When it comes down to recommending gifts for gamers, there’s never an exact science at coming up with gifts that will work for everyone. People are different and have their own personal tastes, so no guide is going to be one hundred percent perfect. In the end, all you can do is consider the options and base them on the tastes of those people you’re buying the gifts for. So, without any further ado, let’s get to it, shall we?
Technical Recommendations:
Nintendo Switch
For those that are not familiar with Nintendo’s recent history, the Switch is the successor to the company’s lackluster Wii U, offering a unique premise: a strong console that works both at home, on the big screen, and on-the-go. Essentially The Switch is a gaming tablet with detachable controllers (boasting other peripherals as well) that you can plug into a dock and enjoy on any TV via a HDMI cable, or alternatively play from the comfort of pretty much anywhere you want to take it.
The Switch ditches disc based media in favor of speedy SD card-type cartridges, and makes good use of the Nintendo eShop, as there are already some big ticket games available for you to purchase. This ranges from Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Splatoon 2, and the newly-released Super Mario Odyssey. Games like Skyrim on-the-go also gives this system an edge over traditional systems that is honestly pretty hard to compete with. Plus, if you’re lucky, you may be able to track down one of the special bundles, like the Splatoon 2 Edition, or Super Mario Odyssey Edition, which come with special controllers, carrying cases, and a redeemable code for one of the aforementioned titles.
Yep, Nintendo products made this list twice, but honestly the company has had a great year. In 2016, they released the insanely-popular NES classic - a mini version of the popular home system that comes with 30 of the system’s most popular titles. With the production run having been limited, the system was hard to find, but Nintendo has committed to a second production run to make it available for those wanting it in time for this Holiday season.
GeForce GTX 10 Series GPUs
It may seem a bit odd to recommend a piece of computer hardware as a gift, but if you have a friend or family member who is big into PC gaming, NVIDIA’s Pascal cards are hard to beat. The great thing here is the fact that there are cards for all levels of performance, ranging from the solid GTX 1050 for as low as $119.99, all the way up to the ultra-enthusiast 1080 Ti and Titan cards. There are some solid options all across the spectrum, with the GTX 1070 and 1080 sitting in a sweet spot in terms of price for performance.
Obviously, buying something like a GTX 1070 is still a lot of money, but the reason it makes this list is because the XBOX One X has hit the market and is pushing console gaming to a new level of performance, costing $499.99. For that much money, it’s hard not to recommend that you consider a GTX 1070 (which go for as low as $399.99) because of the versatility that might afford versus buying the One X.
Game Recommendations:
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Wii U & Switch)
Anyway, those are my thoughts on the topic. Stay tuned for more crafty content coming your way! This installment of Jessica's Journey was written by Jessica “Allahweh” Brown from GamingGoddess.Net.
Technical Recommendations:
Nintendo Switch
For those that are not familiar with Nintendo’s recent history, the Switch is the successor to the company’s lackluster Wii U, offering a unique premise: a strong console that works both at home, on the big screen, and on-the-go. Essentially The Switch is a gaming tablet with detachable controllers (boasting other peripherals as well) that you can plug into a dock and enjoy on any TV via a HDMI cable, or alternatively play from the comfort of pretty much anywhere you want to take it.
The Switch ditches disc based media in favor of speedy SD card-type cartridges, and makes good use of the Nintendo eShop, as there are already some big ticket games available for you to purchase. This ranges from Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Splatoon 2, and the newly-released Super Mario Odyssey. Games like Skyrim on-the-go also gives this system an edge over traditional systems that is honestly pretty hard to compete with. Plus, if you’re lucky, you may be able to track down one of the special bundles, like the Splatoon 2 Edition, or Super Mario Odyssey Edition, which come with special controllers, carrying cases, and a redeemable code for one of the aforementioned titles.
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Steam Link
The Steam Link is actually a really great piece of PC gaming hardware as it gives you the ability to stream any game off of your computer to whatever TV you want via your in-home network. What the Link does is connect with your gaming PC, launch games from there, and stream it to whatever TV it’s connected to. It will let you enjoy games wherever you want, and it's an easy way to show off some of the latest titles to friends and family on a big screen. This piece of kit also has the benefit of simplifying the PC gaming experience by making it more accessible, giving you a console-like experience with a bit more horsepower.
The Steam Link is actually a really great piece of PC gaming hardware as it gives you the ability to stream any game off of your computer to whatever TV you want via your in-home network. What the Link does is connect with your gaming PC, launch games from there, and stream it to whatever TV it’s connected to. It will let you enjoy games wherever you want, and it's an easy way to show off some of the latest titles to friends and family on a big screen. This piece of kit also has the benefit of simplifying the PC gaming experience by making it more accessible, giving you a console-like experience with a bit more horsepower.
NES Classic & SNES Classic
Yep, Nintendo products made this list twice, but honestly the company has had a great year. In 2016, they released the insanely-popular NES classic - a mini version of the popular home system that comes with 30 of the system’s most popular titles. With the production run having been limited, the system was hard to find, but Nintendo has committed to a second production run to make it available for those wanting it in time for this Holiday season.
Following suit, the SNES Classic Edition (released back in September) features a stellar line-up of classics from the 1990s, including now for the very first time an official release of “Star Fox 2”. Those who follow the emulation community may have played an unofficial beta of the game, but now it has been officially translated and released on this new mini system.
GeForce GTX 10 Series GPUs
It may seem a bit odd to recommend a piece of computer hardware as a gift, but if you have a friend or family member who is big into PC gaming, NVIDIA’s Pascal cards are hard to beat. The great thing here is the fact that there are cards for all levels of performance, ranging from the solid GTX 1050 for as low as $119.99, all the way up to the ultra-enthusiast 1080 Ti and Titan cards. There are some solid options all across the spectrum, with the GTX 1070 and 1080 sitting in a sweet spot in terms of price for performance.
Obviously, buying something like a GTX 1070 is still a lot of money, but the reason it makes this list is because the XBOX One X has hit the market and is pushing console gaming to a new level of performance, costing $499.99. For that much money, it’s hard not to recommend that you consider a GTX 1070 (which go for as low as $399.99) because of the versatility that might afford versus buying the One X.
Game Recommendations:
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Wii U & Switch)
An open-world Zelda experience that takes the series’ gameplay to a whole new level with a massive landscape and a wonderful story to enjoy. The game also has optional DLC that can be purchased to further expand the experience. By the way, have I mentioned that as of this writing the game is now in the top 5 of the highest rated games of all time?
Quern Undying Thoughts (PC)
This is a wonderful puzzle / adventure game that takes a lot of inspiration from the wildly-successful Myst franchise and presents a unique and satisfying experience. This is highly recommended for anyone that enjoyed the older Myst titles or is a fan of puzzle games and strange, breathtaking scenery!
Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo Switch)
This brand-new Mario adventure takes a ton of inspiration from the likes of Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario 3D World, and combines them with the open-world mentality of Breath of the Wild to produce a massive adventure that everyone should enjoy. There’s an incredible 999 Power Moons to collect, a large variety of “kingdoms” for Mario and his new friend Cappy to adventure through, and for the first time in the series, a clear picture of what the wider Mushroom World looks like. Oh, and this is currently the highest rated game of all time!
Assassin’s Creed Origins (PS4, XB1, & PC)
The tenth major installment in the popular series takes players back to the time of Ptolemiac Egypt where they will embark on another adventure filled with intrigue, deadly encounters, and mystery, all the while discovering the origins of the first Assassin. Open-world adventuring and a deep plot will keep you entertained for a long time.
Anyway, those are my thoughts on the topic. Stay tuned for more crafty content coming your way! This installment of Jessica's Journey was written by Jessica “Allahweh” Brown from GamingGoddess.Net.
