Triple Entente Radio

OK, let’s admit why you’re REALLY reading this: you just want suggestions for what to put on your Wish List. Like you need game suggestions for your friends…pssh. Friends are overrated anyways.

It’s fine, I don’t judge. So, let’s get this list started. As with all of our Holiday Lists, we’ve broken it down to these categories:

Essentials – The ones that you should already have for your system. If you don’t, what gives?

Latest and Greatest – These games are the ones that have come out or are going to come out this holiday season. These titles are brand spankin’ new, in case you like to keep up with the times

Best of the Rest – The games in this list are ones that might not have crossed your mind. If you’re looking for something to fill that last spot on your list, look no further.

Downloadable Goodness – These are the ones you can download. ‘Nuff said.

ESSENTIALS

Bioshock

If you like: Shooters that feature impressively deep storylines and keep you on the edge of your seat

Price: $29.99

If it were allowed, 2007’s Bioshock would be one of the choices for 2008’s Game of the Year. Featuring an amazing storyline, unique scenery, and great gunplay, Bioshock is a must-have title for anyone with a 360. You’ll spend hours searching the underwater-city of Rapture finding hidden goodies.

The Orange Box: Featuring Half-Life 2, HL2: Episode 1, HL2: Episode 2, Portal, Team Fortress 2 (*pant*)

If you like: Shooting, puzzles, and multiplayer for breakfast.

Price: $29.99

The Orange Box is one of the best deals in gaming you’ll ever find, featuring five amazing games. If you haven’t already gotten hooked to Half-Life, you can start the series for the first time from Half-Life 2 onward. Portal is still a favorite for many people who can’t let go of their Weighted Companion Cube jokes, and Team Fortress 2 is a favorite for those who have trouble getting addicted to the more-hardcore shooters like Call of Duty 4.

Burnout Paradise

If you like: A racer that is not like the hardcore racing games. A fun, fast racer for anyone and everyone

Price: $29.99 (surprise!)

Burnout Paradise is one of the best racing games out there. The free-roaming aspect of Paradise City will keep you glued to the controller, spending hours going off jumps, nailing insane stunts, and competing in different types of races. Not to mention the great online, with the ability to just push a button to immediately hop into your friend’s game. Criterion is committed to updating their game often, with the recent Cagney update adding bikes to the mix.

Grand Theft Auto IV

Price: $40-$60 depending on where you look

Need I recommend GTA IV? It’s a Game of the Year contender, with its free-roaming style, open city, amazing soundtrack, great gameplay, and one of the best storylines this year—a serious first for the series. GTA IV is more than just a murder-simulator that you hear about on the news. Yes, there’s a lot of violence and crime…but that’s not all there is to this amazing game.

LATEST AND GREATEST

Fable II

If you like: RPGs with a little bit of The Sims thrown in (minus the bathroom breaks)

Price: $59.99

Fable II takes the foundation Fable I laid down and builds upon it, finally delivering many of Peter Molyneux’s promises. Fable II features not only a deep RPG, but the ability to work at jobs, train your very own dog, and go on dates. There’s something for everyone in Fable II.

Fallout 3

If you like: A post-apocalyptic future where the world has been annihilated. Like Bioshock, only more buildings

Price: $59.99

When the original Fallout came out in the early 90s, it was an RPG phenom. So for many people, Fallout 3 is the first Fallout they’ve played. The annihilated wasteland that is Fallout 3 presents an endless amount of outcomes, and the desolated environment and old tunes might just give you a flashback to last year’s Bioshock.

Gears of War 2

If you like: Gears of War 1

Price: $59.99

Need I say more?

BEST OF THE REST

Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise

If you like: Pokemon / Animal Crossing / Harvest Moon

Price: $39.99

Viva Pinata games can only be described by talking about other games. You take care of a “Pinata Garden” and its inhabitants, like in Harvest Moon, collect different kinds of piñatas and grow attatched to them, like Pokemon, all in a colorful world reminiscent of Animal Crossing. Once you start playing, you just can’t stop.

Mirror’s Edge

If you like: High velocity first-person platforming

Price: $59.99

EA took a huge risk with Mirror’s Edge, and it’s paying off. The idea of platforming from the first-person perspective may sound farfetched, but EA has managed to combine the two perfectly. Designed around the European-based sport of free-running, Mirror’s Edge will rock you.

Soul Calibur IV

If you like: Fighting, fighting, and more fighting

Price: $59.99

When it comes to fighting games, few can match Soul Calibur’s…caliber (pun totally intended). With an improved character creation mode, complex fighting system, and great graphics, Soul Calibur IV is great for both hardcore fighting fans and people who want to dip their toes into the genre for the first time.

Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts

If you like: Banjo injected with sandbox gameplay

Price: $39.99

Let me tell you right off the bat: This is not the same Banjo you played on the N64. That’s not a bad thing though. Rare knows how to make a good game, and Nuts & Bolts is no exception. With in-depth vehicle creation, impressive graphics and huge worlds, the bear and bird are back.

(Hey, we're GIVING THIS AWAY!)

DOWNLOADABLE GOODNESS

Mega Man 9

If you like: old-school platforming with a pinch of awesome

Price: 800 Microsoft Poins ($10)

Mega Man 9 isn’t for everyone: If you don’t like a challenge, don’t get Mega Man 9. Sure, you might think you truly are hardcore enough, but if you haven’t played the NES games, don’t come in expecting difficult. Expect BRUTAL. Look beyond the difficulty though, and you’ll find one of the best downloadable games out there.

Braid

If you like: puzzles mixed with platforming

Price: 1200 Microsoft Points ($15)

Braid does carry a slightly higher price tag ($5 more than normal titles), but don’t let that scare you away from it. Currently the only 360 downloadable game in the Top 10 on Metacritic, Braid has won gamers over with its unique puzzles, as well as variety. It may be a little short, but hey, so was Portal.

Castle Crashers

If you like: old-school brawlers with friends

Price: 1200 Microsoft Points ($15)

The Behemoth’s Castle Crashers is one game we here at Triple Entente Radio cannot get enough of. It has its quirks (online issues, a few bugs here and there), but Castle Crashers is one game that anybody can get into. The simple, yet complex combo moves mixed with the Laugh Out Loud moments combine to form one damn good game.

Rez HD

If you like: ???

Price: 800 Microsoft Points ($10)

Rez HD is like Tron, without the Tron. It combines music, rhythm, and an amazing visual presentation in one package. Right from the start, you’ll find yourself getting immersed in Rez’s trippy visuals and soundtrack. But to truly complete the experience, gather up a few spare controllers and turn on the “Trance Vibration” option. This will synchronize the beat in the game to the vibrators in the controllers, and will alternate vibrations between controllers. For the best results, put one on the back of your neck, one at the bottom of your back, one under your feet, and one in your hands (to play, of course).

Portal: Still Alive

Price: 1200 Microsoft Points ($15)

This is only a good recommendation if you haven’t yet experienced Portal. The full game is here, with the same jokes and puzzles. Yes, there are new chambers added on (ones which PC gamers got for free), but without GlaDoS’s jokes and haunting voice, they’re certainly lacking. However, if you haven’t played Portal yet, this is a must-buy.