Where do you start if you have a video gamer on your gift list this holiday season and are overwhelmed with choices? Here are 10 ideas:
1. New choices: The two main consoles, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, have been around long enough that souped-up versions are now available. The PS4 Pro ($399) and Xbox One S ($299 and up) add ultra-HD muscle for more vivid and detailed graphics on TVs with 4K capability, whether playing a game or watching a show. The PS4 Slim, a trimmed-down model of the standard PS4, also is out for $299.
2. Right on target: Most war games go for a modern or high-tech feel, but "Battlefield 1" ($60 for PS4 or Xbox One) travels back more than a century, to World War I, to deliver visceral thrills. Dirigibles and biplanes soar overhead as enemies charge with bayonets and lob deadly gas canisters. With mind-blowing visuals and terrifying realism, the game will dazzle your eyes as it frazzles your nerves. There's no better combat experience now on consoles.
3. Latest craze: Virtual reality is all the rage this year. By donning a boxy headset, users can totally immerse themselves in a 360-degree virtual environment. At the top end, the Oculus Rift ($599) and HTC VIVE ($799) use a PC to drive them. The midrange PlayStation VR ($400) connects to the PS4, while the Samsung Gear VR ($100) uses your recent-model Samsung phone as the engine for a more casual experience. Games cost extra, of course. For an intro to this new world — and a great stocking stuffer — try Google Cardboard ($15), a no-frills way to turn any smartphone into a VR portal.
4. Better than before: Favorite games from the previous generation of consoles (PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360) have been remastered with improved graphics and new game play for the PS4 and Xbox One. Recent standouts include "Batman: Return to Arkham" (which combines "Arkham Asylum" and "Arkham City"; $50), "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered" (which comes as a bonus with the new "Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare: Legacy Edition"; $80) and the essential "BioShock: The Collection" ($60).
5. Old school: Nintendo's NES Classic Edition revives the system's '80s heyday with revamped connections for modern TVs. The console fits in the palm of your hand, but it uses regular-sized classic controllers. Great games like "Super Mario Bros.," "The Legend of Zelda," "Castlevania" and 27 other classics come preloaded, plus one controller, for a paltry $60. If that seems too good to be true, it's because it is. Opportunists quickly snatched up the initial batch and are reselling them on eBay for more than $200. But good for you if you can snag one.
6. Really retro: If you want to confuse a millennial, break out video games that are pushing 40. "Atari Flashback Classics," Vols. 1 and 2 ($20 each for the PS4 and Xbox One via disc or download), each boast 50 games for the vintage Atari 2600 system, along with a few arcade classics such as the addictive "Lunar Lander" and "Millipede." Despite the primitive graphics, there's nothing like having a multigenerational battle over late-'70s/early-'80s home-gaming gems like "Combat," "Asteroids" and "Breakout." Sure, there are plenty of duds among the games. But at less than 40 cents a title, these collections are worth the virtual quarters.
