I need to buy a console
 

Hi people,

I am a mother of two children and I would like, together with my husband, to buy a console for them. They are 10 and 12 years. I know Playstation is very popular, but I know nothing of videogames, so I don't know what to get. Someone suggested a nintendo, but games are harder to find in local stores and the children would not be able to buy from Internet stores.

Can you give some suggestions?

Thanks!

Hylas got this topic locked down with the mention of the Nintendo Wii; it's a good system for sure. Also good for people that are getting into gaming, that's the reason why it's selling so well. A PS2 isn't a bad choice either, it's cheap and there's a huge backlog of games.

I'd personally suggest the Wii, it has a good group of games already and there is enough to represent most groups. A PS3 at this time isn't worth it, since the really isn't a lot to play, much less for kids 10 and 12. The 360 is also a great system and in my opinion has the best console library of all the systems right now. It however targets a more hardcore and older crowd; there isn't a lot for younger gamers. On the 360 being a good choice for you depends on what your prepared to let your children play. Since some of the systems best games are rated M and T, there are some good E-rated ones but Nintendo has always offered the best quality for E-rated games. Mario and Zelda can't be beat as far as I'm concerned.

So yeah a Wii or a PS2 is the best bet, you'll just have to do a lot of footwork to get a Wii though. It still sells out like crazy.

Thanks for the reply. I think I will definitely get a Wii or a Playstation 2, depending on what we will find in stores. Your explanation were really helpful. I have some other question: what games should I get together with the console in each case. I want to buy a couple of games. Our kids like superheroes things and cartoon things. We don't want to buy a game that looks good but is in fact a bad game that will soon be boring to them. I see in many sites ratings that I find confusing. Many games about cartoons or comics our kids like have bad ratings. Other games we don't know seem to be good. I repeat that I know nothing about videogames, sorry if my questions sound stupid, but what games do you suggest to get that they will like?

i agree with hylas, get a Wii, it comes with a Wii Sports game out of the box.

good luck finding it though, the console has been really hard to find due to high demand.

I agree. if you want a new console get a Wii. With Zelda. I played my first Zelda when I was 11, so it's more or less the age of your kids. They will love it. Wii Sports is included, so here's the other game if you want two. It's not cartoons, but it doesn't mean your kids won't like it. And it'll have the new Animal Crossing, too. I hope soon. I can't wait myself.

If you don't care about new consoles the PS2 is what you want to get. So many games... hard to pick only two. I will think about it a little longer.

Olivia -

I would really look into getting a Wii because it's a great family console, you can guarentee it won't be collecting dust come next year, plenty of party games to keep you happy!! :)

Yeah, the wii is really great familyfun. I find it amazing how many different kind of people are into it, it really makes gaming something for everybody.
I really like Rayman raving rabbits, Zelda and Super mario Galaxy.

I have a problem people. Can you help me?

We went to buy the Wii with our children yesterday but we could not find a controller! The children are two, we want them to be able to play together when possible and we want each of them to have a personal controller. We heard from a friend who bought a Wii for his daughter this Christmas it's very interesting that Wii controllers can be sort of customized, so we wanted each kid to have his own. We tried every store in our city, every single one selling games and electronics, but none has a Wii controller.

Do you know of any online store selling these things that will be able to send it real fast to Europe? Are there problems in case the controller is bought outside Europe? Will ot be compatible?

Thanks for the help!

Where abouts are you in in Europe?

I am in Portugal.

I know about wii remote being personal and all, but your kids could use only one remote for now, until you find some shop to sell you one. I don't see it as a reason to not buy a console. There are many games that wouldn't be playable for two people at the same time anyway.

That's not the point. I was not saying we weren't buying the console for we can't find another controller. We bought the Wii days ago. But the Wii Sports for example is more boring for two kids to play with one controller only, as we realized. We can't find a store where we can buy another controller in our town, and online they don't ship to Europe or it takes long time to have it shipped. We wanted both kids to play together from the very beginning. It's not piossible, so we will have to wait for shipment or wait for stores to restock.

ps2 is rocking my world again nowadays. WoW kinda distracted me for a few years, but im back into the Sony console world. I figure by the end of 2008 i will see if the ps3 is viable. Blue Ray is now the accepted standard for a lot of the movie companies, but im not buying a ps3 to watch dvd movies on so whenever they make it worthwhile on the game front i will be interested, and the price will be more reasonable by then also... :spidey: