Year’s best games have something for everyone

Santa’s sleigh will be loaded with video gaming goodness this holiday season, but even Kris Kringle could use help when it comes to selecting the best titles from the digital bounty available. Parents seeking assistance need look no further than this list, which is comprised of the best video games released in 2008 for the three major gaming consoles.

MICROSOFT XBOX 360/SONY PLAYSTATION 3

Despite the Nintendo Wii’s popularity, the big-budget titles – many of which aren’t suitable for children — appear on the heavyweight consoles, Microsoft’s Xbox 360 ($200) and Sony’s PlayStation3 ($400). The Xbox 360’s reduced price and substantial catalog of quality games makes it hard to ignore, but the PS3 is slowly gaining ground and includes built-in wireless networking, free online play, a Blu-Ray DVD player and a much larger hard drive. If shopping for an Xbox 360 owner, a year’s online subscription to Xbox Live ($50) is a good option.

Game of the Year

Grand Theft Auto IV: Crime may not pay, but it certainly sells video games. GTA IV, released way back in April, is so good it manages to fend off a barrage of high-powered competition to retain the Christmas crown. Rockstar Games scales back the thuggery and puts players in the shoes of Nico Belik, a likable immigrant who has escaped the war-torn Balkans to find his penchant for violence is a marketable job skill. From the opening credits to the multiple explosive conclusions, GTA IV looks and feels as much like an interactive movie than a video game. The story, characters and gameplay are memorable, but it’s the vibrant cesspool of Liberty City — where every car, truck, boat or helicopter can be stolen — that provides the canvas for this digital masterpiece.

Runner-ups

Fallout 3: It takes courage to tamper with a beloved roleplaying franchise, but Bethesda Softworks makes no missteps when retooling this tale of a post-nuclear apocalypse. The iconic Cold War-era art, black humor and plot – a child raised in a fallout shelter leaves his once-safe home to explore a world shattered (and mutated) by a rain of nuclear weapons – will be familiar to fans of the critically acclaimed PC games from the ’90s. The moral choices players must make, be they for good or evil, that dictate how the rest of the characters in the bombed-out ruins of Washington, D.C., react and ultimately determines how the story ends.

Gears of War 2 (Xbox 360 only): The soldiers that first mounted a chain saw on the business end of a machine gun return to duty in this visually impressive sequel to Microsoft’s 2006 smash hit. Graphically, this may be the best-looking game on the Xbox 360. Gears of War 2 really shines with its bevy of multi-player options. Aside from a great co-op mode, which allows two players to share the single-player campaign, there’s also online play, which pits up to 10 players against each other on 10 maps in a variety of game types.

Little Big Planet (PS3 only): The “create your own game” magic of Sony’s Little Big Planet brings a much-needed family-friendly title to the PS3. Players control sock puppets known as “Sackboys” and can explore several prebuilt game levels by jumping, swinging and climbing stackable objects. The allure of the game is that players can create their own levels and play them online with friends.

NINTENDO WII

Traditional gamers scoff at much of the family-friendly fare offered on the Wii ($250), but the system’s wireless motion-sensitive controllers, free online play and offbeat titles have made it the best-selling video game console since its release in November 2006. The biggest problem with the Wii is finding a store that has them in stock. The console is so popular supplies are once again expected to be limited. An extra Wii controller ($40) is always a good gift for large families.

Game of the Year

Super Smash Bros. Brawl: The Super Smash Brothers formula is simple and successful. Throw as many beloved video game characters as possible into combat and turn players loose for a bit of button-mashing fun. What makes it so entertaining are the 35 recognizable characters largely pulled from the Nintendo catalog and the easy-to-learn, user-friendly controls. This is pick-up-and-play gaming at its best. The levels are cleverly designed and the wacky power-ups dropped in at random keep things interesting. The single-player story mode is best for learning the controls and can be shared with a friend, but the real battle is online, where up to four players can slug it out until one Mario (or Pokémon) is left standing. A simple level editor even allows for the creation of new content that can be shared with friends.

Runner-up

Wii Fit:

Nontraditional games like Wii Fit, which turn every living room into a private health club, have fueled the amazing success of the Nintendo console. The “game” comes with a large controller that looks like an oversized bathroom scale. Using this “Balance Board” along with the Wii’s motion-sensitive hand controllers makes exercise – be it rowing a boat, jogging in a virtual park or learning yoga positions — surprisingly fun. Wii Fit is easy to use, provides gentle encouragement and, best of all, tracks performance and weight loss.