Everybody likes to have a great big box waiting for him or her under the tree. (OK, so the Game Boy Micro is more of a tiny little box, but you get the point.) Here's a selection of desirable hardware delights for budgets large, small, or anywhere in between.
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Game Boy Micro
Tiny beyond all comprehension, this masterpiece of miniaturization doesn't just fit in your pocket -- you could probably lose it in there altogether. It'll play any Game Boy Advance game, comes with a selection of snazzy faceplates to match your outfit, and includes a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. Smaller than a cell phone, it's perfect for those insecure gamers who don't want to be caught dead gaming in public.
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Xbox 360 Controller
Sleek, sophisticated, and oh-so-ergonomic, the Xbox 360's controller is a big improvement over the last one. With a Play & Charge kit, you can get the best of both wired and wireless worlds -- all the convenience of a wireless link without the worry of running out of juice mid-frag. Of course, that'll set you back a whopping $70, but it's a high quality piece. Wired 360 controllers will also work with a PC, incidentally, making them a great deal for gamers with both systems.
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Logitech G15 Gaming Keyboard
Here's the perfect choice for the PC gamer with everything. Featuring its own fold-up LCD display, the G15 keyboard is backlit for those late-night gaming sessions. It also features 18 programmable macro keys, which can be used to execute a sequence of keyboard commands with the press of a button. The LCD display can be programmed to show everything from ammo levels to a graph of your frame rate, so you'll never be short of information.
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Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix
Well, it probably had to happen at some point. Having appeared in just about every conceivable sport at one time or another, Mario's trying his hand at Dance Dance Revolution this year. Coming complete with a dance pad controller, you too can dance along with Mario to remixes of tunes from past Nintendo games. With the difficulty level set low, it's probably a bit easy for dedicated DDR fans but should be just right for younger gamers. It also makes a great workout -- and what better way to start an exercise routine?
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Karaoke Revolution Party
Depending on the vocal talents of your friends and family, this karaoke game available for Xbox, GameCube, and PS2 could either make you the most popular or most loathed gift-giver of the year. It comes with a microphone, but you can add a dance pad too -- and if you can keep up with both the vocals and footsteps at once, you're a better person than we are.
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Guitar Hero
Be honest: You've played air guitar before, right? Guitar Hero is the perfect outlet for your private, guilty rock star fantasies and comes complete with a guitar-shaped controller for you to strum. Featuring songs from the likes of Black Sabbath, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Audioslave, it's a rhythm game that actually lets you play along with the music. Like the idea? Buy an extra guitar controller for even more fun.
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Sony PSP
This year's hot portable can do more than play games. With a high capacity memory stick, it's a fully-featured portable media center, capable of playing music, movies, viewing digital photos, and even browsing the Internet. But if you are looking for games, you'll find ten of the best elsewhere in this guide. More than anything else, the PSP is just a desirable piece of hardware -- rather like an iPod, it's beautifully designed and plain nice to hold.
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Nvidia 7800GT
The latest in whiz-bang graphics cards, this powerhouse will ensure a PC's ability to play the newest games for the next year or two. Be sure to check, if you can, whether the lucky recipient has one of the newer PCI-Express sockets on their machine's motherboard. Any recent gaming PC should, but you might want to keep the receipt just in case. If not, look for the AGP version instead.
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Sparco Racing Cockpit Pro
OK, so this is perhaps a little excessive. Still, if you have a Gran Turismo freak on your hands, buying one of these will catapult you into the coveted Best Parent/Sibling/Creepy Uncle Ever category. With a choice of adjustable seats and an optional bundled Logitech Driving Force Pro wheel, it'll bring Gran Turismo 4 to life like nothing else. If you have the means, we highly recommend picking one up.
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HD projector (Sanyo PLV-Z3)
Impress your friends with a 100-inch HDTV! The Sanyo PLV-Z3 high-definition LCD projector is the perfect route for gamers looking to make the most of next-gen consoles on a budget. The Z3 will throw a 720p image to vast sizes, but for the best picture you'll need to make sure the room's as dark as possible. That's for the best, though -- you wouldn't want stray light sources putting you off your high-definition gaming, would you?
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