Gifts for Gamers
Staff Writer Laura Hampton

If you’ve got a gamer on your holiday shopping list and not a clue to what to buy them, have no fear; the following is a list of this holiday season’s top must-haves, in no particular order.

1. Assassin’s Creed (XBox 360, PS3)
With eye-popping graphical beauty, in-game panoramic vistas that look like Michelangelo himself painted them, and extreme attention to visual detail, Assassin’s Creed is not only beautiful to look at, but absolutely fun to play. You play as Altair, an assassin fallen from his clan’s favor due to his extreme methods. It’s a tad on the bloody side and has some pretty harsh language, but Assassin’s Creed’s plotline will keep you busy long after the holidays have ended.

2. Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings (Nintendo DS)
Hop on your airship and get ready for a trip to the land of Ivalice. Characters from the PS2 game Final Fantasy XII return for a new adventure in the mysterious and unexplored sky continent of Purvama. Vaan, Penelo, Fran and Balthier return for more mayhem in this engrossing real time strategy game. Summon tiny creatures called Espers to your side to aid you in battle. One very nice thing about Revenant Wings is that since the events in this game take place one year after the events in XII, your main party characters still have some of their high level skills and spells in place such as Curaga and Firaga. Missions are challenging and fun requiring a lot of strategic thinking, perfect for the RTS enthusiast in the family.

3. Rock Band (PS3, Xbox 360)
Rocking out on your television is not an entirely strange premise, especially for a game developed by Harmonix, the people who were kind enough to bring us the Guitar Hero franchise. However, Rock Band offers something Guitar Hero never did; an entire band. Sold separately or in a giant box bundle, Rock Band features some of the most unique peripherals we’ve seen in a while. Gamers can choose to be the drummer, complete with an actual drum pad kit, lead guitarist, bass player, or the lead singer. Yes, you actually have to sing into the microphone peripheral. Players can jam out alone or with friends, cooperatively or competitively online or off. So whip out that microphone, dust off those drums, and tune up that guitar; its time to torture – er – show off your sweet rocking skills your family this holiday season!

4. Nintendo Wii Zapper and Link’s Crossbow Training Bundle (Nintendo Wii)
This holiday season seems to be full of new accessories for our favorite consoles and the Wii Zapper is no exception. Simply snap your Wii remote and nunchuck into the frame of the zapper to transform your Wii remote into a smooth looking light gun. Link’s Crossbow Training features the beloved Hyrulian hero, Link. As Link you will travel to many recognizable destinations in Hyrule honing your crossbow skills. A sweet gadget bundled with a sweet game would be a great gift to any gamer lucky enough to own a Nintendo Wii.

5. Mass Effect (Xbox 360)
Every 50,000 years an ancient machine race invades the universe, destroying everything in it, and erases all evidence of the race’s presence. If you know this fact, then you must have played Mass Effect, Biowares new Sci-Fi RPG-First Person Shooter for the Xbox 360. You play as Commander Shepard, the sole person who knows of the impending destruction and the only person capable of stopping it. Save the galaxy in one of the most open-ended sci-fi games ever created. You choose your own path, can create your own version of Commander Shepard, choose from different classes, and customize almost every piece of equipment to your liking. With crisp visuals and an engrossing story, you only have one thing to do. Stop the machines, save the galaxy.

6. Soul Calibur: Legends (Nintendo Wii)
Soul Calibur has finally broken out of its classic 3D fighting game cocoon and has spread its wings into the world of the 3D action adventure game. Following the 16 century adventures of Siegfried and wicked blade Soul Edge, Legends tells the story of how Siegfried was set on his quest for ultimate power and the clashes with other warriors trying to unify the pieces of his blade. New features of Legends include the evolution of weapons with experience and use. The more you use a weapon, the stronger it gets. Quest mode leads players through 12 lush environments fighting enemy after enemy. Players can play by themselves or cooperatively in several different modes of play. For those who loved Soul Calibur in the past, get ready to fall in love all over again with Legends.

7. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Xbox 360, PS3, Nintendo DS, PC)
For the first time in the Call of Duty series, the story has moved away from World War II and into modern times. Players are now decked out with some of the most modern tools of war available in a fully immersive, almost entirely cinematic experience. Realism in Call of Duty 4 is intense, using advanced AI and battle tactics with coordinated land and air support. Players will work their way through several current-day hotspots including the Middle East, civil war zones in Eastern Europe, and even Russia in an effort to keep the peace and stay alive.

8. Richard Garriott’s Tabula Rasa (PC)
Xenophobia is the unnatural hatred and fear of foreigners or strangers. Ask yourself, would I let a group of aliens with this fear run amok around the galaxy-conquering galaxy after galaxy? Probably not, and in Tabula Rasa, it’s your job to stop them from doing that. An immense and immersive MMORPG (Multi-Player Online Role Play Game) by NCSoft, Tabula Rasa is the first MMO to integrate two modes of play: a first person shooter mode, and the classic RPG mode. Battle with terrifying aliens, armored mechas and brutal creatures in a fight for the galaxy’s freedom. A truly new and unique experience, Tabula Rasa breaks the MMO mold in a very good way.

9. Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo Wii)
Poor Mario must feel like the maid sometimes. “I just saved Princess Peach, can’t she just stay saved for 15 minutes?” In Super Mario Galaxy, Princess Peach is spirited away once more by a malicious and mysterious force and its up to Mario to save her, except this time his journey will take him somewhere out of this world: space. Players will run, jump and battle the forces of evil to find their fair princess and save her from the clutches of darkness. Mario can transform into several new forms including Boo Mario, Bee Mario, and many more. A gift for the platforming junkie, Super Mario Galaxy provides hours of outer space mayhem and fun for the whole family.

10. Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions (PSP)
In 1997, SquareSoft released what was hailed as one of the best turn-based tactics games ever, Final Fantasy Tactics. Now in 2007, SquareEnix has remade the classic Tactics on the PSP in War of the Lions. War of the Lions is a complete renewal of the classic Tactics game. It has pieces of a new story, which help to better explain certain elements of the story, along with some new characters and job classes. With the remake, some new features were added such as a new widescreen presentation, head-to-head multiplayer action, and even brand new, fully rendered CG cut scenes featuring characters from designer Akihiko Yoshida that were voiced exclusively for the US version. With all the new additions to such a classic game, FFT: War of the Lions would make a fantastic gift and an amazing addition to any gamer’s collection.

With all the choices available this holiday season, gamers will no doubt have a long wish list that even Santa himself probably couldn’t afford. But with all the great games out there, gamers will have a very merry holiday season indeed!