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There are so many video games out there, but we've selected some of the
best for you to get for your grandchild this holiday season.
ESRB Rating: Everyone
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ESRB Rating: Everyone
 Zapper
(by Infogrames, Platform Tested Tested: Xbox, $49.99)
With it’s colorful graphics and simple game play Zapper is a nice game for young kids, maybe 5 to 8.
Our tester said, "If you remember Frogger, it’s like a 3D version of that with a grasshopper instead of a frog."
It has two different game modes, story mode and arcade mode. In story mode you can save your progress and return to the same spot later. Arcade mode is just for a quick game or race against the clock.
Kids can play alone or in multiplayer mode. There are five different multiplayer variations. Multiplayer mode makes this a more exciting game, up to for players compete in games such as zipperball (a soccer-like game) and strangle hold (players try to get the ball and hold it the longest).
Available Platforms: Xbox, P2, GameCube, GameBoy Advanced and CD-ROM.
 Tetris
Worlds (by THQ, Platform Tested Tested: Xbox, $29.99)
Tetris Worlds brings the classic game of Tetris to a new generation of gamers. This is truly a game that the whole family can play, simple enough for a child yet challenging enough for an adult. This version of Tetris does a nice job of adding some new features to tetris (6 different game modes and up to 4 players at a time) while still keeping the feel that made the original so addictive.
Available Platforms: Xbox, P2, GameCube, GameBoy Advanced and
CD-ROM.
 Sly Cooper and the Thievious Racoonus
(by Sony Computer
Entertainment, Platform Tested: PS2, $39.99)
This game is about Sly Cooper and how on his 8th birthday he is given a
family heirloom that contains the key to the best thievery
techniques. On his birthday a ruthless gang of five break into his home,
overpower his father and steal the Thievius Raccoonus. They split it up
and each of them take one piece of the legacy. Ten years later Sly is
ready to steal it back.
Our 10-year-old tester liked the different levels that were presented in the
game. He said that the fighting component was exciting and that it was a
lot of fun. His only comment was that he felt it was very challenging. Available
Platforms: P2
NFL Game Day 2003 (by
Sony Computer Entertainment, Platform Tested: PS2, $39.99)
Our 10-year-old tester felt the game had good graphics and was easy to
play. He liked the new players and said it was more realistic than
2002. He also felt it was easy to learn. He said it was perfect for
one player but couldn't get the two-player feature to work properly.
 NFL
Game Day 2003 (by Sony Computer Entertainment, Platform Tested: PS2, $39.99)
Our 31-year-old tester felt the game excellent graphics and was quite
challenging. He said it was a more difficult game to beat than others and
was an excellent choice for basketball fans. He also felt it was very realistic
with cool game play and atmospheric effects.
 NFL
Blitz 2003 (by Midway, Platform Tested: PS2, $49.99) Amazon.com
Product
According to our 15-year-old reviewer this game is
great. He particularly liked going for the Super Bowl. Having played
all the other blitz games he said this was equally as good, but that it was
hard. If your grandchild is a football fan this won't disappoint!
 NHL
Hitz 2003 (by Midway, Platform Tested: PS2, $49.99) Amazon.com Product Description:
NHL Hitz 2003 is an ice-melting inferno of blistering hockey. It features a new franchise mode for deep
gameplay, a full season with every team and every game, in-depth stat tracking, international and all-star teams, fantasy teams and stadiums, and a soundtrack with Rob Zombie and Powerman 5000.
Systems
 Sony PlayStation 2
(by Sony Computer Entertainment, all ages, $199.99)
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Features:
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- PlayStation2 gaming console
- Plays DVDs
- 128-bit Emotion Engine processor
- Lightning-fast gameplay
- Backward-compatible with PlayStation games
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This is the game system every electronic home gamer wants. Our 31-year-old, 15-year-old, and 4-year-old testers all said the same thing:
"This system is cool." PlayStation 2 has by far the best choice of games, and you can play all the older PlayStation 1 games on it, too. This system
also has a built-in DVD player (a feature we didn't test fully because we were busy checking out the games). If you purchase this unit, you should
also consider getting the following accessories: an 8MB Memory Card
to store games, and an extra Dual Shock 2 Controller
so two people can play.  Note:
The 4-year-old had a hard time using the standard controllers because her hands
were so small, however we found a fabulous product (pictured left) called
MicroCON by a company called MadCatz.
These controllers are much smaller then the standard controllers and seem to
work really well with our 4-year-old testers little hands. They also make
the MicroCON for , XBox and GameCube. For more information on these
controllers click here.
 Xbox
(by Microsoft, all ages, $199.99)
Year two of the Xbox era and it is still turning heads with it’s stellar graphics, cutting edge games
and multitude of features.
The Xbox boasts the most advanced hardware system built for gaming to date with a Pentium III processor, 64 MB of memory, 8GB hard drive and Nvidia graphics system. (See full specifications below).
Some of the most exciting and visually stunning games are available for the Xbox. There is something for everyone in the selection of games. From
“Harry Potter and the Chamber of
Secrets” or “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater
4” for the whole family to “Unreal
Championship” or “Halo” for Teens and adults. However the majority of games geared towards teens and adults. For younger kids (4-11) Nintendo’s Game Cube would be a better choice.
You can connect up to four controllers to the Xbox to share the fun with your friends or family. However, if there is no one home to play with, no problem. If you have a broadband internet connection just pick up the
Xbox live starter kit ($49.99 for the kit and one year of service) and you can connect to Xbox Live and play against other gamers over the internet. Some of the games available for online play are
MechAssault, NFL Fever 2003, MotoGP, NBA 2K3 and Unreal Championship.
Tired of playing games? With the optional DVD remote you can play DVD movies on your Xbox.
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Technical Specifications:
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- Intel Pentium III at 733mhz
- Custom graphics processor at 300mhz, designed by Nvidia exclusively for Xbox
- DVD movie playback
- 1920x1080 maximum resolution
- HDTV support
- 64MB memory with 6.4GB/sec bandwidth
- 8GB Hard drive, 4 speed DVD drive
- Custom 3-D audio processor designed by Nvidia which supports:
- 64 Hardware audio channels (256 total)
- 3D Audio support
- Midi/DLS2 support
- AC3 encoding
- 100 MBPS Ethernet Port
- Optional Modem
- 4 game USB controller ports
- Proprietary A/V connector
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For more information on the Xbox go to http://www.xbox.com
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