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A gamer's wish list By Keith Axline IT'S THE GAMER'S favorite time of year, when wish lists are pragmatically distributed among family members and friends to assure good coverage of video game necessities that didn't make it into the regular budget. In case you haven't received specific direction from the gamer(s) in your life, here are some standout titles for the main gaming platforms. If you're looking for age-appropriate entertainment, check out the ESRB ratings provided. PCBlack and White 2 (Electronic Arts, developed by Lionhead Studios, $45, Teen 13+) A cross between Warcraft and Nintendogs, this quirky strategy game allows you to play god to a growing town and train your animal avatar to watch over it. More linear than its predecessor, B&W2 maintains its off-kilter humor. F.E.A.R. (Sierra, developed by Monolith Productions, $50, Mature 17+) More Matrix-like than The Matrix, this action feast is one of the more realistic FPSs since Half-Life. At times an homage to Japanese horror movies, F.E.A.R. rattles your nerves with creepy thriller elements while the clever A.I. does its best to gun you down. The fierceness of the gunfights also carries over into an impressive multiplayer mode. Civilization IV (2K Games, developed by Firaxis, $50, Everyone 10+) The latest stellar installment in this popular strategy series, Civ IV basically lets you rewrite Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs and Steel through game-play that resembles Risk on steroids. Develop technologies, use diplomacy, and culture your people to dominate the globe in this living, breathing encyclopedia. XboxHalf-Life 2 (Electronic Arts, developed by Valve, $50, Mature 17+) For those who missed this killer sequel on the PC, the Xbox version is a faithful translation to the console. Though it's sans multiplayer, the single-player experience is amazing. It's not quite as good as the original Half-Life, but kind of like how winning $40 million in the lottery isn't quite as good as winning $50 million. Ninja Gaiden Black (Tecmo, developed by Team Ninja, $30, Mature 17+) A repackaging and augmenting of last year's hit, this still warrants a separate purchase for all the extra features. A new mission mode focuses on NG's heart-pounding combat, while multiple difficulty levels make the game accessible for those of us less inclined toward the way of the ninja. Xbox 360Perfect Dark Zero (Microsoft, developed by Rare, $50, Mature 17+) Where the N64 seemed to struggle under the scope of the first Perfect Dark, the Xbox 360 is finally able to do justice to Rare's vision. Lush weapon models and expansive landscapes immerse you completely in this slightly futuristic FPS tour of Earth. Many varied options, like the flushed-out co-op mode, extend the mileage far beyond the first run-through. PS2Shadow of the Colossus (Sony Computer Entertainment, developed by SCEI, $40, Teen 13+) Puzzle-solving and action meet in this poetically cinematic experience. You'll travel through beautiful landscapes and battle 16 colossi in order to save your love. Though the action is limited to the giants, the game's immersive world hooks your imagination. Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King (Square Enix, developed by Level-5, $50, Teen 13+) Filled with the art of Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball Z), this turn-based RPG has a classic feel with updated 3-D graphics that make map exploration a joy. Characters come to life with a cartoonish glow that will almost make you forget how great the story is and how much fun you're having playing through it. PSPGrand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (Rockstar Games, developed by Rockstar Leeds/Rockstar North, $50, Mature 17+) This near perfect port of the console GTA experience puts the mayhem of Liberty City in your pocket. Most hiccups and missing features can be excused, what with the usually impeccable frame rate, though the radio stations do suffer a bit. Now you can hijack a bus while riding one to work. Burnout Legends (Electronic Arts, developed by Criterion Games, $50, Everyone 10+) Though BL's been out for a couple of months, it's still one of the best titles for the PSP. Race through tracks from all over the world with blinding speed and intentionally cause as much havoc on the road as possible. The depth of tracks and events will make lengthy real-life car trips race by. Tokobot (Tecmo, developed by Tecmo, $30, Everyone) A charming meld of adventure and puzzle gaming, Tokobot gives you a team of tiny morphing robots that follow you around to help you advance through the story and defeat enemies. From the looks of it, this game has the potential to dethrone Mario as the adventure gaming standard. Nintendo DSMario Kart DS (Nintendo, developed by Nintendo, $35, Everyone) A feature-packed synthesis of highlights from the Mario Kart series, this DS installment graphically most resembles the N64 version. Though it's capable of four-player modes over the Internet and eight-player games over a local network, there are still plenty of tracks and minigames for those without DS friends or a Net connection. GameCubeBattalion Wars (Nintendo, developed by Kuju Entertainment, $50, Teen 13+) In this cartoonish satire of a 1950s war aesthetic, you'll meet the fictional forces of Xylvania face-to-face on the battlefield while trying to manage your army's strategy. The action is fast, smart, and somehow cutesy, which actually works in its favor. Cross-platformPeter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie (Ubisoft, developed by Ubisoft France, $40-$60, Teen 13+) Try to survive King Kong's beautifully rendered island using your wits, some primitive weapons, and old-school guns circa 1933. Oh yeah, and you get to play as Kong. I guess that's pretty cool. It's a bit short, but too much fun to pass up. |
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