It's an age-old dilemma that many of us gamers have faced at one time or another: what's the first game you buy when you get hold of a shiny new console?

I found myself in just such a position last month when I finally took the plunge and bought my PS3. There had already been a lot of deliberation behind my purchase given that my house is already awash with consoles and game discs - but the lure of PS3 exclusives and that Blu-ray player sealed the deal for me. Anyway, I digress... There I was, console box tucked under one arm, staring at the instore display.... as part of the bundle deal I could pick a solitary title to go with my new toy. I glanced down the list and quickly made my decision... Uncharted 2 was on offer - so it was a done deal.

So there you have it. Arriving back at home, I hastily unboxed everything and powered up the black beast. The disc whirred into action, the title screen popped up and the award-winning music spilled from my speakers. I was a very happy lad.

But it struck me later that night that I may have made a dreadful mistake. Don't get me wrong, I was very happy with my new machine and I was thoroughly enjoying Drake's escapades... but had I made an error of judgement with my game choice?

I'd seen all the rave reviews, cooed over the graphics and heard about the unparallelled gameplay and storyline... hell, it had been one of the main reasons for buying the PS3 in the first place. So why was I moaning?

Should I have instead gone for Drake's original outing? Should I have chosen to go in search of El Dorado rather than Shambhala?

So that's the dilemma... if given the choice, do you pick arguably the bigger, better-looking sequel to see exactly what your console can do or instead choose to start Drake's adventures from the very beginning and play the games in order? Would you read one of the later Harry Potter books because it is better, or start with the original? Would you go choose to watch the third - and perhaps best - Lord of the Rings movie, or go for the first?

It seems such an easy choice for books and films, but should gaming be any different? What should I have done - go straight to the sequel to showcase my console or opt for the original to understand the characters and follow the story from scratch?