thinkin of linux

So many versions of linux, so little time. Thinking of running 2 o/s's and currently have XP currently, and NTFS format. I do some gaming, along with surfing. What are my options, if I want to not change the format, if feasible. And if I do reformat, what type of format and what would be the best to use? Ive seen SUSE 9.0 around as well as the redhat stuff, etc.

Between distros, the main differences are in the package management system, the init scripts and the GUI config tools. Don't worry about trying them all. You only need one and it's a better idea to learn one distro well than it is to learn several poorly.
As for NTFS, you might be able to use an NTFS partition like a native Linux partition, but it would mean using captive ntfs, lufs, an initial ramdisk and a 2.4 kernel if you wanted it to be the root partion. It would definitely be too complex for a newbie. It might be fun for more experienced geek, though.
Resizing your ntfs partiton isn't nearly as hard. Once you've got that done, you can readily install a Linux distro with a native filesystem. The install will usually take care of the formatting for you. Just be careful to leave your ntfs partion alone.