Digital Trends

Ready to celebrate the spirit of giving? Here are our top picks for electronic entertainment buffs young and old:

KIDS

Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo, Wii) – Travel the cosmos with a wave of the Wii’s motion-sensing controller, collecting stars, bapping baddies and running upside-down along candy-colored planets’ surfaces.

LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga (LucasArts, PS3/360/Wii/DS) – Controlling block-headed heroes ranging from Obi-Wan Kenobi to Darth Maul, solve puzzles and swing lightsabers while reliving the hottest scenes from all six episodes.

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (Nintendo, DS) – Sail the seas as a cartoon swordsman, rubbing your stylus against the touch-screen to slay monsters and explore trap-laden labyrinths.

Cars: Mater-National (THQ, PS2/PS3/360/Wii/DS) – Pixar’s beloved film shifts into high gear with this open-world racing excursion featuring your favorite hot rods in slick rubber-burning challenges.

Bee Movie (Activision, PC/PS2/360/Wii/DS) – Jerry Seinfeld’s quirky animated caper gets top billing here, as hero Barry B. Benson buzzes off in search of thrills… and honey.

A screenshot from Super Mario Galaxy

TEENS

Contra 4 (Konami, DS) – There’s no finer way to unwind on cross-country flights than with this gloriously hyperactive ode to old-school, button-mashing mayhem.

Guitar Hero III (RedOctane, PS2/PS3/360/Wii) – Jam to 70+ songs from “Sabotage” to “Cherub Rock” on a wireless guitar controller, with celebrity showdowns and Internet co-op/head-to-head play guaranteed party-starting additions.

Rock Band (MTV Games, PS2/PS3/360) – Connect with friends online and fulfill your rock star fantasies by singing/playing along to chart-topping hits using guitar/bass, drum and USB microphone peripherals.

World of Warcraft (Blizzard Ent., PC) – With nine million subscribers and counting, this online-only medieval universe, which lets thousands simultaneously adventure and compare notes, just keeps getting better.

Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions (Square-Enix, PSP) – A must-see director’s cut of the world’s most acclaimed strategic sword-n-sorcery simulation, featuring new characters, jobs, movies and multiplayer functionality.

A sreenshot from Guitar Hero 3

ADULTS

Halo 3 (Microsoft, Xbox 360) – Helmet-headed hero Master Chief strikes back in this jaw-dropping, home theater-friendly sci-fi shooter that shines for brilliant online multiplayer antics.

Mass Effect (Microsoft, Xbox 360) – A futuristic role-playing saga that’s as notable for its epic script and ethically-challenging scenarios as engaging battles and bar-raising ambition…

Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (Sony, PlayStation 3) – Follow in Sir Francis Drake’s footsteps as a modern-day fortune hunter, dueling mercenaries and dodging pitfalls while hunting for El Dorado’s long-lost treasures.

Crysis (Electronic Arts, PC) – The pyrotechnics have to be seen to be believed (and demand serious hardware to run) in this epic alien-stomping first-person rampage.

Call of Duty 4 (Activision, PC/PS3/360) – The best-selling World War II series gracefully transitions into present-dayengagements, letting American or British SAS forces lock and load convincingly.

A screenshot from Halo 3