Shopping for Game Players Is Easy

As hard as it may be to believe by wandering down the aisles of the local Toys R Us, this holiday season promises to be one of the easiest in years for loved ones to find that perfect digital something for the video game fanatics in their lives.

Shelves practically overflow with titles and it’s pretty tough to make a truly awful choice. As the video game industry matures, games are more technically advanced than ever. And with development costs in the millions of dollars, few companies can afford to deliver absolute junk.

But with games running anywhere from $40 to $70 and machines stuck at $150, it can still be slightly intimidating for novices venturing over to the video game aisle without an adolescent escort.

For buyers looking for a new machine this year, the choice essentially has narrowed to two machines: Sony PlayStation and Nintendo 64, both priced at $150 for a base unit, controller and no games.

PLAYSTATION, Sony. Sony’s 32-bit disc-based machine is more than 2 years old--a geologic age in the video game world--but it continues to set the standard for more mature games. With a giant library of discs, PlayStation can cater to a wide variety of niche markets such as technical flight simulators, down-and-dirty car racers and involved adventure-style games. Games appeal to adults and older teens.

NINTENDO 64, Nintendo. Fast and elegant, Nintendo’s super system delivers arcade-quality graphics and sound. Its library of games is considerably smaller than PlayStation’s and titles tend more toward fast arcade-style play. Younger kids love simple titles such as Mario Kart 64 while adults and older teens enjoy more strategic games like Goldeneye 007. Nintendo’s big advantages are speed and graphics.

Game machines aren’t much fun without games, though.

GOLDENEYE 007, Rare/Nintendo. Perhaps the best first-person shooting game ever. Players assume the role of James Bond and fight their way through some tough missions on the Nintendo 64. Although the game is fairly violent--a scorecard at the end of each level notes how many enemies were shot in the head--none of the gore is excessive. Teens and adults will love it.

ODDWORLD ABE’S ODDYSEE, GT Interactive/Oddworld Inhabitants. The first in a series of PlayStation games called the Oddworld Quintology. Perfect for younger kids and adults alike, the game follows the adventures of an endearingly ugly alien who is about to be turned into lunch meat. Teens might be turned off by the characters, none of whom are very hip.

HERC’S ADVENTURES, LucasArts. This fun little adventure from the man who brought you the Star Wars universe takes players on a journey through the ancient world with a wisecracking Hercules. Decidedly good-natured, Herc’s Adventure for PlayStation and Sega Saturn should offend only those who demand gore and violence in their video games. Perfect for kids.

RUMBLE PAK, Nintendo. Although not a game, the Rumble Pak peripheral makes Nintendo 64 games come alive by sending synchronized vibrations to the controller. In games like Goldeneye, players can actually feel the kick of a pistol. Priced at about $20, the Rumble Pak adds a new dimension to games.

FINAL FANTASY VII, SquareSoft. The best adventure game on console machines, Final Fantasy VII for PlayStation is second only to Riven on the PC and Macintosh in terms of size, scope and technical grace. Any video game player who doesn’t already have this instant classic will love it.

TOP GEAR RALLY, Midway. This swift little car racer for Nintendo 64 screams across the screen with great graphics and tight control. With the Rumble Pak attachment, players can feel the jolt of hitting a guard rail and the unsteady shaking of a tight corner.

NUCLEAR STRIKE, Electronic Arts. This is the archetype of fast-paced video games. Players pilot helicopters through hostile territory in this PlayStation game and blast their way to a safer tomorrow. Although kids would probably love it, Nuclear Strike is fairly violent and might be better suited to teens or adults.

G-POLICE, Psygnosis. A hip techno-shooter with great graphics and a cool story line, G-Police puts players behind the stick of futuristic death machines. Like most Psygnosis games, G-Police only adds to the aura of cool detachment that has grown up around PlayStation.

ACE COMBAT 2, Namco. Few combat flight simulators on any platform can touch this gem for Sony PlayStation. On consoles, it is without peer. Players fly complicated missions through hostile territory. Perfect for the frustrated flyboy, but kids might get bored quickly.