Andy Wood

8. Microsoft Xbox 360

The wait for next-gen gaming is over, but Microsoft’s Xbox 360 has some growing pains to work out. Namely, overheating, crashing issues and a hefty, $399 price tag. The plus side? It offers the best networked gaming experience we’ve seen, integration with Windows Media Center PCs, and backward-compatibility with some Xbox games. But you may want to hold off on buying one right now–or until the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii show us what they’ve got.

Editors’ rating: 8.4

The good: All games for the Xbox 360 are in high-definition, as is the excellent user-friendly Dashboard interface. There’s built-in support for wireless controllers and excellent online gaming and communications via Xbox Live. The console is not only backward-compatible with many (but not all) original Xbox titles, it doubles as superior digital media hub and Windows Media extender.

The bad: The list of truly impressive next-gen games remains small, and the console has some slight design flaws: a noisy exhaust fan, a gigantic oversize power supply, no built-in wireless networking, only three USB ports, and no DVI or HDMI output. The DVD player is rather substandard, and there’s no built-in support for next-gen HD movie discs.

The bottom line: The Xbox 360 delivers the power and performance of a high-end gaming PC, including impressive digital media and networking features.

The Neverwinter Nights franchise has sold more than two million copies worldwide.

Atari sent out a press release announcing a pre-order campaign for Neverwinter Nights) 2 with GameStop and Best Buy. The pre-order offer is available now and will give participating gamers exclusive access to the Neverwinter Nights 2 toolset one month before the game is available. Additionally, the pre-order offer will include The Merchant’s Friend, a special feature enabling players to obtain powerful items crafted especially for each of the 12 classes. Neverwinter Nights 2 is due to ship this October

Comics Continuum continues its series of features on the cast of Kids’ WB!’s Legion of Super Heroes today with Yuri Lowenthal, who provides the voice of Clark Kent/Superman.

“The Continuum: What’s your take on Superman? How does he fit in with the team, especially being the guy from the past? Is he the leader?

“Here’s what I love about this incarnation of Superman: he’s not at all the leader. He’s not Mr. Confident. He’s actually pretty lost on many different levels,” says Yuri Lowenthal, who provides the voice of Clark Kent/Superman in the upcoming ‘Legion of Super Heroes’ animated show.