An Xbox New Years treat

Happy almost New Year all. Looks like there's a special treat for Xbox Live users.

Is your avatar an avid glow stick wielder? Then I hope you're ready for the rave avatar clothing! That's right - pink headbands, purple jeans, chunky rings and, of course, Day-glo zebra pumps.

Happy New Year. Make it a safe one.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

Hey there boys and girls. Here's hoping you have a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays all around. Listen to my favorite Christmas song while watching the Xbox Live log burn by the fire (the video is free, but you could spend FIVE DOLLARS on it).

O Tannenbaum - Vince Guaraldi Trio

<a href="http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-US&amp;playlist=videoByUuids:uuids:a2d1dd9c-b5cc-46ff-8087-a4d989c0fdca&amp;showPlaylist=true&amp;from=msnvideo" target="_new" title="XBox 360 Fireplace">Video: XBox 360 Fireplace</a>

What to Buy Your Kids for the Holidays - PS3

As with the Xbox 360, take note that many of the games are violent. Also, if there's a game that catches your eye on this list but the person you're buying for only has a 360, check and see if it's available for that system. There's a lot of crossover between the two. Also, if your person has a PS3, double check the 360 list for game ideas (just in case).

Just like before, here's a guide to what to get your friend or family member who owns a PS3.

* = also available on Xbox 360

THE BASICS - The various nonsense you absolutely need if you have a PS3.

LittleBigPlanet
The person's favorite movies on Blu-ray

THE ADVENTURER - Some great adventure games for the PS3.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
BioShock*
The Orange Box*
Prince of Persia*
Mirror's Edge*
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed*

THE MUSICIAN - Music games.

Rock Band 2*

THE TRIGGER HAPPY - For those who dig violence.

Grand Theft Auto IV*
Resistance 2
Fallout 3*
Dead Space*
Call of Duty: World at War*

BUY THEM SOMETHING FROM THE PLAYSTATION NETWORK - If you know what you're doing, you can go in and get your person a game directly from the console.

Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix*
PixelJunk Monsters
Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection
echochrome
Mega Man 9*

That's all I have for this one. The safest bet is probably to buy some great Blu-ray movies, but LittleBigPlanet is a definite necessity. Again, please leave a comment with any questions or additions to this list. Happy shopping and happy holidays.

What to Buy Your Kids for the Holidays - Xbox 360

The Xbox 360 is yet another favored gift for the holidays. So if you know someone who is getting one, show them that you care by buying them something for it. It should be noted that, unlike the Wii, many of the games have themes of violence (unless otherwise noted). Still, here's a rundown of essentials.

* = also available on PS3

THE BASICS - The games and accounts every Xbox 360 owner should have (you know, unless they hate violence).

Halo 3 (violent)
BioShock (somewhat less violent) *
The Orange Box *
An Xbox Live Gold account - this is about 60 percent of the gaming experience. Live is a must.
A Netflix account - because you can watch movies instantly on your Xbox.

THE FAMILY GAMER - Here are games that aren't violent and are fun for the whole family.

LEGO Batman *
LEGO Indiana Jones *
Viva Pinata
Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise
Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts

THE MUSICIAN - For the 360 virtuoso.

Singer - Lips
The guy with roommates or friends - Rock Band 2 *
The loner guitarist who stays in his room - Guitar Hero II or Guitar Hero III*

THE JOCK - A few games for the sports savvy.

Madden NFL 09*
NHL 09*
Burnout Paradise (racing)*
Forza Motorsport 2
NBA 2K9*
FIFA Soccer 09*

THE TRIGGER-HAPPY - You know someone who digs violence in their games? Here are some ideas.

Grand Theft Auto IV*
Gears of War 2
Fallout 3*
Call of Duty: World at War (latest Call of Duty game)*
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare*
Left 4 Dead (zombies)

THE PUZZLE MASTER - For the person who is a natural-born problem solver.

Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution*
The Orange Box (for Portal)*
Fable II
Mass Effect

THE STAND-BY - "And I guess that I just don't know." - Lou Reed

Xbox Live Microsoft Point Cards - This is how they get the games they've been craving for so long off of the Xbox Live Arcade. It's a great gift and it's not in disc form (and often, less expensive than most games).

BUY THEM SOMETHING ON THE XBOX LIVE ARCADE - If you're more tapped in to the gaming world, you can jump in and actually purchase them a game off of Xbox Live. Here are a few really good games on the XBLA.

Braid
Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2
Castle Crashers
Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix*
Portal: Still Alive
Mega Man 9*

Another fine group of choices for your friends and family. Again, please leave a comment if you feel I've omitted anything extremely important or if you have any questions about what to buy this holiday season. On to the PS3.

What to Buy Your Kids for the Holidays - Wii

Hey mom and dad, do you have no inkling of these moving pictures your children are controlling? I understand your pain. You want to be a great parent this Christmas and produce for them a fresh new video game but have no idea where to start. Well I'm going to lay out a few suggestions for you - one platform at a time.

I'll start with the Nintendo Wii. This is a huge item on a lot of kids' want lists, but there are a lot of terrible games out there. I'm looking at you, Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader. Here are a few games (some old, some newer) that your kids would love.

THE BASICS - Here are the games that every owner of a Nintendo Wii should have in their possession.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Super Mario Galaxy
Super Smash Bros.: Brawl

KID-FRIENDLY GAMES - Some games that are very child friendly (and fun for big kids, too).

Animal Crossing: City Folk
Mario Kart Wii
de Blob

BIG KID GAMES - These games are more violent and probably shouldn't be unleashed on the little gamer.

No More Heroes
Call of Duty: World at War

THE LITTLE MUSICIAN - I just want to make a quick, honest point. If your child is interested in music games, do NOT buy them Wii Music. It's a trap. Your child may have fun with it for a few days, but it is not a game that will last for the long haul. If they don't have an Xbox 360 or PS3, get them:

Rock Band 2

Otherwise, I would just get Rock Band 2 on another system, but there you go.

CLASSIC STAND-BY - Don't know what to get? Here's a fail-safe item for your Wii toting young'n.

A Wii Points Card - this prepaid card will buy the gamer any game he or she wants on the Virtual Console (meaning a game that can be purchased online). This is available at any game store (GameStop and EB).

BUY THEM SOMETHING ON THE WII SHOP CHANNEL - If you're really tapped in to the Wii and know how to work the Wii Shop Channel, there are a few pretty good options for gifts. Plus, you can buy some classic games that you enjoyed playing for the N64, SNES, NES, Genesis, or a few other systems.

World of Goo
Mega Man 9 (extremely difficult, yet fun)
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Super Mario 64
The classic Mario games
Punch-Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream

Those are the definite highlights for the Wii to pick up your kids. Please leave a comment if you have any questions about buying games for your young'ns this holiday season. On to the next console.

Games of 2009: Multi-Platform (Part 2)

Because you can't fit 'em all in one post, here are more games coming in 2009. All of these don't have definite dates (but will probably turn up sometime next year).

- Bionic Commando, PC + PS3 + 360 (TBD) - A remake of the Bionic Commando game from 1988. This one looks much more interesting and fun.

- Brutal Legend, PS3 + 360 (TBD) - A hugely unique platformer starring Jack Black and Lemmy from Motorhead. Here's a violent trailer, but the important thing is to remember how extremely metal it is to be violent.

- Bioshock 2: Sea of Dreams, PC + PS3 + 360 (TBD) - The sequel to the critically acclaimed (and totally awesome) game. Here's a fantastic teaser trailer.

- I Am Alive, PC + PS3 + 360 (TBD) - A game with a trailer that legitimately gives me the creeps. I Am Alive takes place in the home of my college, Chicago. A large-scale disaster destroys the city and this Ubisoft game focuses solely on survival. Here's the teaser.

- Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2: Fusion, all platforms except PC and PSP (TBD) - A sequel to the mediocre Marvel Ultimate Alliance game. But this time, the heroes' powers merge! What?!

- Tekken 6, PS3 + 360 (TBD) - Another Tekken game, more fighting. Always wonderful.

- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (TBD) - Coming in the autumn of 2009, this is the yearly installment of calls of duty.

- Terminator Salvation, all platforms except PSP (TBD) - The surprisingly interesting looking game to coincide with the film

- Guitar Hero: Metallica, all non-handheld devices except PC (TBD) - Guitar Hero with Metallica. Probably the hardest game in the series.

Games of 2009: Multi-Platform (Part 1)

There are a lot of multi-platform games coming out in 2009. Here's a look at a few notables (SPOILER: it's primarily sequels).

- 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand, PS3 + 360 (1/19/09) - But of course. The man needs his own game. We can only pray, for Fiddy's sake, that Kanye West doesn't release a game on the same weekend.

- Skate 2, PS3 + 360 (1/23/09) - The sequel to the Skate game that is slowly usurping the Tony Hawk's long gilded throne.

- Afro Samurai, PS3 + 360 (1/29/09) - An adaptation of the extremely cool Cartoon Network anime baby of The RZA and Samuel L. Jackson. Here's the link to the very violent, very good trailer.

- The Godfather II, PC + PS3 + 360 (2/12/09) - A sequel to The Godfather game and an adaptation of The Godfather II film.

- Street Fighter IV, PS3 + 360 (2/19/09) - The long-awaited next chapter in the Street Fighter series. And it looks amazing. That said, here's an extremely unfaithful looking trailer.

- Damnation, PC + PS3 + 360 (2/24/09) - A great looking first-person shooter.

- WWE: Legends of Wrestlemania, PS3 + 360 (March 09) - Another Legends of Wrestling game (featuring Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin on the cover). How is it different? Well it must be - they're actually making another one!

- Splatterhouse, PS3 + 360 (4/30/09) - A remake of the TurboGrafyx 16 horror beat-em-up. Looks surprisingly violent!

- Batman: Arkham Asylum, PC + PS3 + 360 (5/31/09) - A surprisingly good looking Batman game. It looks darker than before and a little more faithful to The Caped Crusader. It totes the pen of Paul Dini (who did Batman: The Animated Series), the voice work of Kevin Conroy for Batman (also from The Animated Series) and Mark Hamill as The Joker (you know - that Mark Hamill).

- Ghostbusters, all platforms (June 2009) - A sequel to the Ghostbusters movies starring the original Ghostbusters themselves. The Wii version is more cartoony and the PS3/360 versions will be more faithful to the actual actors appearances.

Games of 2009: Wii

Here are some games that are coming out for the Wii in 2009. Not much to look at, but here it is.

- Dead Rising: Chop 'til You Drop (3/1/09) - A sequel to the Xbox 360 classic.

- MadWorld (3/12/09) - The first extremely bloody and violent Wii game since No More Heroes. Looks like Sin City and actually has some potential. It's a bit controversial, but it's one of the more exciting titles coming up for the Wii. Which brings us to our next amazing selection.

- Sonic and the Black Knight (3/12/09) - Ugh, this guy again. I thought we got rid of him after Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games. OK, let's look at the trailer.

No thanks!

- Ready 2 Rumble: Revolution (5/21/09) - Another Ready 2 Rumble game from the Dreamcast days. Those games were fun, but this one includes more celebrities. And hey, Michael Buffer's back, because nobody else in the history of the world can yell, "Let's get ready to rumble!"

- Ghostbusters (6/18/09) - This is actually a multi-platform game, but the Wii version is more cartoony and less realistic than the 360 and PS3 releases.

- Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time (TBD) - This one's pretty self-explanatory.

- Punch-Out!! Wii (TBD) - Possibly the most exciting title coming to the Wii, although I'm not holding my breath for this one to knock me off my feet. Here's a trailer.



- Sam & Max: Season Two (TBD) - Dog, rabbit, mystery, hilarity.

- Sin & Punishment 2 (TBD) - A pretty cool looking sequel to the Japan-only release.

Games of 2009: PS3

Here are the games exclusive to the PlayStation 3 coming in 2009.

- Killzone 2 (2/27/09) - The sequel to the Sony's first big competitor to Halo. Here's the trailer, complete with violence that isn't appropriate for children.

- DC Universe Online (TBA) - A DC-based MMORPG - complete with a living Batman. With Jim Lee heading up the art for the game, it should be a faithful-looking adventure. It would've been nice to have seen the Marvel Universe MMORPG just to level the playing field, but alas, with MMORPGs come the heartache of dozens of broken promises that come along with them.

- God of War III (TBA) - Kratos returns, looking awesome as usual, to fight gods and kill minions. Violent, excellent.

- Gran Turismo 5 (TBA) - The sequel to the classic racing game of olde.

- Heavy Rain (TBA) - Not to be confused with Chubby Rain, Heavy Rain is a horror/thriller game coming to the PS3.

- inFamous (TBA) - Brought to you by the team from the Sly Cooper series. It seems like the gameplay is a cross between a regular platformer and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. However, the game looks like it has slightly more potential in terms of plotline.

- L.A. Noire (TBA) - Another game from Rockstar. This time, however, it's set in the 1940s in a perfectly recreated version of L.A. (of that time). The game will deal with postwar America themes like jazz, drugs and gangsters. Sounds interesting. Although there is some question about how long it will remain "exclusive," it still looks very cool.

- MAG: Massive Action Game (TBA) - An MMO of sorts, where up to 256 players can take the battlefield and start shooting like mad.

- Red Dead Revolver 2 (TBA) - The sequel to an excellent Rockstar Western game.

- Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (TBA) - The sequel to the critically acclaimed Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. The world premiere of the game's footage is happening tonight on Spike TV's Video Game Awards (tonight at 9 p.m. ET).

- White Knight Chronicles (TBA) - It's an RPG...and it looks pretty incredible, actually.

Games of 2009: Xbox 360

Before I look at the great games of 2008, let's look ahead at what's in store (at the moment) for 2009. Here are a few primary games that are (currently) exclusive to the Xbox 360. (Or are only otherwise being released on PC, but who really cares about that, right?)

Halo Wars (3/3/09) - It's a Halo game, alright, but it isn't being developed by the team at Bungie. There could be reason for shark-jumping concern (see also the second and third Matrix films), but still, it's being anticipated by the Halo junkies of the world.

Star Ocean: The Last Hope (3/3/09) - An RPG that takes place after World War III. Everybody has moved to space (or the "star ocean") and fighting is choppy and commanded by clicking on the word "attack." Here's some gameplay footage.



Halo 3: ODST (TBA) - Another Halo game? Correct. It's a stand-alone expansion on the Halo 3 story, except this time, you don't play Master Chief. You play an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper (or ODST, hence the name). Apparently, since the ODST doesn't have the armor of Master Chief, the game is more stealth oriented than previous Halo titles.

Forza Motorsport 3 (TBA) - The sequel to Forza Motorsport 2, which was detailed in BTVG's past by Griffin McElroy.

Velvet Assassin (TBA) - Aside from having the sassiest name of all the stealth games in history, this game is also takes place during WWII.

Alan Wake (TBA) - The team from Max Payne brings another psychological action thriller featuring another awesome fake dude name.



Mass Effect 2 (TBA) - Yet another sequel for fans of the original Mass Effect monster.

Untitled Soulja Boy game (TBA) - The renowned expert on the game Braid is getting his own game. Thank Odin.

Quincying and You

Hey everybody, thanks for your patience. Finals were a bit hectic this year, so I apologize for the delay. I'll start pumping out more so I can make up for the severe lack of posts in the last two weeks.

You know, over Thanksgiving break, I had the pleasure of getting to play a few video games with my old pal, Griffin McElroy. Here's a picture of us last August.


Griffin used to write here at BTVG, but has since moved up to the major leagues of video game journalism along with his brother (and also former BTVG blogger) Justin at Joystiq. His writing is informative and far too funny. Am I envious? Completely. His latest stroke of genius, however, is almost too much to handle.

It's hard to capture the true essence of Quincying. It reveals the true, sad nature of the gaming world. It adds a certain paprika to the everyday gamer insult. It is all parts wonderful, terrible and hilarious. It utilizes the creepy and strange world of PlayStation Home. Most importantly, it utilizes "the guns" as a greeting. Exquisite.

Please, educate yourself and delve into the vast and exotic world of Quincying. My only regret is that I can't be there to begin Quincying alongside my brothers in arms.

Hurry! Fast! Buy Now!

Wal-Mart is selling the Nintendo Wii online! It's there! You can buy it! Hurry! They won't last! Exclamation point!

In related news - still working on finals. Sorry again.

Pardon the Delay

It's finals week. I hope you'll understand the lack of posts for a few days. I'll be back as soon as I can. Promise.

Cyber Monday Deals on Amazon

Hey there, shoppers! Thought you got all of your shopping done for your loved ones? Think again! Here's a list of big "Cyber Monday" deals on Amazon.com (from Monday, December 1 at 3:00AM ET until Tuesday at 2:59AM ET). To keep it brief, I'll just name the notables as decided by me. You can read a full list here thanks to the guys at Joystiq.

Item - Sale Price (Original Price)

Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS Lite Limited Edition Pink Ribbon - $99.95 ($129.99)

PC
Spore - $19.95 ($49.99)

Playstation 2
Katamari Damacy - $9.95 ($19.99)
Guitar Hero World Tour - Guitar Kit - $59.99 ($89.99)

PlayStation 3
Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures - $43.95 ($49.99)
LittleBigPlanet - $39.95 ($59.99)
Rock Band 2 - $43.95 ($59.99)
Saints Row 2 - $43.95 ($59.99)
Guitar Hero World Tour - Guitar Kit - $69.99 ($99.99)
Resistance 2 Collector's Edition - $59.95 (Reg. $79.99)

Wii
LEGO Batman - $43.95 ($49.99)
Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures - $43.95 ($49.99)
Mario Super Sluggers - $43.95 ($49.99)
Guitar Hero World Tour - Guitar Kit - $69.99 ($99.99)
Okami - $19.95 ($39.99)

Xbox 360
Fable II - $39.95 ($59.99)
Saints Row 2 - $43.95 ($59.99)
Guitar Hero World Tour - Guitar Kit - $69.99 ($99.99)
Buy an Xbox 360 Elite Holiday Bundle and get Halo 3 and an Xbox 360 Live 1 Month Gold Card for free