KONSORTIUM

APPTAG LASER BLASTER

The AppTag Laser Blaster ($35) promises to turn your phone (or iPod touch, we suppose) into a laser tag gun/shooter that works via IR and high frequency sound to let app developers create nearly any kind of multiplayer shooting game you can imagine, all without needing to block the headphone port or eat away battery via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Six buttons — including a pressure sensitive trigger and a oversized reload switch — enable plenty of real-world interaction, and compatibility with most Nerf and Buzzbee toy guns serves as icing on the geek-flavored cake.

 

SSX

EA reboots the SSX snowboarding franchise with an impressive new title that lets you explore some of the world’s most infamous mountain ranges with huge, expansive levels that were designed using NASA’s topographical map data. Alongside the usual SSX fare, the game introduces a new “Survival” mode where Mother Nature becomes a boss battle as you try to make it out of an avalanche in one piece.

 

Resident Evil 6

It has been ten years since the infamous events that took place in Raccoon City and the President of the United States has decided to finally reveal to the public the truth behind what took place. Set to be at the President’s side is close confidant and Raccoon City survivor Leon S. Kennedy. However, when the President becomes the victim of a bioterrorist attack, Leon arrives to find him transformed beyond recognition and must make the hardest decision of his life. On the other side of the world, Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance member Chris Redfield touches down in war-torn China, suffering from a bioterrorist attack of its own. Resident Evil 6 is set to drop for both PlayStation 3 and XBOX 360 on November 20, 2012.

 

Retrode

     

Have your heart set on some authentic retro gaming? Well, you could probably buy a real SNES or Genesis for far less cash, but if you'd rather play your old carts on your computer, you'd best pick up a Retrode ($85). This compact gadget houses cartridge slots and two controller ports for both 16-bit consoles, and connects to your computer via USB, offering driverless operation using any emulator — no composite RCA input required.

GTA III COLLECTOR’S EDITION ACTION FIGURE

A few months ago commemorated the 10th anniversary of Grand Theft Auto III. It was by far and away one of the most epic game of its time and ushered in a new era of gameplay as well as graphical bliss. Now the game, the full game, not some watered down version, is coming to iOS and Android devices Today. That said, you’ll be able to control Claude using a set of on screen controls and engage in the same level of mayhem you enjoyed on the console

 

JBL SB 300 Sound Bar

You get two pieces here, a nearly 4-foot-long beam that all but disappears beneath your flatscreen yet delivers room-filling multidirectional sound, accompanied by a blocky 19-inch-high, 100-watt subwoofer to fill out the bottom end. Sort of an audio Laurel and Hardy.

WIRED Intuitive control with both top-of-bar buttons and remote. Offers both 2.1-channel output and 3-D surround. Deep, rich bass. Subwoofer is wireless.

TIRED Subwoofer is massive. $599, JBL

 

ICHIBAN CUSTOM LEGO KITS

The crazy kids at Lego do a pretty good job of giving us interesting items to build, but what if the thing you're lusting after — a Lego DeLorean, for instance — isn't available? That's where these Ichiban Custom Lego Kits ($15-$800) come in. Painstakingly designed, each kit arrives with all the brand-new, official Lego elements needed to recreate the design, but many also arrive with an instruction booklet — otherwise available as a PDF download — and a collector's box. They might lack some of the polish seen on Lego's most impressive kits, but if you're looking to build a replica of the U.S.S. Enterprise, the Batpod, or the Nebuchadnezzar, they're the only game in town.

 

Gaming Gear: Turtle Beach Ear Force PX5 Wireless Headset

$250 Ear Force PX5 headset

WIRED Supreme comfort and great sound for epic gaming sessions, at least as long as the batteries last. A multi-tasking champ: lets you listen to your music, answer phone calls, and play your games on a single headset. Console agnostic (mostly) — works with the 360, PS3 and PC. Boom mic is removable and pleasingly flexible, perfect for flinging clear and unambiguous insults at your enemies.

TIRED Clunky (and frankly, unnecessary) software for adding more audio presets than you will ever use. Depressing battery life. Lackluster simulated 7.1 surround sound. Costs almost as much as your 

 

 

Augmented Reality: Super Mario Concept

 

Super Mario 3D