GAME ON: Terry Terrones' holiday video game guide

Chances are you have at least one child or adult gamer (or someone who’s a combination of both) in your family. How do you buy them something great without giving the surprise away? Let the Gazette’s gaming gift guide point you in the right direction. With a little something for every type of gamer, the excellent titles here are sure to bring a smile to your loved ones’ faces.

FOR THE HARDCORE GAMER
If the person you’re shopping for eats, sleeps and dreams video games, these are the titles to get.
“Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) — This highly anticipated, award-winning first-person shooter is probably the No. 1 title on your gamer’s wish list, and with good reason. Even more intense than its predecessor, with a competitive and rewarding multiplayer mode, and brilliant co-op features, “Modern Warfare 2” does what few thought could be done: It outshines the original.
“Uncharted 2: Among Thieves” (PS3) — The Uncharted series is the defining PS3 franchise, with every edition a must-own. In “Among Thieves,” set two years after the original, gamers again take on the role of treasure hunter Nathan Drake, a cooler, funnier, and better-looking version of “National Treasure’s” Benjamin Gates. With stunning graphics, a great story and plenty of action and adventure, gamers will feel like they’re playing a movie.
“Halo 3: ODST” (Xbox 360) — While gamers won’t be able to don the familiar armor of series protagonist Master Chief in this latest title, “ODST” offers so many great improvements that in some ways this prequel surpasses its predecessors. An engaging plot, centered on the more-vulnerable yet no-less-interesting Orbital Drop Shock Troopers, and the fantastic new Firefight mode are great additions to the franchise. As a bonus, three new multiplayer maps are included.

FAMILY-FRIENDLY FUN
Forget the latest Pixar flick, stay home and have some interactive family time with these great games.
“The Beatles: Rock Band” (PS3, Wii, Xbox 360) — Looking to turn your brood into this generation’s version of The Partridge Family? Get a head start by playing and singing along to songs from the greatest music group of all time. A visually stunning game presentation, unlockable pictures, and audio clips straight from the Abbey Road vault mesh brilliantly with 45 classic tunes from the Fab Four. Diehard Beatles fans can even pick up replicas of Paul’s bass, John and George’s guitars and Ringo’s drums.
“Wii Sports Resort” (Wii) — If you’re already a Wii owner, the game you’ve probably played on it the most is Wii Sports. While an excellent title, chances are it’s gotten a little stale after three years. “Wii Sports Resort” refreshes Nintendo’s best franchise with some sorely needed new mini-games (basketball, archery, and 10 others) set amid an attractive tropical paradise. If you can get only one Wii game this year, make sure it’s this one.
“NHL 2K10” (PS2, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360) — Not only does “NHL 2K10” feature controls that are easy to pick up and play for gamers of any skill level, it’s also loaded with cool features. Play outside on a pond or inside on a mini-rink, enjoy tournaments with international teams, and if you’ve ever wanted to drive a Zamboni, now’s your chance.

GET YOUR MONEY’S WORTH
For those on a tight budget, these inexpensive titles will get you through.
“Zuma’s Revenge” (PC, $19.95) — “Zuma’s Revenge” is a match-three puzzle title from PopCap Games. Levels are short, lasting only a few minutes, but they are intense and rewarding. Despite the level brevity, “ZR” is sure to keep you busy with more than 60 stages and four modes.
“Fate/Unlimited Codes” (PSP, $29.99) — Chances are you’ve never heard of this arcade/PS2 title before. It used to be available only in Japan, but luckily for gamers it was recently ported to the PSP as a downloadable game and is now available to U.S. audiences. While the characters may be unfamiliar, this is a brilliant fighting game with tons of content, smooth controls, and a great story. But be ready to read a lot of subtitles; all the spoken dialogue is in Japanese.
“Shadow Complex” (XBLA, $15) — Xbox Live Marketplace, the Xbox 360’s virtual store, offers gaming’s best library of inexpensive, downloadable arcade titles. Buy your loved one a 1600 Microsoft Point card ($20), which you can pick up from just about any store, and direct them to the awesome “Shadow Complex,” the coolest game released on XBLA this year. They’ll thank you for the suggestion and still have funds leftover to download a couple of “Rock Band” songs.
“Red Faction: Guerilla” and “Batman: Arkham Asylum” (both available on PC, PS3, and Xbox 360, $39.99+) — Okay, so maybe I’m stretching it a bit by calling these budget games but the good news is that these two Game of the Year candidates came out much earlier this year, so you can easily get them on the cheap. “Batman: Arkham Asylum” is the best superhero title in years, and “Red Faction: Guerilla” plays like a video game version of the movie “Total Recall.”

HONORABLE MENTION
These titles may not have made the grade, but chances are your gamer would still be happy to get them: “Dead Space Extraction” (Wii), “Guitar Hero 5” (PS2, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360), “The Saboteur” (PC, PS3, Xbox 360), “Left 4 Dead 2” (PC, Xbox 360), and “Assassin’s Creed II” (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
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Terry Terrones is a veteran video game journalist. A Colorado Springs resident, he has written for numerous publications, including GamePro, PC World, and Official Xbox Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/terryterrones