Best video game gifts, gaming gifts, Nintendo Wii, Halo 3, Rock Star, Guitar Hero, the Orange Box
11/23/2007
Stuff to Buy / Bullz-Eye Home
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Your family and friends will definitely be looking for a new kind of entertainment escape now that the writers strike promises to keep their favorite shows on hiatus into the new year, and it’s the perfect time to introduce them to the world of next-gen gaming. Have a HD movie lover, a diehard gamer or a relative newcomer on your list? There’s a system out there for everybody, and plenty of great games to go around, including a new “Halo,” a new version of a popular board game, and two new music titles that will rock your socks off.
Holiday Gift Guide Sections
GAME SYSTEMS
Who would have guessed that in the current gen of console wars, Nintendo’s Wii would be selling like hotcakes? Good luck finding one out in the wild (although system bundles can be bought online fairly easily), with Nintendo announcing that these puppies will be in short supply again this holiday season. Still, nobody ever seems to tire of the packed in “Wii Sports” game. The Wii’s third-party titles haven’t fared as well critically as Nintendo’s own offerings, but few seem to really notice. This is the system that has seemingly brought all sorts of groups and ages back to console video gaming. The Wii’s online gaming isn’t much to shout about, but their classic downloadable titles will please even the most curmudgeonly old school Nintendo fan. Next gen power be damned; the people just want to have fun.
Sony’s latest console hasn’t been faring so well since its release last year. With an initial price of $600, many people just didn’t want to pony up that much for a game console. Since then, Sony discontinued the 20 gig hard drive version, released an 80 gig version to replace it, phased out the 60 gig version, and has now released a 40 gig version with zero backwards compatibility in regards to old PS2 games at a $399 price point. Yeah, it’s been a mess. For the most part, it’s felt like the PS3 has been all about putting the Blu-Ray format into people’s homes and less about gaming. Next year will undoubtedly be the PS3’s make it or break it moment, though, as titles such as “Metal Gear Solid 4” and “applications” like “Home” are scheduled to arrive. The truly great PS3 games have been few and far between, with many multi-platform titles playing the best on the Xbox 360. The online gaming is free on the PS3, but remember you do get what you pay for.
The 360 has had a hell of a year. “BioShock,” “Halo 3” and “The Orange Box” (see below) were all incredibly huge titles that were seemingly inescapable. Xbox Live continues to be a juggernaut both for online gaming and full-on media entertainment, with TV episode and movie downloads and much, much more. To be fair, Microsoft has introduced its own fair share of variations on this console since its original release, with a new “Arcade” model arriving with five Xbox Live Arcade games packed in. A year of Live will cost gamers anywhere from $39 for a 13-month subscription card at Circuit City to the $50 rate Microsoft charges, but again, you get what you pay for and Live rarely has any problems. Plus, gamers will always have the comfort of knowing that they’ll be able to play any of their favorites at any time with their buddies without fear of a developer shutting a gaming server down. This holiday certainly belongs to the 360, with a wide variety of titles to appeal to all gamers.
GAMES
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BioShock (360, PC) |
“BioShock” seemingly came out of nowhere and captured the hearts and imaginations of gamers worldwide. The beautiful artwork, creepy story line and amazing sound effects had a lot to do with its success, but on top of that it was the innovative gameplay that raised the bar sky high for everything that came afterward. You see, “BioShock” is a game that can be played differently every time you pop it in. This allows the player to experience something far greater than the typical FPS experience. Being able to manipulate the elements, as well as command a host of seriously entertaining gadgets and weapons, allows players to create their own unique ways of getting out of the tight jam. The story is also both exciting and touching to a very real point, which is something missing from 99 percent of the games out there these days. 2K Games have created a masterpiece with this title, and no one gamer should miss out on it.
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Guitar Hero III (360, PS3, Wii, PS2) |
If we learned anything from playing the latest installment in the “Guitar Hero” franchise, it’s that strumming a toy guitar never gets old as long as there’s a fresh list of songs to play. And while “Guitar Hero II” offered crappy songs by great rock bands, “Guitar Hero III” delivers the music you really want, including Guns ‘n Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle,” Cream’s “Sunshine of Your Love,” Foghat’s “Slowride,” Pearl Jam’s “Even Flow,” “Rage Against the Machine’s “Bulls on Parade,” the “Rolling Stones’ “Paint it Black,” and Smashing Pumpkins’ “Cherub Rock.” Still, that’s just one of many reasons why the music rhythm game is one of the best releases of the holiday season, and while the franchise is starting to stink of a been-there-done-that aura, it makes little difference. If you’re gift-getters loved the first two, they’re going to want this one as well.
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Halo 3 (360) |
Only if you’ve been living under that proverbial rock could you not have known about “Halo 3.” The media blitz in the weeks leading up to and including the release date of the long-awaited conclusion to Bungie’s most popular franchise was nothing short of huge. Thankfully, the game itself is excellent, with a solo campaign that neatly ties up the story begun in the first game and continued in the second. New weapons and vehicular battles make for a great mix, but it’s the online modes that will keep “Halo 3” running seemingly forever. There’s all the usual deathmatch, capture the flag, and team-based games to enjoy. But there’s also The Forge; it allows players to tweak maps
and play them at the same time, not to mention a great Theater mode where players can create screenshots and film clips of their greatest moments and share them with the online community. This game is a no-brainer purchase for those with an Xbox 360 who still have not picked it up. Classic through and through.
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The Orange Box (360, PS3, PC) |
This amazing collection of games from the always-perfect Valve has been praised sky high for its value, and as well it should. Included here are “Half-Life 2” as well as its first two bonus episodes, the amazing puzzle game Portal, and Team Fortress 2. “Half-Life 2” still holds up excellently after all these years, and its two episodic add-ons are great fun as well. But it’s the mind-frying “Portal” that may be the biggest joy in the whole set. It’s truly a game that has to be experienced to fully appreciate, but once you start, you’ll want to play through to the end, which is a bitch, but undeniably great fun. “Team Fortress 2” explodes with both hilarious and exciting online fun. It’s one of those rare team-based games that doesn’t suck. Will there ever be a greater value offered to the video game community? Only time will tell, but “The Orange Box” is perfection to the nth degree. Don’t hesitate to buy it for the gamer on your list.
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Rock Band (360, PS3, PS2) |
For as much as we all love “Guitar Hero,” there’s simply no denying that “Rock Band” is going to be in much higher demand this holiday season. Brought to you by the creators of the first two “Guitar Hero” games (in a partnership with MTV and Electronic Arts), “Rock Band” delivers the rhythm game experience we all knew we wanted, but weren’t sure was possible. An amalgamation of “Guitar Hero” and “Karaoke Revolution,” the game features the possibility for a four-way jam session featuring a singer, lead guitarist, bassist and drummer. The latter is probably the most anticipated element of the game, but the killer set list (which includes rock classics like “Tom Sawyer” and “Enter Sandman”) and the ability to join a band in online play takes our excitement level to 11. Oh yeah, and the developers promise at least a new downloadable song a week (for purchase, of course), including the entire The Who album
Who’s Next and a greatest hits collection from The Grateful Dead. Awesome.
The popular DVD board game comes home to the Xbox 360. Included with the game are four “big button” controllers to give players a feeling of being on a game show. It’s nice to see things like this being created for the 360, as the system has seemingly always had the stigma of not being a “family friendly” console, which is not the case at all. This is certainly a game that anyone can enjoy, and suffice it to say if you loved the board game version of this series, then you’ll feel right at home here. Future expansion packs/downloadable content have been promised, so it’s definitely a game that has the potential for a long life. Whether any of those promises come true remains to be seen, but for casual and fun trivia gaming, you can’t go wrong here.
Holiday Gift Guide Sections
