Nintendo Wii Mario Kart Wii Pack compare (Black)

For families and lovers of casual games, the even more affordable Wii still represents the best console bundle value in terms of dollars spent, but it's also the system that's first on deck to be outdated. With the announcement of the Wii U, the Wii is a declining console. Still, its sizable and often unique back library of games is still worth playing.

If you don't mind the dearth of HD graphics, the Nintendo Wii's combination of motion-sensitive controllers, included Wii Sports titles, and emphasis on fun gameplay make the ultra-affordable console hard to resist.

The latest PS3 slims down to its smallest size ever while retaining everything we like -- and a few things we don't -- about the PlayStation 3 gaming console.

Though the new Xbox 360 certainly addresses most of the concerns we've had with the versions before it, we don't think it warrants a purchase if you already own an Xbox 360 in working order with an HDMI-out port and a hard drive.

For families and lovers of casual games, the still-affordable Wii represents the best console bundle value of the holiday season in terms of dollars spent; however, the Wii's getting long in the tooth, and other game consoles offer more entertainment options and functionality for their higher price tags.