Give the gift of game this holiday season

Games for the adventurer:
The great thing about video games is the way they allow the player to live out epic adventures in faraway places and explore alternate lives and worlds. Here are a few gift ideas for the gamer who longs to embark on a grand quest or fantastical journey:

“The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess” (Wii, $49.99, Rated: Teen, Nintendo) This excellent new installment in Nintendo’s beloved “Legend of Zelda” series takes our hero Link on a grand and dark adventure across the land of Hyrule and the mysterious alternate realm of The Twilight. The game is not only lovely to behold, but also makes excellent use of the Wii's motion-sensing controllers.

“Okami” (PS2, $39.99, Rated: Teen, Capcom) This unusual title is not just a game but a beautiful piece of artwork, an epic adventure brought to life in the look and feel of a traditional Japanese watercolor painting. Here, players control a white wolf who must vanquish her enemies using a “Celestial Brush.” Learning to “paint” on the game canvas is an integral part to puzzle solving and fighting.

“Bully” (PS2, $39.99, Rated: Teen, Rockstar Games) This year’s most controversial game is not — no matter what anyone says — designed to inspire bullying. Rather, “Bully” puts players in the midst of one boy’s epic adventure through the trials and tribulations of adolescence. Here, you play the role of Jimmy, a kid dropped off at Bullworth Academy, a prep school rife with cliques and bullies.

Some other great adventurer games to consider:

• “Tomb Raider: Legend” (Xbox 360, Xbox, PS2, GameCube, PC, $29.99-$39.99, Rated: Teen, Eidos Interactive)
• “Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin” (DS, $34.99, Rated: Teen, Konami)

Games to pick up and play:
Brain teasers and stress relievers, these games are easy to learn but challenging to master. They’re instant distractions that can take mere minutes to play or much longer if you choose. If you have someone on your list who likes puzzle and word games, this is stuff for them:

“Bookworm Adventures Deluxe” (PC, $29.95, Rated: Everyone, PopCap.com) This sequel to PopCap’s first “Bookworm” title takes a word game and mates it with a simple role-playing game. Here you must make words out of a grid of random letters to help a little bookworm named Lex fight off various enemies. (Gift certificates available at the website.)

Big Fish Games In "Hidden Expeditions: Titanic," you must find a list of objects hidden in various rooms before you run out of air.

“Hidden Expeditions: Titanic” (PC, $19.95, Rated: Everyone, BigFishGames.com) Play this downloadable casual game and you’ll quickly find out that we can’t always see what’s right before our very eyes. Here, you’re a scuba diver searching the wreckage of the Titanic. You must find a list of objects hidden in various rooms before you run out of air. (Gift certificates available at the web site.)

“Elite Beat Agents” (DS, $29.99, Rated: Everyone 10+, Nintendo) This rhythm-based game provides just the right blend of quirky comic-book humor and addictive musical game play. Part of a squad of secret agents, you use the power of song and dance to save those in trouble. Triumph over each song by using the DS’s stylus to tap targets on the screen to the beat of the music.

Some other pick-up-and-play games to check out:

• “Cooking Mama” (DS, $19.99, Rated: Everyone, Majesco)
• “Diner Dash 2: Restaurant Rescue” (PC/Mac, $19.95, Rated: Everyone, PlayFirst.com)
• “Cake Mania” (PC, $19.99, Rated: Everyone, SandlotGames.com) 

Games that give the brain a workout:
Got a thinker on your holiday list? You’re in luck: Not all video games involve mind-numbing button mashing. Some of the best games of 2006 require thoughtful maneuvering and careful strategy — and a well-exercised brain.

“Company of Heroes” (PC, $49.99, Rated: Mature, THQ) It’s “Saving Private Ryan” in game form, combining the much-loved toy-soldier aspect of the real-time strategy genre with an authentic, World War II setting. The game play is solid (fans of the genre will love the squad-based unit selection), the graphics are slick and the sound is top-notch.

“Medieval II: Total War” (PC, $49.99, Rated: Teen, SEGA) The best of the revered “Total War” franchise, this latest installment is, in a word, epic. In your empire-building quest, you’ll guide massive armies across three continents and through nearly five centuries of brutal European history, including the Crusades, the Inquisition and the Renaissance.

“Brain Age” (DS, $19.99, Rated: Everyone, Nintendo) Though not a war game, Nintendo’s Brain Age is, indeed, a mind game. Or to be more specific, a series of reading and math exercises designed to stimulate the brain, and, by extension, keep it young and healthy. Giving your brain a workout has never been so much fun.

Other games for the brainiac in your life:

• “Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends” (PC, $49.99, Rated: Teen, Microsoft)
• “Civilization IV: Warlords” (PC, $29.99, Rated: Everyone, 2K Games)
• “Big Brain Academy” (DS, $19.99, Rated: Everyone, Nintendo)

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