Forget the PS3, the Wii, and the Xbox 360. The best fun we've ever had playing video games is with old school arcades. Arcade In a Box brings your cherished arcade memories to your living room. It comes with 50 preinstalled games including Asteroids, Missile Command, Defender, Centipede and more. Like the arcade controls of your past, it has the same type of  buttons and joysticks, and it has a trackball built-in to its portable chassis. It also functions as Media Center PC so that you can surf the internet, watch movies, and download additional games on to it. This heavy computing power helps to justify its $1799 price tag, because putting ...

Don't get us wrong, there are plenty of girls who have Half-Life 2 and Halo on the top of their favorite video game's list. However many woman aren't so keen on first person shooters, heavy duty strategy games, and the like. Here is a list of our favorite video games for anyone out there who needs to buy some last minute gifts for their favorite lady who isn't necessarily a hard-core fraggin gamer. New Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo DS Lite). We'll never grow tired of Mario saving the princess. This game has been on the best seller list for months for good reason - it's the best Mario game we've seen in a long time. By the way, has anyone noticed that the world's most famous plumber has never been seen actually fixing a pipe? Big Brain Academy (Nintendo DS Lite) and Brain Age. Train your brain games have taken Japan by storm and the brain fever has spread to other shores as well. Who know something edumucational could actually be entertaining. Tomb Raider Legend (XBox 360, Playstation 2, PC). The woman looks just as great in an evening dress as she does grappling down a mountain. It's the latest Tomb Raider incarnation, and not only doesn't it suck but it is also a great adventure. Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy. (Xbox, DS Lite, PC, PS2, Gamecube). The first game was too short. The sequel is back and better than ever. The game levels might be very easy, but they're fun. And there is a great sense of humor thread through out the game which keeps you laughing. Sims 2.  (PC, Mac, Nintendo DS Lite, GameCube, PS2, Gameboy Advance). Yes, it's been out for a while. But lets face it, girls love playing the Sims. And with all of the expansion packs that came out this year (Pets, University, etc), you can get lost in your Sim's life indefinitely.Anyone else have any good recommendations? Drop us a comment here.

Even though playing with our Xbox 360 is one of our favorite past times, staring at the Xbox 360's design is a little depressing because it's so drab and dull. Of course, there are tons of faceplates and skins available to personalize the actual console system with, and now there is finally a way to customize the controllers as well. Madcatz has silicon Xbox 360 Controller Skinz available in the colors pink, black and white. The Skinz retail for $9.99 and should do a good job of protecting your $49.99 wireless controller from icky soda spills and sweaty hands.

Wii, Shmee, so what if you couldn't score a new Nintendo Console. It's time to forget about the Wii's motion sensitive controller. Grab yourself a Tilt Sensor LED Watch instead. Twisting your wrist back and forth in motion while wearing the watch, causes the watch's blue LEDS to Illuminate so that you can read the time whilst counting down the hours until you can finally obtain a Wii for yourself. The watch is made out of a stainless steal case and a leather band, and it's also water resistant to up to 50 meters. The Tilt Sensor LED Watch retails for $49.99.

If someone can come out with an NES Controller belt buckle, is it any crazier that someone has transformed an old Famicom Controller in to a Microphone? This game pad is guaranteed to take karaoke to a whole new level.... or rather an old level. The Famicom Controller Microphone is available for preorder for $16. (Source: EGM Magazine, December 06)

Desperate Housewives: The Game, is a new computer game based on the TV show. It seems pretty obvious that the  target audience for this game are women. "In the Desperate Housewives game, players take on the role of a new housewife who moves into Wisteria Lane and unlocks the delicious scandals hidden in the seemingly "perfect" neighborhood. Mary Alice Young (voiced by Brenda Strong in the game) serves as the omniscient narrator in this lifestyle simulation game." Overall, it seems that if you like the Sims and you like Desperate Housewives, then chances are you will like this game. Gamers over at IGN have given Desperate Housewives: The Game an average score of 7.2 which isn't ...

PSPs are a must for traveling because their awesome for watching movies, playing games, listening to music, surfing the web, and a bunch of other stuff if you have the time and patience to hack them. PSP Passports now make PSPs an even greater asset for your travels. Each passport is a travel guide to a city that gives you the low-down on over 250 of the hottest restaurants, bars, clubs, hotels, shops and sights. These guides also includes maps, scene-setting movies, audio phrase books, audio tours, and an option to create your own itinerary or choose a ready-made one. Currently the PSP Passports are available for Amsterdam, Barclona, London, Paris, Prague ...

If you read Digg then you've probably noticed that lately a lot of badly designed sites have been getting top Digg honors. Well, we have discovered a web site - NewYorkVideoPages.com, that isn't just poorly designed, it also is cheesy and odd... and did we mention the horrible navigation structure? We hate to be so cruel... but to whom ever made this site, at least you have entertained us....

Go from rags to riches with Phantom's Reel Deal Casino - High Roller. Alright, so the riches aren't exactly real and chances are, you aren't in rags. However, enough practice and time spent with this software and you just might strike it big when it comes to the "real deal". I must admit that I'm not a gambler so any comparison that I make will be based primarily on inference. For those like me, each of the 38 games on this 2 disk software package comes with a small instructive tutorial; I found it to be very useful. For the more advanced player - a decent sized manual details strategies, payouts and odds for each of the games. That said, I must admit the games themselves are not terribly challenging. Games included are: Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Pai Gow, Single 21, Big Six, Oklahoma 3 Card, Keno, Big Raise Hold 'Em, Baccarat, Four Card Poker, Sic Bo, Triple Shot Bonus, 6-5-4 Poker, Bingo, Hardway Blackjack, Dragon Bonus Baccarat, Red Dog, Let it Ride, Crazy 4 Poker, Face-Up 21, High Five Poker, Casino War, Catch a Wave, Big Four Stud, Pai Wow, Bonus plus both slot and poker machines.

It's old news that some video games, such as Dance Dance Revolution have become a popular method to get kids to exercise more. Add a little "Virtual Reality" to the mix and you have the Cybex Trazer, a whole system dedicated to getting you into shape by playing video games that involve physical interaction. So what does the whopping $6,495 price tag get you? The TRAZER “Simulator Core”, 20 programs, and a bunch of other accessories to get you started.

Do you enjoy your Sony PSP, but are getting tired of staring at it in all of its "plain glory'? Believe it or not, you can add some pizazz to your PSP and in the end you'll be glad that you did. Look at it as an on-going investment for the betterment of your continued enjoyment! Let's begin by adding a custom skin! Then let's replace that paltry 32 MB Memory that was included with your PSP (shame on you Sony)! with either a 1 or 2 GIG Memory Stick. And while we're at it why not add some funky wall paper into the mix (the wall paper is free...we ...

This is totally our kind of arts and crafts project. The 5 inch tall Ms. Pac-Man arcade cabinet houses an arcade-emulating iPod Nano. It was very creatively constructed by Scott Lawrence.  Photos of the step-by step building of the cabinet can be seen on his web site. (Source: Electronic Gaming Monthly)

Two of our favorite gaming classics, Sonic the Hedgehog and Lemmings, are now available to download on to your phone through ifone. Both are compatible with the majority of handsets out there. but what we're really iching for is some Mario Bros. on our phone that doesn't require emulation software. Is that so much to ask for, Nintendo?

Some students got together at a talent show at Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts and put on a Mario Bros. show. If you're like most people who love the original Super Mario Bros., then you have to check out this video. (Source: Cnet News)

Visteon's Dockable Entertainment center might look like an ordinary portable DVD player, but it has the extraordinary ability of playing Game Boy Advance Games on its 10.2 inch screen. It will also play audio cds, and MP3 and WMA files. When we learned about this product at C.E.S., we thought that this was pretty cool... that was until we noticed the price. $1,500 for a $400 DVD player with the ability to play a $60 console, is absurd. It's not even like it plays Nintendo DS games - maybe then the price would be a bit more justified.  The DVD player will be available in May, but at this rate, we'll add ...

It always upsets me when someone half my age beats me at a video game, but I've never really considered that someone more then three times my age would be able to. Meet 70 year old Barbara St. Hillaire, who isn't just a video gamer - she is a darn good one. She has been playing video games for 25 years, has beaten Resident Evil 4 three times, and currently plays other hardcore PS2, Xbox and GameCube games. She also works as a videogame correspondant for MTV.com's game show G-Hole. What do her senior citizen peers think about her lifestyle? "They think I'm sort of weird," she says. "Most of them don't approve ...

Second Life is a 3-D virtual world entirely built and owned by its residents. Off hand, it seems like Second Life has all of the elements that the Sims should offer but doesn't. In Second Life you get to design your own avatar, buy land and build your house, meet new people, try out different forms of entertainment, and buy and sell in the marketplace. The graphics aren't half bad, and the possibilities for game play are endless. Currently there are 100,000 inhabitants roaming this virtual world, and a vast majority of them are women. There are different levels of membership required to participate in Second Life. There is a free basic ...

Congratulations to Francesca Reyes who just got promoted to the position of Editor & Chief of Xbox Magazine. To the best of our knowledge, she is the first woman to ever be Editor & Chief of an electronic gaming magazine. As a matter of fact, if you skim through most gaming magazines, you'll notice that female contributors are an extreme minority. On a related note, PC Magazine, and PC Gamer Magazine also recently got a new Editor & Chief, one of our favorite publications - Mobile Magazine went under, and last but not least - Tech Living mag announced that it will only be publishing only two periodicals a year from now on. ...

Frustrated by the fact that you still can't get a hold of an Xbox 360? Forget about the Xbox 360 and feast your eyes on the Game Wave. Game Wave is an entertainment system that plays DVD games created for the whole family to interact with.  Up to 6 players can play at a time, and each player gets their own remote control to participate with. Really, who needs Call of Duty 2 when you can play a Bible Trivia game that costs just $19.99? Other games include "Zap 21" - a card game, as well as some other interactive trivia games. The Game Wave also plays regular DVD movies and retails ...

I've never quite understood why some people lay down hundreds of dollars for a big retro arcade that only plays one game. Arguably these are nostalgic pieces of art for many old-school gamers, but until now I've never been tempted to buy one. However the Big Games Home Video Arcade is tempting me because it's a life-size arcade that has a dozen Midway classics including Joust, Defender, Robotron, Bubbles, Sinistar, and more. The Home Video Arcade stands 62” tall and has a built-in, full color monitor. Additional A/V inputs allow you to connect almost any existing home video game system, DVD player, VCR or other A/V product to be plugged in and viewed ...

Here's an activity for a rainy day. GotOrion.com has a whole bunch of video-game-themed papercraft projects to print out. They've got Mario, Luigi, Pikachu, Yoshi and some other classic video game icons.