TEH. BEST. GAMES. EVAR.
By Andr'e Swartley

Holiday Buyers' Guide to Video Games

Day 3: Playstation

Sony is the only console manufacturer with three active platforms on the market, but with over 2,000 games available for the aging Playstation 2, picking three is practically impossible. This list will cover only the Playstation Portable (PSP) and Playstation 3. First, though, let's recap the game genres (for more detailed explanations of each, please refer to an earlier guide to Nintendo games).

Action Game
Adventure Game
Fighting Game
First-Person Shooter (FPS)
Platformer
Puzzle Game
Racer
Roleplaying Game (RPG)
Simulator (Sim)
Sports Game
Strategy Game
Survival Horror

Sony PSP

Dissidia Final Fantasy-RPG/Fighting Game, $39.99, rated T for Teen
I've already written about the Final Fantasy series in my reviews, but it's worth noting that there are now 13 main games in the series, as well as dozens of spin offs and films. Dissidia takes the central heroes and villains from the main games and pits them against each other in a battle royale to determine the fate of the universe. Sound awesome? It is.

God of War: Chains of Olympus-Action Game, $19.99, rated M for Mature
The third game in the God of War series, and the prequel to the first game on PS2, Chains of Olympus continues the God of War tradition of retelling familiar Greek myths through the eyes of a Spartan warrior named Kratos. Please note, this game really earns its "M" rating with nudity and over-the-top violence. Still, you can see much worse in an R rated movie these days.

Patapon-Strategy Game, $19.99, rated E for Everyone
Patapon gives you a horde of cute little monsters to control, and a vast, artistic land to conquer with them. Your orders aren't spoken commands, but rather rhythmic drum beats that you press in time to music and visual prompts in the game. War was never so catchy or so adorable.

Sony Playstation 3

Demon's Souls-RPG, $59.99, rated M for Mature
Demon's Souls is perhaps the most difficult game on the Playstation 3. And it's fantastic. You play as a hapless person caught in the end of the world. Imagine that, following the apocalypse, God tells you to go clean up the earth, which has been overrun with nasties, and hands you a broom. You spend most of your time in Demon's Souls dead, but even death offers no refuge. As a dead person, the enemies just get a little stronger and you become more susceptible to damage. Nevertheless, Demon's Souls is never unfair, and skill and patience will take you through the whole game.

Little Big Planet: Game of the Year Edition-Platformer, $59.99, rated E for Everyone
The mission statement behind Little Big Planet is "Play. Create. Share." Play the game, Create your own levels, and Share them online with the world. As the adorable and dressable Sackboy-a smiling toy doll made of burlap-you run, jump, and swing your way through the seven continents of Little Big Planet, chasing the collector. Imagine Super Mario Brothers with a powerful physics engine running in the background. After you finish the game, you may build your own levels with the same tools used by the developers in creating the game, and post your levels on the Playstation Network. There is no other game like this, which is probably why it won so many Game of the Year Awards.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves-Action Game, $59.99, rated T for Teen
My first game review for the Icon covered Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. Uncharted 2 picks up a few years later, and takes the shady but likeable Nathan Drake across the world from steaming jungles to the frozen peaks of the Himalayas. Plus there's a level where you have to shoot down a helicopter while running across the roof of a speeding train. Bring some Dramamine for that one.

Happy shopping, Playstation owners! Be sure to check back tomorrow for the Xbox edition of the Icon's Holiday Buyers' Guide to Video Games.