T-Bell prepares another delicious treat in XBOX's "Wild Mexican Pizza Party."

Pepsi's continuing domination of the video game market has reached new heights in the fever pitch of hype surrounding its new XBOX system, released through the Coleco-X company and distributed exclusively through Taco Bell. XBOX features a host of exciting features brand new to the gaming world, and promises to deliver the most impressive graphics yet seen. Some are worried that the games will betray too much of Pepsi's marketing efforts, and that is a valid complaint, but if you just dive into the games without focussing too much on the product placements, you are in for the ride of your life.

The first wave of XBOX games raises the bar pretty high, setting bold new standards for display, sound, interactivity, and concepts. Pepsi Wave is a hilarious surf game which finds you astride a gigantic Pepsi bottle, negotiating the most wicked waves in the world. Choose from any of 30 potential surf beaches, from Waikiki to Long Beach and on to Sri Jayawardenpura, Sri Lanka, and adjust the intensity of the waves to suit your playing level. As the game progresses you encounter increasingly difficult challenges, such as a terrifying sea-monster version of Pizza Hut's Bad Andy suddenly emerging from the watery depths, and a hailstorm of Cinnamon Twists beating down on you as you try to hit the perfect 10-7. It's a thriller.

Wild Mexican Pizza Party is a great Parappa-style fun game, great for kids or kids-at-heart. In this game you play a character named T-Bell, and your job is to make as many Mexican Pizzas as you can before the Chalupa Dog can eat them all. As you fend off the dog, frantically creating more pizzas, the gameplay accelerates and additional challenges are set before you, like the drive-through window backing up with demanding customers, and a glowing space alien descending upon you to douse you with laser sauce.

Tony Hawk's Slice Pounder takes the frenetic action of the old Tony Hawk skate games and applies the concept to a new situation where you are running around the city slamming cans of Slice. Hidden vending machines get harder to find, and as you progress to the later levels, you will find extreme new Slice flavors such as Ice Melt, Dogcherry Double, Red Five, and Ginger Melt. Extra points are given for finding the rarest flavors, and as a super-hint: there are easter eggs a'plenty in this game which will allow you to discover even more fictional Slice flavors, including the elusive Gold Gargle.

45 Kentucky Ln. brings you to a raucous haunted house, with action similar to the surprise Japanese hit Ghost Motel School or Fancymanga Scarer (as that game came to be translated). The ghost of Col. Harlan Sanders has a wide array of supernatural surprises in store for you as you navigate the house and try to ascend to the attic room for a final confrontation with the Colonel. This game features perhaps the funniest idea ever put into a video game, where a trio of playful ghosts sling mashed potatoes at you as you try to ascend stairs that keep turning into a slide. Other levels are darker and more ominous, such as an encounter with a voodoo zombie who turns your head into a Ham Carver.

Coming in December is the next wave of announced XBOX games: All Sport Refreshing Football, Sierra Mist Dragoncatcher, Aquafina Realm IV, and Lay's Mesquite BBQ Urban Riot Squad. See you then!