So you just bought yourself a spanking new Xbox 360 console and are wondering which games to pick up to quickly get caught up with Microsoft’s newest HD experience. Hopefully, you’ve been smart or lucky enough to buy one of the new bundle packs that make the 360 the best deal for the coming holiday season. These bundles affect the whole range of Microsoft’s 360 SKUs and are an incredible way to quickly have some fun. Regardless ,you should have at least gotten Lego: Indiana Jones and Kung Fu Panda for free. If you were extremely lucky you might have even obtained a few others thrown in as many big chain stores are sweetening the deal with extras that can include Dark Sector, Sega Superstars Tennis, Viva Piñata or even Assassin’s Creed.

There’s certainly a huge sense of wonder and excitement whenever you buy a new gaming console that begins right from the unpacking. This holiday season is tempered by the current economic woes being felt around the globe but there’s always a chance to let loose and have some fun and video gaming is certainly a good outlet to let off stress. Just don’t take things too seriously even if you find yourself cursing at your TV because you got fragged by some potty-mouth teen.

I own every current console (Wii, PS3, 360) and though I like them all I’m still recommending my friends and family that if they only have one choice to pick up the 360. Dollar for dollar it’s still the best deal on the market unless you are buying for a preteen or drastically need Blu-Ray playback. Regardless of your motivation you can’t really make the wrong choice as all three systems have a good variety of games in their catalogue with more on the way.

For new 360 users there are many features that open up to you especially if you are upgrading from the previous generation of Gamecubes, PS2s or original Xboxes. With HD 1080p graphical output to the wide array of online services and features the 360 opens up the world to you through the net.

I heartily recommend that new owners take their time in learning some of the cool features of the console even though they are dying to quickly pop in a game.

Check out my previous review on the new NXE interface here to see what is in store for your 360. Those users who are upgrading to Microsoft’s next gen console will find a wide variety of options available that was just not even conceivable on older systems. Downloading hundreds of game demos, video rentals, game expansions and letting you listen to custom soundtracks are some of the most basic examples of this new medium. Add on the fact that you can make your 360 a Media Extender to stream movies and TV shows from your laptop or PC through your 360 and to the TV truly make this a step towards the mythical set-top-box.

For those with only 360 Arcade Units this is a great SKU to get you started on your gaming journey but I think you’ll quickly find that you need to upgrade in order to experience the full array of features your new console has.

Thankfully, Microsoft has made upgrading extremely easy with the release of the Live Starter Pack. For around $100, depending where you buy it, you get a new 60GB hard drive, a headset, an Ethernet cable and 3 months of Xbox Live Gold. With the hard drive you can fully experience the online community as well as install the NXE patch with ease. Although you have to pay to play for online services through your Xbox Live Gold subscription whereas it is free with the PS3, there’s no doubt that Microsoft’s service is more robust. That is not to say that the PS3 network is bad but rather the integration across the 360 from in game chats to party invites to overall stability is unparalleled.

Here are a few tips to remember regardless of SKU you have that will go a long way to giving you a better 360 experience:

• Make sure you are using the best connection possible. If you have an LCD / Plasma TV that supports 1080p it would be an absolute waste to use standard composite AV cables. This cripples your image resolution by providing washed out colours that are prone to flicker. If you bought an Arcade SKU then this is the default cable that came with your unit. Trust me, if you have a HD TV don’t use the standard cable. Go out and buy a Component AV cable or HDMI if you have a HDMI port. You’ll notice a huge difference.


• Whether or not you know, the initial 360 consoles are prone to overheating. Leaving your console on for extended periods of time is only recommended if you have placed your unit with a lot of free flowing air circulation. Stuffing it into a hot cabinet with no ventilation is a recipe for disaster. Make sure you properly place it or you are going to increase the likelihood of it literally melting. Conversely, this applies to your huge power brick. For heaven’s sake don’t put a hot towel or other heat absorber over the thing unless you want it to malfunction as well.


• Never ever turn your Xbox 360 from a vertical to horizontal position or vice versa when a disc is spinning. This will severely scratch your game disc probably rendering it useless. With new games costing upwards of $60 this will make you cry.


• Purchase a “play and charge” or “quick and charge” kit for your wireless controllers unless you have rechargeable batteries on hand. Normal AA batteries surprisingly last a long time but you might as well get rechargeable batteries since they are more cost efficient in the long run. Remember too that your wireless 360 controller can go up to 30 feet away from your console. Don’t be afraid to sit comfortably in your sofa and enjoy your experience! For those with only wired controllers you'll find things much easier and liberating with a wireless unit.
  


• Pop in your favorite CDs and rip them to the internal hard drive. Remember, many games feature custom soundtracks which mean that instead of listening to the music developers put in their games you can override this and have your own music playing instead.


• Set parental restrictions especially if you are concerned with your underage kids playing ultra violent games. It doesn’t take long and it’s easy to configure.


• Hook up your 360 online and download the NXE patch! Seriously, unless you have an old arcade unit with a small memory card or no hard drive there’s no reason not to since it adds functionality to your console.


• Download as many demos as your hard drive can hold. There’s no reason not to as they are a good barometer of how well you will enjoy the finished product. You might even find games here that you would never have bought if you hadn’t monkeyed around with the demo. This applies to Xbox Live Arcade and community games as well. Just try it since it’s free.


• During a game you can press the Xbox Guide button (you know, the giant button that looks like a honking huge 360 logo located in the middle of every controller). This will bring up a miniature version of the 360 dashboard giving you access without you having to stop the game you are currently playing.


• If you do get the dreaded RROD – Red Ring of Death – and your console displays an error warning don’t fret as it could be one of many problems. Check all your cables to make sure they are properly seated. In some cases unplug and put them back in. If that doesn’t work remove your memory cards, controllers and hard drive. If all this doesn’t work you’re probably out of luck and have to call Microsoft customer service.

There are many features you can explore on your own. Of course, it doesn’t matter if the console can do your laundry if it doesn’t have games but don’t fret as there’s no lack of good software on the 360. Now there’s so much you can take of playing Lego: Indiana Jones and Kung Fu Panda especially if your taste runs a bit more mature. Kicking ass as a Panda has its perks but slicing a zombie with a chainsaw can provide some needed testosterone.

Simply put, after spending two bills or more on your new console I suspect most new users are going to be strapped for cash so over the next few weeks I’m going to be posting reviews of some of the best 5 games you can pick up on the cheap.

• Crackdown
• Dead or Alive 4
• Dead Rising
• Earth Defense Force 2017
• John Woo's Stranglehold

Nearly all of these have been out for a year or two and can be found easily in your local EB Xbox 360 pre-owned section. The last time I ventured in there I noticed that these titles are all $25 or less and if you are lucky you might even be able to pick up all 5 for less than $100.

After all this Xbox 360 love, I hope Microsoft sends me a cheque for all this free advertising I’m giving them! On a side note, look out for more reviews for other systems such as the PS3, Wii, DS and PSP.