November 15

So firstly, does anyone have £900 spare that they could donate to the 'Buy Tristan A PS3 Fund?'

Didn't think so... The question is falling on deaf ears all around, with even my girlfriend ignoring my plea.

But I know I'm not the only one.



Sony's brand spanking new uber console the PlayStation 3 went on official sale last Saturday. Great, I initially thought. Sadly my ears initially failed to pick up that they were going on sale in Japan. Oh, and there were only 100,000 being sold on that day. Boo... Sold out within hours.

Oh well, it won't be long until they're released in the UK I thought. Sadly spring's release date slipped a little, and then slipped a little further... and now we're facing a UK release date of March - next spring.

So, by my calculations I should be getting one in time for Christmas next year. (If Sony stay true to their word and ship six million PS3 machines worldwide by the end of March next year).

But wait, 400,000 are being made available for the US release on Friday.

Er... but hang on... that's only 500,000 in total when 105 million PS2 units have been sold world-wide by March 31, 2006. Do I stand a chance? I think not.

So what to do? I thought, why not try and snap one up on an online auction house?

Sadly again, I wasn't the only one who came up with that idea. Within minutes of them going on sale in Japan, many of them appeared on Ebay for three to four times the original asking price.

I feel like a seaside donkey with a rather large carrot being waved in front of my face. So what's the big deal about the PS3 I hear non-tech heads scream!

Well, powered by the new 'Cell' computer chip and supported by the next-generation video format - Blu-ray disc - the console delivers nearly movie-like graphics and a sense of reality in gaming. It also has a 60-gigabyte hard drive.

Huh? I hear them ask again... It rocks! Period. I have to admit the PlayStation is my favourite console on the market. It's simplistic features make it my choice of gaming snack.

But having seen what's coming up it seems we - living in a gamers' world - are soon to be spoiled for choice.

In an unprecedented move, Sony slashed the price for the cheaper PS3 model in Japan ahead of its launch in a bid to win market share, in the face of intense competition with Japanese rival Nintendo's Wii console and US software maker Microsoft's Xbox 360. Wii goes on sale on Sunday in the US and December 2 in Japan. Xbox 360 has had a year start.

So, let battle commence.





Title: Pilot Academy

Platform: Sony PSP

RRP: £34.99

Hit count: 4/5

Review: Pilot Academy, a commercial, private and military flight simulation offers both single-player missions, challenges and multi-player aerial combat and delivers the most authoritative simulation ever seen on a handheld.

The game is built upon staggering technology and realism and features detailed landscapes from 30,000ft down to landing.

With three regions to explore, each around 64km square, this handheld flight sim packs significantly more than its home console counterparts.

Beginning with a selection of training exercises to familiarise yourself with the controls, the game then moves straight into a series of increasingly challenging missions.

Boasting a wide range of aircraft from all generations, Pilot Academy gives you the opportunity to fly the Boeing 747, Spitfire, F-117 Nighthawk, A-10A Thunderbolt II plus an F-14 Tomcat amongst many others.

Four eras of combat plane are represented from World War I through World War II and The Cold War to modern-day combat each with their own challenges.





Title: Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Blue Rescue Team

Platform: Nintendo DS

RRP: £29.99

Hit count: 3/5

Review: For the first time ever, the player is a Pokemon, speaking and interacting with other characters in a world populated only by Pokemon!

One day you awaken to find that he or she has been turned into a Pokemon.

The land is being ravaged by natural disasters so the player decides to form a rescue team with a partner Pok?mon.

Players can interact with many different Pok?mon on various missions while trying to uncover their true purpose and destiny.

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Blue Rescue is an engrossing story of adventure, redemption and, most of all, friendship.





Title: Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team

Platform: Game Boy Advance

RRP: £29.99

Hit count: 3/5

Review: You wake up one day, turned into a Pokemon... Get the feeling of deja vu?

The Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance versions are both essentially the same, except with different varieties and numbers of Pokemon in each.

The DS does have a couple of extra options though, as well as a superior and easy to use touch screen interface.





Title: Call of Duty 3

Platform: Xbox 360

RRP: £49.99

Hit count: 5/5

Review: Ding ding round three.

Those lads at Activision haven't wasted any time in issuing the third installment in the series ? and who can blame them?

With superior sales and superb gameplay almost guaranteed with each release, this title is the creme de la creme of war fighting games.

Focused on the Normandy breakout and the liberation of France, Call of Duty 3, this games tests the Xbox graphics to the very limit ? not to mention the sounds.

Call of Duty 3 delivers the intensity of being closer than ever to the fury of combat.