wiis for the same price and that I never really have time to play video games set in.

The more I thought about it, the more I became split on what system to buy. Eventually, I’m going to have to buy a PS3 only because my favorite game franchise, Final Fantasy, is pretty much an exclusive to Sony these days. Sure, XBox 360 got FFXI, but that’s only because the port from a PC game to an XBox game was easy to complete. And the only FF games coming out for Wii appear to be geared towards the younger generation of gamers, not the folks like me who grew up playing the series.

So what am I to do? Go out and get a Wii because it looks addictively entertaining or get an XBox 360 because the game library far surpasses both the Wii and PS3?

At this point, I have no idea…though I’m pretty confident that if I can get my hands a Wii (or 2 or 3), I’m buying it!