Stocking Stuffers
Can’t afford loads of new consoles and blockbuster games? Join the club. The good news is that there are plenty of wallet-friendly presents for the gamer in your life, such as:
Gift cards
All three home consoles offer online stores where players can download an impressive selection of complete games at low prices. Buying them as gifts can be tricky for inexperienced purchasers, but there's an easier way. Breeze into any game store and you'll find gift cards for these services in a variety of denominations. All the lucky recipient needs to do is enter the special code from the card into the online store, then pick out their own game from the comfort of their couch.
Extra Controllers
Fact: you can never have too many controllers. All systems benefit from another pad or two, especially Nintendo's multiplayer-friendly Wii console. If the official offerings prove too pricey for you, check out "third-party" controllers made by companies like Mad Catz. These often prove less reliable than the genuine article, but that may not matter too much if they're only pulled out for occasional multiplayer sessions.
Budget Games
Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft are in the habit of re-releasing best-selling games a year or two after their initial debut at budget prices. Look for the characteristic packaging, and you can often find past Game of the Year contenders for half the price of the latest and greatest releases. All the major consoles except the Wii have a budget range: Sony's is called the "Greatest Hits," Microsoft's goes for class with the moniker "Platinum Hits," while Nintendo's, which currently doesn't include Wii or DS games, is known as "Player's Choice."
Subscription to a games rental service
Give the gift that keeps on giving: a subscription to a game rental service. Gamefly is a popular rental service that sends out games with pre-paid return mailers, similar to Netflix. They carry just about every game available on all gaming platforms except the PC, and plans start at an affordable $8.95/month.
PlayStation 2
It might be a little too big to stuff into a stocking, but at only $99, Sony's legendary PlayStation 2 is still a pretty great buy. Redesigned to fit into a case about the size of a hardcover book, it costs a fraction of the price of more modern systems and boasts what's probably the best back-catalog of superb games on the planet.
Doesn't that mean they'll miss out on all the popular new games? Some of them, sure, but new games like Madden NFL 10, DJ Hero, and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories all appear on the system. Our review archives are jam-packed with fantastic PS2 games, but our favorites include Gran Turismo 3, God of War and its sequel, Okami, Shadow of the Colossus and Final Fantasy X.
Special Features
Posted: 23 Nov 2009
