#5: Samus and Dark Samus (Metroid Prime)

Dark Samus came into existence following the defeat of Metroid Prime; in a desperate movie, the parasitic Metroid absorbed Samus’s Phazon Suit and subsequently exploded. Using this suit as a shell, and the remains of Metroid Prime, Dark Samus was born. The two female bounty hunters are on complete equal ground when it comes to combat abilities. There is just one thing the imitation lacks - an actual body.

#4: Tifa and Aeris (Final Fantasy VII)

Two of the most famous female characters ever, Tifa and Aeris are a unique duality. One being Cloud’s childhood friend, and the other being the girlfriend of Cloud’s former partner in Zack, both of these females are thrust into the thick of battle when they are dragged into Cloud’s unfolding madness.

The player is frequently given options to increase his relationship with either of these two females (among other characters, but let’s not get into that…), resulting in a gondola ride during their first visit to the Gold Saucer. Both of these characters are the two most probable and likely options, making them viable candidates for a juicy love triangle.

#3: KOS-MOS and T-e

To celebrate being able to break this exclusive news, Wowhead is holding contests for the next week. From Monday through Friday, two LK beta keys are being raffled off each day, and the rest of the competition will be announced next weekend. Maybe you can win a beta key and help get the game a little more ready for shipping; a lot of testing and changes are still required. I'm quite surprised they're committing to a firm release date this far out, actually, but it's nice to be able to mark my calendar. And this should take some of the buzz away from Warhammer Online's release this week. Who's up for a midnight re

One of the the biggest selling points of Nintendo's Wii video game console since its launch nearly two years ago has been that it was the lowest-priced of the trio of next-generation machines, which also includes Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3.

To date, the Wii costs $249, while the lowest-priced Xbox, the so-called "Arcade," retails currently for $279. An 80GB PS3 sells for $400.

But Microsoft said Wednesday that it will drop the price of the Arcade on Friday to $199, breaking through what some have said is the all-important psychological price level of $200. At that price, industry observers say, the market opens up to mass levels of consumers.

Microsoft will also drop the price of its 60GB Xbox to $299 and its "Xbox Elite," which has a 120GB hard drive, to $399.

"The fact that the Xbox 360 is now cheaper than the Wii is definitely a big shift in the market," said Aaron Greenberg, director of product management for Xbox 360.

The news has been rumored for some time and was first reported as fact Wednesday by BusinessWeek.

For Microsoft, this is a crucial step along its path toward winning the next-gen console wars. At E3 in July, the