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With three popular consoles to choose from, as well as multiple portable and PC options, there are a lot of different games available for holiday shoppers. This holiday season has created an onslaught of games - nearly 50 games were released in one week in November - so how do you choose what’s best for the gamer in your family? Here are some game highlights for various age groups:

“E for everyone”

“LittleBigPlanet” for the PlayStation 3. Suggested retail price: $59.99.

“LittleBigPlanet” from Sony is one of the most buzzed-about games this holiday season. Gamers take control of Sackboy (or Sackgirl), an 8-cm-tall character resembling a stitched-up burlap sack, and explore and develop their environment.

Characters collect items by exploring, solving puzzles and overcoming obstacles in the 3-D landscape, and then use their imaginations to piece them together to build new objects or even entire levels in the game. Custom-made characters, vehicles and tools can be shared with friends.

“E10+ for everyone over 10″

“Shaun White Snowboarding” for the Wii. Suggested retail price: $49.99.

“Shaun White Snowboarding” takes advantage of the Wii Balance Board for an entirely new way to play snowboarding games. Shifting weight on the balance board steers and moves the snowboard in the game. It can also be played with the Wii remote. There’s no online multiplayer, but there is split-screen multiplayer.

“T for Teen”

Mirror’s Edge, for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Suggested retail price: $59.99.

In a world in which communications are heavily monitored, “Runners” are prized. These couriers transfer sensitive data by hand. The gamer takes the role of Faith in this first-person action game. After Faith’s sister is framed for a crime, Faith is on the run, across spectacular cityscapes.

“M for Mature”

Left 4 Dead, for the Xbox 360 and PC. Suggested retail price: $59.99 and $49.99.

Nothing says holiday cheer like a zombie attack. In “Left 4 Dead,” four survivors struggle against the undead. The “AI director” changes the zombie population and attacks depending on the human players’ actions.

From Friday’s The Oklahoman
By Matthew Price
Assistant Features Editor

Despite the success of Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe (review coming shortly), Newsarama is reporting the majority of the shares in game company Midway was sold today for about $100,000.  As part of the purchase, the new owner will assume $70 million in debt.   Sumner Redstone, who had owned 87% of the shares, sold them to Mark Thomas, a private investor.

– Matt Price

The Web-based baseball simulation “Baseball Boss” is now formatted to work with the iPhone.

Jeff Petry, head of marketing for Challenge Games, answered some questions about how “Baseball Boss” will play in that format.

Q: How will “Baseball Boss” adapt for iPhone?

A: Baseball Boss is a web-based baseball game. It’s not an app that players have to buy and download. We’ve formatted the game to work with the iPhone functions and layout. No installation is needed, but players need to create an account at www.baseballboss.com via a computer. Then they can access Baseball Boss using the iPhone’s web browser.
Q: What will be the major advantages to being available on the iPhone?

A: Our company mission is to create online, short-form games that are challenging, fun and easy to play whether you’re a serious or casual gamer. This makes the iPhone a perfect fit. You can use iPhone’s browser to play Baseball Boss anytime, from anywhere. So it is perfect for someone on-the-go or who has a few minutes to to get that quick baseball and gaming fix.
Q: Have features been added to the game? Will some features not make the iPhone cut?

A: Players can accept challenges and see the results, read messages, browse their cards and review the status of auctions on their iPhone.

There are few differences between the play on the iPhone versus a computer, and we are planning to add to what you can do on iPhone over time. You start by creating an account via a computer, then can play on a either you computer or iPhone.

Before being able to use the iPhone to play Baseball Boss, players will need to use a computer to create a free account at www.baseballboss.com.

Q: Explain more about how the game works.

A: Baseball Boss is very unique to the baseball game genre. It is the first game to combine baseball simulation games with collectible card games. Baseball Boss is an official licensee of MLB Advanced Media and the MLBPA. It is a free to play web based game based on 3 simple things:

Players collect and trade virtual Baseball Boss branded baseball cards of current and historical players - it’s like iTunes meets baseball cards.
Players use those cards to create a baseball team.
Players then challenge others through a variety of head-to-head baseball game play modes.

Players can register and play free at www.baseballboss.com. We give all new players free packs of our Baseball Boss cards when they register.

iPhone users will love being able to play baseball on their iPhone without having to buy and install an app.

A version of this Q&A ran in Friday’s Weekend Look in The Oklahoman.

For a guy who lives in a pineapple under the sea, SpongeBob SquarePants is pretty ubiquitous on land, as well.

He’s out in the recently released video game, “SpongeBob SquarePants featuring Nicktoons: Globs of Doom.”

“Globs of Doom” is available for the PlayStation 2, Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS and is rated E for everyone.

In “Globs,” SpongeBob teams up with other Nicktoons characters in a button-mashing romp that also features Tak, Invader Zim, Danny Phantom and Jimmy Neutron.

SpongeBob was created by former marine science teacher Stephen Hillenburg, who was born on Fort Sill.

What’s made this goofy character so beloved? Hillenburg told The Oklahoman’s Gene Triplett in 2004 that SpongeBob’s naivety is a strong part of his appeal.

SpongeBob — who Hillenburg is aware doesn’t actually look like a sea sponge — has appealed to kids since his debut in 1999.

In addition to “Globs,” SpongeBob heads up a line of Nickelodeon tech gifts and toys for this holiday season. “SpongeBob SquarePants” Eyeball Speakers, for example, come with removable eyeballs that move along with the music.

Kids can also get a SpongeBob-themed MP3 player.

- by Matthew Price
Assistant Features Editor
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

An advertisement for Guitar Hero: World Tour, where you can play with the guitar only, or the entire band. Heidi Klum plays the game, a la Tom Cruise in “Risky Business,” in her underwear. Let’s see if this spikes traffic.

– Matt Price

It’s space-based survivalist horror in EA’s “Dead Space.”

The gamer takes on the role of engineer Isaac Clarke. He’s en route to the USG Ishimura, a “planet cracker” ship that harvests energy. He’s been dispatched with his team to repair their communications array; he’s also received an unclear message from a friend, Nicole Brennan, a medical officer on the Ishimura.

Once the team arrives, they find the ship has been overrun by Necromorphs (more or less zombies), and Isaac is separated from his team. He has to use the tools on-hand (like saws and welding guns) to take out the zombies. “Dead Space” is somewhat different from many zombie-type games in its “strategic dismemberment” theory - the only way to take out a Necromorph is to remove its limbs.

“Dead Space” will inspire some comparisons to “Resident Evil.” Of course, calling a game “Resident Evil” in space is more of a selling point than a detriment.

“Dead Space” has also worked much of the information you need to play the game into the experience. Rather than calling up a heads-up display, health, ammunition, and even objectives are displayed as part of the in-game experience. This means, of course, that while you’re checking on your ammo, you can be ambushed from behind by a Necromorph.

Overall, “Dead Space” is an atmospheric thriller that’s among the best the genre has to offer, with great visuals and sound joined to a gripping story.

The game is rated M for mature and is available on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and personal computer.

From Friday’s The Oklahoman
THE NEXT LEVEL
By Matthew Price
Assistant Features Editor

Good news for Mac owners — City of Heroes, the popular superher massively multiplayer online game, will come to Apple Macintosh this year.   The Mac version will be available for public beta testing with the release of the game’s thirteenth expansion, Issue 13: Power and Responsibility later this fall.

Full release and more artwork after the break.

(more…)

Apple Corps Ltd., Harmonix and MTV Games have announced that songs of the Beatles will be included in an upcoming “Rock Band” type game.  The game will be “experiential progression through and celebration of the music and artistry of The Beatles,” according to the release.  

The game was conceived with input from surviving Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, along with Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison, each of which endorse the project.

Giles Martin, co-producer of The Beatles’ LOVE project, will serve as music producer.

See the full release after the break.

(more…)

EA Sports released its predictions for the 2009-2010 NBA season, based on its NBA Live 09 software.   The preseason simulation assumes no major injuries or trades.

In the simulation, the Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA championship over the Miami Heat.   The Thunder finish with the league’s worst record in the simulation at 23-59.

There are a few bright spots for the fictional Thunder:  Russell Westbrook leads the team in assists and steals, and makes the first-team “all-rookie” team.

Kevin Durant leads the team in scoring (19.5) , and Chris Wilcox leads the team in rebounds (7.2).  

– Matt Price