CHRISTMAS is almost upon us and gamers have never had it so good. Not since the format war of 1995/6 have so many gaming systems fought for shelf space at your local store but which are truly deserving of your cash and what are the pitfalls to watch? Here then is a quick guide to pros and cons of the systems currently available and a glimpse of things to come:

Sony PlayStation.

Seven years after it was first launched in the UK, the PlayStation is only now showing signs of weariness. This little box took video games out of the kids' bedroom and into the living room. Games became the perfect post-pub relaxation. For a while they were cool.

The PlayStation (or PSOne as it's called now) may no longer cut it as far as graphics are concerned, but it has a back catalogue of titles that is second to none.

With more than 1,500 games already released, there is bound to be something for everyone.

Unfortunately the avalanche of triple A titles we have seen on the PlayStation in previous years just hasn't happened this time around. That's not to say there aren't any good new games available, just that there are fewer in 2001 and likely to be even less next year.

If you already own a PlayStation then a good selection of Xmas presents would have to include FIFA 2002, Syphon Filter 3 and LMA Manager 2002.

As an introduction to video gaming the PSOne is still a viable purchase, particularly at £79.99. But the "My first PlayStation" ethic has seen the console re-position with pre-teens in mind. Just witness the dumbing down of the PsOne magazine market and the slew of Disney/cartoon-themed games in the past six months.

Anyone older than 13 without a PSOne would be advised to forget the PlayStation generation and move on up to something like the console's bigger brother.

Sony PS2.

Just 12 months after launch and it looks as though the PS2 has it all sewn up. A recent price drop to £199 has made Sony's follow-up to the PSOne even more tempting.

Even when the new consoles do arrive, none of them will offer DVD movies out of the box.

The PS2 is already host to plenty of good games. Next year the console will really hit its stride with titles like Metal Gear Solid 2.

For this Christmas a decent selection would have to include Devil May Cry, possibly the most impressive game for the system so far, Crazy Taxi and Tony Hawks (again).

A PS2 is the closest thing to a sure thing the fast moving games industry will ever produce. It's the gaming equivalent of used bank notes.

The system does have its problems. Initially the first games were under-whelming and programmers say it isn't an easy system to get the best from (shades of the Sega Saturn?) and when the X-Box arrives early next year it won't be home to the best-looking console software any more.

All of which probably won't matter a jot. The PlayStation saw off the more technically accomplished N64, there's nothing to suggest history won't repeat itself in 2002.

Sega Dreamcast.

What's this? How can I possibly recommend a dead system? After all Sega itself ceased production of the DC as far back as the end of March. So what's to write about?

Consider this: a brand new Sega Dreamcast costs just £49.99 from your local Woolies. The same store is selling games for less than a fiver; many of them pretty recent too.

For the cost of a PSOne you could have a state-of-the-art console and some of the best games ever made. For the cost of a PS2 you could probably pick up the entire DC back catalogue (currently over 100 games).

History will record the Dreamcast as a disastrous failure. Don't be fooled. The DC is a wonderful machine and, without a shred of doubt, the best buy for Christmas.

Sega still has quality new software on the shelves (Shenmue 2 and Headhunter) and titles just a few months old are currently available at pocket money prices.

Buy a DC this Christmas and get six months out of it. By then the X Box will have landed and established itself alongside PS2 and you'll be in a better position to decide between the two new contenders.

Game Boy Colour/Game Boy Advance.

The humble Game Boy just refuses to die. Despite its mighty new brother, the GBC still plays host to some brilliant games (the new Zelda title is a peach by all accounts) and has the biggest roster of older titles on any system.

The GBA takes hand-held gaming to another level. Don't believe me? Then slot in the International Superstar Soccer card and tell me that this isn't the best footie on a portable machine anywhere. This little machine even puts the Sega Nomad (a hand-held Mega-Drive never imported to the UK) in the shade. At £85 or less, it's a fantastic distraction for longer journeys but the screen is less than perfect, especially if you play on sunny days.

Microsoft X Box.

Officially you can't buy Microsoft's new console king yet. An importer will source one if you really must have the latest thing. The rest of us will have to wait until March.

Launched with a strong line-up of games (including the sublime Halo), X Box has made a big impression on the US market. Given Microsoft's marketing muscle, it is almost inconceivable to think the same won't happen in Europe but memories of the Atari Jaguar still linger. One for Xmas 2002 methinks.

Nintendo Gamecube.

Nintendo has always treated Europe like a second-class citizen. No one knows for sure when the Gamecube is due but the smart money is on a launch some time in the autumn. For a console already on sale everywhere else, that's not good enough. In a stunning example of arrogance, Nintendo reckons everyone will wait. The gurus of modern gaming are in for a harsh shock.

The eagle-eyed among you will have noticed that I haven't mentioned the PC in the previous 1,000 words. There is nothing wrong with the home computer as a games platform and it has some truly excellent software, but consoles are so much easier. No patches to download, no peripherals to configure, just slap a disc in the drive and press the button marked ON.

Hopefully Windows XP will change all this. As yet it is too early to say.