Gaming Platforms

Game systems come in lots of flavors, which appeal a wide variety of palates. Here's the rundown of the most popular consoles in today's market.

Nintendo DS: Nintendo’s handheld is hugely popular with a wide variety of audiences, from little kids to grown women to hardcore gamers who are addicted to classic Nintendo franchises like The Legend of Zelda. It fits nicely in a pocket or a purse.

Nintendo Wii: Credited with opening video games to a wider audience, the Wii offers a distinctive controller, the Wii remote, as its distinguishing feature. The Wii remote has a lot fewer buttons than a typical console controller and uses motion control to communicate with the console. While the system doesn’t offer the same amount of graphical power as the PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360, it's very popular with both new gamers and people who prefer to play in more social settings.

PC: The most ubiquitous gaming platform also offers the widest range of gaming experiences, from Flash games on Facebook to the most technically stunning shooters on the market. Whether you're spending hours playing World of Warcraft, or whether you're just sneaking in rounds of solitaire at your desk, chances are that you're a PC gamer -- even if you haven't realized it yet.

PlayStation 3: Sony's newest gaming system is made to show off all the bells and whistles of that high-definition TV you just splurged on. After all, it isn't just a gaming system -- it's also a Blu-ray disc player. But even if you don't have an HD TV, the PS3 offers a great variety of games for hardcore and mainstream gamers alike.

PlayStation 2: While the PlayStation 2 is no longer the new guy on the block, there's a reason why it's the most popular game console ever, with over 140,000,000 units sold worldwide. It also has an incredibly impressive array of software -- and since most of those games have been out for a while, you can find them at very reasonable prices in the used bin at your local gaming store or on Amazon.

PSP: Sony's handheld is often called a portable console thanks to its big screen and impressive graphics. In addition to a wide variety of games, the PSP offers multimedia functionality, allowing you to listen to music or watch movies on the go.

Xbox 360: The successor to the original Xbox boasts hefty power and the popular online gaming service Xbox Live. While the Xbox 360 is often perceived as the most hardcore of the consoles thanks to popular shooters like Halo 3, creator Microsoft has also worked to make the system more appealing to a wider audience, with games like Rock Band or Viva Pinata and more casual titles that you can download on Xbox Live -- Uno, anyone?