You and your family don't have to run out to the arcade to enjoy the latest video games. There are several game systems for your home that offer superb action, excellent graphics and breathtaking effects.

Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft are the three manufacturers dominating game system development. For the most part, game software and accessories are developed for use with a particular game system. Games and accessories for Playstation 2 will only work with Playstation 2. They're not compatible with the Playstation Portable (PSP). Similarly, Nintendo Game Cube software won't work on the Nintendo Game Boy Advance. But Game Boy Advance software will work on the Game Boy Micro and some (in a limited mode) on the Nintendo DS. Xbox software won't work on an Xbox 360.

Each brand has many games and accessories available for almost any age and every taste. There are special racing controllers that optimize performance in racing games. There are GameSticks for flying and shoot'em-up adventures. There are GamePad controllers that offer precise control over many types of games.

Here's a review of the popular videogame systems that J&R carries:

Nintendo systems and games are known to be great for first-time video game players and children. Many of Nintendo's games are non-violent and use cartoon-based animations. Nintendo is also the only video game company with rights to Pokemon games. All Nintendo video game systems come with one console, one controller (with the ability to add three more). Games come on special cartages that must be purchased separately.

Nintendo 64 (N64)
Nintendo systems and games are known to be great for first-time video game players and children. Many of Nintendo's games are non-violent and use cartoon-based animations. Nintendo is also the only video game company with rights to Pokemon games. All Nintendo video game systems come with one console, one controller (with the ability to add three more). Games come on special cartages that must be purchased separately.

Nintendo GAMECUBE
Called the GAMECUBE because it looks like a cube, it's a little bulkier than older Nintendo game consoles, but offers the very latest advances in state-of-the-art 3D graphics and performance. As with all other video-game systems, this will work with a new type of digital game disc, exclusively designed for the GAMECUBE.

Added accessories compatible with the new system include a memory card that fits right into the GAMECUBE. This adapter is compatible with the stamp-sized, large capacity recording media. This special memory can be used to help save games so you can review strategic actions or continue where you left off. Also new is a wireless receiver for gamers who prefer to work wirelessly. This works with a special wireless controller that needs to be purchased separately. A special modem adapter will allow playing games with people all around the globe on the Internet.

Nintendo DS
The Nintendo DS is the most recent portable game edition added to Nintendo's line, following the popularity of their Game Boy series. DS means Dual Screen. Two 3-inch (diagonal) screens offer dual perspectives for virtual 3D play. The lower of the two screens also offers touchscreen capability. You no longer have to rely on buttons to move characters around. Integrated stereo speakers and sound further enhance the natural game experience.

You can, optionally, play with up to 16 players using the Nintendo DS Wireless gameplay mode

Nintendo DS games use the dual-screen format found on the DS. You can also play your favorite Game Boy Advance games on a single screen mode.

Game Boy Color
Game Boy is a videogame for anywhere! It was designed for those seeking top game performance away from home. Considered the most popular hand-held game, it consists of one unit with an LCD screen and a built-in control pad underneath the display. The original model was black and white, now they are color. Game Boy Color is twice as fast as the regular Game Boy, which means more sophisticated games for players. Games come on little cards that fit into a slot on the handheld unit. The best part about the new Game Boy Color is that all the old games that worked with the original Game Boy, will work with the new color. There are some games that will work with Game Boy Color. There are lots of fun accessories you can add to a Game Boy Color like a snap on camera that you can take snapshots with. You can also play around with the photos right on the Game Boy with a fun image editing software. There are also special Game Boy printers available too.

Sound on a Game Boy comes from an integrated speaker. You can attach an optional stereo headphone for privacy and greater concentration There is even an adapter that attaches to a Game Boy to let you listen to FM radio stations rather than game music. Options to turn sound off are available.

Game Boy Advance
The new Game Boy Advance was released in early June 2001. Changes are very obvious with this new unit when you look at it. Instead of the traditional vertical design with an LCD screen on top and the controls on the bottom, the new game centers the LCD screen and places the controls on the left and right of the screen for a better grip.

In addition to the new horizontal design, the screen is bigger, but it's just as compact as Game Boy Color. Added buttons include left and right for increased control. The new Game Boy Advance is fully compatible with all pre-existing Game Boy and Game Boy Color games. And now up to four Game Boy Advances can link up for incredible multiplayer action with special adapters.

Game Boy Micro
Among portable games, the Nintendo Game Boy series has demonstrated continued growth and popularity. The latest (2005) entry in the Game Boy series shrinks in size. It is fully compatible for use with all Game Boy Advance games. Less than 3 ounces with a compact size of 4 inches wide by 2 inches tall and 0.7 inches thick, the Game Boy Micro is the go-anywhere portable game that you can always take with you (and you'll always want to). There's a 2-inch (diagonal) backlit color LCD screen. It includes a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and can accept virtually any headphone or earphone.

The Sony PlayStation is the probably the most popular (based on sales) videogame console in the U.S. and Japan. Its console and hardware provide us with amazing displays. Compared with Nintendo, PlayStation offers a whole new feel for a video game. PlayStation is more like Sega Dreamcast system with its CD-based games. Choose from hundreds of games jam-packed with over-the-top graphics and action. When first introduced, it was just known as PlayStation. Now there are advanced models, including PlayStation2 and PSOne. Original PlayStation (PSX) models cannot play PlayStation2 (PSX2) games. Every PlayStation unit comes with one console and one controller. PlayStation doesn't allow for the connection of more than one controller without the use of a Multi Tap Adapter sold separately.

PSOne
This is made to be a much more compact model of the original PlayStation model (PSX). The functionality is almost the same as the original PlayStation, except that the device is almost as small as a portable CD player. It was specifically made so that you can take the unit with you wherever you go and plug it into a television. Use of the PSOne requires an AC Adapter.

Sony PlayStation2 (PS2)
PS2 is currently the latest model console from Sony. It functions very similarly to the original PlayStation console with a little more memory, speed, compatibility and functionality. The controller on PS2 has more advanced force feedback than the original unit (the remote shakes and vibrates according to what you're playing), and is touch-sensitive.

PS2 is backwards-compatible with PSX games, which means all old PSX games will work with the new system (but not vice versa). Supporting both the audio CD and DVD-Video formats, PlayStation2 offers consumers a wide range of music and video entertainment options.

Sony Playstation Portable (PSP)
Don't let the size (Approximately 6.7 in (W) x 2.9 in (H) x .9 in (D)) of the Sony Playstation Portable (PSP) fool you. The PSP packs a powerful multimedia punch, enabling you to enjoy your favorite games, music, videos and photos instantly, anywhere. Factor in the PSP system's brilliant high-resolution screen, cutting-edge wireless connectivity, Internet Browser capability, while playing music, video, or viewing your digital photos - and you may just have a revolution in your hands. With 32MB main memory and 4MB embedded DRAM, the PSP is capable of delivering big-time performance from a device that practically fits in a pocket.

The PSP is the first portable game player to use a disc operating system, a small but high-capacity optical medium UMD (Universal Media Disc), enabling game software, rich with full-motion video and other forms of digital entertainment content, to be stored. It has a 1.GB capacity (compared to 4.7GB on a standard DVD) that can be used for downloading MP3 and ATRAC music files and MP4 video files. In addition, many commercial films are also being released on the UMD format. The UMD drive is currently a read-only format. Downloads can efficiently be stored onto a Memory Stick Pro DUO memory card.

It also comes equipped with diverse input/output connectors such as USB 2.0, and 802.11b (WiFi) wireless LAN, providing connectivity to various devices in the home and to the wireless network outside. The world of gaming is further enhanced by enabling users to enjoy online gaming, or by connecting multiple PSPs to each other, directly via the wireless network.

The PSP has a 4.3-inch, 16:9 TFT LCD widescreen, with up to 480 x 272 pixel and capability to deliver up to 16.77 million colors. That's quite sophisticated for a pocketable unit that weighs less than 10 ounces (with battery). It has built-in stereo speakers but we suggest adding headphones for more realistic sound.

The X-Box system is based primarily on an advanced PC architecture. The system has three times the graphics performance of the newest generation of game consoles. The X-Box has a built-in DVD player, custom USB ports, and powerful graphical hardware.

Intel provides the 733-mhz CPU for the X-Box, while Nvidia provides the graphics engine (NV2A - which is a main factor in producing life-like imaging) and the MCP-X (Media Communications Processor) that performs the multimedia processing for broadband connectivity, communications, and audio capabilities of the X-Box. Thomson Multimedia provides the DVD player. Microsoft puts everything together in one convenient gaming machine, the X-Box.

Xbox 360

Thanksgiving 2005 ushers in a new Xbox game console that offers more performance - the Xbox 360

Like all video game consoles, the Xbox 360 depends on its variety of software and accessories. With virtually more power than some of the most advanced PC models, the 360 is a venerable powerhouse of high-performance entertainment. Unlike a PC, you don't need to hook up to a computer monitor. The Xbox 360 simply connects to a TV. Regardless of the television Xbox 360 connects to, gamers will experience smooth, cinematic experiences that far exceed anything they've seen or felt in games before especially with new high-definition, wide-screen televisions.

Like the original Xbox, the 360 has been co-developed with Microsoft and has full support from virtually all high-performance game software and accessory manufacturers. It allows an online, live interactive experience and, though it does not rum PC software, it is further strengthened by intimate relationships found with Microsoft's latest XP achievements. Xbox 360 is designed with a singular platform vision that fuses high-performance hardware and intelligent software and services so the player is always in power. Consider the 360 as being like a PC but will full focus on getting the most charge out of fast paced, 3D graphic games. Each 360 represents some of the latest achievements in gaming technology:

• An IBM PowerPC-based CPU with three symmetrical cores running at 3.2 GHz each, packing the most advanced AI and physics processing available
• Support for up to four wireless game controllers and an optional Universal Media Remote with Windows XP Media Center Edition Button for Media Center Edition functionality
• A custom ATI Graphics processor and more than 512 MB of memory for high-definition games and entertainment applications
• All games optimized for 16:9 aspect ratio, HD output (720p and 1080i), multichannel surround sound output, and full-screen anti-aliasing
• Support for Xbox 360 Wireless Network Adapter via 802.11b, 802.11g and 802.11a
• Two memory unit ports to save data on portable memory units, starting at 64 MB
• Detachable and expandable 20GB hard drive to download demos and trailers along with new game levels, maps, weapons, vehicles, skins, community-created content and more, to rip music for playback and to listen to custom playlists in every game.
• A wireless controller with Microsoft®-patented wireless technology; Xbox Guide Button on every controller to instantly connect gamers to their games, friends and music, and to power on or power off Xbox 360 without their having to leave the couch
• Detachable Face so each console can be personalized
• Instant, out-of-the-box access to XboxLive, including a built-in Ethernet port for connectivity; Xbox Live Marketplace for downloadable content; a Message Center to receive voice and video messages from friends; functionality that let users talk to friends, even while watching movies or listening to music; and an Xbox Live Headset
• Interactive, full-screen 3-D visualizers
• Progressive-scan DVD movie playback out of the box; DVD and CD music and photo playback out of the box; support for DVD-Video, DVD-ROM, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, CD-DA, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, Windows Media® Audio CD, MP3 CD, JPEG Photo CD
• Media Center Extender built in to access recorded TV (including high-definition TV) and digital movies (including high-definition film), music, video and photos stored on Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005-based PCs through any Xbox 360 system
• Three USB 2.0 ports for Xbox Live Camera peripheral, to plug in wired game controllers that are also common for Windows-based PCs; to stream media from a portable media device (i.e. MP3 Player, digital camera or camcorder and a Windows XP-based PC
• Parental Controls to help restrict the games and movies that are played; Xbox Live controls to manage Friends List, voice and video communication, and Gamer Profile sharing

Just like our eyes wander to the back of a video cassette movie box to check the rating before buying or renting, there is a similar rating system that applies to video games as well. The ratings, put fourth by the Entertainment Software Rating Board are designed to give consumers information about the content of an interactive video or computer entertainment title and for which ages it's appropriate. Three independent, trained raters rate each product.

When shopping online, it's a good idea to look at both the description and ESRB ratings. From the description alone, you can normally tell whether the game will be violent or not or whether it would be appropriate content for children.

There are currently six individual ESRB ratings for video games being produced.

To make your gaming experience more realistic, added peripherals could include Light Guns, Steering Wheels for racing, Fishing Rods, Dance Pads and even Maracas. There are also adapters that expand flexibility and compatibility. Not all adapters are made for all systems.

Here are a few and their functions.

Multitap Adapter
This adapter connects to PlayStation units to allow for the addition of up to 4 more players when you get three more controllers. Nintendo 64 and Dreamcast consoles do not need this adapter as they have the ability to add 4 players already. This adapter connects to the controller slot.

Gameshark
If you're one of those players that tends to get stuck in a particular level, or runs out of ammunition too quickly while playing a video game, Gameshark is for you. Some people call it cheating and others call it beating the game. Every video game console can accept Gameshark, which is essentially a CD (or cartridge, depending on which console you have) that you use to skip levels and go beyond where you've played. There is one Gameshark for each console and games are given codes to use with the Gameshark.

Keyboards
Some systems, like Sega Dreamcast, have built-in modems and can connect to the Internet for multiplayer gaming online. There are attachable keyboards where you can chat with other online players.

Extension Cables
PlayStation and Sega Dreamcast have extension cables for gamepads so you don't have to sit close to the console - you can sit on the couch or anywhere in the room.

RFU Adapters
You can use this adapter with many consoles - they allow you to connect your video game system via RF wire rather than standard RCA wire. Sometimes your television, (usually older models) will not accept RCA connections, or the RCA connections may already be used up with another device.

Memory Cards
Almost all consoles and even Game Boy Color units have the ability to accept memory card attachments. Memory cards themselves are used to store where you left off in a game. Most of these cards attach to slots on consoles. For Dreamcast systems this is called a VMU or Virtual Memory Unit, which come in either 200 or 400 blocks. Some memory cards have small LCD memory games where you could play mini-games. Sports games are known to use up the most memory.

Force Feedback and Rumble Packs
All PlayStation models have a force feedback element to their console joysticks or game controllers. Force feedback is what allows a controller to shake and vibrate, extending the video game experience not only visually but sensually. Dreamcast and Nintendo consoles need additional cards that fit into controllers. Dreamcast terms it a Tremor Pack, and Nintendo calls it a Rumble Pack. On some games you'll feel heartbeats of ghouls that attack you or even feel the terrain while racing.

Transfer Packets
This adapter is specifically made for Nintendo Game Boy Color devices. It allows you to play Game Boy Color games on Nintendo 64. Currently only a game called Pokemon Stadium is compatible with this adapter.