If you are a hardcore gamer, sometimes it can be difficult to get the insight on what’s good in the neighborhood of casual games because we tend to cross them off our list for our own holiday lists. But we all have friends and family we’d love to get into gaming, or those who simply enjoy it on a casual level. Tigresa and Cuatro Chihuahuas bring you the best of both worlds, without Miley Cyrus unfortunately, and have put together a great guide of gifts to nab for those casual gamers in your life.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Platform(s): Wii
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone

I have to confess I debated about including this game on the casual list, because it’s actually pretty challenging, especially for inexperienced players or those who have never played a Mario game before. Still, I decided to include it after all, because it’s fun to play, and for those who stick with it, can be an educating experience. It’s absolutely hilarious to play with friends and family. It just might get your girlfriend, roommate and anyone else who isn’t much of a gamer to find the same joys you do in video games.

Tales of Monkey Island

Platform(s): PC, WiiWare
ESRB Rating: E10+ [Everyone 10+]

The Tales of Monkey Island series is one of the best point-and-clicks I’ve played, especially in recent memory. The best news is that now that the full game has been released (all five episodes), you can purchase it from TellTale’s online store and get it all on DVD, meaning that even if your friend/family member has a download-phobia, they can still enjoy the game by installing it the old-fashioned way. You can also purchase a gift card for the season, if you’d prefer. Pirates apparently love options.

Scribblenauts

Platform(s): Nintendo DS
ESRB Rating: E10+ [Everyone 10+]

Scribblenauts is a clever game that’s perfect for playing in short bursts. So if your dad wants a little puzzle game to entertain himself on his way to work each day (hopefully he takes public transport or carpools: Spawn Kill is not responsible for any accident or injury that may occur if one games while driving), then this may just hit the sweet spot. Plus, you can snag it for about $25, which certainly won’t break the bank.

Cooking Mama 3

Platform(s): Nintendo DS
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone

Cooking Mama 3 is the latest in the line of cute, culinary delicacies on the Nintendo DS. What I love about Cooking Mama that makes her an easy recommendation is that she is fun when you’re 7, she’s fun when you’re 15, and she’s still fun when you’re 20+. I love Cooking Mama and so do most of my twenty-something aged friends. Her cute accent, and extremely interactive recipes you will participate in will have you wanting the skills of a chef by the end of the night. Retails for about $29.99 at most locations and online stores.

Hasbro Family Game Night 2

Platform(s): Wii
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone

Hasbro Family Game Night 2 is made up of five games you and your family are sure to be familiar with: Operation, Jenga, Bop-It, Connect 4×4 and Pictureka. Jenga is a tough cookie for those with a shaky hand, but Pictureka (one of Hasbro’s newer board games) translates extremely well to the Wii. It’s an addictive game that’ll have your senses heightened to the max with the need to defeat your competitor. It’s playable alone, but it’s nothing compared to playing against your significant other or family members. Plus, I’ve lost most of the pieces to my Operation game from years past… You can bring your Miis into the mix as well, so feel free to have Miley Cyrus duke it out against your Jonas Brothers Miis for a bonus, haha.

But what if your friend or family member already owns the above games, or perhaps you’d like to get them something different, perhaps something you know they’d never buy themselves? Consider, if you will, some of the items below that might pique the heart of the casual gamers in your life.

Wii or Xbox 360 Aspect Gaming Tower

There are a few of these on the market, but this one is especially nice because it has a place to store your plastic guitar, in case your friend is a Guitar Hero or Rock Band junkie. The best thing is you can find them on sale for $39.99 at JCPenney, and you’ll help keep your friend’s collection organized. It has have room for the console, games, and up to four sets of controllers, plus one guitar. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have a place to store the balance board, but it’s still one of the best storage solutions you can find, especially for the price.

Chloe Dao Mobile Technology Handbag

OK, let’s face it: a large number of “casual” gamers are female. In fact, if you’re reading this you may have a wife, girlfriend, or daughter who has a DS, but prefers to play Nintendogs over Grand Theft Auto on it. If so, she may love you forever if you get her one of these. Available in several prints, this bag is fierce when it comes to carrying your DS Lite, DSi, or PSP on the go. I have one and I adore it. I’ve gotten a lot of compliments, since it not only looks like a purse, it is one. Inside, there’s a large pocket for your DS or PSP, plus sleeves for credit cards, a pocket for your cell phone, and more. It’s great if you (or your female friend) enjoy having your handheld with you, but still wants to keep it secure without having too much to lug around. For a while, this item was hard to find, but doing a quick search on eBay shows quite a few have popped up since I scrambled to buy mine. It’s a great gift, and better than most other cases you’ll find on the market. Sexy? Check. Fashionable? Check. Practical? Check. Affordable? Hmm. Maybe I’ll buy another one…

We hope you’ve enjoyed our gift guides. Perhaps they’ve helped you find that perfect gift or accessory for every gamer on your list, or at least they’ve made you chuckle! Happy Holidays and we hope to see you all in 2010!

       

Tags: Christmas, Gift Guide, Hasbro Family Game Night, New Super Mario. Bros Wii, Scribblenauts

This entry was posted on Saturday, December 19th, 2009 at 10:00 am and is filed under Editorials, Gift Guide. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.