Sales of the Nintendo Wii have plummeted over the past six months, to the point that the Wii (and motion-sensing controller) craze is looking more and more like a passing fad.
But don't cry for Nintendo. Wii sales continue to outpace both the Xbox 360 and PS3, and Nintendo's portable DS system, which was released in 2004, has sold close to 115 million units so far. The DS remains the hottest-selling system on the market, not only dwarfing the Xbox 360's 32 million units sold, but closing in on the total sales of the PlayStation 2, which was released four years earlier.
Here's quick look at the top selling games by console over the holiday season so far. The number of weeks the game has been on shelves is in parenthesis.
1. "Wii Sports Resort" - Wii (17 weeks) - 5.5 million 2. "Halo 3: ODST" - Xbox 360 (4 weeks) - 3 million 3. "Pokemon Heart Gold / Soul Silver" - DS (6 weeks) - 2.7 million 4. "FIFA Soccer 10" - PS3 (3 weeks) - 1.3 million 5. "Madden NFL 10" - Xbox 360 (10 weeks) - 1.2 million
This side story to the Halo franchise takes you out of the role of the super-soldier hero and drops you into the combat boots of the cannon-fodder space marines that serve as his backup. As such, it's more gritty and somber than the other games in the series, but it still has all of the thrilling edge-of-your-seat action that you'd expect from a Halo game.
If anything, the first-person, run and gun formula is even more compelling here because the acting and storytelling feel more personal. You care about the characters and feel like every battle is important, which gives it more of a sense of urgency, and that wasn't usually the case in the other Halo games.
The unique structure of the story is one of the reasons. You play as a new member of a team of battle-scarred, veteran "Orbital Drop Shock Troopers" who are defending Earth from an alien invasion. An accident separates the team, and you awaken hours later, alone in a ruined city that's controlled by the enemy. You spend the bulk of the game making your way from skirmish to skirmish, trying to piece together what happened to the rest of the squad.
When you find a clue about a team member, the game takes you hours into the past and lets you play through that person's story; before bringing back to the rookie in the present to search for someone else.
If you've ever played a Halo game, you'll feel right at home with the controls and pacing of combat. But ODST works equally well as a standalone title for those who have never played a game in the series. As a single player game, the mix of guns, grenades, and dramatic scripted moments makes for an experience as thrilling as any you'll find this year.
The cooperative multiplayer, in particular, really shines. As compelling as the story is, it can be a bit on the grim and lonely side at times, but playing through it with a buddy - online or splitscreen - adds another layer of fun. Once you're done with the story, there's the series-standard wealth of online and offline action that allows you to compete with or against your friends.
Aside from just being a great game, Halo 3: ODST has some nice little nods to sci-fi fans. The other members of your team include actors Nathan Fillion (Castle), Alan Tudyk (Dollhouse), and Adam Baldwin (Chuck), each in roles very similar to the ones they played on the cult hit TV show "Firefly." Fillion's ex-girlfriend in the game is played by a sci-fi star he dated in real life, Tricia Helfer, the leggy blond cylon Six of "Battlestar Galactica."
Whether you enjoy games with great stories, strong single player games, cooperative games, or just getting together with some pals and shooting each other, Halo 3: ODST is a perfect fit and one of the best games in the series.
As the holiday video game release flurry nears a fever pitch, here are a few choice reviews of some of the more recent high-profile titles, including the biggest holiday exclusives for PS3 and Xbox 360:
WWE Smackdown Vs. Raw 2010 (PS3, PS2, Xbox 360, Wii, DS, PSP)
IGN says: "As someone who has been buying these titles since they debuted on the PSone, I'm thrilled to sit here today and tell you that WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 isn't good -- it's great." - 8.5/10
FIFA Soccer 10 (PS3, PS2, Xbox 360, PC, DS, Wii, PSP)
G4 says: "After two years of sublime soccer, the EA Canada team deserves to hold a trophy above its collective head. FIFA 10 renders the Beautiful Game more beautifully than ever before." - 5/5
Borderlands (PS3, PC, Xbox 360)
Gamespot says: "Fun combat and a steady flow of rewards make this journey a massively enjoyable one, especially with some fellow mercenaries along for the ride." - 8.5/10
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3)
Gametrailers says: "Drake's briskly-paced second adventure flexes the PS3's muscles." - 9.3/10
Halo 3: ODST (Xbox 360)
G4 says: "Once the confusion subsides and gamers sit down with a controller, they’ll see that ODST is indisputably one of the year’s finest shooters." - 5/5
Video game rental site Gamefly has its end-of-year clearout sale going on right now. If there was a game you played in the past year and enjoyed but didn't want to drop $60 on it, odds are you can get it on the cheap for the next month or two at Gamefly. Here's a sample of some of the prices:
Gears of War 2 - $17.99 Resident Evil 5 - $17.99 Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena - $17.99 GRID - $17.99 Guitar Hero: Metallica - $17.99 Left 4 Dead - $17.99 Virtua Tennis 2009 - $17.99 Godfather 2 - $11.69 Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. - $10.79 Bond 007: Quantum of Solace - $8.99 Lord of the Rings: Conquest - $8.99 Mirror's Edge - $8.99
The prices are for members of the site, but you could always sign up for the free trial, buy whichever games you want, and then cancel your membership.
Picture if you will a world of heavy metal-fueled monstrosities and winged nightmares waging war across a flaming horizon. Now picture Jack Black snarking on it all, and you've got Brutal Legend, an umlaut-laden übertribute to metal that's both tongue-in-cheek and worshipfully referential.
The game looks and feels a lot like Guitar Hero meets Fable. As a recently deceased roadie, you roll across the hellscape in a battle car nicknamed The Deuce, hacking and slashing your way through 1980s hair band rejects while using your guitar to literally melt faces. Play a power riff minigame and you can raise shrines to learn more about the hilariously overblown birth of metal; or you can use the riffs to raise an army of headbangers which you can then command around the battlefield to help you turn away the forces of darkness and neon.
The story is overflowing with the wit of Black and designer Tim Schafer (Psychonauts, Grim Fandango), and it's littered with guest appearances from metal gods like Ozzy Osbourne, Rob Halford of Judas Priest, and Lita Ford. It doesn't always make a lot of sense aside from being an excuse to get you to the next joke or the next cameo or the next epic album-cover set piece; but you'll probably be enjoying the ride too much to care.
Whether or not you're a fan of the music - which is well-represented by its exhaustive licensed soundtrack, including the song below - the game is imaginative and fun enough that you'll enjoy it on some level, whether for the well-designed hack and slash gameplay or the arockalyptic humor.
Dead Rising Fear factor: 2/5 Play it on: Xbox 360 Price: $20 new at Gamestop You're a photographer trapped in a mall with a small group of survivors during the zombie apocalypse. Your mission, should you choose to accept it: Survive for 24 hours while using any of the items in the abandoned mall to carve your way through the ever expanding throng of zombies.
Bioshock Fear factor: 4/5 Play it on: PC, PS3, Xbox 360 Price: $20-$50 depending on system at Gamestop Explore an underwater Utopia gone wrong and discover the madness behind the mystery in this heavily stylized and beautifully rendered wet, neon nightmare. Bring ammo.
Resident Evil 5 Fear factor: 3/5 Play it on: PC, PS3, Xbox 360 Price: $40 new at Gamestop, or $22.49 at Gamefly Team up with a friend to battle back mutated masses after a bio-accident. Teamwork is key to making it to the end. Watch your back!
Condemned 2: Bloodshot Fear factor: 5/5 Play it on: PS3, Xbox 360 Price: $20 new at Gamestop This ultra-gory first-person action adventure unsettles with its edge-of-sanity blending of real and imagined worlds. The story is a dizzying and dark spiral through one man's descent, told via impalings.
Dead Space Fear factor: 5/5 Play it on: PC, PS3, Xbox 360 Price: $20-$30 new, depending on system, at Gamestop Considered one of the scariest games ever made, this shooter sees you exploring a derelict spaceship filled with impossibly gruesome monstrosities that never seem to die. Turn out the lights, settle into your seat and then get ready to jump out of it a lot.
Left 4 Dead Fear factor: 2/5 Play it on: PC, Xbox 360 Price: $30 new at Gamestop Grab a group of friends and lots of virtual firearms to face a swarm of zombie attacks, or take control of a zombie and seek out tasty tasty brains. Best with buddies.
F.E.A.R. Fear factor: 3/5 Play it on: PC, PS3, Xbox 360 Price: $15-$20 new at Gamestop The Ring meets Halo in this creepy and challenging first person shooter. Available on the cheap.
Ghostbusters Fear factor: 1/5 Play it on: DS, PC, PS3, PSP, Xbox 360, Wii Price: $20-$50 new at Gamestop You won't be afraid of no ghosts, but you'll have a great time bustin' them alongside Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and the gang in this fun and hilarious sequel to the movies.
Eternal sports game adversaries EA and 2K face off again this week as each releases its annual NBA game. EA's NBA Live 10 uses real-life player performance for evolving in-game features, while NBA 2K10 features a laundry list of upgrades to graphics and sound as well as new gameplay modes. Both are among the most realistic-looking sports games of any kind.
Other releases this week range from Bioshock for the Mac to the subtitle fest Star Wars The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes. You can read the full release list here.
Here's a quick comparison of the current generation video game systems, along with some thoughts about which might be the right one for you. Keep in mind that many of the biggest game releases are available for all of these systems.
PS3 Slim
Price: $299
Key exclusive games Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Infamous, MLB09: The Show, Killzone 2, Resistance 2, Little Big Planet, Gran Turismo 5
Key features Built-in 120GB harddrive, built-in wi-fi, cutting-edge hardware, plays Blu-ray movies
Weaknesses It's the most advanced tech on the market, but game developers have struggled at times to harness its power. It's simply cheaper, easier, and more profitable for developers to make games for the other systems, which means that its game library could be more impressive. It could be years before we truly see what the PS3 can do, if ever.
Get this if You want an inexpensive way to watch movies on Blu-ray disc or you're a big fan of the PS3's exclusive games
Wii
Price: $199
Key exclusive games Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Super Mario Galaxy, Warioware: Smooth Moves, Wii Sports, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Key features Revolutionary motion control, solid and stable technology, great exclusive games from console-maker Nintendo, easy and fun to play for all ages, can download and play old favorites from earlier Nintendo consoles
Weaknesses Made mainly for younger players or those who wouldn't normally play video games, the games don't look or sound as good as they do on the other systems, it only plays games - none of this newfangled DVD stuff
Get this if The system is for a young person, for someone who doesn't usually play games, or a longtime fan of Nintendo's games and characters like Mario
Xbox 360 Elite
Price: $299 ($250 after a $50 rebate, if you purchase by October 4.)
Key exclusive games Gears of War, Halo 3, Forza Motorsport 2, Perfect Dark Zero, Fable II, Mass Effect
Key features The largest, most diverse library of games among current consoles; online network offers free access a massive amount of free or for-pay games and Blu-ray quality movies and TV shows for stream or download; a cutting-edge, subscription-based online gaming service
Weaknesses Had to implement a free mail-in repair policy because of frequent system failures in earlier versions of the console
Get this if You have broadband internet access, particularly if you have a Netflix account since you can stream movies from Netflix through the console
If you're planning to buy video games for yourself or someone else over the next few months, try signing up for the free trial at Gamefly, the Netflix-style video game rental service. Once you're a member of the site, you can buy previously rented games, often for roughly half the price of places like Best Buy and far less than the price of used games at places like Gamestop, and in much better condition. Plus, shipping from Gamefly is free for members.
Here's a comparison of a few of the current prices, as of about noon on Oct. 1. Gamestop prices are for the used versions of the game, whenever available.
