The race for retail shelf space is just about over for 2003, as most video game publishers strained to release their final offerings before the consumer insanity that traditionally rules Thanksgiving weekend. Now, more than 250 titles — many quite good, many more, though, lumps of coal disguised as games (yet starring some of the most recognizable names in vids) — must be assessed as holiday shoppers enter the final stretch. In this critical mass of gaming, Mario and Crash are still jockeying for position beneath the tree, and the Simpsons are hoping to find a place in the stocking. How to choose?
The GameCube, which had a stellar 2002, sadly was home to far fewer triple-A titles this year. However, the recent price drop to $99 has bolstered interest in Nintendo’s machine (the publisher claims it sold more than 500,000 units during the Thanksgiving shopping rush — besting the PS2 and Xbox), and at that price, it deserves to be considered for the gamer in your gifting orbit.
Nintendo’s “Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker” (rated E, $49.99) made a huge splash in March, and for good reason. It’s still the best GC game of the year, complete with classic, engaging game play and some of the most amazing visuals in recent history — probably only challenged by another GC-exclusive, Capcom’s slick “Viewtiful Joe” (rated T, $39.99).
However, since spring, Ubi Soft has encroached on Link’s turf with two outrageously good action-adventure games: “Prince of Persia: Sands of Time” and “Beyond Good and Evil” (both rated T, $49.99). “Prince” stars a death-defying hero who can not only leap tall buildings, but also manipulate time with his TiVo-like sword. “BG&E” rips the title of Nietzche’s book for good reason — it’s a deep, satisfying adventure game about something more than saving the day. As photojournalist Jade, you must defeat aliens and government troops as you unravel a twisted conspiracy that goes straight to the top — and beyond. Both games are also available on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox.
Nintendo’s big holiday release this year is “Mario Kart: Double Dash!!” (rated E, $49.99), the long-awaited sequel to the publisher’s best-selling racing franchise. Even though “MK” sports a great chassis, complete with great graphics and a very clever two-rider system, it’s always what is under the hood that counts — and this installment just doesn’t have the horsepower of previous chapters. Regardless, it’s an excellent game for younger players. If “MK” doesn’t provide enough karting action for your gamer, consider Universal’s “Crash Nitro Kart” (rated E, $49.99) a slower-paced racer that still provides plenty of challenges for fans of the genre.
Even if Nintendo’s console is making a holiday insurgence, Sony’s PlayStation 2 is still an unbeatable juggernaut, sitting pretty beneath an impressive mountain of games, many exclusive to the system, such as “Rachet and Clank: Going Commando” and “Jak 2” (both rated T, $39.99). Both platformers are beautiful beasts. If your gamer prefers solid action, steer toward “Rachet” with its collection of high-powered hardware, but for a longer romp with a more involved story, ask for “Jak 2” at the counter.
Sony’s follow-up to their best-selling online shooter, “SOCOM 2” (rated M, $39.99), is a worthy gift for your armchair Navy Seal — as long as their PS2 is set up for online play. The only online games that come close to “SOCOM’s” ferocious game play are actually available elsewhere — on Microsoft’s Xbox. Microsoft’s “Counter-Strike” and Ubi Soft’s “Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six 3” (both rated M, $49.99) offer intense online action, and will likely cause your gamer to vanish from sight for hours on end.
The PS2 is also home to one of the most controversial games, Rockstar’s “Manhunt” (rated M, $49.99). However, a game about snuff films, no matter how well made (and it is), feels strangely out of place in the holiday season. Rockstar has also re-released its “Grand Theft Auto” opuses in double packs for the PS2 and Xbox, featuring both “GTA 3” and “Vice City” for only $39.99.
If you have a younger gamer who is begging for entrance to the “GTA” party, consider Universal’s “Simpsons: Hit & Run” (rated T, $49.99). It features very similar game play, but seeing Homer carjack a sedan in Springfield is far more appropriate for the younger set. “Hit and Run” is also available on the GC and Xbox.
Microsoft’s Xbox still is gaining popularity amongst older gamers, thanks to a lineup that aims more for the 15-and-up vidder. However, if you do have a younger gamer in the house, the Xbox has options, the best of which is Universal’s “Metal Arms: Glitch in the System” (rated T, $49.99). The action game stars a feisty robot, fighting his way through a corrupt machine empire — but the robot-on-robot violence is easier to stomach than, say, the beatdowns found in Activision’s ambitious “True Crime: Streets of LA” (rated M, $49.99). “True Crime” is a sprawling cop story cut from the “GTA” mold, but with enough clever innovation to hold its own. (Both games are also available on the GC and PS2.)
Electronic Arts is the season’s top publisher — with good reason, as it has released a handful of incredible games for all three systems within the last month. Just in time for the movie event of the year, “Lord of the Rings: Return of the King” (rated T, $49.99) drops gamers right in the middle of the battle for the fate of Middle-earth, where they can fight alongside Gandalf, Frodo and Aragorn. “Need for Speed: Underground” (rated E, $49.99) is a street racer that is both fast and furious, and features movie-quality effects — perfect for an adrenaline junkie. World War II’s Pacific theater is the setting of “Medal of Honor: Rising Sun” (rated T, $49.99), a first-person shooter that begins with a thrilling escape from Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack. While each of these games look better on the GC and Xbox, only the PS2 versions are online-enabled.
Nintendo’s Game Boy Advance SP is still one of the best gifts for the gamer in your life. The illuminated portable also sold more than 500,000 units during the Thanksgiving rush, proving it could be a hard find close to the big day. The GBA is stacked with great games, from Nintendo’s own “Super Mario Advance 4” (rated E, $29.99), which is really a souped-up version of the NES hit, “Super Mario Bros. 3.” More relaxed gamers will find much enjoyment in Natsume’s “Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town” (rated E, $29.99) an addictive farming game where you must manage relationships as well as crops and livestock.
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KEY FOR GAMING PLATFORMS
PS2 — PlayStation 2
GC — GameCube
XB — XBox
GBA — Game Boy Advance
KEY FOR GAME RATINGS
C=Early childhood
E=Everyone
T=Teen
M=Mature
A=Adult
