Decisions, Decisions, Decisions: Picking the Right Console, Titles

Giving video and computer games as gifts can be dicey business. Unless you’re working off a list made by the recipient, the odds are high of making a big, non-returnable mistake.

This year, goofs can be even more costly as hundreds of thousands of families mull which console to buy--or whether to bother.

The newest set-top consoles range from $200 to $300, but that’s just for the base system. Most buyers spend an additional $100 or so on games and extra controllers.

And it’s not just the Big Three boxes--Microsoft’s Xbox, Nintendo’s GameCube and Sony’s PlayStation 2--that buyers have to contend with this year. There’s also Nintendo’s Game Boy Advance, Sega’s outgoing Dreamcast and Sony’s redesigned PS One.

Plus, families content with the machine they already own have to figure out which games to add to their libraries.

There is one no-brainer: Game Boy Advance, the $100 successor to Nintendo’s wildly popular Game Boy and Game Boy Color. This rugged 32-bit portable system delivers great games on the go.

After that, it gets considerably more difficult.

Families grappling with which console to buy should understand what they want out of the box.

Microsoft’s $300 Xbox is the most PC-like, with an 8-gigabyte hard drive, network port and the ability to play DVD movies and audio CDs. Nintendo’s $200 GameCube only plays games. And Sony’s PlayStation 2 falls in between, although Sony is introducing a hard drive and modem peripherals that make it more like the Xbox.

Generally, Xbox games skew toward teens and young adults. GameCube titles appeal more to kids and families. And PlayStation2 covers the gamut. “

Although most of the recent media coverage has gone to those three consoles, Sony’s PS One probably will outsell them all. Redesigned as a cute, little white box, the $100 32-bit system can be attached to a $130 portable liquid crystal display and plugged into a car cigarette lighter.

And Sega’s 128-bit Dreamcast, which hosts some of the most imaginative games of the last decade, has dropped in price to just $50. Games can be picked up for as little as $10.

Here are some of the best on various platforms:

Microsoft Xbox

“Dead or Alive 3”: Perhaps one of the most exquisite fighting games ever, “Dead or Alive 3” is a delight to behold. The graphics are incredible, but the array of move combinations makes the game more than just another pretty face. Rating: Teen by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board.

“Halo”: A first-person shooter that expands the boundaries of the genre, “Halo” lets players fly and drive various space-age vehicles across a beautiful planet teeming with alien hordes. The combat is some of the most intense around. Rating: Mature.

“Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee”: “Munch’s Oddysee” is a game with a moral. Players control two endearing creatures--Abe the Mudokkon and Munch the Gabbit--to help them free their comrades from the clutches of greedy conglomerates. Rating: Everyone.

Nintendo 64

“Madden 2002”: Football fans can ask for no greater franchise than “Madden.” In addition to regular play, the game includes the ability to play in old-school mode dating from 1993. Rosters are pretty complete to reflect most changes in the 2001 fall season. Rating: Everyone.

“Perfect Dark”: The problem with consoles on their way to pasture is that even though they are cheap--a Nintendo 64 can be had for $70 with a game--the flow of titles has slowed to a trickle. “Perfect Dark” was released last year, but it remains a premier non-Pokemon title for Nintendo 64. A first-person shooter, the game has a lovely multi-player mode. Rating: Mature.

“Pokemon Stadium 2”: Kids obsessed with Pokemon will like “Pokemon Stadium 2,” which allows them to use a Transfer Pak to upload monsters collected from their various Game Boy cartridges. The title also features tournaments between Pokemons and a bevy of mini-games. Rating: Everyone.

Nintendo Game Boy Advance

“Doom”: A first-person shooter on a hand-held machine? “Doom” showcases the power of Game Boy Advance and gives nostalgic players a sentimental trip back to the game that ignited the genre. It’s violent but not nearly as graphic as some modern games. Rating: Teen.

“Mario Kart Advance”: Players control go-carts driven by Nintendo characters such as Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach. The tracks are gorgeous and the action is relentless. Rating: Everyone.

“Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2”: One of the most popular game franchises, “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater” lets players try new skateboard tricks without the risk of breaking a wrist. Rating: Everyone.

Nintendo Game Boy Color

“Kirby Tilt ‘n Tumble”: One of the most inventive Nintendo games in a long time, “Kirby Tilt ‘n Tumble” features sensors in the cartridge that allow players to physically tilt their Game Boys in order to make the pink puff ball Kirby roll through mazes and obstacle courses. Rating: Everyone.

“Mario Tennis”: Nintendo has done a nice job of linking its set-top consoles to its hand-held players. A great game in its own right, “Mario Tennis” allows players to use the $20 Transfer Pak to swap character data between Game Boy Color and Nintendo 64. Rating: Everyone.

“Tetris DX”: Yes, this classic puzzler has been around forever. But “Tetris” remains one of the best games of all time. No Game Boy Color should be without at least some version of the game--and “Tetris DX” is closest to the original. Rating: Everyone.

Nintendo GameCube

“Luigi’s Mansion”: Mario the plumber disappears in a haunted mansion, so brother Luigi comes looking. This is “Ghostbusters” meets “Mario” as Luigi explores the mansion and uses a vacuum cleaner to suck up evil spirits. Rating: Everyone.

“Rogue Leader: Rogue Squadron II”: Imagine slipping into an X-Wing and blowing up the Death Star. Previous titles set in the “Star Wars” universe usually made the battle station assault one of the final levels of the game. “Rogue Leader” makes it one of the first. This flying game only gets better from there. Rating: Teen.

“Super Monkey Ball”: OK, you’ve got a monkey. And he’s inside a bubble. And you roll that “monkey ball” around a course by shifting its axis. Got it? Never mind. It’s one of the fastest and craziest games on GameCube. Rating: Everyone.

PC

“Black & White”: Players are God. Literally. Part virtual pet, part simulation, “Black & White” requires players to lord over mortals with benevolence or fury. In addition to keeping the locals appeased, players must raise a creature to do their bidding. Be careful. The creature can rebel. Rating: Teen.

“Max Payne”: Most first-person shooters are awash in violence. “Max Payne” uses it to tell a story. The game unfolds like a digital comic book, and players are able to manipulate time to dodge bullets or fire shots. Rating: Mature.

“Myst III: Exile”: The third story set in the worlds created by Atrus’ pen, “Myst III: Exile” is the first title not produced by the series’ creators, Robin and Rand Miller. No worries. The puzzles are challenging and the worlds are inviting. Rating: Everyone.

Sega Dreamcast

“Crazy Taxi 2”: Scream through the streets of a bustling metropolis in a tricked-out cab. “Crazy Taxi 2” is frenetic. Rating: Teen.

“Shenmue”: Sega shows how deep a game can be with “Shenmue,” in which players solve a mystery in a realistically detailed Japanese city. Nothing has been overlooked. Players can buy snacks from vending machines or play video games. Rating: Teen.

Sony PlayStation

“SpongeBob Squarepants: SuperSponge”: The super-absorbent hero of his own TV show, SpongeBob Squarepants has a great game that’s easy enough for tykes to play but still enjoyable for grown-ups. Rating: Everyone.

“Syphon Filter 3”: An espionage game with brains, the “Syphon Filter” series has delivered the goods for years. Graphic improvements and high-tech weaponry make it a nice substitute now that “Metal Gear Solid” has jumped onto PlayStation 2. Rating: Mature.

“Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3”: More parks, more tricks, better graphics. Even non-skateboarders can find plenty to love. Rating: Everyone.

Sony PlayStation 2

“Gran Turismo 3”: Nothing but speed and control matters in “Gran Turismo 3,” perhaps the finest racing game on any console. When combined with the $100 Logitech Driving Force steering wheel, the game comes alive. Rating: Everyone.

“Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty”: This sequel to one of the finest games on the original PlayStation demands stealth and cunning as players infiltrate enemy territory. Sure, players can shoot their way out of trouble, but it never ends well. Rating: Mature.

“MTV Music Generator 2”: More a recording studio than a game, “MTV Music Generator” lets players mix their own songs from a palette of riffs. Despite its simple interface and logical controls, “Music Generator” pumps out some interesting tunes. Rating: Everyone.

*

Aaron Curtiss is editor of Tech Times. He can be reached at aaron.curtiss@latimes.com.