Holiday Games Gift Guide – Wii December 20, 2012

The Holidays are coming pretty soon and I know that many of you may very well be opening up brand new gifts including a wide range of consoles and handhelds for the first time.  However, with a new console or handheld comes the responsiblity to find some of the best games to get for it.  The hope is to bring you a list of currently in print brand new games which are either some of the best for the platform or the best deals on the platform that you can easily pick up at the store for a reasonable price, pop it into your new gaming system and enjoy every second of it!  So, in the time leading up to Christmas, I’m going to be posting a series of articles for each platform and handheld system currently on the market and tell you what are some of the must-have games for new console owners!

Whether you picked up a Nintendo Wii or a Nintendo Wii U, you’re going to find some amazing games for the Wii out there, all of which are compatible with the Wii U with the latest firmware update.

Wii Sports/Wii Sports Resort – This combo game which features both Wii Sports and its sequel Wii Sports Resort on one disc is included only with brand new Nintendo Wii consoles.  Wii Sports took full advantage of all of the Wii’s capabilities and the decision to pack it with all new Wiis was probably one of the best decisions that Nintendo ever made, as it got a lot of people to buy the Wii at launch.  A sequel was released some time later, which took advantage of the Wii’s MotionPlus accessory and got it to be heavily adopted by current Wii owners, so much so that the MotionPlus is now standard in all new Wiimotes and used in many Wii U games as well.  You can only get this game collection bundled for free with all new Nintendo Wii systems, which currently cost $129.99 US.  Separate, Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort are $19.99 US each.

Super Mario Galaxy – Probably one of the most addictive Mario games I have played in years.  A truly innovative game which harkens back to how innovative Super Mario 64 was back when the Nintendo 64 launched.  Now, Mario travels the entire galaxy, collecting stars, navigating planets and saving the Princess.  Seriously there is no shortage of content in this game.  With 120 stars to find in it, countless worlds to visit and galaxies to travel to, this game will take you a while to find every single secret nook and cranny, even if you have already defeated Bowser.  Since it was recently re-released with the Nintendo Selects line, you can get Super Mario Galaxy for $19.99 US.

Metroid: Other M – I know this game got a really bad rap when it was released but I enjoyed it quite a lot.  It had a gameplay style that harkened back to the original Metroid games.  By turning the Wiimote sideways, it felt like I was playing an NES game all over again, and when I pointed the Wiimote at the screen, it felt like I was playing Metroid Prime again.  In the franchise storyline, it follows Super Metroid (Metroid 3), and establishes the backstory mentioned in Metroid Fusion.  The graphics on it are some of the best for the Wii and while the storyline may be controversial it has some of the best cinematics I’ve seen.  If you just want to enjoy the story with some popcorn, it has an entire DVD style FMV theater option, which I wish more games had.  You can also get it really cheap, as I’ve seen prices for this game for as low as $10 US.

Super Smash Bros Melee – As I’ve mentioned in an article a long time ago, I simply cannot allow anyone to buy a Wii without picking up this game.  This has been considered by many to be the must have game for the Wii.  Featuring every single one of the characters that Nintendo made famous, it has the biggest roster of any Super Smash Bros game and, for the first time in the series, an entire single player campaign.  You can probably find the game for $29.99 US.

Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess – When you get yourself a Nintendo console, you expect it to have three staples, Mario, Metroid and of course, Zelda.  It’s hard to imagine that a game that was a launch title for the system would still be in print this far down the road, but, as The Angry Video Game Nerd put it, it kicks so much ass.  Like Super Mario Galaxy, Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess was re-released with the Nintendo Selects line and can probably be purchased for $19.99 US.

And if you’re already a Wii owner and end up getting yourself a Wii U this holiday, don’t forget, all your Wii’s purchased data and save games will transfer to the Wii U.

More platforms are still to come and because of that, even more guides are coming!

Holiday Games Gift Guide – Multiplatform December 20, 2012

The Holidays are coming pretty soon and I know that many of you may very well be opening up brand new gifts including a wide range of consoles and handhelds for the first time.  However, with a new console or handheld comes the responsiblity to find some of the best games to get for it.  The hope is to bring you a list of currently in print brand new games which are either some of the best for the platform or the best deals on the platform that you can easily pick up at the store for a reasonable price, pop it into your new gaming system and enjoy every second of it!  So, in the time leading up to Christmas, I’m going to be posting a series of articles for each platform and handheld system currently on the market and tell you what are some of the must-have games for new console owners!

Now we’re going to talk about some great deals on multiplatform games.  Now, it would be really easy to just draw up a list of all the new games that are out on multiple platforms and include new games like Far Cry 3, Borderlands 2, and Assassin’s Creed 3, but those games are brand new and are still going for full retail price.  While buying games like those are a no-brainer, here’s some games that are already out at lower prices and offer something extra special.  Get them now while you can and hopefully they’ll be on your platform!

Dead Island Game of the Year Edition –  Probably one of the most controversal games at release you owe it to yourself to pick up one of the most unique zombie games I’ve seen in recent time.  No longer are you fighting through a postapocalyptic urban landscape, you’re fighting your way through an open world sunny tropical resort paradise.  The best part about this is that all of the game’s DLC is included with this edition of the game, making it a really worthwhile purchase for those of you hoping to save some money.  You can currently get this game for the PC, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 for $29.99 US.

Zone of the Enders HD Collection –  Zone of the Enders is a franchise we haven’t seen in quite some time.  Released originally for the Playstation 2, the first game mostly saw sales as it included the first playable demo of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty.  The ZOE HD Collection includes both the original game and sequel, The Second Runner, along with brand new HD support and animated intro cinematic.  It also includes the currently exclusive demo for Metal Gear Rising Revengeance on the disc, giving you a first playable look at that highly anticipated game two months before it sees a release.  You can get Zone of the Enders HD Collection for $39.99 US on the Playstation 3 or Xbox 360.

Batman: Arkham City Game of the Year Edition – When Batman: Arkham City came out in 2011 it was not only the best superhero game ever made, it was easily considered one of the best multiplatform hits of that year.  Over a year later, over thirty dollars worth of downloadable content has been released for Arkham City, including extra character costumes for Batman and Catwoman, extra challenge maps, and an entirely separate downloadable content expansion pack.  Since all the DLC is included with the GOTY edition, this makes it a much better deal.  You can get the Arkham City Game of the Year Edition for the Playstation 3 or Xbox 360 for $49.99 US.

Metal Gear Solid HD Collection – The Metal Gear Solid HD Collection includes Metal Gear Solid 2, Metal Gear Solid 3, and Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker.  The game’s original graphics remain intact, but the framerate is amazingly high.  For me though, the most important feature was finally you can play MGS2 and MGS3 in anamorphic widescreen, something I have wanted to do since I got my first HDTV back in 2005.  The game even allows you to transfer save games from either the Vita version of Metal Gear Solid HD Collection to the PS3 or the PSP version of Peace Walker.  You can probably find this game for $29.99 US on the Playstation 3, Xbox 360 or Playstation Vita.  Please note though, the Playstation Vita version does not include Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker.

Mass Effect Collection – This one is pretty much a no brainer.  The Mass Effect series has long been a staple of this generation.  It was a science-fiction universe presented in a realistic way.  It was a role-playing game but with a real-time battle system.  You could play it as an RPG or play it as a shooter.  The decisions you made impacted the entire universe and changed the story.  Originally released as an exclusive Xbox 360 game, their popularity grew and grew and each sequel saw a release on multiple platforms.  Now, Mass Effect 1, 2 and 3 are being bundled together and released for the Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC.  In fact this will mark the first time the original Mass Effect game saw a release on the Playstation 3.  You can pick up the Mass Effect Collection for $59.99 US.

Silent Hill HD Collection – There has been a lot of controversy about this HD Collection’s release since it came out.  Featuring Silent Hill 2 and Silent Hill 3, which were considered by many to be the best two games of the series, it may not have the framerate or polish as the original versions of the games do, but unlike the original versions of the games you can actually buy this collection brand new for a reasonable price.  Silent Hill HD Collection is out for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 and you can probably find it for $29.99 US.

Saints Row the Third: The Full Package – I was a huge fan of the original Saints Row when it came out, and loved Saints Row 2 just as much.  With games like Grand Theft Auto leaving a high bar to climb when it came to open-world action games, the Saints Row series solved all the problems I felt Grand Theft Auto had, and added in a completely absurd tone which kept me playing.  Saints Row The Third continues this tradition with a completely zany story, an entirely new driving system, and weapons I can’t even repeat here for modesty’s sake.  Now, with The Full Package, you get ALL the DLC included with the game with no extra charge.  Given the fact that it is currently only a ten-dollar premium over the normal edition of the game, and the costs of all that DLC, that makes The Full Package a great deal.  With the recent bankruptcy filing by THQ, there’s no word just how long this game is going to be on the shelves for.  You can get Saints Row The Third: The Full Package for $49.99 US on the Xbox 360 or Playstation 3.

Wow, that’s a lot of games across a lot of platforms!  And don’t worry, we’re not even close to being done.  Even more games are coming!

Holiday Games Gift Guide – Playstation 3 December 20, 2012

The Holidays are coming pretty soon and I know that many of you may very well be opening up brand new gifts including a wide range of consoles and handhelds for the first time.  However, with a new console or handheld comes the responsiblity to find some of the best games to get for it.  The hope is to bring you a list of currently in print brand new games which are either some of the best for the platform or the best deals on the platform that you can easily pick up at the store for a reasonable price, pop it into your new gaming system and enjoy every second of it!  So, in the time leading up to Christmas, I’m going to be posting a series of articles for each platform and handheld system currently on the market and tell you what are some of the must-have games for new console owners!

First off, we’re going to take a look at the Playstation 3 exclusives!

Ico/Shadow of the Colossus Collection – Since these games were originally developed and appeared on the Playstation 2, this collection is technically not a Playstation 3 exclusive, but trust me, you have never seen these staples of console gaming quite like this in glorious HD.  They were based on the improved PAL versions of the games, but still feature all the secrets of the original Playstation 2 versions.  Not only that but the HD Collection version includes enhanced graphical effects, higher resolution textures, and some exclusive behind the scenes documentaries about the making of the games,.  Without a doubt this is the definitive version of these games.  MSRP on the Ico/Shadow of the Colossus Collection is currently around $19.99 US.

The inFamous Collection – When inFamous was released, it redefined what made for a superhero video game and allowed the player to make the decisions for themselves what they would do if they had super powers in a realistic urban setting.  Would they become a hero or would they become infamous?  The inFamous Collection contains both inFamous 1 and inFamous 2, as well as the entire expansion campaign for inFamous 2 which was released as downloadable content.  The fact that the downloadable content campaign is included with the collection is a fantastic deal, as it alone goes for ten dollars.  You can probably find The inFamous Collection in stores for $29.99 US.

The Resistance Collection – When the Playstation 3 launched, it had one must-have exclusive game on day 1, and that was the game Resistance: Fall of Man.  Since then, the game has spawned two sequels, an online social game, and two handheld spin offs.  The Resistance Collection includes all three Resistance games which were released for the Playstation 3 (Resistance: Fall of Man, Resistance 2 and Resistance 3) and bonus content for Resistance 2 and Resistance 3.  The Resistance Collection currently goes for $39.99 US.

The God of War Saga – There has probably been no bigger first-party exclusive franchise for Sony since the Playstation 2 era than the God of War series.  It redefined what made for an action platformer, and unapologetically brought the Greek mythology it was based on to light.  The God of War Saga is a compilation of all five, yeah I wrote that right, all five God of War games together, retooled and improved for the Playstation 3 along with access to the God of War Ascension Multiplayer Beta.  One little warning, don’t confuse this with the God of War Collection or God of War Origins Collection which only feature two of the five total games the Saga version does and doesn’t offer Ascension beta access.  The God of War Saga is $39.99 US.

Don’t worry, we’re not just stopping at the best games for the Playstation 3.  You can expect more Holiday Gift Guides to come!  Happy Holidays!