Three must-haves for Xbox 360

"It's the latest, greatest, and most in-demand console on the market.

I am talking about the Xbox 360, of course, Microsoft's new video-game system and the first of the next generation of consoles. While the 360 has an unimpeachable technical pedigree, its first wave of games is a decidedly mixed bag. That is hardly unexpected as developers come to grips with the demands of the new hardware while simultaneously working under tight deadlines to meet the 360's all-important launch window. In fact, despite an opening day lineup of 20 titles, there are only three must-have Xbox 360 games in the early going:

Perfect Dark Zero

Microsoft. $59.99. Rating: M (17 and older) www.perfectdarkzero.com

Grade: A

The original Xbox had Halo as its signature title. For the Xbox 360, that prestigious slot is held by Perfect Dark Zero. Developed by Microsoft's vaunted Rare game-design studio, PDZ is the follow-up to the original Perfect Dark, which appeared on Nintendo 64 more than five years ago. Visually, this first-person shooter is stunning. Its large environments are highly detailed, and the game engine makes great use of lighting. While the single-player game is just so-so, Xbox 360 early adopters are having a blast with the multiplayer action on Xbox Live." [more]