New to the world of video games? Allow us to guide you through the pros and cons of all the consoles on the market today, whether handheld or attached to the telly.

PlayStation 2

The 128-bit Emotion Engine processor at the heart of the PlayStation 2 combines lightning-fast gameplay and unprecedented graphics power with DAT-quality stereo sound. The world's best selling home console builds on its home entertainment value by doubling as a DVD and CD player and by accommodating most of the original PlayStation's vast library of games. Plus, you can play online with a broadband connection and a separate Network Adaptor.

GameCube

Though it looks like a toy and comes at a relatively low price, don't be fooled: Nintendo's GameCube is a powerful video game console that rightly deserves its place among the other next-generation game systems. It's a dinky little thing--15 cm x 11 cm x 16 cm--which comes in black and purple and uses special 8 cm, 1.5 gigabyte discs. You can play online games using a modem adapter (for standard phone lines) or a broadband adapter. What's more, some GameCube and GBA games can be connected to access exclusive game content--secret levels, minigames, and more.

Xbox

Microsoft, the world's biggest software company, have officially entered the home-console market with the Xbox. The most powerful games console in the world features a 733 MHz processor, an Nvidia graphics processor, an Ethernet port for Internet connectivity, Dolby Digital sound, DVD capability (with a separate Official DVD Movie Playback Controller), four controller ports and, perhaps most importantly, an internal hard drive, which allows for massive storage of game information. If you have a broadband connection you can play online and download exclusive game content with the help of the Xbox Live Starter Kit.

Game Boy Advance

Nintendo's next-generation handheld is a wonder to behold, offering a huge leap over its Game Boy Color predecessor in both quality of graphics and depth of gameplay. Extra processing muscle also means you can network up to four Game Boy Advance units with the Game Link cable and play most games from one cartridge. In addition to its own line of games, it supports all the colour and black-and-white games already released for the previous Game Boy systems. The Game Boy Advance also interacts with the GameCube; among other functions (many yet to be revealed), it acts as an additional controller for some GameCube games.

The GBA comes in two forms: the original Game Boy Advance, which comes in a variety of colours, and the Game Boy Advance SP, which has a built-in screen light and clamshell design that allows it to fold up to about the size of a travel alarm clock.

PSone (PlayStation)

It's hard to fault the dependable 32-bit wonder that is the PlayStation, now repackaged as the smaller, cooler PSone. While it doesn't have the power of some of the other home consoles on the market these days, its graphics and stereo sound are still impressive and it's supported by a massive selection of games.

Other Consoles

These consoles are no longer being manufactured, but you may be able to pick them up from our Marketplace sellers. You can also sell your own old consoles and games on the same pages we sell the items.

Dreamcast Although it was never the most popular console on the planet, Sega's powerful Dreamcast console, with its 128-bit processor, eye-opening 3-D graphics and stereo sound, delivers an experience that will appeal to anyone who appreciates innovative game design and top-notch arcade entertainment.

Nintendo 64 The Nintendo 64 boasts great graphics and sound as well as excellently designed controllers. Though plenty of N64 games are non-violent and designed with younger gamers in mind, the console also sports a superlative range of titles for the mature gamer.

Game Boy Color It's been well over a decade since Nintendo first introduced the handheld Game Boy but the Game Boy Color remains hugely popular due to its sheer simplicity and lightweight design.