"Financial Panther eh? I'm In!!"

Introduction:
Yes, I know my title had nothing to do with the topic at hand, but what the heck... Anyway, I'm here to review the Xbox, Microsoft's first attempt at a home video game console. If you're reading this, your obviously wondering, ''Is this the console for me?'' I am here to give you a resounding YES. Not only is this the console for you, this is the console for everybody. Before anybody starts saying, well you probobly haven't played all the next gen consoles, so your review isn't truly valid, I am here to say... On the contrary my friend not only have I played them all, I've owned them all. Yes, I still think fondly of that May 2002 afternoon that I, with $200 dollars in hand, trekked to Wal Mart to pick up my PS2. I also have warm memories about how, one Sunday, 4 months later I set off to Electronics Boutique with a PS2 and a load of games, only to leave with a Gamecube and Rogue Leader. Still, after owning both PS2, and Gamecube, I wanted something more. So, I harkened back those days of my desire for Xbox. I had in fact only been $40 away from the lean green machine, but got antsy a bought Dance Dance Revolution. I thought, why not stick with the cube? But after church one Sunday, I was pushed over the edge. After service, I went to a Moving Sale, and while my prents were looking around, I saw it there on the floor, in all it's 8 lb. 13 oz. glory, the Xbox. I asked the owner, who said it wasn't for sale, but even though I didn't get that one, after that chance encounter, the stage was set. In under three weeks, I traded in my cube and games for the Xbox, and here I am rambling about it's greatness, and how I came to own it. Anyhow, on with the review.

Controller: 9/10

NOTE: This is a review of the Original Xbox controller.

I'm honestly surprised, after all those times playing the Xbox in various electronis departments, I had gotten the feeling that this controller was too bulky, however, I now find it only a tad to large. The controller consists of 2 analog thumb pads(both click for added usage), a D-Pad type thing, 4 lettered buttons(A,B,X,Y), 2 trigger buttons, and a Black and White button. These all come together extremely well, however when you first start out, you might accidentally hit white and black instead of B and Y, but this goes away quickly. A really good feature of the controller in the inline release. This may not seem that great, but after almost losing a PS2 over a cousin saying I ''released some bodily gases'' and knocking my system out in the floor while running off, it is a very good thing.

Console Design: 7/10
I know it may not match the sleek, futuristic look of the PS2, or have the portability of the Gamecube, but it is good in it's own right. I mean, it is very distinctive. You're not going to look and say ''Is that a VCR or an Xbox?'' The Xbox is heavier than the other next gen systems, it weighs a reasonable 8 lbs. 13 oz. so this is not the massive 1000000 lb. monster of pre-launch myth. However, I don't really worry too much about the weight, because I rarely ever move it. Also the system is simple enough to deal with, it has 3 ports in the back: Ethernet, AV, and Power. On the front it has 4 controller ports(take that PS2 multitap), and a power and eject button. Simple yet powerful....

Features: 10/10
Boy I wish I could give this an 11/10, it really is that good. To start, it has all of the things you'd come to expect in a CD based console, the ability to play games(duh) and the ability to play Audio CDs. It also has the ability to play DVDs via the DVD Remote(sold sepreately, $30), which has become a first to this generation of consoles(aside from the Gamecube). These are just the beginning, the Xbox also includes a built in Hard Drive. I don't think I could ever get across the importance of this. The Hard Drive also allows another awesome feature, Custom Soundtracks. These are made by rippping tracks off of audio CDs to the Hard Drive. What's even cooler about the soundtrack feature is that you can also play your custom soundtracks in certain games. This may seem of little or no importance until your new created wrestler comes out to ''Man of Constant Sorrow'', then it's amazing. But back to the Hard Drive, not only does this allow soundtracks, but it also allows for massive amounts of game saves, and also removes the need of memory cards. No longer do I need to worry about saving that extra pic in MGS2, just because it takes up too much room. Using that example, one pic in MGS2 takes up 5 blocks, out of I think 600,000 total. So the hard drive could literally last the life of the system, no matter how many games you own. The only thing you really need to watch is putting massive amounts of music on the system, this is what eats the blocks. Not that is that big of a deal, I mean I have over 3 hours of music, and this only takes up a little under 11,000 blocks. So be a little cautious when adding that 500 CD collection to your Xbox. I think that pretty much covers the features of the system, so if these reasons aren't enough to warrant then maybe the next section will be...

The Games: 10/10
It's amazing how many good games there are on this system. Some of the good games for each genre include, but are not limited to the following, RPG: Morrowind Racing: Project Gotham Racing Action: Max Payne FPS: HALO!! Fighting: Dead or alive 3, and Sports: 2K series. These are just a few examples of the great software library for this system, to find more good ideas, visit the boards here, or check your local video stores.

Overall: 10/10
This is the best console to date, so you need to pick it up as soon as possible. It has amazing features, Awesome games, and power that can't be beat. This is a must have for the coming holiday season. I really have no great summary to pull the review together, other than maybe Prs and Cons...

Pros
Controller
Features
Games
Design

Cons
What am I saying, there are no Cons, well MAYBE weight...

Anyhow, that is about it, so until next time....

''Owww Have Mercy!!!''

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 01/14/03, Updated 01/14/03