The holidays are looming closer. What games are you hoping will appear under your non-denominational tree? What games are you planning on gifting people with? Readers, don’t be shy to say what’s on your list. We might pick up some handy suggestions.
Jenni I’m actually pretty content this year when it comes to video games. Sure, there are a couple of titles that I’d love to get (like Kumatanchi, Vitamin Y, or Luminous Arc 2 ), but I don’t really feel like I have to have any of them. To be honest, I’d rather get gift cards since there are about 10 games between January-March 2009 that I’m really looking forward to.
As for giving, I’ll probably be getting video game related gifts for my mom and two friends. I’m thinking a hidden-object PC or DS game for my mom, because she adores the Mystery Case Files PC games. As for my friends, I’ll probably check out a DS game at Play-Asia for one and gift a Virtual Console game or two to the others. If I find any cute video game accessory items, I may pick those up as stocking stuffers.
Spencer: I’m extremely lucky to be playing one of the games I would want for a holiday gift if I didn’t have it already. It’s Persona 4 and you’ll be hearing a lot more about it soon. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Cross Generation of Heroes and Dissidia: Final Fantasy will be heading my way during the holidays. I like how Tatsunoko vs. Capcom doubles as a core fighting game and a party game with hadoken throwing mini-games. It’s designed as a social fighter. I don’t want to publicly spoil my holiday gift list, but since someone knows she’s getting it already I’m getting someone Let’s Tap.
One good thing about being in the US during the holidays is you can usually snap up games you missed on Black Friday. This year’s deals aren’t that great, but I noticed some highlights. Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions (PSP) and The Simpsons Game (X360) are $10 at Best Buy. Circuit City also has a pretty tempting Xbox 360 bundle if you don’t have one. For $199 you can get the usually lame Xbox 360 Arcade with a 20GB HD, wireless controller, and Sega Superstars Tennis. This is a good enough package to play the growing library of RPGs like the Last Remnant, Tales of Vesperia, and in the future Star Ocean: The Last Hope.
Louise: My dad and I have a tradition of him asking me what I want for Christmas and me asking for a video game. This year I’m going to ask him for Fallout 3. I borrowed it from a friend a few weeks ago, unsure of whether or not I’d like it since I didn’t like Oblivion. After a few hours, I was hooked. My friend asked for it back because he wanted to play through it again and finish all the side-quests and I was sorry that I had to give it back.
As for gifting, it would have to be Dragon Quest IV. I think anyone who likes RPGs and has a DS should play this game. I’m thinking about giving it to one of my cousins even though he’s at that age where anything cartoony or kiddie is considered uncool. It would be a shame for him to miss out on a wonderful series like DQ just because it’s cartoony.
