Pulse pounding, you hit the brakes and crank the wheel, but it´s too late: The
car can´t overcome its own momentum, and you slam into the wall at 150. And
then?

MICROSOFT XBOX
Availability: This fall
Price: $49.95 for a one-year subscription and headset
Access: DSL or cable
Player Matching: Included in subscription (with other services)
Titles Expected at Launch: Unreal Championship, MechAssault, Whacked, NFL Fever 2003, and Midtown Madness 3

It was a plum assignment, one I'd dreamed about since my teenage days at the local arcade: test the latest game systems -- the all-new Microsoft Xbox and Nintendo GameCube, plus Sony's year-old PlayStation 2 -- and, in the end, pick the best.