Tis’ the season for gift giving. With some many great games released this year, finding the perfect gift for that gamer in your life (or for yourself, you selfish jerk!) can be quite a task.
That’s where we come in. Destructoid staff writers were asked to make a few holiday, game-related gift picks, either based on personal choice or simply in the spirit of giving. The results were wide and varied, as each staff member’s tastes and gaming experiences, uh, vary widely. We’re quite an eclectic bunch, that’s for sure.
Hit the jump to see what made the list, and we hope to ignite some gift-giving sparks for you this holiday.
Anthony Burch
New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Nintendo for Wii)
Price: $49.99
Why it made my list:
Is NSMBW a co-op game? A competitive experience? Both? Yeah, probably both. Even ignoring the fact that it’s got some of the best 2D level design in Mario history, NSMBW is really an educational tool. Think you like your friends? You’ll think twice about how cool they are once they hit a powerup block and then steal all the powerups inside, or accidentally jump on your head while you’re in midair, sending you plummeting to your death. The sheer joy you’ll experience from the platforming and happy-go-lucky atmosphere will be distinctly, horrifyingly, wonderfully contradicted by the sheer controller-breaking misanthropy you’ll feel toward those whom you once thought you loved.
Who it would make a great gift for:
Romantic couples who want to test the limits of their relationship; people looking for an excuse to break up with friends they don’t actually like very much.
Brad Rice
Phoenix Wright Case Files: Volume 2 (Del Rey Manga)
Price: $14.99
This chalks up to nothing more than professionally done Phoenix Wright fanfiction, but it’s pretty damn good fanfiction. The first volume was somewhat of a wreck, but if you were at all a fan of Miles Edgeworth, then the second volume will rock your socks off. The art, storytelling and homo-eroticism in this volume are all much improved.
Who it would make a great gift for:
Just about any Phoenix Wright fan; Fujoshi; Topher
BlazBlue (Aksys Games for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)
Price: $59.99
Really, there’s no 2D fighter that’s as fun as BlazBlue, and it’s a game that’ll take you a while to master — so it’s not something that you’ll play and exchange at GameStop or Goozex two weeks after you get it. The game is also a notch slower than its predecessor, Guilty Gear, which should make it a bit more accessible for most players.
Topher; Anyone who enjoys getting competitive in games; Also, weeaboos
Colette Bennett
Devil May Cry 4 Nero PVC Figure, Yamato
Price: $103.00
Why it made my list:
It’s well sculpted (as most collectibles from Yamato are), it looks completely badass, and at $103, it won’t break my pocketbook to add it to my collectibles shelf.
Who it would make a great gift for:
The friend that doesn’t have a huge toy collection, but totally will love having one large piece that has a lot of style. Helps if he likes badasses, too.
Ocarina of Time Link (Goron and Zora tunic versions), First 4 Figures
Price: $109.99
Why it made my list:
This polystone statue just screams class, and if you have a passionate love of all things Zelda like I do, surely your heart will flutter around in your chest at the sight of this beautiful statue. It’s also fairly reasonably priced for a collectible of this quality.
Who it would make a great gift for:
The friend who has obsessively played every Legend of Zelda title since the NES golden cartridge. (Hey! That’s me!)
Aegis Figma from Persona 3, Max Factory
Price: $31.99
Why it made my list:
Aegis is one of the most visually memorable characters in the Persona universe, and this version of her is also fully poseable and lots of fun to play with. It’s also a lot cheaper than the heavies you see above, which you may appreciate if you’re shopping for friends on a smaller budget.
Who it would make a great gift for:
The fanatic Persona obsessee (guys like Dale North and Josh Tolentino!).
Dale North
Who it would make a great gift for:
Good for Wii-owning golf dad, but fun for anyone.
Hamza Aziz
Street Fighter IV Cozy
Price: $20ish
Because I don’t celebrate Christmas and if I have to really get you something, it will be the most useless, yet most awesomest, thing I can think of.
Who it would make a great gift for:
People that play in tournaments like EVO. Think about it. You show up in the Cozy and your opponents will be too busy laughing at you and won’t be able to focus on playing the game. You’ll totally have the advantage over your opponents. Totally.
Jim Sterling
Who it would make a great gift for:
Families that like to stay together and slay together.
EyePet (Sony for PlayStation 3)
MSRP: £39.99
Why it made my list:
Although the game itself isn’t all that great, it’s perfect fodder for hyperactive children and a solid gimmick to distract the family for a while. Europeans can already get this right now, while Americans can import it for a not-too-shabby price.
Who it would make a great gift for:
Kids who need shutting up for an hour.
Jordan Devore
Half-Minute Hero (XSEED for PlayStation Portable)
Price: $29.99
Why it made my list:
This game alone has made me happy I chose to hang onto my PSP. Half-Minute Hero offers something you won’t find anywhere else: a charming mix of puzzle-style play with everything that makes role playing games great. Combined with its genuinely funny script and phenomenal soundtrack, you would be a fool to miss out on this one.
Who it would make a great gift for:
Old-school JRPG players and anyone who finds self-referential videogame humor to be funny.
Josh Tolentino
Kenka Bancho is about the only recently released game that can lay claim to the genre of “brawler” without embarrassing itself. The title’s additional RPG-like time management, absolutely insane character customization, and sense of Japanese-infused humor make it a great ride for someone looking for a brawler that fits in the modern world.
Your otaku friends; someone who wishes the cheering squads of Ouendan and Elite Beat Agents would quit dancing and punch somebody; any punk-ass shabazo looking to be a real shibui yankii.
Who it would make a great gift for:
Those who pine for the good ol’ days of the PlayStation 1; folks who are angry the “Snow Queen” quest was cut out; fans of Persona 3 and 4 who want to know what it was like back then.
Despite its small, DS-sized stature, Devil Survivor is one of the finest JRPGs in years, going farther than many recent titles to inject a feeling of true choice and consequence into the typically linear, unalterable JRPG story. The fact that it’s happily couched in a deep demon fusion and tactical combat system only makes the package sweeter.
Who it would make a great gift for:
Folks who want something more out of their JRPG formulas; people who want to experience more MegaTen beyond Persona; fans of desperately-impractical-but-stylish headphones.
Jonathan Ross
Why it made my list:
Who it would make a great gift for:
Price: Free (as long as you have some Nintendo-developed Wii and DS games lying around)
Who it would make a great gift for:
Price: $34 – $60, depending on the system and number of controllers
Why it made my list:
EA sent me this disc a few weeks ago, and given my recent busy schedule getting in the way of me going to the gym, I decided to give it a try. To my surprise, EA Sports Active can be a pretty damned good workout, once you get over how silly you might feel stretching and jogging in front of your television with a Wii Remote/Nunchuk in your hand.
Who it would make a great gift for:
Anyone too lazy to leave the house; someone who’s already making working New Year’s Resolutions.
Borderlands (Gearbox Software for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC)
Price: $59.99
Why it made my list:
Make no mistake — shooting stuff is fun, especially when you have a bajillion guns at your disposal. Marry a tight first-person shooting mechanic with a non-stop, hardcore loot-fest, and you have yourself a winner. Add three friends to the mix in online co-op, and it doesn’t get much better.
Who it would make a great gift for:
People who like to shoot at stuff with big, crazy-looking guns; people who like to pick up big, crazy-looking guns.
160000 MS Points/200000 Wii Points/$2000.00 in PSN Cards
Price: $2000.00
Why it made my list:
Who it would make a great gift for:
Price: $59.99
Why it made my list:
Naughty Dog has raised the bar for action gaming with Uncharted 2, which offers a satisfying single-player campaign with an engrossing story and charming, effortlessly likable characters, as well as a deep multiplayer component including numerous of cooperative and competitive modes. Protagonist Nathan Drake takes a beating but perseveres in his journey to find the mythical lost city of Shambhala, and he’s joined by old friends and new acquaintances on the way. No one tells a cinematic story like Naughty Dog, and you’ll fall in love with the game’s characters from the very beginning as you fight through a wide variety of gorgeously rendered locales like a Turkish museum, a war-torn Nepalese town, and a dilapidated monastery in the Himalayas. It might be the best sixty bucks you’ll spend this year.
Who it would make a great gift for:
Anyone from teens on up will enjoy the gunplay and witty story, and folks who desire stunning visuals need look no further.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Activision for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC)
Price: $59.99
Modern Warfare developer Infinity Ward is the only studio that can provide some legitimate competition to Naughty Dog when it comes to putting together epic set pieces, which Modern Warfare 2 loosely strings together in a barely coherent story that was ostensibly designed to pack as many “holy crap!” moments into a five- to six-hour experience as possible. But no one plays Modern Warfare for the story anyway, right? Right. This time around, Infinity Ward has expanded the multiplayer offering by introducing a two-player cooperative mode, Special Ops, that uses setups from the campaign but makes them completely new experiences by having you play through them with a friend. And of course, the traditional competitive mode has been refined and augmented as well, with way more weapons, perks, and levels (Prestige Mode comes at level 70 instead of 55 now). This is a game you’ll be playing for the next two years — until Modern Warfare 3 comes out.
Keep this one away from the kids — it’s got some extremely mature and disturbing content. Still, if your giftee digs first-person shooters, this is unquestionably the best one on the market this holiday season.
NHL 10 (EA Sports for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
Price: $29.99
Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure (Electronic Arts for Nintendo DS)
Price: $19.99
Why it made my list:
Who it would make a great gift for:
Mushihime-sama Futari Ver. 1.5 (Cave for Xbox 360)
Price: $68.90
Why it made my list:
Who it would make a great gift for:
Entry-level STG fans who want something a little more serious than what the US versions of XBLA or Virtual Console can offer them.
The best way to convince a complaining Street Fighter fan to STFU? Give them a paid pre-order for the game as a gift, thus taking away the only thing they have to piss and moan about: The cost. For all the people who thought it should have been DLC, free, or otherwise believe that such a colossal overhaul isn’t worth its measly price point, Merry Christmas. Shut your fucking mouth.
Who it would make a great gift for:
Crybabies.
