Xbox 360 Console Review

Xbox 360 Console Review

Get the Xbox 360 Limited Edition Kinect Star Wars bundle, with the first ever white Kinect Sensor and custom-designed console and controller based on popular Star Wars characters R2-D2 and C-3PO. Use the Force like a Jedi and immerse yourself in the Star Wars experience you’ve always dreamed of, in ways you never imagined possible. 

Product Features

Edition: Kinect Star Wars Limited Edition
  • Xbox 360 Bundle: Bring the Star Wars characters you know and love into your living room with this custom R2-D2-themed Xbox 360 console with custom sounds. Features C-3PO as an unlockable character for the Dance Mode in the Kinect Star Wars game.
  • Kinect Sensor: Includes the first ever custom white sensor. Immerse yourself into the Star Wars universe with full-body gameplay. Xbox 360 Wireless Controller: Includes custom C-3PO-themed Xbox 360 Wireless Controller.
  • Kinect Star Wars game: Enter the Star Wars universe like never before. Use the Force like a Jedi, become a champion Pod Racer, pilot iconic ships and much more.
  • Kinect Adventures game: Get off the couch and into the game in a whole new way. You and your friends and family will jump, dodge, and kick your way through 20 pulse-pounding adventures set in exotic locations.
  • 320GB Hard Drive: The largest hard drive available on Xbox 360, Xbox 360 Wired Headset, and Xbox LIVE Token for exclusive downloadable content
 
Should You Buy It??? - Helpful Tips on How to Choose 
I'll be honest with you guys, I really agonized over buying this bundle. I already had an old Xbox 360 elite and another backup unit to boot - so really I didn't NEED it. But when it comes to being an Xbox & Star Wars fan - it's not about reason, it's about WANT!!! So what did I do? I bought it, albeit I had tremendous buyers remorse the second I got it until I finally hooked it up (and transferred the data from my old HD to the new one). From the moment I powered up the system - I was 100% glad I got it.

Here's why I'm glad I got it.
1) The unit looks awesome, and it is a Star Wars fan's dream come true. The R2D2 exterior is well crafted and looks/feels very nice.
2) I love how the Xbox makes those beeping/booping/squealing R2 sounds when you open/close the tray and power on/off the system. The only drawback is you have to physically press the buttons, you won't get the sounds if you use a remote or the controller.
3) The gold C3P0 controller is GREAT! It has a nice finish, great feel, the D-pad is nice and it just really makes you feel special for buying the bundle.
4) The white kinect is nice, and it is the only one of its kind (so far), with everything else being black. It's a minor thing, but it does make you feel better about paying for the bundle. As for performance, mine was fine out of the box though as with all Kinects you do get the occasional and annoying "player input lost" messages that kind of interrupt the action.

Now should you buy it?

Well here's who I think should get it.

1) Die hard Star Wars fans who need a new Xbox or just have money to burn
2) Someone (like me) who had an old Elite clunker and want to upgrade to the new 360 design before the 720 (allegedly) comes out at the end of 2013. At least if you buy this now you'll still get at least a year and a half with it, assuming R2's circuits don't get fried by the Jawas.
3) Someone who doesn't have a Kinect and needs an excuse to get one by buying a cool, limited edition bundle
4) Someone who needs a 320 GB hard drive and wants a cool Star Wars motif to boot

So who should NOT buy this?
1) Don't buy it if you're tight on cash, and especially if you already have an Xbox - that would be just foolish, and you'll just end up being bantha fodder down the road if you're in debt. This bundle is cool, but it's not "I'm willing to go broke for it" cool.
2) Don't buy it because you think it's a cool way to play Star Wars Kinect. It's not. (I'll explain more later)
3) Don't buy it if you think this performance is superior to any other 360. It's not.

**Important Note**
4) Don't buy this if you only have a 5.0 GHZ N connection in your home - not unless you have a spare Microsoft Xbox 360 wireless adapter hanging around. The reason?
The Xbox included in this bundle only works on a 2.4 GHZ connection. For people like me who have a dual band router, I assigned the 2.4 GHZ to my G connection (for my G-only devices) and the 5 GHZ to my N connection (to take advantage of the high speed for my other useful gadgets like the new iPad, etc).
FORTUNATELY for me, I was able to unplug my old wireless adapter on my old Xbox and plug it into my new Xbox thru the USB port (thankfully there are 3 ports on this new Xbox too), and voila I was able to pick up my wireless 5.0 N connection again (it wasn't able to do it beforehand). So just keep this in mind, if your wireless connection is only 5.0 GHZ N band at home, you'll need to have the extra adapter around to take full advantage of the higher speed.
I don't think this should affect a lot of people, but just keep this in mind when you are upgrading or buying it for the first time.

As for the extras ... well
1) It looks like Star Wars, but on your Xbox - yay!
2) You get 2 games!
3) You get a poster of R2 & C3P0 (eeh)
4) Kinect Adventures is fun, and a nice demo of what the Kinect can do, but other games do it better.

As for Star Wars Kinect (which is also included)
- This game is fun, initially
- You feel kind of cool when you are training and realizing you can whip out a lightsaber and kill stuff ... until you realize ... a lot of the duels are done in a rock/paper/scissors way. Meaning, when you "duel" you get in a screen where you have to time your blocks, then you get a narrow window of time to attack your opponent. That is REALLY lame.
- It's fun to use force powers with your other hand, while you slash with one hand, but after awhile all the slashing gets a bit repetitive and a lot of times I just ended up using my force powers for most enemies by flinging them around. It saves me the trouble of slashing the 1000th stupid droid with my tired arms.
- The driving/flying missions/controls are okay, but it's nothing we haven't seen before.
- The dance mini game is okay, but the rancor rampage thing is fun. It's basically the old Midway RAMPAGE game, but with a kinect.
- The duel mode stinks, for the reason I listed above.
- BUT you DO get an extra C3P0 thing for the dance mini game!

So is it worth buying the bundle just for this game? Hell no! But I'm sure most people are buying it because of the eye candy, and for that I gotta say it is really worth it. The unit looks special, I love the beeping R2 sounds and most importantly, it's a great upgrade for people who love Star Wars and Xbox at the same time. You just feel happy looking at it when it's in your living room or den or man cave.

Just keep in mind the Star Wars game itself isn't that great.

Nyko Charge Base 360 S for Xbox 360

Nyko Charge Base 360 S for Xbox 360

Conveniently store and charge two Xbox 360 Wireless Controllers with Nyko's Charge Base 360. The Charge Base 360 comes with two custom NiMH rechargeable batteries that feature special contact points allowing for an easy drop-in and charge power solution for your wireless controllers. The dual port recharging dock is AC powered, and plugs into any standard outlet, requiring no cables back to the 360 console. Each rechargeable battery powers the wireless controller for up to 25 hours, and charges a single battery in 2 hours, or both batteries simultaneously in 4. The Charge Base 360 is the ideal charging solution for all Xbox 360 owners. 

Product Features

  • Drop-in design allows for easy and rapid recharging of wireless controllers
  • 2 custom NiMH rechargeable batteries supply up to 25 hours of play time
  • Rapid recharge base stores two wireless controllers
  • Plugs into any wall outlet for a faster charge than USB
  • LED charge indicator lights
  • Drop and Charge design allows for charging without removing batteries
  • Dual port recharging dock charges both controllers simultaneously
  • LED lights clearly indicate when charging is complete
  • Plugs into any wall outlet for rapid recharging
  • Two custom NiMH rechargeable batteries provide up to 25 hours of play time
 
Best Xbox 360 Charging Station on the market!
I just purchased this charging station from Best Buy on an impulse and I am glad I did. First of all, its BLACK - glad someone finally made something for us XBOX ELITE owners! No more messy USB charging wires coming from the XBOX... no more leaving the XBOX running while the controllers are charging! This unit plugs directly into your wall power outlet! Says made in China - but it appears very well made. The chargebase even has rubber pads on the bottom to prevent it from sliding all over your entertainment center. The NYKO batteries fit and worked perfectly right out of the box. Placing the controllers on the base after gaming is a breeze. When you place your controllers on the base the LED light turns RED - indicating it is charging your controller. When the charger is done it turns green and then turns off. Thanks NYKO for making such a great product at an affordable price!
 
charger review
I purchased this charge for the 360 after giving the PS3 equivalent to my father in law. I have to say it is great. The batteries fit with out any complications . It turns off when the charge is complete. It holds the controllers so I can find them.

Xbox 360 Wired Controller - Black

Xbox 360 Wired Controller - Black

The Xbox 360 Controller features an extended nine-foot cable and an improved ergonomic design. The centralized, glowing Xbox Guide Button grants you quick access to your digital movie, music, and games libraries.The ultimate in gamer flexibility, precision, control, quality, and comfort are all yours. 

Product Features

  • Compact ergonomics for comfortable play
  • Integrated headset port for Xbox LIVE
  • Adjustable vibration feedback for a personalized gaming experience
  • Works with most Windows Vista-based PCs

Wonderful for PC gaming or xbox parties
 
PROS:
Wired xbox360 controllers work well with windows7 right away and the driver for XP isn't hard to find.
No need to worry about relinking your controller when you go from xbox to xbox; just plug it in and you are good to go!
No need to charge or replace your batteries before you can play.
Most PC shooters made after the 360 have plug and play support for the 360 controller (in my experience). I've used mine for L4D, L4D2, and portal2 recently and I only needed to plug in the controller before launching the game for it to work.

CONS:
Cords are so 90s.
Since the two triggers aren't actually buttons a lot of older games can't map them as 'fire' buttons. This means that if you do any emulation or DOS gaming you will want to do research before buying this controller for them since you may not be able to use it in the way you hope.

Please note that if you want to use a 360 controller for PC gaming you CAN'T just use a 360 wireless controller and plug in a charge kit USB to your computer. The charge cord only provides power across USB; it doesn't communicate with the computer that way. If you want to use a 360 controller with your PC you need to buy this OR a wireless one that specifically comes with a plug for the computer.
I hope this review is helpful for any potential buyers.