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Review: Xbox 360 a good deal at $199

• By Blake Snow
• August 27, 2008 14:16 PM PST
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Free demos, movie rentals, and downloadable content are nice to have on a console. But if you're looking to play high-definition video games on the cheap, Xbox 360 Arcade is an excellent option, thanks to its newly reduced price.

Ever since launch, the Xbox 360 core model without hard drive has largely been written off by gamers -- and rightfully so. It lacks many of the attractive advantages of its older brothers, not to mention value for what's included in the box. (Most core models can't even save games without separate purchase!)

But all that's about to change with the upcoming $80 price cut of the latest Arcade bundle (September 7, according to retailers), which includes a matte white system, wireless controller, and a 256 MB memory card for saving games and playing online.

Time can heal almost anything

The first thing we noticed when revisiting our review of the Xbox 360 Arcade this month was that the system runs much quieter than original Xbox 360 Pro and Elite models, even when reading game discs. This is a superb improvement, as your speakers will no longer need to compete with the likes of a small lawn mower.

But that's hardly the biggest selling point -- the real appeal of the Xbox 360 Arcade is that it grants players the same level of access to Xbox 360 games as either Pro or Elite models. Despite what you may have read on the internet, the Xbox 360 Arcade plays all Xbox 360 games with the same level of performance as other models with hard drives, even when playing others over Xbox Live. So when a game disc is running, it's exactly the same experience.

While the bundled 256 MB memory card won't allow players to store music, videos, and download high-profile game demos, the card does its job in saving about as many games as one would want. It also lets players compete online (with a paid Xbox Live subscription, of course), and even lets you trial download and store a handful of purchased Xbox Live Arcade games.

Unlike the original Xbox 360 Core model, the Xbox 360 Arcade now ships with a wireless controller, as it should (no tangled wires here). And the Arcade bundle also includes five Xbox Live Arcade games pressed to a single disc, the best of which is Pac-Man Championship Edition.

Regrettably, the Arcade ships with composite audio and video cables, which won't allow for high-definition output. But spending an additional $6-8 bucks for a separate HDMI cable (yes, Arcade models include an HDMI port) is all its takes to upgrade to HD, provided you have an HD-ready set. In any case, Xbox 360 games still look great on standard definition sets.

It's all about the games

First launched in October 2007, the Xbox 360 Arcade was somewhat of a suspect purchase for $279. But with its attractive and mainstream-friendly price of $199 now, it's an easy buy for those who care more about the games than secondary amenities.

If you require top-of-the line technology and can't live without downloadable demos, the Xbox 360 Arcade isn't for you. But if you've been covetous of the platform's impressive library of exclusive games, not to mention the most thriving online multiplayer community, the Xbox 360 Arcade is hard to beat when it comes to playing games first and foremost.

PROS: Great game library, attractive price, wireless controller, included memory card
CONS: Lack of amenities like downloadable content and demos, no HD cables or headset, lack of hard drive a minor concern

Review based on retail version of the Xbox 360 Arcade Bundle provided by Microsoft.

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