What does a consumer advocate do when he realizes that he’s failed to provide an annual holiday guide for parents? He can pretend it didn’t happen and simply put the list up and, y’know, tell everyone that the list HAS been up and that they just didn’t know it. Well. That happens to be true but the magazine in question hasn’t put it online yet. I’ve asked and been allowed to make a version for you as well. Here it is, under the guise of the above title!

Parents! You blew it didn’t you? (My bad.) Some of the expensive video games you bought for Christmas – or failed to buy for Christmas – didn’t impress the gaming experts (the kids – or in my case, me and the kids) in your life and home. If they’re sealed – and receipts were saved or credit cards used – you can return them for credit/etc., Here are a few real gems from 2009 that I’d hate for your kids to miss:

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Bowling for Squeeball

Squeeballs Party – Normally when you read that a Wii game collection features 150 games, it’s a bad sign. But these are serious juvenile fun. Loads of weird silly creatures that you and the kids get to bop, bash, smash, and more. Fun stuff, expect more about this later. We got to it late!

Hasbro Game Night 2 – Bop it! Connect Four! Operation! All done with the charm and craft you’d expect from Hasbro. Makes some of the other Wii game collections feel cheap.

Boom Blox Blast: The original party classic only better.

Lego Batman – Perfect two-player co-op, my son loved being my Robin, and while confounding at times, it’s terrific sibling or parent/child play.

NEW Super Mario Bros. Wii – While the multiplayer is interesting, its also frustrating, but the gameplay is golden, unique, and always worth spending money on again and again.

Munchables – An extremely cute/cool game from Namco that has you gobbling up alien-invaders who are pretty much vegetables and fruits. A stomach shows you how mych points you’re getting and as you grow, you can eat bigger veggies. Sort of like Katamari Damacy only in reverse.

Katamari Forever PS3 – Katamari Damacy is a demented and weird bit of genius. It’s basically Pac-Man without ghosts and with debris. Pick it all up by rolling over it and appeasing your wacked out space dad.

Lego Rock Band

Beatles Rock Band – Lego makes things easier and poppier – but you can’t beat the quality tunes from the Fab Four. A music education for your kids that will serve them well for their entire life.

Mario & Sonic at the Winter Olympic Games Wii – Perfectly simple party game. Surprisingly fun in a casual setting.

Little Big Planet PS3 – Endlessly creative and innovative.

Wii Sports Resort Wii – The original made better

Excite Bots Wii – Excite Truck was the hidden gem when the Wii was released (buy it cheap) and this one ups the ante on “things boys think are cool (girls too)” – the racers this time out are robot insects and the amount of sheer thrills and “flying” you’ve got to do to navigate these courses is fast, furious, and more fair-seeming than Mario Kart.

TEENS

Batman: Arkahm Asylum – Simply terrific on all fronts. Writing, acting, story, gameplay, action, stealth, puzzle, RPG, etc., It’s a disturbingly well made tour de force that every serious gamer needs to play. Its also cooler than most M-rated titles.

Deadly Creatures Wii – This Westerly desert tale uses a mature Treasure of Sierra Madre style story about how a guy voice acted by Billy Bob Thornton deals with his partner. Unknown, at their feet, the player gets to be at times a Tarantula and at other times a Scorpion. The combat isn’t real, but everything else looks very real. The story is a bit much for younger players, but the skulking creepy gameplay is unqiue and well worth checking out.

Fight Night Round 4 – Unbelieveably high quality boxing simulation. Violent, sweet and real. Sound good? It is.

Sims 3 – Same thing only better. Still a great way to teach children that adulthood – when not playing games – generally involves time management, sleep management and remembering to pee.

Street Fighter 4 – The best 2D fighter ever and one of the best and most refined combat systems ever get the graphical face lift it needed. Retro, but awesome.

Madden NFL X – Football. FOOTBALL!

Plants vs. Zombies – Popcap can do no wrong and doesn’t do wrong with this addictive tower defense style game that pits two natural enemies – plants v zombies – against each other for a final battle royale.

Nice list, eh?  I know I forgot a lot. I paid little attention to the PSP this year for one thing, the DS too. Got other picks? Please use the forum below. I’d love to hear about what you loved.

Tags: Misc