Digital Trends

Pity poor gamers. With three incredible systems (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii); two hot handhelds (Nintendo DS, PSP); dozens of highly-rated next-gen console titles; hundreds of MySpace-/Facebook-compatible outings; thousands of downloadable or massively-multiplayer amusements; and countless alternate game-playing devices (iPhone, iPod, self-contained TV Games units, mobile handsets, etc.) to choose from, it could easily take joystick worshippers well until December 2009 just to pick the right holiday gem. Thankfully, after weeks of grueling research – must… nggh… keep… playing… - we’ve done the homework here so you don’t have to.

Certainly, as any insider will tell you, there’s plenty of great ways to get games for free this year (see: InstantAction.com, AddictingGames.com, Kongregate.com, Shockwave.com, etc.). Likewise, you can also enjoy desktop hits for pennies on the dollar (thank online vendors including BigFishGames.com, iWin.com, Reflexive.net and PopCap.com). Or, for that matter, instantly download bargain-priced smashes including virtual classics and exclusive debuts for just $5-15 straight to your console via digital distribution services Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network or WiiWare. But for discerning dweebs, following is a list of several essential picks you’ll want to keep top of mind come that one special day and eight crazy nights.

Note to self: Be sure to read up on how to score extra cash for your time and hard work with free volumes Get Rich Playing Games and The Videogame Style Guide beforehand too. Because as much time as you’re bound to spend with these certified blockbusters in the coming weeks, hey… Let’s just say we hesitate to think just how many of mankind’s greatest works will forever be lost to civilization because closet geniuses were too busy ogling Lara Croft’s high-res buns in Tomb Raider Underworld or enjoying 13-hour marathons of World of Warcraft to bother.

For additional information, also be sure to check out the following podcasts and videos:

Oldies But Goodies

Interested in revisiting the pleasures of your misspent youth, but don’t want waste hours scouring the far corners of eBay? For adventure fans, two great options exist here. Specifically, Telltale Games’ episodic Sam & Max offerings (based on the classic point-and-click series starring a canine private eye and homicidal rabbit) and Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People, a tongue-in-cheek downloadable serial based on the popular Homestar Runner franchise. Both cost just $8.95/installment or $34.95 for a full five-episode season. Good Old Games is also the ultimate one-stop shop for those who cut their teeth on the PC CD-ROM legends of the mid-‘90s. Despite a limited selection, the online retailer lets you download protection-free versions of highly-rated titles like Fallout Tactics, Stonekeep, Descent, Jagged Alliance, Disciples and Operation Flashpoint for $5-10. All titles are patched to run on Windows XP and Vista as well – score!