IF THE IDEA of video gaming brings to mind images of Atari’s Space Invaders marching across the screen of a wood-paneled TV set, then it’s time to dust off those A/V cables and rediscover an old after-school pastime. With a bona fide console war going on at toy stores across the country, there couldn’t be a better time to whip that "Nintendo thumb" into shape. And the quality of the games has never been better, with slick graphics and stereo sound. Count Allen Iverson’s tattoos in NBA Courtside 2002, feel the rumble of NASCAR Thunder 2002 crash on your controller, or hear Luigi nervously hum along with the background music in Luigi’s Mansion (all are $49.99 at Amazon.com). Kids and kids-at-heart are flexing their fingers and plugging in as Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo jockey for the top spot on everyone’s wish list.

Sony’s PlayStation 2 ($299 at Target) got a jump on the competition, launching in time to make last year’s holiday rush. Its slim black design fits right in with a typical bachelor’s penchant for black lacquer, and the PS2 can double as a DVD player right out of the box. The games load a little slowly, but the visual payoff is worth it, as is PS2’s "backwards compatibility," which allows it to play older PlayStation games as well.

Bill Gates’s crew put its PC expertise to use by gearing up the Microsoft X-Box ($299 at Target), which boasts an eight-GB hard drive and Intel 733 MHz processor. This makes saving games a snap (other consoles require a separate memory card), and when Microsoft gets its online gaming network going next summer, the X-Box will keep pace with its broadband capabilities. This black-and-lime-green gaming juggernaut comes with other nice extras: it can be programmed with music from audio CDs, and it can play DVDs with the purchase of a DVD movie-playback kit ($29.99 at Best Buy).

Nintendo is holding its ground with the spunky Gamecube ($199 at Target), whose compact design, bright casing, and carrying handle make it very appealing for afternoon — and after-work — playgroups. Mario, Donkey Kong, Pikachu, and company are back and looking better than ever in Super Smash Bros. Melee ($49.99 at Amazon.com). What’s more, the new Game Boy Advance ($89.99 at Best Buy) can be used as an extra controller or screen for some games.

Gaming bundles can top $500 at such outlets as Amazon.com, but there’s a real steal in the discontinued Sega Dreamcast, available at a very reduced price (around $50) at most big electronics retailers. The Dreamcast pioneered many standard features found on the newer consoles, but Sega never managed to turn a profit on its production. But there are still plenty of new releases for the Dreamcast, such as Tennis 2K2 ($39.99 at Best Buy), heralded as "digital crack" by one particularly delirious gaming techie.

Where to find it:

• www.amazon.com.

• Best Buy, various locations, www.bestbuy.com.

• Target, various locations, www.target.com.

Issue Date: January 10 - 17, 2002

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