Sure you could use our reference guide of games and reviews to help you sort through what video games to give and what to avoid, but why not try something a little different.

For the third year in a row the brains (and Mikes, AJs, Lukes, Owens and Stephens) at Kotaku Tower have put together a list of eclectic toys, gadgets and doodads - from super hero hoodies to supernatural castles, to give and ask for.

Now, for your viewing pleasure, Kotaku's 2009 Gift Guide of Obscene Nicety and Sublime Naughtiness.

Mandatory Secret Santa (Under $20)
Gin & Titonic Ice Cubes ($6.95): Every gin & tonic is now an adventure, and best of all, in this one, 1500 people don't have to die.

PK Yomega Yo-Yo ($17.00): For the Earthbound/Mother fan—or even the dedicated Super Smash Bros. Brawl player—Fangamer's PK Yomega yo-yo offers the Nintendo-loving gamer something to do with their middle finger when not attached to a controller. Pair it with a Shirtness Ness shirt for added authenticity and maybe a Yomega yo-yo trick DVD for the ultimate in learning how to walk the dog like a pro.

Lightsaber Chopsticks ($17.99): Not as clumsy or random as a spork, an elegant utensil, for a more civilized age. Dig into your sushi or soba with these two-pair sets, in Yoda Green and Vader Red, or Luke Blue and Yoda Green. But with the blast shield down I can't get anything in my mouth! How am I supposed to eat ...?

Graphic Novels, Graphic Novels, Graphic Novels ($9-$20): Every week brings new video game comic books to your local comic shop, to the point where we've started a weekly round-up. but while some enjoy visiting the shop every Wednesday, others prefer the weight of a book in their hands and not having to wait for the next issue to arrive. Video game comic trade paperback collections abound, with popular titles like Street Fighter, Gears of War, Resident Evil, and Halo all represented. InStockTrades.com carries just about everything a video game comic fan could want at substantially discounted prices. Tell them Kotaku sent you, and they'll spend hours trying to figure out what the hell you are talking about.

Ganges #2 ($7.95): Or, if you think your potential gift-getter is just not a comics-based-on-games type, than prove you have refined tastes and purchase him or her one of the best comics about games, one that doesn't even look like it has anything to do with games. The wonderful Kevin Huizenga, who writes a damn good comic book about walking down the street looking at birds and such also writes and draws a damn fine one, Ganges #2, about what happened to his life in the 90s when he played way too much Doom. It's subtle, smart, beautiful and sort of also about Doom. But more about life.

Dismember-Me Plush Zombie ($12.99): Zombies may be all the rage in video games these days, but they're seriously under-represented in stuffed toys and plushies. Fortunately, Think Geek has your back with this nifty Dismember-Me Plush Zombie. The stuffed zombie can be pulled to bits and put back together willy-niley. Better still, it comes with it's how handful of brains so you don't have to worry about it getting late-night munchies.

Tiny Bobomb Earrings ($8): Not only are they cheap, but they're cute enough to dupe most chicks into wearing them once out of guilt and game-related enough to make you smile when you see them.

Final Fantasy XIII Potion Elixer ($6.99) Can't wait to play Final Fantasy XIII? What about drink Final Fantasy XIII? This "potion elixer" from Japanese beverage maker Suntory and Square Enix offers players a taste of Final Fantasy. Yum.

Relative You Don't Particularly Care For But Will Probably Bring A Gift For You ($21 to $50)
Solio Charger ($39.95): Whether you're zombie head hunting in the frozen tundras of Alaska or hiding out from a Russian surprise attack in Virginia, this solar-paneled charger will keep you gaming on the go. Just hang the panel from a tree or your backpack to charge the battery in the sun and use after-market power tips to recharge your DS Lite, iPhone, PSP or even your GameBoy Advance.

The Ellis Look - Left 4 Dead 2 Trucker Hat & Bullshifters shirt ($38.98) Give your loved one a blue collar makeover with this tasteful ensemble modeled by stock car racing enthusiast Ellis from Left 4 Dead 2. Not only does this set help the recipient on your list overcome the "No shirt, no shoes, no service" restriction, it can tame the most wild mullet, while offering ample ventilation to the head.

Freakin' Swords ($40+): It's a video game collectible! It's a personal defense device! Everybody loves swords, daggers, maces, and shields, and even if they don't, they aren't going to give you crap about the gift, because they know you are armed. King of Swords, the Georgia shop we profiled earlier this year, carries a wide range of video game replica weapons, from the $40 Dagger of Time here to some truly epic God of War weapons that don't belong in this category. Go crazy with it.

To complete the look, for next year's Halloween party, maybe, pair the set with some Dickies workwear, a pair of Red Wing boots and, for amusing Southern-flavored anecdote purposes, the selected works of Jeff Foxworthy.

Pan Flute ($30+) Because you waited until the last minute to ask for anything and the only game you don't have is The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, well, maybe a real pan-flute would be appropriate so you can feel like the new Link?

Pac-Man Retro Arcade Plug & Play TV Video Game System ($35.95): Now you'll have something to do if you're roped into going to their house next holiday season.

Dead Space Isaac Figure ($20): There are loads of video game action figures on the market these days, but our pick (at least for Western games) is NECA's take on Isaac, from Dead Space. Why? Because it's Isaac from Dead Space.

Persona 4: Kuma Figure ($45.90): Everyone's favorite circus-tent wearing cute bear gets immortalized in soft vinyl form. Îf only we could be immortalized in soft vinyl. Hard vinyl, even. Kuma is outfitted with a non-functioning zipper on his back. It's there just for looks.

The Sweet Spot - Not too 'spensive, Not too cheap ($51 to $100)
Captain America Hoodie ($60): Is it a hoodie or a cowlie? This zip-front jacket sports a full winged cowl, turning you from hipster to crimefighter in a flash. Continuity error! Cap's ears poke out of the cowl in the comic books. Does this getup come with a No-Prize?

Jasman HALO 3 Covenant Plasma Pistol Laser Pursuit Gaming 2 Players Set ($87.94): To kids, it'll just be another plastic gun set to pretend shoot each other with. To adult fans of the game, it'll be THE plastic gun set to pretend shoot each other with.

World of Warcraft Alliance Tabard ($99): We're not the world's biggest WoW players here, but we must admit, anything game that inspires tabards as officially licensed merchandise is OK.

30 Pounds of Gummi Bears ($69.00): 30 pounds of gummi bears, all at once, all for you. The only possible reason one could have for not wanting to stick their head into a giant box filled with gummi bears is that they simply hadn't thought of it yet. You don't even have to eat them. You could just put them in a giant clear case and stare at their majesty for years on end.

A year of Edge ($76 U.S.): There's a good chance you have a Game Informer subscription, but do you have an Edge one? England's best gaming magazine is full of news, interviews and reviews, but the best thing about the magazine may be its visual-design. An Edge cover is often one of the best-designed gaming visuals of any given month. And sometimes, a spiffy poster is inside that's even better.

Final Fantasy VII Cloud Strife & Hardy-Daytona Action Figure ($79.90): You're not just buying this for the Cloud fig, but for the bike. It's got rotating tired, movable forks and steering — working shocks, too! Vroooooooooooom.

Burton Sleeper Hoodie ($99.99): I travel a lot and in the past I've always used a hoodie as my impromptu sleeping bag. I just pull the hood down as far as it will go, pull my hands up into the sleeves, curl up and go to sleep. The Burton Sleeper Hoodie takes that idea and pushes it to the extreme. A contoured light shield pulls out from the back of the hood to cover your eyes properly, ventilation underarm holes and cuff thumb holes keep the jacket in place and comfy, and a built in inflatable neck pillow optimizes the catching of sly Zs. If that weren't enough, the hoodie also comes with an eye mask, compact toothbrush and even a fake United Red Carpet Crew card with the name Frank Abagnale Jr. on it. Score!

Person You Are Or Hope To Be Sleeping With ($100 to $500)
Supernova Riot 2 Trail-Running Shoes ($110): Running shoes are fine if you're out for a Sunday jog, but when things get rough and you're being chased down by hooded thugs, angry aliens or hordes of zombies you better be prepared to run places other then flat pavement. Adidas' trail-running shoes feature wider, deeper tread for grip on anything from cement to dirt and mud and the thermoplastic urethane arch shanks protects your feet from the pointed rocks found on off-road scrambles to safety.

Custom 1-UP Mushroom Crochet Scarf Diy Mario Bros. Nintendo Mens / Womens Limited Edition ($150): So cute and so warm, this scarf is a huge hit with the ladies and instantly recognizable even by those who don't regularly game. If you really want to go for gold, order the red mushroom variant for yourself and thereby become THE geekiest chic couple this holiday season.

Astro A40 Headset ($249.95): Our review should have said it all, but we'll say it one more time. Astro's A40 Sound System, including headset and MixAmp, is one of the best personal audio solutions we've ever used. It's perfect for gaming late at night when everyone else is fast asleep, visions of sugar-plums dancing in their heads, and you need to shoot some zombies, Nazis or Nazi zombies!

Custom Console Painting ($125-$149): Take your loved one's console away for Christmas! Don't worry, they'll only be angry until you tell them they'll be getting it back with a brand new paint job, courtesy of custom-painting specialists ColorWare. ColorWare with apply a professional paint job to your PS3 Slim, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, or Nintendo DSi, with tons of color options to ensure that your creation is truly unique. As an added plus, while the conole is being painted, the target of your affections will have no choice but engage in actual human interaction. Everybody wins!

Exotic fresh fruit every month ($250-$450): What does new fresh fruit being shipped to your doorstop every month have to do with video games? Nothing! Aren't you trying to show people how well-rounded you are? Without, you know, physically becoming too well-rounded?

Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series ($200-350): It's all of Battlestar, in high definition, in the single box. About as perfect a gift as you could hope to receive give.

Flux Capacitor Replica ($249.99): One-point-twenty-one gigawatts? Try three double-A batteries. They'll get this flux capacitor, uh ... fluxing and send you Back to the Future - in no time at all. The unit comes with authentic tape-label warnings from Dr. Emmett Brown and a knob for adjusting the lights. The ultimate car accessory (Mr. Fusion sold separately.)

Zelda: Ocarina of Time ($119.99): It's Link from the classic Zelda title, Ocarina of Time! Limited to only 2,500 worldwide, the 7-inch statue has been hand cast and hand painted. Each is individually numbered. Each one is Link.

Our Prices Are Insane ($500 and up)

I-sopod Isolation Float Tank ($25,500): Playing portable video games on your PSP, Nintendo DS, and iPhone is the new book reading - someone is always walking up behind you with "What are you playing? Is it good? You look annoyed! What are you doing with that knife?" Enter Floatworks' I-sopod isolation chamber. No really, enter it! You'll float nearly weightless on heavily salted water, isolated from all outside interference and free to play Pokemon, LittleBigPlanet PSP, or Puzzle Quest in complete peace. As an added bonus, you can load the built-in MP3 player with sci-fi sound effects and pretend you're in a spaceship.

Halo Warthog (Contact WETA Workshop for pricing): Nothing says "I should really be in a unique tax bracket and pay a much higher percentage of my outlandish earnings" than a custom, WETA Workshop designed, fully functioning Warthog from the Halo series. We doubt that WETA will offer you a functioning mounted gunner position, but if you've got a checkbook big enough, the Halo fan on your list will probably thank you for the hundreds of thousands you'll invest in recreating the legendary ride.

Complete Assassin's Creed Altaïr Costume ($1,156 total): Of course Ezio is all the rage now, but give Museum Replicas time, it'll have that Da Vinci hang glider ready for you soon enough. Meantime, this ensemble recreates the look of the series' progenitor, Altaïr, with much of its cost devoted to badass weaponry - throwing knives, short blade, retractable blade and longsword. Should the getup be too pricey, tunics for Robert de Sable and William of Monferrat are also available.

Redo Your Living Room With Super Mario Brothers Stained Glass ($700 for four window panes): Made with the "Tiffany" foil method of stained glass, even one window would be a classy addition to anybody's living room. But a whole stained glass Mario makeover? That's a pricey gift beyond the bounds of generosity. Gift wisely.

The Arkeg ($3500): This hybrid arcade cabinet and ... keg. MAME cabinet. Beer. "Fully assembled gaming/draft system," the seller's site says.

Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr. and Mario Bros. All-In-One Arcade Cabinet ($3,990): There's something about playing retro games on an arcade cabinet in the privacy of your own house. And that something is usually very expensive. Games run on a 19 inch monitor, outfitted in an old style decorated cabinet. Costs lotsa monies.

Tamerlane ($660,000): Love books? Why not splash out and get that special someone in your life an original copy of Edgar Allen Poe's "Tamerlane & Other Poems", the first work ever published by the man. Pricey, yes, but if you like that "old book smell", this will be reeking.

Bran Castle ($135 million): Built in 1378 to defend against the encroaching Ottoman Empire, Bran Castle is most famous for allegedly being used by Vlad Tepes as the jumping off point for his raids into Transylvania. The castle was one of the inspirations that led Bram Stoker to write Dracula. The castle includes loads of history, certainly some ghosts, and at least one hidden staircase that allows would-be vampires to get from the first to third floor without having to bother with the second.

Technically, you would have had to pick this castle up by January of this year, because the owners have decided to turn this ancient structure into a museum. But another recession or a solid offer and I bet this bad boy would sell in an instant.

Emerald Cay ($48.5 million): This 2.3-acre island in Silly Creek, Providenciales includes two swimming pools, tennis and volleyball courts, two boat slips, several cottagesm a 30,000-square-foot mansion and secure access via a remote-controlled swing bridge.

2008's Guide
2007's Guide

We've compiled an easy-to-read list of some of the year's top games, how much they'll run you and who you should pick them up for.

We'll be running platform-themed gift guides all of this week, so make sure to check them out for list-making and debating. Today we'll kick off the guides with the iPhone. Tomorrow you'll be able to check out DS and PSP games. Wednesday is set aside for the PC and Wii and Thursday, aka Turkey Day, is all about the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.

Remember, the holiday's aren't about what you get... or give, they're all about the games you play.

Stay tuned!

You can always go with an old reliable like the Settlers of Catan (I played that for the first time over Thanksgiving; good game, the Cities & Knights expansion is kinda meh.) The Associated Press dug a little deeper and came up with seven recommendations.

Zooloretto
Jungle Speed
Say Anything
Ticket to Ride: Nordic Countries
Incan Gold
Pandemic
Battlestar Galactica

From the writeups, Incan Gold (a risk-reward based game of exploration) sounds like the most fun, and Say Anything sounds like the most social. Well, so long as you not required to stand outside the house holding up a boom box playing "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel. Because that's kinda stalky.

Gift Guide: Table Alternatives to Video Games [Associated Press via AOL]

I bet we fooled you. You saw all of those console-specific gift guides rolling out, all of those reviews, and you probably thought we had kicked our outsider ways.

You thought that maybe we had forgotten our roots of obscene nicety and sublime naughtiness. You were wrong.

Here for your second year of enjoyment, hot from Kotaku Tower, comes the year's It list for gaming goodies. Sure, you can ask for a copy of a game, but wouldn't you rather have a rubber stamp fit for a gaming President, a jacket fit for a underground Street Fighter, or maybe an underground secret lair?

Mandatory Secret Santa (Under $20)
MMO Calendar 2009 ($12.95): Ah, the calendar. How would we know what date it was without them? Well yes, most watches, game systems, cell phones, computer clocks, and televisions, but none of these are quite as pretty as the 2009 MMO Calendar, featuring artwork from MMO games both old and new everything from World of Warcraft and Pirates of the Burning Sea to unreleased games like DC Universe Online and The Agency. The best part is that all proceeds go towards the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, so if your giftee doesn't appreciate it they are some sort of cold, callus child hater.
Arcade Mania: The Turbo-charged World of Japan's Game Centers ($19.95): You know him, you love his erotic game posts, now own the book with his name printed on the cover. Brian Ashcraft's inside look at the oddball culture that is Japan's still thriving arcade scene.
Shooting Watch ($19.90): Impress the ladies with your ability to press a button. Fast. No, really fast. Hudson's Shooting Watch gives you the opportunity to out-press expert button presser Takahashi Meijin who can rack up 16 presses a second. That's up to 960 presses a minute!
Mighty Muggs Vinyl Figures Gone Mainstream ($12.99 and Up): Vinyl toys aren't just for elite hipsters anymore! Hasbro's Mighty Muggs line offers the superdeformed uniformity of custom vinyl with the familiarity of some of the company's hottest toy lines, like Star Wars, Marvel Comics, and GI Joe. They've even got Transformers versions coming out in January, with a lovable little classic Megatron for which you'll want to wait.
Super Mario Brothers Coin Bank ~ Green (1up) ($16): 1up your savings with this New Super Mario Bros. bank. Lacking any bells and whistles, it's a classic piggy bank for a now classic DS title.
Dissidia Final Fantasy Potion ($ 6.90) Dissidia in a can to replenish your HP. The latest Final Fantasy "potion" from Square Enix and beverage company Suntory comes in cans with Dissidia character illustrations on them.
Bionic Commando: Rearmed soundtrack and Bionic Commando original soundtrack ($9.99 and $2.99): Sumthing Digital has both, and numbered them accordingly, so you can compare the original chiptones with Simon Viklund's techno update. It's great workout music.
Left 4 Dead Movie Poster Pack ($14.99): All four stories of the zombie shooter, presented as bona fide grindhouse-style movie posters. Still awesome at twice the price.
Cowbell ($15): Guitars and drums are all well and good, but the band games of today are missing something. Something essential. And that something is the cowbell. Because everything and especially music games needs more cowbell.
Music To Play Games By ($10): British radio show/podcast OneLifeLeft is a regular forum for games-inspired music. Chiptunes, remixes, even normal songs that are just written about games. Their newly-released music compilation CD - Music To Play Games By - is a collection of some of the best of these.
Mugen Pop Pop Bubble Wrap White ICE ($14.95)
The socially acceptable face of obsessive-compulsive disorder, the Mugen Pop Pop will keep fingers busy and mind's disengaged duringthe most stressful circumstances.
World of Warcraft Mana Energy Potion ($7.75) Nobody would ever buy this for themselves, so we can only assume that the manufacturers need some sales in order to avoid financial meltdown. Do you bit for the economy AND ensure the WoW player in your life gets a vitamin boost.
Super Mario Brothers Mushroom Candy ($3.99): Sure it won't make your grow big, or even make you think you're growing big, but they are tasty treats you can carry around in a brightly colored mushroom.
All Your Base Are Belong to Us Stamp ($6.99): This little sucker keeps selling out of ETSY, only to be restocked weeks or months later, so it's a total potshot if you can land one. If you do, spend the rest of the day sitting around stamping important memos with "All Your Base Are Belong to Us" and pretend you're important... or illiterate, or both!

Relative You Don't Particularly Care For But Will Probably Bring A Gift For You ($21 to $50)
The StealthSwitch ($24.99) The perfect way to keep your PC gaming under the radar when you are meant to be doing something else - like homework, office work, downloading pornography, etc.
The Art of the Video Game ($32): The coffee table book has long been the go-to gift for friends and relatives when you only know the very basics on where their interest lies. Josh Jenisch's The Art of the Video Game is a gorgeous hardcover book featuring tons of video game art covering the history of the industry, along with exclusive interviews with the creators and developers behind the games. It's the perfect way of saying, "Hey, I heard you were into those new-fangled video games."
Final Fantasy Plush Doll: Chocobo ($24.90): Turn frowns upside down forever with the Christmas-themed Chocobo from the Final Fantasy series. It's the yellowest stocking stuffer of the season!
Retro Duo Twin Video Game System NES & SNES ($44.99): If you can't bear the thought of laying down the Wii Points to replay NES and SNES games you already own, the Retro Duo Twin is the perfect solution. Put games in, hook up to TV, play. Brilliant!
Exercise Pedals ($27.99): Gamers don't move all that much. The more hardcore MMO players barely move at all. Even you may have experienced the cold sensation in your legs caused by the loss of circulation due to sitting at a desk for long periods of time. It's a problem easily solved by exercise pedals. Simple and inexpensive, a set of pedals is the ideal way to keep at least one part of your body fit while the rest of it sits on your ass.
Gears Of War Box Set ($45): They're toys! For Gears of War! So you can buy loads of them, and put them in your sandpit, and dig holes in it, and your Marcus and Dom guys can be all "ggrrrrrrrrr", and then "oh no!", and a hole opens up in the sand, and Locust come out, and they're all "ggrrrrrrrr", and then you're all "pew pew pew".
The Music Of Blizzard Entertainment: Legendary Edition ($49.95): The next best thing next to playing games is probably talking about them. Talk, however, is cheap, so the next best thing is listening to them, and listening experiences don't come better than this exquisitely-crafted soundtrack encompassing nearly all of Blizzard's games.
Tuttuki Bako Virtual Finger Game ($49.99): The barely-cared-for relative could make the ideal testing ground for this litmus test of a gift. Stick your finger in the hole. No, your finger.
Animated Pong Shirt ($34.95): And if you give this to a woman of ample bosom, now you have the perfect excuse for never making eye contact when you talk.
Rock Band 2 Triple Cymbal Expansion Kit Can't afford the Ion 2 Drum Set? Your little drummer boy, or girl, can set up these three cymbals and get crashing.
GA-KO Alarm Clock ($39.90): Limited to only 2,000 units, this is the same GA-KO alarm clock Sunny uses while cooking eggs in Metal Gear Solid 4. But hey, you can use it to quack your way out of bed in the morning. Rise and shine!
Mario Kart Wii Q Steer ($24): Vroom! Takara Tomy's Mario Kar Q Steer is a 1.7 inch mini remote controlled car able to move in 6 different directions. It even comes with Mario Kart items. Besides Mario, there are Yoshi, Luigi and Bowser Q Steer.
Donkey Kong Jenga ($24.99): In general I'm not a big fan of messing around with traditional toys and games, especially when it involves slapping the licenses IP of a video game onto it and calling it a day. But this DK Jenga does enough to make the game different, new and full of retro win.
Space Invaders Bendi Boad ($30 or so): Yes, I'm a Space Invaders freak, so this little bad boy tops my personal cmas list. OK, it doesn't TOP it, but it's on there. Space Invaders on a waterproof keyboard? Yes, please.

The Sweet Spot - Not too 'spensive, Not too cheap ($51 to $100)
Tetris/Breakout Piggybank ($58.78): Use it as a way of saving spare change, or just rationing your play time. If you give this to a terrible player they will be a millionaire by next Xmas - GUARANTEED. (note - the manufacturers do not guarantee millionaire status)
Amano The Complete Prints 1991-2001 ($79.90): Best known for his Final Fantasy illustrations, Yoshitaka Amano also provided his beautiful asethetic to Squaresoft titles like Front Mission. This book is a collection of a decade of work, complete with full page recreations. Amano The Complete Prints features a short bio of the artist as well.
Udon's Art Of Capcom ($99): A collection of Capcom-inspired art from the team at Udon, long-time artistic collaborators with the home of Mega Man. Little heavy on the Street Fighter side of things (at the expense of other series like Resident Evil), but still a great book.
Metroid Prime - Zero Suit Samus Statue ($99.90): Limited to only 2,500 pieces, this Zero Suit Samus is hand painted and hand finished. Samus wouldn't have it any other way — and neither would you. Statue is based on the Metroid Prime 2 Echoes Zero Suit.
Tranquility All-Through-the Night Adult Diapers ($84.00) The perfect complementary gift for a gamer who is also receiving Dead Space this year. Pack of 56 will see them through extend play even after unlocking 'Impossible' difficulty.
BACtrack Digital Breathalyzer ($79.99) As we have proven conclusively, drink-driving can really ruin your GTA experience. Avoid future mishaps by either a) not drinking or b) careful use of this little guy.
Haier Cool Blue Color Cube Mini Refrigerator & Freezer ($99.98): Gaming would be so much nicer if we never had to eat, sleep, or use the restroom. While the Haier Color Cube Mini Fridge won't help you with sleep or going to the bathroom (unless you are extremely creative), it will take care of keeping snacks and drinks both cold and within arm's reach, while remaining stylish enough that friends might not notice what a lazy ass you are.
Triple Floating Wall CD DVD Media Storage ($78.72): Get those video games up off the floor and display them proudly with the Triple Floating Wall CD DVD Media Storage rack. It's attractive, it hangs on the wall, and according to Amazon it normally retails for $467.99, so the $78 price tag is a steal. It holds 523 CDs, 213 DVDs, or a combination of the two, meaning that folks clinging to their Dreamcast and Psone titles don't miss out on display opportunities.
The Warriors: Luther Action Figure ($99.99): Comes with bottles you can stick on the end of his fingertips to reenact the "Come out to play-y-y-y-y!" conclusion of this cult classic, which Rockstar brought to PS2 and Xbox back in '05.
Rogue Leaders: The Story of LucasArts ($60): Coffee table books and Christmas go together like melted chocolates down in the toes of a Christmas stocking. And now you can get one about a developer. Take a stroll down memory lane with SCUMM, Corley Motors, and the Freelance Police, among many old friends.
Nike/Nintendo Air Max Classic ($80-$90): Nintendo shoes. For your feet. And, unlike most game-related apparel, they're surprisingly tasteful. Not out in stores just yet, so you'll have to go the EBay, route, meaning a little research on fake internet sneakers could be in order.
Nintendo Wall Graphics ($69.99): In case the Space Invader stickers didn't float your boat last year, these bad boys let you create your own Super Mario levels on your wall. And don't even pretend you won't try running through it when you're done with your GI Joe "action figure".
Bandai Gun Alarm Clock ($69.99): Waking up isn't any fun, not unless it's noon and you're waking up to walk to a beach chair and a pitcher full of Mojitos. This bad boy takes the sting of the early morning doldrums, better still it makes you wake up enough to take aim and silence the damn noise.
Custom Colored Guitar Hero Controllers From Colorware ($99 and up): Having your PlayStation 3 or Nintendo DS professionally painted borders on a little silly, not to mention potentially warranty smashing. Brightly customized Guitar Hero controllers make a hell of a lot more sense, especially if you're desperate for a Famicom color scheme for your fake ax.
Dragon Quest Silver Slime Pendant ($87.99): What cold-hearted monster of a person doesn't love the enduring Slime character from Dragon Quest? Certainly not the jewelry wearing recipient on your Christmas shopping list.

Person You Are Or Hope To Be Sleeping With ($100 to $500)
Real Arcade Pro 3 Special Addition ($189.90): Gear up for next year's fighting game flood — really just Street Fighter IV and Tekken 6 — with Hori's dee-luxe arcade stick. It's heavy, almost six pounds, due to its mounting plate. It's also authentic, thanks to its Sanwa parts.
Triumvir Shadoloo M-65 Jacket ($190.00): You'll enjoy fighting random foes online with style, thanks to Triumvir's take on the classic M-65 military jacket, decked out with Street Fighter details. It's classy, understated and a little bit bad-ass.
Video game Boom Cube ($119.00) Items of vibrating gaming furniture come and go, but few are described with the phrase "Interactive multimedia ottoman". In fact, none are - save this beauty.
Final Fantasy VIII: Master Arms Squalls Gunblade Die-Cast Replica ($129.99): Angst-filled backstory and ridiculous haircut not included.
Air Force II High Premium Atari 2600 ($100): Skateboarders who like classic consoles might get a kick out of these kicks, which feature 3M woodgrain around the soles, reminiscent of the original VCS.
World of Warcraft FigurePrints ($129.95 plus shipping): Statistically speaking, you know someone who is playing World of Warcraft right now, and if that person cannot pull themselves away from the game long enough to tell you what they want for Christmas, then what they want is a FigurePrint. It's a bit tricky to get one done, involving entering a drawing in order to even have a chance at ordering one, but when they unwrap the box to discover a meticulously detailed version of their alter ego under glass they might just stop playing long enough to give you a little lovin. Maybe.
PS3 Logitech Wireless Controller Premiere Edition ($249.99): Odds are someone you love also loves Guitar Hero, and should they love Guitar Hero and own a PlayStation 3 they are obviously someone with discerning tastes. Logitech's Wireless Premier Edition Guitar Hero controller was tailor made for the PS3 GH fan with discerning taste, with its rosewood fingerboard, wooden neck, and shiny metal tuning pegs. If they're going to have a fake guitar in their living room, it might as well be a gorgeous fake guitar.
Darth Vader 4-Port USB Hub ($69.99) and four <a href="Humping Dog USB Flash Drives ($9.99 each): Yeah, you see where we're headed with this combination ...
Chumby ($179.99): Sure you could use this friendly little beansack with an LCD to play games, or check out the weather, or watch videos, but better still, you can plop it on your nightstand and set it to Kotaku.com so we're the first thing you see when you wake up in the morning and the last you see when you go to sleep at night.
A Dog ($100-$500+): 2008 game meta-trend 1: Dogs. Fable 2 had one, Fallout 3 had one, and the dogs were crucial to the game. But you know what? They're make-believe dogs. And they were ugly. Real dogs are better. (Make sure the person you get one for really wants one first.)
MadCatz Street Fighter IV FightStick ($150): You weren't really going to play Street Fighter IV with a control pad, were you? A control pad? Hahahah. You silly thing. No, you don't want to use a control pad, you want to use one of these puppies. Do it properly.
Real Action Heroes - Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots - Raiden ($179.00): From Japanese figure maker Medicom comes this Raiden MGS4. The fully detailed figure is 12 inches high and is packaged with weapons and a figure stand.
Final Fantasy XII Sculpture Arts Pre-Painted PVC Statue: Balthier & Fran ($449.00): Need further proof that Japanese figure maker Kotobukiya isn't screwing around? Check this. Final Fantasy XII's Balthier and Fran tumble as an archway crumbles. It's limited and beautiful.
MiMo ($199): How better to feel like the master of your own destiny than with extra monitors that are tiny. The MiMo is a 7-inch touchscreen display with audio input, that uses a USB to give you that extra screen. Perfect for character sheets in most MMOs or, I don't know, watching Kotaku all the time.

Our Prices Are Insane ($500 and up)
Underground Shelter Complex ($7,500,000): 2008 game meta-trend 2: The Apocalypse. Zombies, nuclear weapons, 2008 was all about the end of the world. And what better way to survive the end of the world than with this tunnel complex beneath London, which will not only keep the zombies and radioactive fallout at bay, but will supply you and 8000 friends/family with fresh drinking water and free pool. Free pool! Amazing.
Dream Arcades Octane 120 Now with Xbox 360 version! ($6995): It's the most fun you'll ever have drinking and driving! Dream Arcades has outdone themselves with the Octane 120 custom built driving arcade cabinet, featuring a luxurious driving seat, home theater PC, 120 inch HD projection screen, and a steering wheel controller that now comes in both PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 compatible versions. Best of all, the Octane 120 comes with front AND rear beer taps, so your loved one can keep their drive drunk in their den without actually having to breach their home with their car.
Your own T72 Tank Starting at 50,000 Euro ($64,000): Sure, driving a tank in your favorite war game is fun and all, but where is the realism? HERE is the realism. TanksForSale.co.uk carries a wide variety of decommissioned military vehicles, ready to be deactivated enough to be legal for ownership in your particular country. Why would you want a tank? Aside from the obvious benefits of having a war machine in your back yard, this Russian T72 could easily be converted into the coolest war-gaming room ever, seating you and two friends in relative discomfort. Imagine rolling up to your next lan-party in this baby. Almost pays for itself, doesn't it?
Rent Roman ("Nominal fee"): Back in May, Jason Zumwalt, who voiced Roman Bellic in Grand Theft Auto IV, says he'll come over to your house and "play that goddamn video game with you." At least that's what he said in this satire video. Why not call his bluff? Zumwalt never says what his rate is, but residuals or no, he was surely paid five figures, at least, for his time. A thousand bucks should get you some quality time.
Drill-o-Matic ($4,769, Arcade version): The game that gave birth to a legend. If you've got the flow for this kind of gift, chances are you don't need to make a living off of it, like "Robert Jones." And who knows, maybe he'll show up at your door to completely bleed it of tickets.
Life-size Brotherhood of Steel Statue ($2500+): Back-to-base home alarms don't work. Guard dogs don't work. You want to deter unwanted guests, you pony up and get one of these guys. Standing over 7' tall, nothing says "stay the fuck away" like a protector of humanity's bleak, ravaged future.
Final Fantasy XII 1/1 Scale Artifacte: Judge Magister Gabranth's Helmet ($1,099) This Judge Magister Gabranth's helmet is 1/1 scale. Meaning? Meaning you might be able to figure out how to get the statue off it's display stand and wear it. Just think how great next Halloween would be!
Freedom Climber System ($9,995.00): Do games like Uncharted, Tomb Raider and Assassins Creed provide a realistic simulation of free climbing or not? Settle the debate once and for all with this cross between a climbing wall and an executive toy. Shipping free for a limited time!
Acer Predator ($1,500 and up): The real draw here is not this gaming PC's specs (Intel Core 2 Extreme, Nvidia nForce 780i SLI, 8GB memory), but what the PC's case does. It doesn't just "flip open". It transforms from a closed state to an open one. Do judge this book by its cover.
Your Own Missile Silo Retreat ($75,000): Sure Nebraska's Avoca Site 3 is a real fixer upper, but think of it more as a blank canvas, than as miles of leaking tunnels, water-filled rooms, deadly drops and perhaps a hang-out for the local teen tweakers. It used to (hopefully just used to) house city leveling missiles for cripes sake.
Isaburo Rucksack ($599.99) Boutique Japanese leatherworkers Isaburo, crafted this back around a hard PVC shell. Better still, the bag can be quickly configured as a backpack, messenger bag or attache. No one will ever know you've filled $600 in cow skin with DS, PSP, laptop and games.
A ride in John Carmack's crazy space fishbowl ($100,000): When he isn't developing the next generation of 3D engines or fiddling with amusing retro mobile games, iD's John Carmack helps run Armadillo Aerospace, a civilian spceflight outfit that is working on a 'fishbowl' orbital viewing platform for space tourists. Go on, you know you want to.
Eidos ($120 million): You can own all the intellectual properties under the Eidos umbrella for just a millions and millions and millions of dollars. Yes, SCi — now known as Eidos — is looking for a buyer. Don't let Warner Bros. or Square Enix steal this publisher out from under you!
Medieval Madness Pinball Machine ($5000): One of the greatest pinball machines of all time to feature the voiceover work of Tina Fey has been re-released for the low asking price of five grand USD. That's a bargain compared to the cost of a mint previously owned pinball table.

The categories are broken down into Bargains, Essentials and Hardware. Those interested in the "Things To Buy For Bashcraft" category, feel free to email.

Bargains:

Gears of War 2 (Asia Version - Region Free)
Price: US$42.18
Rating: Mature
It's already being called Game of the Year by some. Instead of paying full price for Gears of War 2, pick up a new copy of the region free Asia region version. Title has full English support.

Aquanaut's Holiday: Hidden Memories (English/Chinese Version - Region Free)
Price: $49.90
Rating: Everyone
Hidden Memories is the latest in the entry in Aquanaut's Holiday series. Players take the role of an underwater explorer and dive into the depths of deep blue. Currently, the game does not have a Western release slated, but the "English/Chinese version" has localized language options. Better yet, it's cheaper than the Japanese original.

Fable II (Asia Version - Region Free)
Price: $38.33
Rating: Mature
One of this year's biggest action RPGs, Fable II lets players chose between being good or evil. You know what's evil? Paying full price for Fable II. You know what's good? Getting the (cheaper) region free Asia version.

Mirror's Edge (Asia Version - Region Free)
Price: $48.99 (with free international shipping)
Rating: Teen
Do you like running? What about jumping? Kicking people? Then first-person-parkour game Mirror's Edge is for you. Hate paying full price for new games? Then get the Asia version.

Hakuna Makata (Afrika) (English/Chinese Version - Region Free)
Price: $49.90
Rating: Everyone
PS3 exclusive Afrika is out this month in North America, but Sony does not have plans to bring the title to Europe. What does that mean for European PS3 owners who want to take in-game pictures of wild animals? It means they've got to import. The Asia version has full English support and a new title to boot: Hakuna Makata. Makes us want to watch The Lion King. Over and over and over again.

Essentials:
Ketsui Death Label (Region free - Bonus DVD Japanese Region Only)
$58.90
Rating: Everyone
Ketsui isn't just a shooter, but an environment shooter! Set in the global warming ravaged future, the vertical scrolling shooting game has players join a United Nations elite squad to take down a rouge arms dealer. Akira's port of bullet hell shooter from venerated Japanese arcade dev Cave . Ketsui Death Label offers different skill level modes — some ideal for pick up and play. This special box set includes a Superplay DVD as well.

Ikkitousen: Eloquent Fist [Limited Edition With Original Figure Set]
$87.99
Rating: CERO C (15 years old and up)
PSP schoolgirl beat 'em up Ikki Tousen: Eloquent Fist offers more than fan service. It offers knuckle sammiches *and* fan service. Based on the popular Ikki Tousen manga/anime, Eloquent Fist is a brawler adventure game mash-up and boasts over 4,000 animated cutscenes to boot. Cutscenes are in Japanese, but the clothes-ripping-off parts should be universal.

Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Cross Generation of Heroes (Japanese Nintendo Wii Only)
Rating: CERO B (12 years old and up)
$70.99
Japanese game company Capcom dishes out knuckle sandwiches to Japanese animation studio Tatsunoko in this Wii port of the arcade title Tatsunoko vs. Capcom. Think Marvel vs. Capcom but with Casshern and Yatterman! The title is not likely to get a Western release due to licensing issue, but Capcom USA is working on that. In the meantime, import, import, import.

DoDonPachi Dai Ou Jou Black Label Extra (Japanese Xbox 360 Only)
Rating: Everyone
$65.90
The Xbox 360 port features the original arcade version of Cave's manic arcade shooter as well as the "Black Label" version — identifiable by its black title screen. There's also a beginner's mode called "X Mode," which is perfectly for those not quite accustomed to maneuvering through a blanket of projectiles. More extras for DoDonPachi Dai Ou Jou Black Label Extra is online ranking, a replay function so you can watch your own play and a new green outfit wearing character named "Piper."

DJ Max Portable Emotional Sense — Clazziquai Edition [Special Package]
$49.90
Rating: Everyone
First question: Like DJ Max rhythm games? If yes, continue. Second question: Like Clazziquai? If yes, this is your game. (For those who do not know Clazziquai, check this and this and this. Delights!) The Korean group teamed up with developer Pentavision for this more casual DJ Max title — “casual” is not a pejorative term here. DJ Max is reason enough to own a PSP, and Clazziquai is reason enough to own this title.

Thunder Force VI (Japanese PS2 Only)
$59.90
Rating: Everyone
No doubt horizontally scrolling shmup Thunder Force VI is one of the PS2's last great swan songs. It's been a little over ten years since Thunder Force V hit the SEGA Saturn and when developer Technosoft was purchased by a pachinko company, it didn't look like we'd ever see another Thunder Force. We here we are! Thunder Force VI was directed by SEGA's Tetsu Okano, best know for Japan only title Segagaga.

Wind and Water: Puzzle Battles (Region Free - Dreamcast)
Rating: Everyone
$39.99
Would it be Christmas without a new Dreamcast game? Probably. But Costa Rican developer Yuan Works does its best to offer holiday cheer with this DC title. The puzzle game has players match elements to clear blocks from the board. Featuring English and Japanese language support, the Dreamcast release is being handled by European publisher redspotgames.

Hardware:
DISSIDIA: Final Fantasy [20th Anniversary Limited Pack]
Rating: CERO C (15 years old and up)
$349.90
Unless you are proficient in Japanese (or decent enough at navigating it), the main draw here isn’t necessarily the Japanese language fighting game, but the DISSIDIA PSP — and the pretty box it comes in! Included is a copy of the game and a limited (and classy) DISSIDIA PSP-3000.

Hori Classic Controller
$29.90
Just in time for all the GameCube games Nintendo is re-releasing for the Wii comes this Classic Controlled. Made by Japanese peripheral maker Hori, the controller features autofire switches for every button on the controller. It's available in three colors: Black, white and light blue.

Nintendo DSi (Region free for DS games, locked for DSi games)
$249.00
Nintendo's latest edition to the Nintendo DS line-up brings a 17 percent larger screen and two embedded digital cameras. It's smaller than the DS Lite and is lighter than the Lite, too! While it does not play GBA titles, the portable does have a SD card slot. It does not feature English language support, however. Comes in white and black.

Mobile Suit Gundam: Gundam vs. Gundam [PSP Bundle]
Rating: Everyone
$379.99 (with free international shipping)
One of the big, hot popular titles in Japan this fall is Namco Bandai's Gundam vs. Gundam, which brings thirty plus Gundams from various series together in one game. Originally an arcade game, the PSP version includes several bonus mechas. The PSP bundle includes the game and a Gundam vs. Gundam PSP-3000. Game is, like most things in Japan, in Japanese.

Otomedius Gorgeous + Hyper Stick Pro (Japanese Consoles Only)
Rating: CERO C (15 years old and up)
$389.90
It’s always nice to see incredibly pricey game hardware designed specially for one game. Famed Japanese peripheral maker Hori worked with Konami to created this stick designed to recreate the Otomedius arcade experience at home. The Hori hyper stick pro boasts a touch pad just like the original arcade version. The bundle includes the game as well as a set of six tin badges.

Bargains:

Essentials:

Socializers

Epics

The page is designed to help you select a number of games and pieces of hardware to put on your gift list. It then creates an email post card that it sends out to a friend telling them what you want.

Here's the odd thing though, it's only for the DS and of the 25 games listed more than half are from last year. Here's a break down of the games from this year that Nintendo thinks are worth buying:

Kirby Super Star Ultra
Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir
Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia
Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force
MySims Kingdom
Kung Fu Panda: Legendary Warriors
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa Video Game
High School Musical 3: Senior Year
Drawn To Life: SpongeBob SquarePants Edition
Star Wars The Clone Wars: Jedi Alliance
Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades
Disney's Bolt

Looking through that list of titles from this year, I see a lot of movie and television adaptions and exactly four games I would recommend to my friends. I could let this pass, heck even feed a flamewar by saying that there were no good games for the DS this year, but that's simply not true.

Look at our gift guide. There were plenty of options. Where's Chrono Trigger, Metal Slug 7, Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, VGA-nominated The World Ends With You?

This is the sort of list I'd make for the DS if I worked for Sony, not Nintendo. What gives?

Gift Center

The guide is split into four different sections. We've got your Bargains, for those of you who want to stretch their holiday dollar; essential titles that every PlayStation 3 owner has to play (it's the law); social titles to lure your friends and family around the console; and finally epic titles that will devour your very soul and spit it out in a slightly moist but terribly happy little holiday lump.

Nothing like the smell of freshly opened games on a cold winter morning...

Bargains
PixelJunk Monsters
Price: $9.99 via PlayStation Network
Rating: Everyone
Addictive tower defense gameplay meets quirky audio and visual style in Q-Games' PixelJunk Monsters. Defend your creatures from the approaching hordes by placing towers along their path. Simple and addicting. The Otograph music alone is worth the price of admission, having resulted in the soundtrack being released as the first audio album on the PlayStation Network.

PixelJunk Eden
Price: $9.99 via PlayStation Network
Rating: Everyone
Another in Q-Games' PixelJunk series, Eden is a game that is hard to put into words. Grip and swing your way through various gardens, collecting pollen to allow new plants to bloom, opening up new paths for you to explore. Challenging and relaxing, all at once.

WipeOut HD
Price: $19.99 via PlayStation Network
Rating: Everyone 10+
Take the classic gameplay of the original futuristic racing game Wipeout, crank things up to a blistering fast 60 frames per second running at full HD 1080p, tack on an excellent soundtrack in Dolby 5.1 surround and you're in for one hell of a sweet ride. With new tracks and vehicles promised by way of future DLC, WipeOut HD is the gift that keeps on giving.

Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords - Revenge of the Plague Lord
Price: $14.99 via PlayStation Network
Rating: Everyone 10+
Ah, Puzzle Quest. We cannot escape you, nor would we want to. The PlayStation 3 version of the puzzle/RPG hybrid that originally took the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP by storm contains all the fun of the original game plus the Revenge of the Plague Lord expansion that was released on the Xbox 360 earlier this year.

Echochrome
Price: $9.99 via PlayStation Network
Rating: Everyone
Echochrome is an excellent example of the unique, creative games that are the hallmark of the PlayStation Network. In a world populated by Oscar Reutersvärd's impossible constructions, getting from point A to point B is entirely a matter of perception. Guide a wooden mannequin through bizarre pathways by rotating the shapes it walks upon. It's like an interactive brain teaser that forces you to take a new look at the way you play.

Essentials

LittleBigPlanet
Price: $59.99
Rating: Everyone
The game everyone is talking about. On the surface, LittleBigPlanet is a relatively simplistic yet challenging platformer, but once you roll up your sleeves and start realizing your own creations with its rich editing tools it becomes something altogether different. LittleBigPlanet could very well be the game that defines the PlayStation 3.

Resistance 2
Price: $59.99
Rating: Mature
The follow-up to the best launch title for the PS3, Insomniac's first-person shooter continues the epic tale of man versus mutant that started in Resistance: Fall of Man. While the story mode delivers action on a scale seldom seen in a first-person shooter, the 60-player online multiplayer and MMO-style online co-op promises to keep players running and gunning for years to come.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Price: $46.99
Rating: Mature
The game that launched a million PlayStation 3 consoles. If you own a PlayStation 3 and haven't experienced the final chapter in Hideo Kojima's epic Metal Gear series, then you simply aren't getting the most out of your console. You'll be hard pressed to find a more emotionally-charged game on any platform. Just beware - intense cravings for fried eggs may occur.

Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction
Price: $41.99
Rating: Everyone 10+
Insomniac takes their classic action platforming duo to a whole new level in Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction. Along with being one fine showcase for the graphical horse[power of the PlayStation 3, Tools of Destruction stays true to the series' roots, delivering solid action and top-notch platforming while still remaining as family-friendly as ever.

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
Price: $41.99
Rating: Teen
Developer Naughty Dog of Jak & Daxter and Crash Bandicoot fame show that they can work their magic on more realistic characters in Uncharted: Drakes' Fortune, an epic summer adventure movie you can play. It's got plenty of shooting, dizzying platforming elements, and some of the best-acted characters ever seen in a video game. It's Indiana Jones and the Lost Treasure of El Dorado, only without Indiana Jones.

Socializers

Rock Band 2
Price: $189.99
Rating: Teen
You can't get much more social than Rock Band 2. You can barely go to any large gathering of people these days without finding the game set up, and once you build it, the people will come. Almost as fun to watch as it is to play, Rock Band 2 snags a recommendation over the competition because of its massive song library. Still no "The Touch" by Stan Bush, but we remain hopeful.

SingStar Bundle
Price: $59.99
Rating: Teen
Say what you will about your full band games, I contend that SingStar is an even better party game than either of the major guitar and drum touting franchises. Why? Because with those, people can escape singing. SingStar doesn't play that. It's all hideous embarrassment, all the time.

Buzz! Quiz TV Bundle
Price: $59.99
Rating: Teen
Not only does Buzz! Quiz TV provide hours of family-friendly entertainment plus the ability to create and share your own quizzes with the world, it also comes bundled with four wireless Buzz buzzers, perfect for forcefully throwing at friends and family members who are just too smart for their own damn good. They should really package this game with buzzer-proof helmets.

Eye Of Judgment
Price: $66.99
Rating: Teen
The perfect gift for the collectible card game addict in your life, Eye of Judgment comes packaged with the PlayStation Eye camera, which promotes a whole different kind of social interaction as well. As an added plus, card booster packs make excellent follow-up gifts, as do the high-powered movie set lighting you need to play the game at night.

Soul Calibur IV
Price: $56.99
Rating: Teen
Fighting games, once the cornerstone of the arcade social scene, still remain an excellent way to pass the time with a horde of slightly drunk friends. Soul Calibur IV not only has a ton of characters to beat on each other with, you can add to the humiliation by pwning your pals with your custom-created fighter - naked mohawk man wearing pink diaper.

Epics

Valkyria Chronicles
Price: $56.99
Rating: Teen
Sega's beautiful take on the strategy RPG couples an gorgeous hand-sketched graphics style with one of the most innovative combat system that integrates 3rd person action with turn-based tactics. The game features more than 100 customizable characters and an epic storyline sure to keep you playing through to the very end. As an added plus, Valkyria Chronicles is a PlayStation 3 exclusive, so you can always rub that in your Xbox-owning friends' faces.

Disgaea 3 Absence of Justice
Price: $39.99
Rating: Teen
When you are talking epics, you're talking Disgaea. NIS America has been creating turn-based strategy RPG shut-ins since the original Disgaea on the PlayStation, and the third installment is no different. Class world alone features 40 stages for each of the more than 270 characters, or 10,800 different stages. Add to that the story stages, item world, and an infinite number of randomly generated battle maps, and you could play Disgaea 3 for years.

BioShock
Price: $56.99
Rating: Mature
Last year's Xbox 360 epic is this year's PlayStation 3 epic as 2K's tale decadence, delirium, and death under the sea makes the leap to Sony's console. The PS3 version of the game adds a new difficulty mode to the title, along with console-exclusive downloadable content that'll be available in plenty of time for Christmas.

Fallout 3
Price: $59.99
Rating: Mature
Bethesda has proven time and time again with their Elder Scrolls series that they know epic, and their take on the Fallout universe fits the bill quite nicely. You can spend days explore the wasteland surrounding the ruins of Washington D.C., doing battle, scavaging supplies to build new weapons, making friends, killing said friends, making new friends - the possibilities are endless.

Grand Theft Auto IV
Price: $53.99
Rating: Mature
Cars to steal, prostitutes to kill out of shame after they leave your car. The Liberty City presented in Grand Theft Auto IV is truly a massive playground at your fingertips. Not only has Rockstar given us all the tools we need for months of mindless destruction, they added in highly entertaining multiplayer modes so we can share the experience with random people over the internet.

Whatever side of the giving/receiving divide you find yourself on, Kotaku can help. Givers - print out our handy gift guides and carry them with you to the shops (or just open them in another tab while you browse Amazon or whatever - this is 2008 after all). Would-be receivers - leave the guides open on the PCs of family members, stuff printouts into pockets or down the side of the sofa where your prey loved one can find them or just grab people by the lapels and scream the URL directly into their faces.

As before, we have split this guide to the best in PSP and DS gaming into Bargains (cheap, yet cheerful), Essentials (should already be on your to-play list), Socializers (multiplayer magnificence) and Epics (life destroying time sinks).

Bargains

Iron Chef America (DS)
Price: $19.99
Rating: Everyone

A surprise hit at Kotaku Towers. In a sense this is just an IP-licensed knock-off of 'Cooking Mama' yet somehow the sheer bluster and absurdity of the TV show carries through and makes this more fun than it has any right to be.

Metroid Prime: Hunters (DS)
Price: $16.75
Rating: Teen

Still the best portable FPS around, Metroid Prime Hunters has plenty to offer fans of the 2D series or anyone looking for an engaging 3D shmup with exploratory/puzzle elements. The intuitive controls are the next best thing to Mouse/Keyboard for 3D shooting and the boss battles require thought as well as firepower.

Lumines II (PSP)
Price: $22.70
Rating: E10+

Better than the original on every level, Lumines II is a solid, fast-paced puzzler with a great soundtrack and plenty of extra modes to keep you coming back for more. Gameplay is hard to describe, but easy to understand in practice.

Beats (PSP)
Price: $5
Rating: E

Quirky rhythm action gaming bundled with a 'music creator' toy. The ability to play levels based on tracks stored on your memory stick gives this a lot of extra life and means that - finally! - Melt Banana can have their rhythm game debut.

Puzzle Quest: Challenge Of The Warlords (DS)
Price: $19.99
Rating: E

Tacking on a 'story mode' to a puzzle game is usually an exercise in pointless dialogue and applied lameness, but in Puzzle Quest the RPG elements really do add depth and turns the already addictive Bejewelled-style gem matching into a form of combat. It sounds daft, but it works.

Essentials

God of War: Chains Of Olympus (PSP)
Price: $33.99
Rating: M

Like Jessica Alba with a dose of the Rage virus GoW:CoO is absurdly violent, but beautifully put together. This is probably the best looking PSP title yet, with detailed backgrounds and character animations that would not look out of place on a 'proper' console. Well balanced fighting and slick production make this one of the PSP standouts of 2008.

Patapon (PSP)
Price: 19.99
Rating: E

A rhythm-based RTS? Why, yes - and one with a fantastic visual style at that. Patapon is a tough little nut and an acquired taste for some but it more than lives up to its inspired art direction.

Castlevania Order Of Ecclesia (DS)
Price: $27.99
Rating:T

Yes, it is hard - bastard hard - but you wont find a more polished action platformer in the class of 2008. Intense boss battles and a brand new magic system make this a welcome addition to the series.

Bangai-O Spirits (DS)
Price: $19.99
Rating:E +10

Insane J-Shoot-em-up of the OHMYGODDNO! school of frenzied blasting. Initially bewildering to play, with practice you will become death, destroyer of flashy things. This is the kind of thing that goes on in Jeff Minter's head all the time.

Lock's Quest (DS)
Price: $27.99
Rating:E

The Tower Defense genre seems ideally suited to a touchscreen device, but Lock's Quest takes the idea and runs with it, adding layers of micromanagement and minigames. The result is a well rounded game that expands a casual time waster into something much more.

Socializers

Mario Kart DS (DS)
Price: $33.99
Rating:E

What more is there to say about Mario Kart? Nintendo managed to bottle lightning in creating this one - a masterclass in simple elements combining to be more than the sum of their parts. Still one of the most fun ways for four people to spend time together that doesn't rate an NSFW tag and a premium video stream.

GRID (DS)
Price: $19.99
Rating:E

If you prefer your DS racing experience to be a little lighter on the Mushroom Mobiles and place greater emphasis on real-world vehicles and tracks, GRID offers a well designed driving experience that never sacrifices fun in favour of realism.

Advance Wars: Days of Ruin (DS)
Price: $28.99
Rating:E

The Advance Wars formula was simplified in some respects for this version but the core values remain - pitch perfect combat, accessibility and levels of addictiveness that make crack seem merely a bit moreish.

Monster Hunter Portable Freedom 2 (PSP)
Price: $44.98
Rating:T

Merely 'quite fun' as a single player game, MHPF2 takes a turn for the awesome when you get your friends involved. At the London Games Expo this year, Capcom had a special Monster Hunter chillout area where players could gather for ad-hoc group adventures. And gather they most certainly did.

Buzz! Master Quiz (PSP)
Price: $19.99
Rating:E 10+

PSP Multiplayer doesn't have to be about killing things or crashing into other things - Buzz is a quickfire quiz that will appeal to anyone wanting a quick, fun party game. Just give us more questions next time.

Epics

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (PSP)
Price: $27.99
Rating:T

The FF VII gang enter the Flashback Booth for more floppy-haired RPG action. Cue hours of solid gameplay within an engrossing story that stands up to the best the series has to offer. Lucky westerners get to play on 'Hard Mode' for the first time, too.

Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution (DS)
Price: $29.99
Rating: E 10+

Always absorbing, Civ gets a streamlined makeover that makes the most of the DS interface and provides instantly accessible play with surprising depth. If you have never succumbed to the Civ magic, this could be the perfect introduction.

Disgaea DS (DS)
Price: $27.99
Rating: E

Deeper than a Zen master reading Kierkegaard at bottom of the Marianas Trench, Disgaea DS has cunning combat and a compelling story that will drag you into strategy hell. Or Heaven, depending on how you look at it.

Football Manager Handheld 2009 (PSP)
Price: $37.89 (£24.99)
Rating:3+ (PEGI)

(or "Worldwide Soccer Manager Handheld 2009" in the US) The fearsomely addictive stat grinding of the FM series has the power to end relationships and sap the very marrow out of bones. The 2009 incarnation features multiple leagues, better in-match displays and even more finely tuneable player statistics.

The World Ends With You (DS)
Price: $39.99
Rating: T

Setting TWEWY in the surreal real-life fantasy land of Shibuya, Tokyo was a stroke of genius - but by no means the best thing about this quirky RPG. Innovative combat that makes full use of the dual screens and an intricate device levelling system will draw you in and tickle the gameplay receptors in your brain.

We've broken down the choices into four categories: The value picks that save you some dough, but are still very much appreciated by gamers; the essentials, the It games of 2008 that everyone's talking about; socializers, games that are more fun played among friends or online; and the epics, the whole worlds within a retail box that may take up to a month to fully explore. All prices quoted come from Amazon unless otherwise noted.

Alright, bring on the gifts!

Bargains
The Orange Box
Price: $27.99.
Rating: Teen to Mature
A gift that keeps on giving even more than a year after its release, and well more than three years since Half-Life 2 for the original Xbox. You get it, the FPS multiplayer Team Fortress 2, and Portal. All three of these titles are still strongly relevant to the ongoing conversations of serious gamers. There's also word that Valve will be delivering its TF2 class updates to the Xbox 360 sometime soon, helping The Orange Box remain a bang-for-the-buck winner going into its second year.

2000 Xbox Live Points to buy Bionic Commando: Rearmed and Castle Crashers
Price: $25 (BCR is 800 XBox Live points; Castle Crashers is 1200) Note: The 2100 points card apparently is no longer available, but you can get 2000 on Live. I suggest writing up your own gift certificate and giving cash.
Rating: BCR: Mature; Crashers: Teen
Bionic Commando: Rearmed is one of the truly great games of the year, downloadable or otherwise. A remake of 1988's 8-bit Bionic Commando, this "love note to the entire sidescrolling genre" delivers an experience that is equally nostalgic and newly entertaining. Castle Crashers is The Behemoth's highly anticipated multiplayer 2D beat-em up slam full of action and hilarity. Gift cards may seem like a cop-out, but not when they can buy these two games.

Bioshock
Price: $27.99
Rating: Mature
If you're short on coin but want to give an epic, you can't go wrong with 2007's game-of-the-year pick for many. Bioshock's dystopic future-set-in-the-past environment was well ahead of the trend for this year's Fallout 3 and Resistance 2. Mainstream media critics lined up to cover it in praise, saying that it more than holds its own with a genuinely thought-provoking story and deep gameplay.

Bully: Scholarship Edition
Price: $27.99
Rating: Teen
This finally dropped for the 360 in March, two years after it hit the PS2. No one does sandboxers like Rockstar, and Bully does not disappoint. The main story contains as much cynicism, satire and irony as you'd imagine, and is supported by a nearly endless map of side missions and collectibles. Once the carnival unlocks you'll spend days playing hooky there.



Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
Price: $29.99
Rating: Mature
Another go-with-a-winner pick. If BioShock substitutes for Fallout 3, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare substitutes for this year's Call of Duty: World at War. And for some, 2007's top shooter surpasses this year's sequel, because it set an almost impossible standard to continue. If your gamer's shooter-inclined, maybe he has this one already, but if not — or if he's not much of a shooter — definitely make the introduction.


Essentials
Left 4 Dead
Price: $53.99
Rating: Mature
Zombies might be a bit of an overdone meme for some games (ahem, Call of Duty: World at War) but by getting back to basics — zombies versus shotgun-packing pissed-off noninfected survivors in a darkened, quarantined city — shows strong potential this one is a winner. Plus it’s Valve, and when they train their guns on something, they usually blow it right off the map.

Braid
Price: 1200 Xbox Live points (You can get 1600 for $17.99)
Rating: Everyone 10+
Roundly hailed as the best downloadable game ever, Braid is a truly novel platformer with thought-provoking storytelling that puts its retail cousins to shame. If gaming, like film or theater, has a basic level of cultural relevance expected of those who enjoy it, Braid certainly became a part of that this year. The price might make it a value, but its experience makes it essential.


Dead Space
Price: $56.99
Rating: Mature
That’s three mature titles, two of them survival horror. But this is a standard bearer not only in its genre, but for game development over all. The Electronic Arts team asked set out to make a game that they themselves would want to play. We want to play it too. Just with all the lights on. At high noon. With our backs to a wall.


Soulcalibur IV
Price: $56.99
Rating: Teen
Here's your choice in the fighter genre. Soulcalibur’s fourth installment is the first on current-gen hardware, bringing along Yoda (as a standard character, you can download Vader if you want) into the lineup of SC faves. Rated for teens, but the jigglefest makes giving it to one who’s particularly hormonal a smidge risky. Yes, Ivy, we’re looking at you. Oh, yes, we’re looking at you.


Burnout Paradise
Price: $27.99
Rating: Everyone 10+
Every console owner needs a racer, and although this one has been out for quite sometime, it gets the nod as an essential for gameplay that isn’t as intensely difficult as the later Midnight Club: Los Angeles. Need for Speed: Underground is too new, so the jury’s still out on its essential-ness. If your friend is a racer, any of these three are a strong call, but Burnout takes the flag for the overall package.

Socializers
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe
Price: $56.99
Rating: Teen
Just out as of Sunday. The characters involved make this the fighter choice among friends — who wouldn’t want to line up and beat ass as The Joker, or the Flash? Plus Wonder Woman and Catwoman supply the requisite fighter eye candy.




Rock Band 2
Price: Game only $56.99. Instruments and game, $189.99
Rating: Teen
This and Guitar Hero form the most social experience of any single game out there right now. With the instrument set, it’s a party in a box, although you can say the same thing about the Wii for not much more in price (MSRP, anyway.) If you are buying instruments, weigh that choice very carefully. Rock Band, the originator of the four-instrument setup, gets the nod here for both set list and instrument reliability.

Madden 09
Price: $56.99
Rating: Everyone
Electronic Arts added in the Madden IQ feature to make its genre-defining sports simulation much more accessible to less sophisticated players. that feature’s a work in progress, but when you’re playing among friends, you’re glitching and goofing and going for it on 4th and 40 anyway, so the lack of realism isn’t really missed.


Lego Batman
Price: $49.99
Rating:Everyone 10+
Legos and the holidays are a decades-old partnership. Lego Batman’s cooperative gameplay, awesome minifigs and laugh-out loud cutscenes are lots of fun on your own, even better with a buddy.




Need for Speed: Undercover
Price: $59.99
Rating: Teen
The deep customization engine and fleet of real vehicles are well suited for online play. Nothing beats building your real car, or at least the one you wish you had, and dropping the hammer on your pals. NFSU features the standard online racing action as well as the “Cops and Robbers” mode, which are both cooperative and competitive.




Epics
Grand Theft Auto IV
Price: $37.99
Rating: Mature
I forget what the final time figure was, to get to 100 percent completion, but regardless of that, you’re going to want to see and experience everything in Rockstar’s beautiful, grimy, jaded land of opportunity called Liberty City. The fact that Niko Bellic walks by default, instead of running, tells you that they wanted you to take your time with it.




Fallout 3
Price: $56.99
Rating: Mature
Fallout is difficult to encapsulate in a few sentences, but it was an RPG phenomenon on PCs in the late 1990s, so this is the first introduction to it for many console players. The sprawling expanse of the annihilated wasteland presents an almost infinite set of outcomes, leaving you feeling like you completely hallucinated another life for yourself.




Fable II
Price: $59.99
Rating: Mature
The 360’s definitive fantasy role playing game, Fable II presents Albion as an immense tapestry upon which to paint the story of your character’s life. The consequence driven engine immerses a player in role playing like no other game can, while the action sequences are entertaining enough to keep a player going for hours.




Gears of War 2
Price: $56.99
Rating: Mature
If any shooter deserves this much time and attention from a gamer, it’s Gears 2, because Epic Games certainly poured more than its share of work into it. Gears 2 provides the expected ultra-level of action and carnage, but it also further develops its increasingly iconic characters, the human bulwarks against a world gone mad.




Prince of Persia
Price: $59.99
Rating: Teen
This won’t be out for another two weeks (Dec. 2), but the franchise’s history, plus what we’ve heard of the story, plus the unique cell-shaded graphic design of the game are enough get a bid in the epic department. The game introduces Elika, a supporting character who ensures the Prince never dies, meaning it shares more than just an engine in common with Assassin’s Creed. Leave it to Ubisoft to come up with a new way to save yourself from yourself.

See, if you read the site regularly you'd probably know I only write posts on the hour and that since I'm in Australia, I don't usually wake up and starting writing "live" until 1 p.m. Denver time, or so.

For those of you finalists who figured it out, good for you. Now the first person to answer the question found on the jump in the comments for this post will win the $500 gift certificate.

Question: What items from the 2007 Gift Guide of Obscene Nicety and Sublime Naughtyness would you spend your $500 if you won. Remember it has to be on our gift guide and equal $500. It also doesn't have to be just one item.

I'm sure by now most everyone has heard of the one laptop, one child program. Back in 2002 an MIT professor traveling in Cambodia was struck with the idea of getting affordable, durable, low-energy laptops into the hands of every child in the world. To do this he helped found One Laptop per Child, which worked to create a cheap laptop which met those needs.

The XO is that laptop. The XO is hard drive free, has a very low power consuming screen and super powerful Wi-Fi antennas, but the neatest this is the XO's design, which features a "transformer hinge", allows it to function as an educational laptop, and e-reader and even a gaming device. The laptop features what appear to be a D-pad and perhaps a thumbstick of some sort built into the front of the case on either side of the screen, according to the site.

The XO laptop features two sets of four-direction cursor-control keys, built into the display frame. These keys act as game controllers that can be used when the screen is up, or when it's folded down into e-book mode, creating a self-contained game player.

The laptop runs Linux and has some unique interface designs which I'm sure will quickly lead to some game coming out for it. From now until the end of the year the One Laptop, One Child organization is running a special promotion. For $400 you can donate one laptop to a child in a developing nation and receive one XO for your own child. (Turns out the laptops run about $200 a pop to make.)

Seems like a very neat idea for a holiday gift.

Laptop Giving

This week's Sunday Telegraph Magazine, the Sydney Telegraph's weekend magazine, includes a Tech Guide which gives readers a chance to "Eye up this year's latest and greatest, from all singing and dancing mobile phones to the mod squad of gadgets."

Only one video game console made the cut to be included in the five-page special feature. Listed under the category "Beyond" with a laptop, digital weather station, keyboard and wireless mouse and home digital media player is the Playstation 3.

Game consoles have come a long way, and so too have the price tags. For those among us who winced when Sony released its PlayStation 3 with a $1000 price tag, the company has wiped $300 off just in time for Christmas. The new 40GB model doesn't quite match the 60GB model that was released earlier this year, but should provide enough storage and features to keep gamers happy, pumping out exceptional gaming experience at a more affordable price. And don't forget, it connects to the internet and plays music and high-definition Blu-Ray DVDs, too.

Nothing against the PS3, certainly not now that its dropped its price and is getting some amazing games for the holidays, but it does seem weird to not include the 360 and Wii, especially without any explanation.

Every year the holidays roll around and every year I promise myself, the rest of Kotaku Tower and sometimes even the readers that we're going to get off our collective asses and actually write up a gift guide. But the thing is, I hate gift guides. The hate, I think, comes from spending 12 years of my life working at newspapers where the list, the gift guide, the annual must-write-story was a thing to dread and hate. This was because as a newspaper writer you weren't allowed to buck any trends or come up with neat ideas for things like gifts, instead you had to roll out the list of things people already knew about and polish them up to make them sound new and interesting.

While I suppose you could say the same about this, our first real gift guide, I'd like to think that it holds some surprises and delights. Personally, I've already started bugging everyone I know to pool their money together and buy me Pigeon Island (Fahey's find) for my next 50 Christmases and Birthdays rolled into one.

If a $400,000 private island in the Caribbean isn't your cup of tea (and it better not be because it's MINE, ALL MINE), you're still bound to find something that tickles your fancy among this list of goodies complies by all of Kotaku's writers, be it a Japanese Gesture book or a life-sized Gundam.

Mandatory Secret Santa (Under $20)

8-bit Tie ($19.99): Nothing says "I don't care about this church ceremony" as much as a polyester, clip-on tie that's pixelated all to hell. It's the perfect way to show the gamer in your life you don't care how they dress.
Super Mario Stylus Pen ($8.59): This is the thickest DS stylus on the market. Two words: bragging rights.
Halo 3 Original Soundtrack ($12.99): Because if Bungie got one thing right with Halo, it was the music. And maybe Halo.
Animal Crossing Mugs ($10) - Coffee and Animal Crossing, what better combination?
Dot-Pin Toys ($9 - 19): For those of you like to make stuff but have better things to do with your time than start from scratch, I've always loved the dot-pin toys. There are a number of different types floating around, but vintage video games are especially suited to the low-tech peg and board sets.
FINAL FANTASY Series Plush SANTA CHOCOBO ($19.99)Nothing says holiday spirit like a Chocobo plush in a dashing Santa cap and cape. Bonus mistletoe garnish makes it irresistibly perfect for practicing your gamer's first kiss.
70 Japanese Gestures ($8.99) Learning to speak Japanese is hard. Learning Japanese gestures, not!
McFarlane Spartan Soldier Mark VI Armor (White) ($12.99) Sure, it's a pre-order, but just like with Halo 3: The Game, you must wait patiently for Halo 3: The Toy.
Altair Figure ($19.90) For those without a 360, PS3 or DS, buy this, then use it to sneak up on your Transformers before dropping quietly from the roof to slip a knife between their metal ribs.
Masters Of Doom ($7-8) Great book about the early days of id. Strange kids. Bonus appearance by American McGee.
NAMCO Sound Trading Figure ($7.49): Screw Pokemon, you gotta get all of these. Pressing a button plays a nostalgia-inducing playback of some in-game music. You can also set up the little pixel art to pretend you're playing. Pew, pew, pew!
Mass Effect: Revelation ($7.99): Not only is this probably the best video-game-themed paperback to hit stores, it also provides a much needed introduction into the world of Mass Effect.
Contact Harvest, Hellgate London Exodus ($8 to $15): Video game novels make excellent gifts as well as being an introduction to certain games for the uninitiated. There are some great reads out there this holiday season, including Mel Odom's Hellgate: London - Exodus, which I am currently reading, or Joseph Staten's new Halo novel, Contact Harvest. Note that younger gamers might need to be introduced to the concept of books.
Cake Decorating For Dummies ($13.59): Another book, I know, but you've got to do your part if you want to keep Kotaku in cake-themed posts for years to come. If you've got a friend into cooking, pick up this book from Amazon, wait a few months, and then begin seeding their minds with your idea of the perfect video game cake. It's sneaky and underhanded, but in a good way.

Relative You Don't Particularly Care For But Will Probably Bring A Gift For You ($21 to $50)

The Adventures Of Super Mario Bros. 3 & Adventures Of Sonic The Hedgehog ($46.99): Seven DVDs packed with Super Mario Bros. and Sonic the Hedgehog cartoons? Perfect for a post-Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games bender wind-down session.
Pac-Man Collectors' Shot Glass Set ($29.99): Now all you need is a bottle of moonshine and a drinking game with rules designed to make someone in your circle of friends go blind. Idea: someone takes a shot every time Pac-Man eats a dot. Irreparable liver damage ahoy!

I Am 8-bit Wall Decals ($40): Your friends will think you are so cool and never know that you wake up in the middle of the night having wet the bed from "another alien attack."
Final Fantasy VII Fenrir ($29): The sexy Fenrir motorcycle was once Cloud's. Now it's yours...and he has to walk.
WoW Action Figures ($49.99): FOR THE HORDE...and the Alliance too, but only grudgingly. ThinkGeek has the full set of four World of Warcraft action figures. Statistically speaking, you have to know at least a couple of people who play the game, and if you can line up a Horde player and an Alliance player, you can split the set up and let them stage battles together. Then you can blackmail them with the pictures. Everybody wins!
Comic Books (About $24): The video games of literature. I have no comic book stores that aren't a good half-hour drive away from my house by crappy Nissan standards, so I personally would love to get a year worth of comic books delivered to my door. Cartoons, movies, video games - show someone you care about where they all started.
Bomberman Exploding Bomb ($24.99) What's better than a game of hot potato? A game of hot potato with bomberman bombs.
Medicom Metal Gear Solid 20th Anniversary Snake ($29.90): Delays suck. But playing with this Snake toy is kinda like playing MGS4.
Art of Midway ($24.95): Packed with more than 160 sketches and 200 illustrations, this book is a must have for fans of Mortal Kombat, Area 51, Psi-Ops or just art.
GTA Vice City Kubrick Box Set ($35.99): Nothing says Christmas like mini-fig alcoholic porn stars, gun-toting thugs and scruples-free attorneys.
Katamari Damacy t-shirts ($24.95): I love my Katamari shirts- game related and geeky without being over the top. The comments about the shirts from cranky Katamari designer Keita Takahashi just makes shopping for them that much more fun.
The Expressive Power of Videogames ($35): Ian Bogost's book on ...serious games! I don't always agree with him, but I love reading what he has to say about the state of games as a whole.
Okami Art Book ($20-40) It's a gorgeous book full of concept and in-game art from Okami. Lots of very pretty pictures from a very pretty game.
360 Quick Charge Kit ($30) Batteries cost money, and also kill dolphins when they explode in the ocean when you throw them out. Save money, and dolphins, with one of these.

The Sweet Spot - Not too 'spensive, Not too cheap ($51 to $100)

I Am 8-Bit Art Prints (prices vary): Limited edition prints of famous Nintendo or Namco characters can liven up the study, dining room or bathroom in your home. Framing these prints may push the cost above the $100 limit, but it's the thought that counts, you cheap son of a bitch. Some good stuff is *still* available.
Six Month Gamefly Gift Ceritificate ($95.70): An "of the month" club not involving fruitcake.
Jawbone Bluetooth Headset ($99.48): For the PS3 owner who wants the best micro headset around.
Ultimate Bumblebee ($80): I am a bit of a Transformers fan. Okay, that's a bit of an understatement. I've got a room in my apartment called the Transformers closet, filled floor to cieling with them, and this Christmas I plan on adding another to my collection. The priciest Transformer ever at $80, Ultimate Bumblebee is totally worth it, with lights, sounds, music, and an animatronic system that lets the figure move. All this, and it transforms into one bitchin; Camaro to boot. Yum.
Imation Disc Stakka ($100): As a avid PC gamer for years now, I have drawers chock full of game CDs and DVDs. I can't tell you how many times I've gone hunting through boxes for disc 3 of 4 while trying to reinstall an old favorite. The Imation Disc Stakka system holds 100 discs and connects to your computer via USB cable that allows you to search and retrieve via PC or Mac database. Best of all? They're stackable, so it's a present that you can repeat. Woot!
Doki Doki Majo Shinpan Boob Pad You've read about it on Kotaku, now you too can have your very own Doki Doki Majo Boob Pad.
16 Final Fantasy Potions Cans ($72) Nothing says delicious like Final Fantasy Potion. Nothing.
Legacy X Nintendo 07 Shoes ($120):These limited-run shoes come packed with serious Nintendo heat, featuring Mario and Yoshi insoles and the ability to make you want to do some serious head-stomping.
Get Ready Outrun Shirt ($50-70): Just in case you need to remind people that no matter how many palm-tree-lined roads you're going to race down in life, there's only three radio stations you'll ever need to accompany the journey.
Edge Magazine Subscription ($75): Magazines are dead. All except this one. Great editorials, great reviews, great studio access with their preview features. Overall, 9/10.
Xenosaga Legend Episode 2 ($65): KOS-MOS - the blue haired, ass-kicking robot from the Xenosaga series - is one of my absolute game character favorites, and I have a pretty impressive figurine collection kicking about. This is a complete set of well-made and beautifully finished KOS-MOS figures.
The Video Game Explosion: A History from PONG to PlayStation and Beyond ($75): For those who are bookworms as well as gamers -The Video Game Explosion is an academic but 'readable' tome, and the first to do an serious history of games and gaming industry.
Three Port HDMI Switch ($99): It may not sound sexy, but believe me if you have one HDMI in on your television and more than one HDMI device (like a PS3 or 360 and a cable box) it's a life-saver. This one features a remote control and crystal clear signal all at a pretty low price.
Logitech G9 Laser Mouse ($99.99): With interchangeable grips, weight tuning and customizable LEDs, you're sure to have a better game using this mouse. Add to that the 3200 dpi laser engine that drives this bad boy and you will be hard-pressed to find a better gaming mouse at this price.

Person You Are Or Hope To Be Sleeping With ($100 to $500)

Human Touch Ottoman 2.0 Calf & Foot Massager ($259.95): After a day of intense schooling or an grueling talking down to from The Boss, gamers just want to come home and ignore you for hours while consumed by the hypnotic glow of the TV. Make the experience even better with a luxurious mechanical foot massage. Comes in black and "cashew."
One Laptop Per Child ($399): Empower a child in a developing nation while giving your gamer a dedicated Linux box on which to flirt with hacking. If he or she fails to get MAME or Quake to run on the ultra-budget PC, there are always a couple of built-in games to play. Do it for the kids.
Portable Atari ($350+vintage 2600): Own Ben Heck's masterpiece, a 2600 that fits in your hands.
Colorware Console($99+console): Get a industrial quality paintjob on the console of your choice. Because warranties never got anyone laid.

The Ultimate Gaming Chair ($300): Gamers always need a place to keep their ass while gaming, and if you are looking for a gaming chair, why not go for the self-styled Ultimate Gaming Chair? ( The Renegade model has got 12 vibration motors, game-activated lighting effects, 3D stereo speakers mounted in the headrest, audio inputs, USB support, a pull out storage compartment, and even a cup holder. Most importantly? Tons of gamer friendly ass storage for the low price of $299. My ass would destroy this, but I can dream.

Square Enix Final Fantasy Jewelry ($105 - $122): Nothing says I love you like fine jewelry, and nothing says I love you but I'm still the geek you fell in love with like Final Fantasy jewelry, direct form Square Enix.
Gamepark GP2X F-200 ($169) Open source, Linux running PSP alternative from Korea.
Ceramic White PSP Slim and Lite ($195) Make your Christmas a Ceramic White one.
Kotobukiya Shadow of the Colossus Statue ($100+): Either the best gaming statue you'll ever own or the world's greatest ever paperweight, the choice is yours.
Logitech Harmony 670 Universal Remote ($150): Not that exciting a choice, but it's practical. A nice compromise in Logitech's range between affordability and awesomeness, it'll free up room on your coffee table for coffee, beer steins and dead hookers.
Crimson
& Black DS Lite ($129.99): I'm behind the times and slightly ashamed of my old school, clunky DS. It would be nice to have a sleeker model to toss into my bag for those long days on campus.
Infinity
Home Theater Speaker System ($199.99): I'm not an A/V geek, so anything would be a step up from the external speakers I currently have (which would be non-existent ones). My Infinities sounded good in my car, I'm assuming they'd sound good in my house.
Sennheiser PC166USB Headphones ($150): I've got a family, which means when I game, I have to game quietly. I'm also a huge Sennheiser fan, which makes these headphones a perfect match for my late-night PC gaming sessions.
G15 Gaming Keyboard ($100): If you're going to have a top-end mouse for gaming, you should probably do the same for your keyboard. I still haven't taken the plunge on this board because I'm slightly annoyed that it's pricier than its predecessor, but I probably will break down one of these days.

Our Prices Are Insane ($500 and up)

New Discovery of Akihabara Tour ($2000): Send the gamer in your life on a pilgrimage to the mecca of otaku. The tour of Akihabara, running until January 19, 2008 and covering Akiba hotspots, is actually free. We've just factored in the international airfare and lodging that will make the trip possible.
Dream Arcades 100-inch Home Video Arcade Center ($4499): If you have over four grand to spend on gaming gifts, you have the room for a 100" display and stand up arcade gaming station. It may not have the built-in glow of the CrystalCade, but it definitely wins in the battle of the inches.
Classic 13' Skee-Ball Machine ($4775): Remember when Chuck E Cheese was Show Biz Pizza? Then you remember these bad boys.
Gateway XHD3000 Extreme HD Monitor ($1699): Proud of your 1080p console? Upscale it to 1600p with this incredible 30" monitor. Available Dec 12th.
Dream Authentics Arcade ($4,000): Back at GDC I got some hands-on time with a custom arcade cabinet from DreamAuthentics, and ever since I've been keeping a special corner of my apartment free just in case I can ever afford one. I've got my eye on the Excalibur cabinet, which is fully customizeable with tons of options, including the coveted stainless steel joystick and arcade spinner for hot Tempest action. It comes preloaded with over 200 arcade games, and with a little creativity you could even hook up your console to the beast. The price? Depending on the options the Excalibur and run you in the $4,000 range.
Your Own Island Lair ($395,000): Lord British has the whole mansion riddled with passageways and secrets, but why not take it to the next level? For less than the price of some of the homes in my neighborhood, you can own your own 7.5 acre island in Nicaragua. About $400,000 buys a tropical getaway for you to share with someone you care about, or perhaps play your very own version of The Most Dangerous Game.
CrystalCade (Email for pricing): Retro arcade gaming doesn't come cheap! Especially when it's in a glowing cabinet.
1/12 Hyper Hybrid Gundam Model ($2,764): Would it be Christmas without a Gundam as big as you? No, it wouldn't.
80GB PS3 ($500): Never been a better time. You'll have backwards-compatibility, a big HDD and by Christmas there'll actually be a couple of decent games (Rathcet & Clank, Uncharted) to play on the thing.
Atari ($??): Don't know just how much it'd cost you, but man, it can't be much.
Apple MacBook ($1099 & up): I love my last gen, pre-Intel PowerBook, but being able to run Bootcamp would be nice. Not that I need something for PC gaming, as I don't have time for the platforms I have.
A plane ticket to Taipei ($800+): Because I would kill to go hang out in my favorite game-related stores in Ximending for an evening (or several) and this time, have room in my suitcase for all the games, toys, and random crap that you can't help but acquire. Never mind the food!
Dell XPS M1730 Laptop ($2700 to $4600): Weighing in at nearly 10 pounds and sporting a backlit keyboard and case lighting effects, this high-end keyboard is really more for carting to LANs than onto a plane, but once you get it to where you are going it's sure to supply the muscle you need to pwn in any title coming out this year.
Child's Play donation (Any amount): Since 2003, Since 2003, more than two million dollars in donations of toys, games, books and cash have been given out to sick children in children's hospitals across North America and the world. How about giving in the name of a friend or relative? I know I'd love that as a present.

This is it, the last day of the last contest of the year. Hit the link below, vote for your favorite game and fill in the email box to be entered for a chance to win a $500 gift certificate. Only enter once or receive the eyebrow of ridicule. Wow, 2005, going, going, gone. I&#146;ll announce the winner of the contest New Year'&#146;s Eve, if I'&#146;m sober enough.

Oh, and if you'&#146;re interested, it&#146;s still a neck-and-neck race between Resident Evil 4 and Mario Kart DS.

The $500 Contest [Kotaku]

This is it, the last day of the last contest of the year. Hit the link below, vote for your favorite game and fill in the email box to be entered for a chance to win a $500 gift certificate. Only enter once or receive the eyebrow of ridicule. Wow, 2005, going, going, gone. I ll announce the winner of the contest New Year s Eve, if I m sober enough.

Oh, and if you re interested, it s still a neck-and-neck race between Resident Evil 4 and Mario Kart DS.

The $500 Contest [Kotaku]

Slashdot directs readers to a Firing Squad article that looks carefully at eleven mistakes that FS feels Microsoft made designing the Xbox 360. The complaints at Firing Squad aren't at all "omg, the games lock-up!" and instead look at issues like how Microsoft could've changed its own music distribution system to compete with the iTunes' model while using the Xbox Live infrastructure. It's an interesting read, to say the least.

Xbox 360: Back to the Drawing Board [Firing Squad]
11 Design Mistakes of the Xbox 360 [Slashdot]

As goofy as I feel typing its name, this TwonkyVision technology is pretty handy for Mac users. Because Microsoft's Xbox 360 was made by well, Microsoft - Mac users probably don't expect liquid smooth media interaction like 360 and PC users can get. The Twonky app kind of solves this, you'll be able to get photos and music running between your 360 and your G5.

Thanks Steve

Twonky Vision [Official Site]

"You know what this little bad boy can do?" the Gizmondo guy asks, not even looking up from the portable he's playing.

Yeah, I do. The Gizmondo guy behind the counter finishes his game and finally gets off his duff. His baseball cap is decorated with holly. Its four days before Christmas, and nobody else is in sight.

"Can I take a look at it?"

The guy hands me the handheld. It's small and fits snug in my palms, even if it does look like some wack alien steering wheel.

"When did it go on sale in the US?"

"About a month ago. How do you know this device isn't American?"

"I like videogames," I say, holding back. "What do you think of the product?"

"I wouldn't trade it for the world," the guy says. He tells me all the things the Gizmondo does. The handheld plays games, music, takes pics and some other stuff. His voice is metallic, and I tune him out.

The handheld itself ain't so bad. And the guy's right, it can do a lot of things. The demo I am playing (a ball spinning through a maze) sucks, though.

"What were you doing before?"

"Contract labor, working on a dock," the guys says, stroking his goatee.

"How do you like working here?"

"Wouldn't trade it for the world. I got my music, my games. I love it."

"Is the Gizmondo sold only via kiosks like this or in stores?"

"Like this. In fact, this is the only shop in all of Texas."

Here I am at the sole Gizmondo outlet in a state larger than Japan. What an honor.

"Are all the titles third party?" I ask.

The guy looks at me puzzled. Crap, I'm showing my hand.

"Does Gizmondo make all the games?" I try again in English.

"There's other companies making games. In fact, we're gonna have Mario and Sonic."

"Software?"

"Yeah, or online for download. That's what everyone's been asking about."

"How do you know this?"

"Oh," the guy says, "I know people and got everybody's number on my speed dial. So I get all the juicy details."

Mario and Sonic on the Gizmondo? Geez, I don't know whether to smile or cringe. I hand the guy the handheld back, adding a "Merry Christmas." Hope I see him next year.

Gizmondo [Official Site]

It looks like our reader poll for best game of the year is shaping up to be a two horse race with Resident Evil 4 and Mario Kart DS duking it out for the top spot and God of War trailing a distant third.

Make sure to get over to the link and vote, besides having an impact on a completely meaningless award you can also enter to win a $500 Circuit City gift certificate.

Personally, I think the best game of the season, and perhaps the year, was Indigo Prophecy. While I loved God of War it was in many ways perfection of the status quo and while Shadow of the Colossus is also a stupendous title, it was a fantastic experience punctuated by moments of repetitive tedium. (I'll pause for a second to let you shout at me.)

The thing about Indigo Prophecy is that it delivered a genuine cinematic experience to gaming. If you haven't played it, make sure you at least rent the title. I'm going to post a review of the game in a bit.

I guess it all boils down how you define game of the year. Should it be the title you had the most fun playing or the one that you think got closest to tipping what you consider gaming on its ear?

Discuss among yourselves.

The $500 Contest