Give the gift of game this holiday season

The holidays are here and that means wish lists have been made, double-checked and distributed. And whether your husband is asking for "Call of Duty 3" or your niece is asking for "Viva Pinata," it's a sure bet someone you know is hoping to unwrap a video game in the next few weeks.

But ho-ho-holy purchasing dilemma, Santa! Selecting the right game for the right person can be a dicey proposition – especially if you don't know your RPG from your RTS (that's "role-playing game" and "real-time strategy" game for those not in the know).

And so for those of you hoping to give the gift of game this holiday season, we have some helpful hints to get you started.

First, find out what kind of machine the person you’re buying for plays. A PlayStation? An Xbox? A Wii or GameCube? Or maybe the gamer in your life prefers to play on their PC or Mac. Maybe they have a handheld gaming device such as a Nintendo DS or a PlayStation Portable (a.k.a. PSP).

Also, what genre of game does your giftee prefer? Shooters? Role playing games? Do they dig adventure titles or are they a strategy enthusiast? Don’t be afraid to ask and be sure to have them clarify any TLAs (that’s Three Letter Acronyms).

Most importantly, keep in mind that not all games are meant for all ages. Many of the most sought-after games this holiday season are for grownups only. “Gears of War,” “Dead Rising,” “F.E.A.R.” – if the titles don’t reveal just how gruesome these games might be, be sure to check the rating on the box. Anything labeled Mature is for players 17 or older.

Finally, we’ve taken a look at the many hundreds of games offered up this year and selected some of the very best to help you find the perfect gift for the gamer on your list.

Games for people who like to kick butt and take names:
These games are not for the faint of heart or for the young of age. Shooting. Fighting. Killing. Aggressive fare is what we have here, games made for adults (and a few for teens) who enjoy a bit of digitized blood sport now and again.

“Gears of War” (Xbox 360, $59.99, Rated: Mature, Microsoft) Blood and gore has never looked so good. This stunning, action-packed third-person shooter puts gamers in the midst of a beautifully rendered post-apocolyptic Earth where an unholy race of monsters called The Locust has risen to wreak havoc on human kind. Though shootin’ and killin’ is the name of the game, “Gears” requires players to do so with some intelligence. Only the strong…and the smart…survive.

“Resistance: Fall of Man” (PS3, $59.99, Rated: Mature, Sony) This first-person shooter puts players into the combat boots of an American soldier in the midst of an alternate history circa WWII. This time around, it isn’t the Nazis you have to fight, but a plague of hideous monsters known as the Chimera who have infected Russia and Europe. Not only does “Resistance” have a strong single-player campaign, it offers a plethora of excellent online multiplayer options as well.

“Dead Rising” (Xbox 360, $59.99, Rated: Mature, Capcom) This third-person action game is as close as it gets to living out a role in George A. Romero’s iconic zombie movie “Dawn of the Dead.” Here the gamer plays the part of a photojournalist who’s landed in the midst of a mall infested with zombies. Your job: brain as many zombies as you can, shoot photographs of the carnage and save your fellow humans all while unraveling the mystery behind what caused this spread of the undead .

Here are some other good games in this genre:

• “Saints Row” (Xbox 360, $59.99, Rated: Mature, THQ)
• “Prey” (Xbox 360, PC, $29.99-$39.99, Rated: Mature, 2K Games)
• “F.E.A.R” (Xbox 360, PC, $29.99-$59.99, Rated: Mature, Vivendi)
• “Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter” (PS2, PC, Xbox 360, Xbox, $29.99-$49.99, Rated: Teen, Ubisoft)
• “Call of Duty 3” (PS3, PS2, Xbox 360, Xbox, Wii, $49.99-$59.99, Rated: Teen, Activision)
• “Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops” (PSP, $39.99, Rated: Mature, Konami)

Games for the young…and the young at heart:
Looking for a video game appropriate for the young player on your list? Kids will love these titles with their simple controls and bright colors. Meanwhile, the solid gameplay means Mom and Dad might enjoy picking up a controller.

“Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy” (PC, Xbox 360, Xbox, PS2, GameCube, $29.99-$39.99, Rated: Everyone 10+, LucasArts) You got your Legos in my “Star Wars!” No, you got your “Star Wars” in my Legos! The strange combination of these two well loved franchises results in one fun game. Here you play out the classic “Star Wars” trilogy in a world built entirely of little plastic bricks; a world where characters don’t die, they just break apart.

“Sid Meier’s Railroads!” (PC, $39.99, Rated: Everyone, 2K Games) This is essentially a re-release of “Railroad Tycoon” with updated graphics and sound, but still with the same easy and fun game play. The aim of the game is to become a railroad baron by building your empire track-by-track. Beat the competition and you’ll be rich; fail and leave penniless.

“New Super Mario Bros” (DS, $34.99, Rated: Everyone, Nintendo) This game may have “new” in the title, but the fun is vintage Nintendo. The action is exactly what fans have come to expect in a side-scrolling “Mario” game: lots of secrets to uncover and lots of gold coins to collect as you again set out to rescue Princess Peach from harm.

Here are some other kid-appropriate games to consider:

• “Viva Pinata” (Xbox 360, $49.99, Rated: Everyone, Microsoft)
• “Nancy Drew: The Creature of Kapu Cave” (PC, $19.99, Rated: Everyone, Her Interactive)
• “Clubhouse Games” (DS, $29.99, Rated: Everyone, Nintendo)

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