Expert: Helen Joan Casper - 12/9/2006

Question
Which of the three newest consoles should i choose, Xbox 360
Nintendo Wii or PS3, i like games like SSBB, NFS (and most other raceing games),  FinalFantasy( and most other fighting games), and adventure games aswell.  

Answer
It really depends on your budget and what you want from your gaming experience. If money is no object and you want a console with a lot of power, sophistication, and RPGs (like Final Fantasy), then the PS3 is your ideal console. Where graphics capability and sheer power is concerned, the PlayStation 3 is at the head of the class in next-gen consoles. However, it is easily the most expensive of the consoles so keep this in mind as well.

The Xbox 360 is ideal for the person who loves sports games, shoot-'em-up games and online console gaming. It has really good graphics and a lot of interactive games. However, please note that only the full version (with the hard drive) of the Xbox 360 is backwards compatible with Xbox games. The 'lite' (and less expensive) Xbox 360 console is unable to play old Xbox games, which limits your game title selection. However, the Xbox does have a number of good racing games and other high-speed, interactive games. Like the PS3, the Xbox 360 is geared to the seasoned console gamer.

If you want a relatively inexpensive console that has a lot of game diversity, the Wii is for you. It is the ideal console for those new to console gaming and is definitely innovative. The games are diverse and fun, but seasoned console gamers may find it not as substantial as they would like. The graphics are amazing. However, the Wii keeps things light and fun- something a serious console gamer may not like. There are some great RPG titles already for the Wii (notably The Adventure of Zelda: Twilight Princess) but the next Final Fantasy game (Final Fantasy XIII) will be released on the PS3. At $249.99, however, the Wii is an amazingly good deal.

All three consoles are just fabulous and I recommend them all. However, when it comes down to it, it's all about how much you're willing to pay and what types of games you play the most. Since you're a bit of an eclectic player, it's hard to tell you to choose one over another but hopefully my recommendations gave you a good springboard to making your final decision.

Let me know if I can help you with anything else!

Thanks,
Helen =)