The holidays are upon us and we all know what that means. As the malls overflow with anxious shoppers, you want to head in with a very specific purpose. Whether you’re buying a new video game for a family member or friend or perhaps a gaming gift for yourself, you want to walk directly to what you want to buy and not get distracted by the huge assortment of options presented before you. After all, with so many games to choose from, it can be hard to decide where to spend your hard-earned money.
In this guide, you’ll find no more than three specially-selected games for each of the three major gaming consoles which include the Sony PlayStation 3, the Nintendo Wii, and the Microsoft Xbox 360. Why three? Well, we want to keep you focused because if you decide to “go back later” that lady that was circling that game you had in your hands that you were thinking about buying will be GONE! Some of the titles are available on multiple consoles, so we’ve made sure not to provide you with any duplicates. For this reason, it’s a good idea to read through the entire guide, because a recommended title for the Xbox 360 may also be available for the PS3 or Wii.
Without further adieu, let’s get on with the games!
For the SONY PLAYSTATION 3 …
Sony’s third gaming machine got off to a bit of a rough start and many have said that the cause for its less than stellar launch was a lack of games. Now that the PS3 has been on the market for over a year, it has developed a rather healthy library… depending who you ask. Here are three of the best games you buy this holiday season.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is widely applauded as being one of the most intense and absolute best first-person shooters you’ll able to play this year. The single player campaign is a bit on the short side and veterans should be able to blast through the entire game in a single extended session, but that’s not where the value lies. You want to go online and take advantage of the stellar multiplayer aspect, fragging your best friends and your favorite foes in eerily realistic environments, using some awesome authentic weapons. There are over 10 multiplayer game modes. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is also available for the PC and Xbox 360.
Rock Band totally takes advantage of our recent fascination with rhythm games. For many people, this trend started with Dance Dance Revolution and grew substantially with Guitar Hero. Rock Band takes it so many steps further, introducing a “band” aspect to the music game genre. If you pick up the “Special Edition”, you get treated to a guitar, a drum set, and a microphone, in addition to the game itself. Grab one more guitar and you’ve got a four-player bonanza with notes being displayed on the screen for all of you at the same time. Talk about a great party game! Rock Band is also available on the Xbox 360. The PS2 version launches later this month and a Wii version is said to be in the works.
Assassin’s Creed is a game in which you take on the role of Desmond Miles. The story goes that Desmond is little more than a bartender, but he happens to be a member of a long family tree of assassins. And we all know how cool assassins are. Developed by Ubisoft Montreal, Assassin’s Creed features highly interactive environments as Desmond — assuming the role of Altair (“The Flying One” in Arabic) — goes around slaying nine historic figures related to the Third Crusade. If you’re a fan of other third person stealth games like Splinter Cell, you’ll feel right at home with this title. An Xbox 360 version is currently available as well, while the Windows and Nintendo DS variants are expected early next year.
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For The NINTENDO WII …
Before it was released, everyone thought that the Nintendo Wii had no chance. PlayStation fanboys laughed at the glossy white machine, saying that it was little more than two GameCubes soldered together. One look at where the Wii is today — in the hands of children, adults, and grandparents alike — and you can see that Nintendo knew exactly what they were doing with their motion-sensitive machine. Here are three of the best Wii bets this Christmas.
Super Mario Galaxy is on everyone’s shopping list this year and for good reason. It’s the latest in a long line of successful Mario platformers and Nintendo can’t really go wrong with a Mario platformer. Remember playing Super Mario 64 for the first time? Take that experience and increase it exponentially and you’ve got Super Mario Galaxy. The cool thing is that you can even influence the environment using motion-sensitive Wii controls too. Naturally, this is a Wii exclusive.
The Wii Zapper isn’t a game, really, but it comes bundled with Link’s Crossbow Training. The plastic shell of an accessory improves the first-person shooter experience, almost letting gamers feel like they’re holding a Tommy gun. Link’s Crossbow Training features a series of shooting mini games, teaching players how to use the peripheral. The Wii Zapper is a great bargain — 30 bucks or less — and should prove to be very useful for future shooting games. I know I want one.
Medal of Honor Heroes 2 doesn’t bring anything new to the franchise and isn’t terribly original for a military-themed first-person shooter. Why, then, does it deserve to be mentioned in this year’s gift guide? Well, Electronic Arts has vastly improved over last year’s Medal of Honor game for the Nintendo Wii and the implementation is very tight, the controls immersive, and the 32-player online multiplayer has to be experienced to be fully appreciated. Better still, MOH: Heroes 2 is fully compatible with the Wii Zapper!
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The MICROSOFT XBOX 360 …
You could say that the Xbox 360 is the veteran of the bunch, having launched one year ahead of the PS3 and Wii. With a full two years under its belt, the Microsoft Xbox 360 still has plenty of vigor left, complemented by a huge assortment of games to play. Contrary to popular belief, this gaming system is good for more than just first-person shooters.
Halo 3 has to make this list. It’s inevitable. People have been waiting for Halo 3 for years and then lined up in droves to pick up a copy on launch day, only to be disappointed that the Master Chief helmet bundled in with the Legendary Edition isn’t a helmet that you can actually wear. Too bad, because Halo 3 is one kick-ass FPS game. Just like Halo 2 before it, Halo 3 has an incredible online multiplayer component. It’s time to believe. It’s time to finish the fight!
Virtua Fighter 5 Online takes everything that the PS3 version had and adds the ability to play online. Virtua Fighter 5 is one of the most visually appealing and most technical fighting games of all time. It is also one of the top 10 best fighting games of all time. Being able to customize your character with new outfits adds near infinite replay value… and did I mention that you can play online? You can even battle it out as Rey Mysterio Jr. El Blaze?
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock is basically the same on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, and Nintendo Wii, but there’s a very specific reason why GH3 made the Xbox 360 list of recommended gifts this holiday season. This is because the Halo 3 theme song is available as a free download for the Xbox 360 version. If you enjoyed the first two Guitar Hero games, you’re bound to love Guitar Hero 3 as well, especially considering that it’s got songs like “Paint it Black” (Rolling Stones), “School’s Out” (Alice Cooper), and “One” (Metallica). Make sure you throw some Advil in the stocking because this one is a real hand cramper!
VIDEO GAMES MAKE A GREAT GIFT!
This holiday gift guide to the hottest video games is just the tip of the gaming iceberg. There’s no such thing as a “one size fits all” video game that will satisfy every gamer on your list. A rhythm game fanatic may not be as enthusiastic about Halo, just as an adventure junkie might not find that much value in Brain Age 2. Find out what kinds of games they like before buying what happens to be hot this year.
That said, here are a few notable mentions that didn’t quite make the list:
- Ratchet & Clank: Future (PS3)
- Heavenly Sword (PS3)
- NHL 2008 (PS3)
- Trauma Center: New Blood (Wii)
- Battalion Wars 2 (Wii)
- Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Wii)
- Mass Effect (Xbox 360)
- Conan (Xbox 360)
- Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation (Xbox 360)
So there you have it! The best of 2007 in a nutshell for all the hot gaming platforms. Now I just wish there were more fighting games released this year to get excited about.
Michael Kwan is a freelance writer for Futurelooks and is also the brains behind Haduken Online, a site all about fighting games, all the time. If you loved this article, then you’ll love what Michael has to say at Haduken Online!
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