[patient11]

whoa. suprises me how many people are quick to give props to ps3 as 'the system' for a gamer that's not hardcore. honestly, a gaming console projected to be around $600 USD, is only for serious gamers. personally, for what you're looking for, a gamecube is your best bet. you get the mario-esque games for the fam, and reasonable gameplay and graphics for occassional sports games. plus, can be had for the least amount, new. and with next gen consoles emerging this year, this gen console games will drop in price. xbox360 and most definately ps3, are out of the question.

or, there's the supreme joy of dusting off the NES games for the retro 8-bit lovlies.