Finding the right gift for the gamer in your life

Tom Loftus Columnist • E-mail

With hundreds of video games of various genres released in 2005, buying the right gift for the gamer in your life has become as complex as learning Icelandic.

To ease your burden while elbowing aside the 14-year-old lads at GameStop, here's a quick list of this year's top-rated titles.

"Shadow of the Colossus" for the game snob
A game about killing giants and rescuing a princess may not sound right for the game aficionado. But believe me, "Shadow" proves that video games are due for a little more fairy tale magic. Players take on the role of a young princeling tasked with finding and slaying 16 giants in order to rescue his love. Racing on horseback over mountain ranges and past mist-covered lakes is half the fun. The giants are huge — unlike anything seen in games before. Battles can take upward of 30 minutes each or more. The snob will appreciate the game's uncluttered interface, quick load times and its heritage.  "Shadow of the Colossus" comes from the makers of "ICO," a little known, but critically acclaimed title for the Playstation 2. Game snob heaven.
Sony Playstation 2.  Rated T for Teen.  $39.99

"Nintendogs" for the cute-obsessed
Pick a puppy. Apply love by rubbing the touchscreen of the Nintendo DS. Train your puppy to do tricks. Clean up poop. Take him out on walks. Wonder at the graphics. Use the DS's built-in wireless connectivity to meet other puppies and puppy owners. Not a game, but a virtual pet simulation, "Nintendogs" is perfect for pet lovers, parents hoping to teach responsibility and anybody impressed with Japan's quest for ultimate cuteness.
Nintendo DS. Rated E for Everyone.  $29.99

FREE VIDEO 'God of War' A hack and slash for Greek myth geeks. msnbc.com

"God of War" for the strong-thumbed
This action title uses the heroes and villains of Greek mythology to create one of the best Playstation 2 titles of the year. The graphics are gorgeous, with settings ranging from a city trampled by a giant Mars, god of war, to a ship haunted by the three-headed Kraken. Rarely boring, always frantic, "God of War" escapes the tedium of the action genre by introducing a who's who list from Greek mythology. "God of War" may not be historically accurate, but it tells a good tale of a time when tough guys wore short skirts.
Sony Playstation 2. Rated M for Mature. $39.99

"SSX On Tour" for the disbeliever
Know someone who's game machine is gathering dust? Rekindle his or her love of hours of solitary couch entertainment with the snowboarding game, "SSX On Tour." If gaming is an addiction, then "SSX On Tour" is the gateway drug. Here music, ambient sound and a sense of speed work together to create a near hallucinatory experience. There's nothing really new with this latest addition to the SSX series beyond offering an option for skiers. But what this series does, it does so well: offering impossibly high mountains and even more complicated looking — but easy to perform — tricks. The soundtrack, a major reason for the series' success, includes old Def Leppard and Ronnie James Dio (!) as well as newer stuff from LCD Soundsystem. And if menu screens could earn an award, this game's notebook doodling-meets-Basquiat style deserves one.
Microsoft Xbox/Nintendo Gamecube/Sony Playstation 2. Rated E for Everyone.  $29.99

"King Kong" for the cineaste
At last players have the opportunity to discover what it's like to be really, really hated in the Big Apple. We're not talking Donald Trump: The Game, but (take a breath here) "Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie" (whew!).  Play as human hero Jack Driscoll and his big bad hairy highness, King Kong himself  The interface has been stripped away of all distracting icons to lend a cinematic experience. As it should be. Film director Peter Jackson joined forces with game designing stud Michel Ancel of "Beyond Good and Evil" fame to create something that extends the film experience. The action varies from battling dinosaurs in a South Seas jungle to swatting biplanes in an urban one. Made for all platforms, but rules on the Xbox 360.
Microsoft Xbox and Xbox 360/Nintendo Gamecube/Sony Playstation 2/Win XP. Rated T for Teen.  $49.99 and $59.99 (Xbox 360)

MORE FROM DIGITAL LIFE

Digital Life Section Front

Watch your TV from thousands of miles away Lines between netbooks, laptops keep blurring Cell phone models change frequently Cell phones more distracting than passengers Facebook making Web surfing more social Britney Spears, Obama lead Yahoo top searches Online networks a magnet for job-seekers When you don't want to be Facebook friends Juror chats sex abuse trial on Facebook European history, culture and art goes digital Digital Life Section Front   Add Digital Life headlines to your news reader: