Gamers’ delight

Got a gamer on your list? I’ve saved you time and stress by playing a bunch of games for you (I know, tough life, huh?). This roundup of recent releases (all under $70) covers the best across the three major consoles and includes something for every age. Throw in extra batteries for controllers and you’ll be a gift-giving mastermind.

Call of Duty: World at War
Platform: PS2, PS3, Nintendo DS, Wii, Xbox 360
Genre: First-person shooter
Rated: M: 17+

What better gift is there than a flamethrower? None. And you can give the gift of flamethrower by giving COD: World at War.

Powered by the same technology that made the rock-solid COD4 a superstar, this instalment of the franchise focuses on the climactic European and Pacific battles of WWII. I can’t lie: It’s the best-looking WWII game to date. Add the one-to-four player co-op mode and the replay value just keeps going up. Online multi-player doesn’t disappoint, and we could talk about the joys of anti-tank missiles, but there’s no time — we’re busy taking out wave after wave of bonus-mode zombies.

de Blob
Platform: Wii, iPhone
Genre: Puzzle
Rated: E: Everyone

It’s a colour revolution! OK: You’re a ball. A jiggly, wriggly, gummy little ball that rolls around and restores colour to a monochromatic world, one bounce and splat at a time. You see, the evil INKT Corporation has taken over and outlawed all colour from daily life. Your mission is to investigate and re-animate 10 massive worlds. You’ll be thumbstickin’, arm wavin’, zappin’ and making other assorted silly and dramatic yet satisfying gestures to control “de Blob.” The more colour you restore, the more stuff you unlock and more colours become available. Watching all this happen while you sit there smearing paint over buildings and landmarks while waving your arms around like a lunatic is oddly entertaining and wickedly gratifying.

Fallout 3
Platform: PS3, Xbox 360
Genre: Action RPG
Rated: M: 17+

Two hundred years after a nuclear war ravages the Earth, in the year 2277, your character escapes out into the world in search of his missing father. This is a vast, open-ended game with a flexible character-levelling system in which what you choose to do makes a difference. On your journey you’ll meet other survivors, complete quests, specialize your character, and battle the countless enemies inhabiting the wasteland. This instalment of the Fallout series feels good, looks good, plays incredibly well, is awesomely interactive, and begs to be played pretty much until you go blind.

LEGO Batman: The Videogame
Platform: PS2, PS3, PSP, Nintendo DS, Wii, Xbox 360
Genre: Action adventure
Rated: E: 10+

It’s a game you can play with your kids. Or let them play with each other. Or forget the kids and play it yourself — it’s Batman and it’s LEGO. Play as Batman and play as Robin. Build stuff, drive a LEGO Batmobile, swing on bat cables, and capture escaped villains like The Joker and The Penguin. Or play as the evil dudes and wage war on the good guys while spreading mayhem through­out the awesome LEGO Gotham city — whatever your age, LEGO is cool.

Left 4 Dead
Platform: Xbox 3
Genre: Horror, shooter
Rated: M: 17+

Mmmm... zombies. Not just zombies, but zombies versus up to four co-op human players.

Slick and stylish with undead that move faster than you’d think the undead would, Left 4 Dead really brings it. It’s fun, it’s creepy, and, thanks to brilliant A.I. technology, it’s different every single time you play. The game tailors itself to the player’s abilities. How cool is that? Seriously, is there anything in gaming better than the human struggle against hordes of swarming zombies? Yep, there IS one thing better: The Left 4 Dead co-op human struggle against hordes of swarming zombies. This is the future of co-op. 

Gears of War 2
Platform: Xbox 3
Genre: First-person shooter
Rated: M: 17+

OK, maybe there is a better gift than a flamethrower. Maybe it’s a flame­thrower and a chainsaw! Oh, wait. Maybe it’s a flamethrower, a chainsaw, and a meat shield! You can give all this and more with Gears of War 2.

It’s good. It’s really good. Story goes that you and your squad have to save the world — again — but don’t worry, the story isn’t really where it’s at. The upgraded online multi-player is awesome. Did I mention the graphics are crispy-crunchy good, which makes toasting enemies look extra hot? Don’t cheap out — if you’re thinking of gifting GOW2, spring for a bag of marshmallows to go with.

Little Big Planet
Platform: PS3
Genre: Puzzle platformer
Rated: T: Teen

The most highly anticipated game for the PS3 in 2008 is finally here. There’s never been a game quite like this in the history of gaming goodness. In LBP, players control little yarn characters, “sackboys,” who wander all over the globe. Each cute, customizable character can manipulate and interact with all the objects and environments in the game. Ambitious players can use the stunning level-creator tools to develop their own game environments and share them online. If you don’t have a PS3er on your list, then you need to get one just so you can buy them LBP and go over and play it. Yep, it’s THAT good.

Rayman Raving Rabbids: TV Party
Platform: Nintendo DS, Wii
Genre: Party
Rated: E: 10+

Party, party, party! With super-cute 3D visuals, metric tonnes of humour, great spoofs on popular TV shows and movies, and up to eight players at a time, this instalment of Rayman is jam-packed with more than 50 mini-games. Not just regular mini-games, but the kind that get you and your kids off the couch by making use of the Wii Balance Board. It’s the very first game I’ve played that offers the ability to control my character simply by using my derriere —- come on, THAT’S a party.

Resistance 2
Platform: PS3
Genre: First-person shooter
Rated: M: 17+

Exclusive to the PS3 and just in time for the holiday season, Resistance 2 launches with the biggest monsters ever, wicked-awesome graphics, remote-detonating Magnum ammo, eight-player dynamic campaign co-op, and one-to-60 multi-player on massive maps. If that isn’t enough, it’s just plain adrenaline-pumping fun. You’ll serve as a bullet-magnet for waves of aggressive and accurate enemies, but don’t worry ‘cuz at your fingertips you’ve got what’s easily one of the coolest arsenals in the history of gaming. It’s a complete, hugely entertaining package for Resistance fans and newcomers alike.