I’m a sucker and I dropped $399 on Microsoft’s fancy new silver Xbox 360 S, with Halo Reach and the two neatly-designed controllers. It really is some nice-looking hardware, and I’m very glad that it has a 250GB hard drive.

It does have its faults, though. Namely, that it doesn’t come with rechargeable batteries for the controllers (existing ones from other controllers will work, but for $400 it’d be nice to have a couple in the box), and it’s packed with composite cables. Composite cables. HDMI cables cost cents to make — how hard would it be to chuck one in each box as it’s leaving the factory?

Oh, and let’s not get started on the fact that the controllers aren’t the “new and improved” style that will be launching in a couple months.

Gripes aside, I’m enjoying Reach very much, and the new Xbox is solid. If you were thinking about buying a new 360 or upgrading your old one, I can recommend this — the combined value of the bundle is well over $400, and you can probably sell one of the controllers on eBay to recoup some of the money the new one will cost in November.

While you’re debating the purchase, have a look at some photos of the whole shebang! Also, click here for a huge, wallpaper-sized version of the header image, just because Nukezilla loves you (and because those who read to the end should be rewarded as often as possible).

Enjoy!