One of the most important and most anticipated game on the PS3 was the ever popular franchise Metal Gear Solid. In it’s fourth iteration on the PS3, the game had huge demand before any details were released and it’s large fan-base were clamoring for information. Released worldwide in June 2008 to critical acclaim the game became the PS3s best selling game in a few short weeks of release.

Metal Gear Solid is a stealth-based action game, heavy on cut scene and a twisting turning plot. It was these last two points which were expanded upon in MGS4, with cut scenes at some points running to over an hour at times and the plot being even more extravagant than previous games. With some of the best graphics ever seen on a home console and a lengthy campaign to boot, head developer Hideo Kojima stated that they nearly ran out of space on the PS3s huge blue ray discs which themselves total up to 50gbs each. However, when playing the game and being immersed in the story and those cut scenes, you can see why.

To all intents and purposes the game lived up the fans and critics high expectations, quickly being denoted as the best of the Metal Gear series and as a must buy for any self respecting PS3 owner.

A game which is completely at the opposite end of the scale from MGS4 is that of Pixel Junk Eden, a game available only on the Playstation Network. A game of simple graphics and gameplay but in some ways more addictive and ultimately satisfying than it’s “on disc”, big budget cousins. In the game players control a small creature called a Grimp who using a seris of jumping and swinging skills must collect objects called “spectra”, essentially pollen to grow flowers from seeds dotted around each garden or level. The game is played on a two dimensional plane and each level is simple yet beautiful in it’s art direction, each garden becoming more colorful as more flowers are grown.

The game shows how amazing simple and affordable games can be, and also what a great delivery system the PSN and its Xbox 360 and Wii equivalents can be for games like this.

One game on the PS3 has shown how to tell a compelling and unique story the best, and that game is BioShock. Set in the underwater city of Rapture, you play a airplane crash victim who finds his way there out of sheer luck, or in some cases you would call it misfortune. As the game progresses you are led through different areas of rapture by a distant voice on your radio located somewhere else in Rapture and through logs picked up along the way with chilling stories of what happened in the now derelict city.

One of the most striking things about BioShock is it’s amazing art direction. With a 1950s art deco look, the world of Rapture is stunning and at the same time incredibly creepy and atmospheric, and that’s before you meet any enemies. Most of the “bad guys” in BioShock are deformed or mutated citizens of the once glorious habitat under the sea, but your main and most dangerous foes are those of the “Big Daddies”. The game features a substance called ADAM which is in most cases gained from either rescuing or killing creatures called “Little Sisters”, who are protected by the near indestructible “Big Daddies”.

BioShock is a game of twists and turns which will keep you on your toes all the way to the end, and the PS3 edition is set to have new downloadable content released to further the enjoyment of the game. Careful though… it’s rated M for Mature.

Wii (Nintendo)

The Wii has so many different random add-ons, most of which are different types of replica sports equipment to stick on to the Wii remote. Now while these are all well and good, they aren’t exactly essential. What is essential is a charger kit for your Wii remotes. Numerous companies such as 4Gamers and Nyko make these invaluable accessories, because as anyone who owns a Wii knows, the remotes rapidly drain their batteries.

Also if you have a TV that can take component connections, it is best to invest in a set of component cables as the graphics will be significantly improved. So an accessory which makes sure you’ve always got juice to play your games and one that makes them look a bit better – effective, yes. Fun? No not really.

For fun you need to look no further than Nintendo’s own range of game specific add-ons such as Wii Balance Board and the Wireless Steering Wheel. The peripherals are as you’d expect fantastically made and awesome fun. The only real downside is that they cost a bit and there is limited use for them outside the games they come bundled with (Wii Fit and Mario Kart respectively).

Xbox 360 (Microsoft)

The Xbox 360 has a few really essential accessories which (most people think) really should have been included in the console box itself. Things such as the “Play and Charge Kit” and the wireless adapter are for quite a few people greatly needed. Aside from these two things, the other things you may need are extra controllers and more chargeable battery packs.

Obviously there are some well publicized 3rd party extras and games such as the venerable Guitar Hero and Rock Band franchises now featuring guitars, microphones and drums! One really good homegrown Microsoft add-on you can get is the snappily titled “Official Xbox 360 Wireless Steering Wheel with Force Feedback“. Great on racing games such as Forza 2 or Project Gotham Racing 4
, full force feedback and the great build quality which comes from a Microsoft original.

Playstation 3 (Sony)

The PS3 doesn’t have a huge amount of peripherals at hand and most are replacements for the stock HDMI cables. Now, as the PS3 does come with a blue ray drive, the large amount of cables on offer will appeal to the home theatre nut who decided they couldn’t wait for a stand alone player to be released. Obviously there are your normal add-ons such as game pads and headsets for talking to your friends over the PSN, but one accessory you may not have considered is a wireless keyboard. Now, this may seem a bit odd to get for a games console but because of the well functioning web browser included on the PS3, and if you are in the situation where you household PC/laptop is shared this might be a good idea.