The Nintendo DS has advanced passed the level of a simple portable Nintendo and evolved into its own entity with a variety of uses and award-winning games unique to the system. The DS boasts a signature second screen, which can be used and manipulated with a stylus, offering a totally different gaming experience. If you have a Nintendo fan in your circle and they don’t have a Nintendo DS, this must immediately be rectified. If they do, help them get the most out of it with these innovative games.
Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks: The most sought-after Nintendo property isn’t on the Wii this holiday season, it’s on the DS. Spirit Tracks takes its hero, Link, through an exciting and dangerous new world bursting with puzzles and enemies. Along for the ride is a Phantom, a heavy suit of armor that can be moved with the stylus. Tap the Phantom and then tap where you’d like him to go, and he’ll go there. This is incredibly useful when Link must navigate through lava or other harmful terrain. Spirit Tracks takes further advantage of the DS with weapons like the Whirlwind, which is activated when the user blows into the microphone outlet. Truly an exciting entry in the Zelda series for those longing for more after beating Twilight Princess.
Scribblenauts: One of the most unique, creative and mind-expanding games ever produced. The only limit in this game is your imagination. The premise is simple: you play a little guy who needs to collect a star that may be across a lava lake or inside a cage. You can type any word – ghost, dragon, God or even Large Hadron Collider – and that object will appear on the screen. With a database of over 22,000 words, there’s very little you can’t do in Scribblenauts.
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves was released last October and has sold over 2.5 million copies to date—an astounding feat for a videogame that has only been in the market for four months. Not only that, but the game has also received 15 nominations in what is considered the Oscars of videogames—the Interactive Achievement Awards.
Fans may know the game, but few of them know about the man behind the game—or rather, the woman. 45-year old Amy Hennig is the creative director over at Naughty Dog Studios which is a property of Sony Computer Entertainment America.
Hennig was actually an English Literature major in UC Berkeley. After graduating, Hennig started to attend film school. It was while she was studying film that she took a job in a videogame company in order to make ends meet. Little did she know that it was this job that would change her life forever. Hennig discovered that she was more interested in the gaming industry than in film. It wasn’t long before she dropped out of film school to focus on developing games on a full-time basis.
For a couple of years, Hennig worked hard for the company Electronic Arts, striving to prove herself to be a competent designer. Her hard work paid off in 1993 when a lead designer of one of the games quit and Hennig ended up as the replacement. Hennig’s first project is a game that perhaps many videogame fanatics remember, called Michael Jordan: Chaos in the Windy City.
Now, with the whopping sales of Uncharted 2, it’s not hard to see that Hennig has come a long way.
The ever popular Xbox 360 is still a favorite among modern gamers. Give them what they want this Christmas on one of the most sophisticated, well-balanced consoles available.
Grand Theft Auto IV: If you’re giving someone a 360, make sure this game is included. It ranks as one of the best-reviewed games of all time thanks to its pristine graphics, well-developed storyline and unbelievably expansive environments to explore. Gamers can ignore the outstanding plot and spend days exploring the city, stealing cars and helicopters and creating general mayhem. A true landmark for video games. That said, this is an adult game in every sense of the word, so you might want to stick with a Mario game for the little ones.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2: The most recent installment of the massively popular war series brings realism and excitement to the war genre. The single player option offers a gripping story, and the multi-player mode is simply unsurpassed.
Wireless controller: Another remarkable advancement for the Xbox 360. Instead of being restrained by a cord a couple feet long, the Xbox 360 wireless controller gives the player up to 30 feet of freedom. It’s energy efficient, too – the two included AA batteries last for up to 40 hours, with ample warning given for when the time is about to expire. Choose between white, black or red.
Wireless headset: Make your gamer’s experience truly immersive. The wireless headset lets you communicate with players from all across the globe during multi-player sessions. Coordinate attack patterns with your teammates or taunt your opponents with the sleek and simple wireless headset.
Xbox Live Starter Pack: Join the new wave of gaming! Connect with Xbox Live and play with gamers from across the planet. This starter kit comes with three free months of Xbox Live Gold, which includes access to free game demos, exclusive downloads, Facebook, Twitter and Netflix Instant Watch for Netflix members.
