2006 Holiday Game Guide

Our very own beloved Scott Steinberg shares his holiday game wish-list with you.

Ho! Ho! Ho!

Grab that joystick and get in the spirit, Sparky, because the holidays are almost upon us, and I’ve got good news to share. Semantics aside – indeed, serious journalists shouldn’t be quoting Santa and most long-awaited blockbusters like Spore, God of War II, Gran Turismo HD and BioShock aren’t coming till 2007 – it’s still a great season for gamers.

Lack of revolutionary releases notwithstanding (seriously, the wait for Assassin’s Creed, Supreme Commander and Crysis is killing me), come that one special day or eight crazy nights, we’ll all have plenty to celebrate. The next few weeks, especially around Black Friday (November 24th, the day immediately following Thanksgiving and the start of the year-end shopping rush), bring hundreds of high-profile software launches. So if you haven’t already snagged white-hot releases in every gaming category such as role-playing regent Neverwinter Nights 2, button-masher Every Extend Extra or superhero gem Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, now’s the time.

Even those without hundreds to spend can still squeak by effortlessly. Thank online providers (e.g. PopCap, Big Fish and Zylom), digital distribution outlets (see: Valve’s Steam and Turner’s GameTap) and episodic content pioneers like Telltale and Ritual, who offer amazing interactive experiences at budget-conscious prices. Heck, you’ve actually got the choice to score an awesome stocking stuffer for pennies courtesy of online trading outfits like Goozex and GameSwapZone. And when you just can’t settle on a single interactive outing to buy a friend or loved one, remember – a subscription to a Netflix-style rental service like GameFly or GamezNFlix makes the perfect solution.

Anyhow, for readers with cash to burn or a pressing desire to lay hands on the latest whiz-bang consoles (both Nintendo and Sony are introducing new models), here’s a handy shopping list. Consider the following selections, laid out as a simple cheat sheet to the best and brightest games and gear shipping before December 31st, my gift to you. Note that the following selections are entirely subjective as well. You’re fully encouraged to breeze by local retailers or online outlets, where a little hunting will reveal hundreds of alternative bargains for the casual or diehard electronic enthusiast:

GAMES

Gears of War
From: Microsoft
For: Xbox 360
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Had it up to here with Halo? Try an even more visceral sci-fi shooting experience, which demands you carve through bloodthirsty humanoids and oversized bugs using machinegun-mounted chainsaws and blistering barrages of lead. Ridiculously atmospheric, the title’s riveting solo campaign and trash-talking multiplayer component will have you sweating adrenaline alike.

Gears of War

Bully
From: Rockstar Games
For: PlayStation 2
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Just what the world needed: More comedic (and unduly controversial) free-roaming action from the makers of Grand Theft Auto. As 15 year-old hooligan Jimmy Hopkins, survive life at Bullworth Academy by running errands, romancing girls, beating up punks and playing pranks on deserving peers using slingshots, marbles and itching powder.

Bully

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
From: Nintendo
For: GameCube, Wii
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Famed swordsman Link takes to arms again when evil, shadowy entities threaten the medieval realm of Hyrule. Your goal: Guide him through stinking ruins and bustling villages while slaying beasts, solving riddles and conversing with colorful characters. Best experienced on the Wii, where waggling the motion-sensitive remote prompts blade-swinging assaults.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Tony Hawk’s Project 8
From: Activision
For: PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PSP, Xbox, Xbox 360
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The premier skateboarding simulation gets a much-needed facelift. Now sporting a software engine rebuilt from scratch to optimally utilize next-generation systems’ superior processing power, bonuses include more lifelike physics and stat-tracking tools. Ollie, grind and thrash your way through gorgeously-rendered story-based missions and side-quests while exploring living, breathing 3D cityscapes.

Capcom Classics Collection Vol. 2
From: Capcom
For: PlayStation 2, Xbox
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A retro-fabulous compilation featuring 20 all-time gaming greats (e.g. frantic blaster 1941, crazed brawler Captain Commando and sci-fi adventure Strider) faithfully reproduced down to every last synthesized sound effect. Bonus materials like historical bios, progressive-scan visuals and remixed music add impact, even if questionable additions (Varth, Block Block) appear occasionally.

EA Sports Titles
From: Electronic Arts
For: GameCube, Nintendo DS, PC, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PSP, Wii, Xbox, Xbox 360
http://www.easports.com

True: Veteran geeks will still find 2K Sports’ outings (e.g. NBA or NHL 2K7) offer more bang for the buck. But casual or entry-level athletic nuts should stick with Electronic Arts’ flashier and more novice-friendly range. Standout selections include Madden NFL, Tiger Woods PGA Tour, NASCAR and FIFA Soccer 07.

Madden NFL ‘07

Sam & Max: Season 1
From: Telltale Games
For: PC
http://www.telltalegames.com

Thirteen years after its initial debut, LucasArts’ legendary cartoon adventure series – starring a canine sleuth and his psychotic rabbit sidekick – lives again. Newcomer Telltale reinvents the brand as a hilarious 3D episodic point-n-click puzzle-solving line, downloadable from services like GameTap. Individual installments offer a pleasing 4-odd hours of sarcastic bliss.

Sam & Max: Season 1

Call of Duty 3
From: Activision
For: PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox, Xbox 360, Wii
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Yes, we’ve all fought World War II before. But you’ve never experienced the Normandy Breakout like this. Intensely immediate and shockingly emotional, storm enemy-occupied hills and wrestle hand-to-hand with Nazi opponents while grenades (and screaming allies) explode all around… History’s most infamous frontline has never seemed so brutal or unforgiving.

Call of Duty 3

Lumines II
From: Buena Vista Games
For: PSP
www.bvgames.com

Admit it: Like most, you slept on the industry’s hottest rhythm-based handheld puzzler when it launched last year. Don’t make the same mistake twice. Match colored squares to tracks by chart-toppers like Gwen Stefani, Beck and Missy Elliott in heated single-player scenarios or head-to-head showdowns, and you’ll enjoy truly mind-expanding thrills.

Lumines II

Guitar Hero II
From: RedOctane
For: PlayStation 2, Xbox 360
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Teenage fantasy fulfillment, here we come. Touting a plastic, Stratocaster-shaped controller, shred along to more than 55 jamming tunes from Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” to KISS “Strutter.” The sequel to 2005’s biggest sleeper hit, this ultra-suave outing introduces fresh support for playing rhythm, bass or lead, plus myriad multiplayer options.

Guitar Hero II

Final Fantasy XII
From: Square-Enix
For: PlayStation 2
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The franchise of choice for fantasy fans seeking a neo-futuristic dungeon hack flush with gob-smacking graphics. Play for the better-balanced battles, stunning movie sequences and frequent shots of bunny-eared vixens straight out of an adolescent’s dreams. Well, that and an epic storyline that’ll keep you captivated for weeks on end.

Final Fantasy XII

Company of Heroes
From: THQ
For: PC
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A real-time strategic challenge boasting both the visual and dramatic flair typically reserved for bleeding-edge first-person shooters. Already winning awards for its insanely big-budget presentation and cunning design, there’s no better way to get up close with WWII. Destructible battlefields and stunning special effects will blow your army boots off.

Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
From: Konami
For: Nintendo DS
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Horror fans, take note. Insofar as side-scrolling, thumb-numbing excitement goes, you won’t find a portable romp packing more morbidly engaging thrills. Commanding vampire slayer Jonathan Morris or magic-wielder Charlotte Orlean, traverse 1940s-era Europe via magical paintings, laying waste to skeletons, mummies, undead knights and screen-filling boss monsters. It’s ghoulishly delightful.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
From: Rockstar Games
For: PSP
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Another criminally entertaining open-world adventure set in the coked-out heyday of a fictionalized spoof on 1980s Miami. Wandering this metropolis (double the size and detail as the one found in Liberty City Stories) as soldier Vic Vance – Lance’s brother – carjack, shoot and skid your way through a sprawling underworld caper.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories

LEGO Star Wars II
From: LucasArts
For: GameCube, PC, PSP, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, Xbox, Xbox 360
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The original cinematic trilogy gets the sci-fi shootout treatment as block-headed heroes Luke, Leia and co. battle on-foot or within soaring X-Wings for galactic supremacy. Mix ‘n match parts to form the ultimate hero, or tag-team the adventure with a friend. Either way, its space-age excitement’s suitable for all ages.

LEGO Star Wars II

Dark Messiah of Might and Magic
From: UbiSoft
For: PC
http://www.ubisoft.com

A sprawling 3D wizards-and-warriors saga disguised as a compelling first-person hack-n-slasher noteworthy for its striking graphics and situation-based brainteasers. Run from an intelligent Cyclops, kick orcs into spikes, splinter supports to send barrels tumbling down on hyper-intelligent foes… Bonus: Includes online head-to-head options in addition to a grandiose single-player mode.

GEAR

PlayStation 3
From: Sony
http://www.playstation.com
$499 (20GB), $599 (60GB)

Packs 1080p high-definition visuals, features the cheapest Blu-Ray disc drive on the market, offers online shopping/multiplayer features and touts a movement-tracking controller you can tilt to dodge blows or send spaceships soaring. Look for top-tier titles like Resistance: Fall of Man, FEAR, Full Auto 2 and Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom.

Sony Playstation 3

Wii
From: Nintendo
http://www.nintendo.com
$249

Forget its slick look and teensy form factor. Never mind WiFi capabilities or the fact you can download classic NES/SNES, Genesis or TurboGrafx-16 games. Ignore the machine’s positional audio effects too. Cop this one instead for a motion-sensitive TV remote-style controller, which you physically swing or wave to prompt on-screen reactions.

Nintendo Wii

Pioneer HTS-GS1
From: Pioneer
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$399

Enjoy Xbox 360 favorites Dead Rising and Splinter Cell: Double Agent in style. Rock this bumping 5.1 surround sound system with universal remote, whose pristine audio will leave your couch shuddering with every subwoofer-powered rumble. Screw the neighbors… What’re a few complaints compared to rolling gangsta-style through the streets of Saint’s Row?

Pioneer HTS-GS1

XPS 700
From: Dell
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$1999 and up

A killer PC designed with the latest interactive outings in mind. A singular aesthetic – love the customizable lighting and sleek, aluminum case – prove equally sexy as its Intel Core 2 Duo processor. Pimp yours with options like 2GB RAM or dual 512MB nVidia GeForce 7900 GTX setup for maximum brawn.

Dell XPS 700

- Scott Steinberg