Getting your girlfriend to play video games is like getting a kid to eat liver—an impossible task. However, with the XaviX gaming system in hand, I chose this mission impossible: getting my girl to game! Uber-competitive does not even begin to describe my girl; our nightly thumb wrestling royal rumbles are legendary (ahem, I am the champion). With a simple challenge to all of womankind (“Girls can’t play video games”), I got this woman to at least give the darn thing a try.

What It Is
The XaviX gaming console consists of a DVD box-sized silver box called the XaviXPORT ($80) with a wireless sensing port on the front. Plug in the system’s AC power adaptor, connect the XaviXPORT to your television via the included A/V cables (RCA), plug in the cartridge and you're ready to game, even my video game-challenged better half had no difficulties setting it up.

All XaviX games ($50-60) come with a cartridge and a peripheral (some need batteries): bowling comes with a bowling ball, tennis comes with rackets, you get the picture. The game peripherals interact with the XaviXPORT via the front sensor—detecting the motion of the peripheral and then translating it into onscreen motion.

Current games include: baseball, bowling, and tennis, with more games slated to come out in the summer such as Jackie Chan’s Action Boxing and an Action Mat, basically a simplified version of Dance Dance Revolution.

Game Play
Reading the manual is not required and getting the game going is child’s play. However, so are the Sega Genesis-quality graphics, but we didn’t even notice it while having a ball smacking the virtual tennis ball around. Although there are selection buttons on the front of XaviXPORT, most menu options can be selected remotely by the game peripheral.

While easy to set up and play, getting used to the sensors is another matter. After much experimentation, we found that the placement of the XaviXPORT played a big part in getting the best gaming experience. Sometimes it works better on the floor while other times placing it on top of the television seems best. Even then, many denizens of the test lab found it very frustrating, especially with the baseball game. Although timing played a big part in it, how hard and far the ball was hit depended on completely random factors. However, my lady and I had a great Wednesday night trying to determine who wore the pants in our relationship in virtual tennis. Although I now wear skirts, it was very fun and quite a workout; both our arms were sore for days after. I loved the smooth play of the bowling game as I redeemed myself and wiped the floor with my girlfriend. In your face, Mariko! =)

Summary
The Xavix gaming system is a neat idea and great for a party. The graphics are nothing to call home about, but the simple system provides hours of great group fun—and isn’t that what games are all about? However, if you are a video game enthusiast, the XaviX is not for you and I recommend you go buy a PlayStation 2 (with a wider selection of games) and get the EyeToy to get interactive with your games. But I've got to give props to the Xavix; it got my girlfriend to play video games with me.

Pros: Interactive; Great for entertaining; Easy to setup and play; Small and compact
Cons: Expensive; Limited game library; Sensors are sometimes random and can get frustrating

Company: XaviX
Prices: XaviXPORT $80; Games $50