5 Reasons to own: Xbox 360

If we were just talking about the biggest games there are countless reasons, or seems like it sometimes, to own Xbox 360. But the Microsoft console keeps us entertained in unusual ways too. Well, we think they're pretty unusual...

This is only our opinion, but if Xbox 360 weren't so ungainly and noisy it'd be much more attractive as a be-all end-all gadget to have in the living room. It's like the geeky kid at school that played a mean fiddle, versus the cool kid who played average rock guitar. All the attention is on the cool kid right? No wonder we're all doomed.

Calling Earth Defence Force! This was one of the greatest games of last year. Nobody talked about it much in the news-preview-review channels, possibly because D3 Publisher didn't expect much from it. But this B-movie style shooter is not only action packed, it's really hilarious - although admittedly unintentional most of the time. And it's cheap... if you can still find it.

You can have too much of EDF though in one sitting, it really is full on. You could probably say the same about Poker Smash too on Xbox LIVE Arcade, but it's so addictive that you'll find it hard to move from your hypnotised stupor. It reminds us of Pokemon Puzzle League on Nintendo consoles, but with the poker hands twist, making you feel a bit more like 007 instead of a kid in bright red shorts.

Most days it's the non gaming stuff on Xbox 360, despite being spectacular, that gets buried beneath talk of the latest Gears of War or Halo scuttlebutt. Meanwhile we're very happy to watch our up-scaled DVDs or download movies from the extremely well represented Video Store in high-definition. Admittedly you need a swanky HD telly to make the most of these features, but HD is what Xbox 360 is all about.

Now, there is a danger of becoming a little bit too obsessed with your standings online with Xbox 360 - Achievement Points, Gamer Score and all that hardcore meaningless (unless you're hardcore) decoration. BUT, Xbox 360 really offers the best featured and easy to use online community of any console: Xbox LIVE. Just that we're all too shy to make use of the camera and chat with our family and friends online via the TV. When TVs are equipped with built in cameras and online chat functions we'll all be saying it's the greatest thing ever. But you can do this now via Xbox LIVE on your Xbox 360. And you can do this while playing a game too. It's amazing. Still, nobody talks about it because it seems really nerdy.

Multiplayer anything via Xbox LIVE on Xbox 360 beats anything PS3 and Wii has to offer right now. And it's been doing this since 2004. Yes, four years ago you had a better online service than Nintendo and Sony are offering right now on a stupid-looking big black original Xbox. If you want to play regularly against other people, friends or casual acquaintances, Xbox 360 is unbeatable. We're banging on about this because clearly Microsoft doesn't seem to know how to. Sheesh.

Okay, a bit of stupidity to round this off. Assuming you've just decided to get more involved online with Xbox, there's a bunch of cheap games out there to buy or rent that'll boost your Gamer Points without breaking a sweat. Try "Avatar" and "FIFA 06" for starters. You'll find the list easy enough - in fact YouTube has a video of the easiest games in action. Thank us later!

Does all this seem a bit hardcore for your liking? Do you care much about online gaming at all; do you prefer to fly solo? Did Microsoft jump the gun with the HD revolution - did Nintendo get it right offering mostly standard definition on Wii? Let us know below.