This holiday season, Americans will spend an expected $5 billion on video games.
Odds are, at least $50 of that $5 billion will come from you -- video games make great gifts. But with so many games to choose from this time of year, finding the right game can be tough.
For the GameCube owner, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes and Paper Mario 2 are hot commodities. The long-running Metroid series has been a fan favorite for decades, and Echoes' fluid graphics and intense action are perfect for adrenaline junkies. Paper Mario 2's colorful visual style and fun gameplay make it an ideal gift for older children, and fans of the Mario Bros. will enjoy Paper Mario's inside jokes.
For the PC gamer, Half-Life 2, a beautiful, brutal First-Person Shooter, is the gift of choice. Its exquisite game engine and grim storyline are six years in the making. For gamers desiring a darker, more violent game, Doom 3 is the only way to go. Both Half-Life and Doom require reasonably powerful graphics cards, but performance is scaleable, and online play doesn't suffer too much.
Fans of Real-Time Strategy games (like Command and Conquer and Starcraft) will appreciate Dawn of War. And Massively Multiplayer Online Game addicts (think: EverQuest and Ultima Online) will be happy with World of Warcraft.
For the PlayStation 2, Jak 3 is the final episode in an increasingly mature 3-D action/platform trilogy in which pilotable vehicles and weapon arsenal help gamers traverse detailed landscapes in style. For older gamers, Metal Gear Solid 3 should do the trick with its action movie feel -- neck-snapping, covert ops and terrorist jungle base infiltration are standard fare. Killzone's urban warfare gets the blood flowing with graphics that push the PS2 to its limits in a grimly, combat-ridden future. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas sets players loose on the streets of faux Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas in a violent powerplay for gang supremacy.
For Xbox owners, Halo 2 is the only acceptable gift. Its cinematic science fiction storyline and multiplayer modes give it endless replayability. And if your giftee already owns Halo 2, then give him or her an extra controller.
GoldenEye: Rogue Agent, available on all consoles, makes a great gift for fans of the original GoldenEye on the Nintendo 64. Rogue Agent inverts the conventions of standard action games by putting players in a villainous role, giving the game a sinister, but satisfying, feel. Need for Speed: Underground 2, also available on all consoles, is Electronic Arts' follow up to last year's second best-selling PS2 game. Players race souped-up cars down city streets at breakneck speeds with some of the best graphics ever seen in a racing game.
For gamers on-the-go, the Nintendo DS is the gift to give.
As the latest portable console in Nintendo's GameBoy line, the DS pushes the envelope with two screens, including a touch screen. With a host of launch titles and backwards compatibility, the DS has a large library of games to draw on.Mario 64x4 looks especially revolutionary and Metroid Prime: Hunters utilizes the touch screen to interesting effect. At $150, the DS is an expensive gift, but a small price to pay for a revolution in handheld gaming technology and a great gift -- if you can get your hands on one (most stores are already sold out and have stopped taking pre-orders).
With all the great games available this holiday season, there is no reason every gamer can't have his or her perfect game. Happy shopping.
For personalized gift recommendations, e-mail gamer@cavalierdaily.com.
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