At this point, Uncharted 2 is well on its way to “classic” status as one of the truly great games of this generation.  Many games strive for the cinematic, they strive for plots that compete with blockbuster films, and yet very very few of them achieve anything comparable in terms of plot, dialogue, and acting.  Uncharted 2 does this better than any game this generation, and its primary adventure mode is as much a blast to play as it is to watch. 

If whoever you’re buying for doesn’t have the game yet, the newly-released Game of the Year edition is the way to go, because on top of the adventuring, you get bells and whistles for PlayStation Home, all of the multiplayer maps that are out there, and even a limited experience multiplier to help new players get up to speed in the online modes.  There are few gifts more foolproof than this one.

The latest in Sid Meier’s hugely popular series of civilization-controlling sims is beautiful, colorful, and visually comprehensible. Players spend turn after turn shepherding their civilizations from the Bronze Age to the Modern Era and beyond. It’s easy to pick up and incredibly hard to put down. Civilization 5 will definitely appeal to Civ veterans, but the game’s accessible presentation also makes it a good gift for less experienced gamers. If you know someone who loves engrossing, thoroughly historical games or is more interested in the rise and fall of Earth’s great powers, this game is for them.

It’s hard to imagine an Xbox 360-owning shooter fan that doesn’t own Halo: Reach at this point. Reach is the latest entry in the franchise that’s all but synonymous with the format, and it’s refined to the point where it is as Halo as a Halo game could possibly get. The campaign is appropriately epic even given its futility, and the multiplayer is as smooth an experience as can be had on the Xbox 360. Find a group to play through some of the newest multiplayer modes, and there simply isn’t a more fun first-person Xbox experience for a teenage gamer.

Say it with me: Awwwwww!

Fans of the franchise might bemoan the loss of Kirby’s trademark ability, but the imaginative design of Kirby’s Epic Yarn makes
this one flat-out adorable Wii platformer. Players unravel their foes, stretch and pull the landscape, and collect hidden treasures throughout a huge patchwork map.

While the game’s story is clearly designed for kids, some of the levels may prove a little challenging. For this you have co-op mode,
allowing mom or dad to jump in anytime.

Part LittleBigPlanet, part Scribblenauts, all Nintendo, Kirby’s Epic Yarn is great for young gamers and skeptical older fans alike.

A handy reference guide to the another’s habits and qualities that, when discovered, transform the “date you hope to go home with” into the “date you hope chokes on his breadsticks”. Dating faux pas include usual suspects like “bad kisser” and “you live with your parents” but also some lesser-known turn-offs like what’s in your Netflix queue and devil sticks.