Buying a game can be a daunting prospect at the best of times. The bewildering array of titles on offer and the variety of prices needs some explanation, which here we start to do.

Having to deciding to get started with video games, and brought a console it's time to figure out what sort of games you like.

The first thing to do is play some games. Borrowing from friends or renting from highstreet video stores or online is a great way to try out some games without having to stump up the full cost. As you play, either on your own or with family members, keep an eye on the sorts of games you like, the experiences that worked well for you.

Although there is no rush on deciding what you like, this is the first step towards building your own shelf of video games. Like your CD collection, this will tell a story about the games you like, and the way you like to play them.

To help you getting started, our Rough Guides provide information about video games that (we hope) answers the sorts of questions you may have. What sort of game is this? Why do people play this game in particular? How much time does ti take to play? How well it suite an audience of a certain age or ability?

Once you have started to pick out a few games you like, our Genre pages should help you find similar games that may also suit. Let's summarise the different types of games here:

• Adventure games are enjoyed for two reasons: they provide enemy encounters that require tactics and strategy to conquor, and they create a fantasy world in which to explore and adventure.
• Fighting games revolve around the interaction of two or more characters in some form of physical combat. Players learn to control characters through either memorisation of button combinations to access more advance moves, or by their reactions and accurate timing.
• Mini games come in a variety of shapes and sizes. What unites the genre is the speed with which players can pickup the games and the relativley short time requried to complete a level or two.
• Platform games task you with getting from point A to point B. The world you journey through is usually based on different levels, and populated with enemies, switches and lifts to be negotiated. As you work through each level you pick up various collectables that accrue score, special abilities and access to hidden areas.
• Racing games, although sometimes seen as a sporting sub category, are a well established video game genre in their own right. They can feature a variety of driving styles ranging from the fantastical arcade racing focusing on thrills and spills (Burnout 360 or Motorstorm PS3), to the super realistic simulations that recreate every aspect of real life driving (Gran Turismo 5 Prologue PS3).
• Rhythm action games combine the enjoyment that comes from creating music with the challenge of video game scoring. The player is usually tasked with dancing on a mat, tapping a touch screen, pressing a button, singing into a mic or strumming a fake guitar controller in time with the music.
• Self improvment games tap into the popular trent in self devlopment and therpy. Experiences as diverse as Brain Trainging DS and Wii-Fit have popularised the idea that games can be about more than just having fun - they can improve your brain, body and even mental outlook on life.
• Shooting games present a world in which the character must shoot their way out of dangerous situations. They provide the player with an array of weapons tailored to specific tasks. This unavoidably involves a combination of fisticuffs and gun based fighting that dictates the violent nature of these experiences. Beneath this harsh exterior though is often an intricate tactile game - and this is usually what drives the player.
• Sports games recreate a wide variety of real life competitive activities. Depending on the sport, these will either have an action or strategy focus. Popular sports games are often released on an annual basis, each year the game receives new player rosters and game improvements.
• Strategy games provide experiences that require quick thinking, and forward planning from the gamer. They combine the unfolding tactics of classic games like chess, with more recent board games such as Risk. Usually focusing on a theatre of war context, players enjoy the tactical overview of the battle these games provide.

This list should help give an idea of the sorts of games you may want to try or buy. Once you have identified a genre or title you can then choose to buy on the highstreet, online or second hand.

• Highstreet shops have the added benefit of providing on the spot advice, and the imediate gratification of taking the game home there and then.
• Online is a little cheaper, although you have to wait for the game to arrive and need to factor in postage costs.
• Finally, you can take advantage of the thriving second hand video game market. Most hightreet games stores have a used section where you should expect to save at least a thrid of the new price. You can also track used games down online Amazon and Play.com provide the added confidence that they will step in if their online sellers let you down. Ebay can also be a good place to find a bargain, although you need to take care that the game is for the appropriate geographical region (PAL for the UK) and that the price is not inflated.

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