Gnomie Paul Nobert writes:

1. Best For Families (Nintendo Wii)
   The console originally codenamed “Revolution” has delivered just that. Ignore the daft name and get your hands on a gaming machine unlike any other. With its superb motion-sensing controllers, wallet-friendly price, and focus on uncomplicated, active fun, Wii will be enjoyed by every member of the family.

2. Best Handheld (Nintendo DS Lite)
   It may lack the multimedia prowess of Sony’s dazzling PlayStation Portable, but if gaming is your priority, the dual-screen DS Lite is unmatched in imagination, innovation, scope, and raw fun factor. Mix in cool iPod stylings and a beyond reasonable price and you have the ultimate portable games machine.

3. Best Budget Option (PlayStation 2)
   If you couldn’t give a monkey’s… about high-definition this and next-gen that, and are just on the lookout for value, with the biggest and best range of software, and classics available at bargain-bin prices, Sony’s stalwart PlayStation 2 is a safe bet for your bucks.

4. Best For Online Gaming (Xbox 360)
   A powerful console heavyweight in its own right, Xbox 360 comes alive once hooked up to a broadband connection. As well as offering the cheapest high-definition experience on the market, Microsoft’s brilliant Live service delivers peerless online gaming action.

5. Best For High-Def Entertainment (PlayStation 3)
   High-definition, we’re repeatedly told, is the future of home entertainment. But for those who want to grasp that future now, the formidably powerful, catwalk-cool PlayStation 3 delivers a peerless gaming and multimedia experience for the discerning technophile — with a price to match.