Christmas Shopping Guide 2010: Top 10 Video Games of the Holiday Season

Do you have a child that loves video games but you aren't sure what video game to get them? Sure, you could just ask them what video game they want but maybe you want to surprise them by buying a game they were not expecting for Christmas. Consider this a video game holiday shopping guide. This guide will hopefully help you decide what video game is best for your child this Christmas.

Call of Duty: Black Ops
Systems: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PC
Call of Duty: Black Ops is the top FPS game available this Christmas season. In layman's terms FPS stands for first person shooter. If the type of video game your child plays the most consists of running around and shooting opponents, usually in a war setting, then Black Ops is probably the video game at the top of their list.

Donkey Kong Country Returns
Systems: Wii
Donkey Kong Country Returns will appeal to Nintendo fans and casual gamers. Donkey Kong Country will also be suitable for younger video games because it will be clean and probably not very difficult. Donkey Kong Country also features an iconic video game character, Donkey Kong, and his kid-friendly sidekick Diddy Kong.

Epic Mickey
Systems: Wii
Epic Mickey is about everybody's favorite cartoon mouse, Mickey. Epic Mickey might sound like a kid's game but is directed at adults just as much as children. Unless you think the video gamer in your household is a "hater" or is "too cool" for Disney products then Epic Mickey would be a good choice for any Wii owner.

Fable III
Systems: Xbox 360
Obviously Fable is the third part of a series so fans of the first two will probably also enjoy the third installment. Fable III is an action role-playing game, meaning it is closer to games like Diablo, Mass Effect and Fallout and not so much like Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest. Even if the gamer in your household prefers the Final Fantasy style role-playing game then Fable III is probably still a safe bet for Xbox 360 owners this Christmas.

Fallout: New Vegas
Systems: Xbox 360, PS3, PC
Fallout: New Vegas is an action role-playing game in the same vein as Fable. Fallout is also part of a series of video games so it's possible the video gamer in your household has previous versions. If the video gamer you are buying for owns a Playstation 3 then Fallout: New Vegas is the best game for them because Fable III is only available on Xbox 360. If the video game in the family has an Xbox 360 then you'll have to guess whether they prefer the Fallout series or Fable series.

God of War: Ghost of Sparta
Systems: PSP
There are not a lot of big PSP releases this holiday season. No matter what type of gamer they are, God of War: Ghost of Sparta is going to be a safe pick for PSP owners.

Gran Turismo 5
Systems: PS3
Gran Turismo is the big racing game release this Christmas season. Just because the person you're buying for likes racing games doesn't necessarily mean they will enjoy Gran Turismo 5 though. There are some racing games that are realistic racing games with real cars and the cars handle based on the proper parts. Other racing games are arcade style games where the cars go at impossible speeds, have crazy tracks and maybe even weapons. Gran Turismo 5 is the former and not the latter.

Kinect
Systems: Xbox 360
Kinect is the Xbox 360's answer to Nintendo Wii and Playstation Move. Kinect allows players to stand up and control the game with movements. Kinect would be a good option this Christmas for video gamers that enjoy Wii games, dancing games or Guitar Hero/Rock Band. If the gamer you are buying for is more into games like Fallout, Call of Duty, Fable or World of Warcraft then they are probably a "hardcore gamer" and aren't a big fan of this type of game.

Rock Band 3
Systems: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, DS
Even though I personally am not a fan of Rock Band and Guitar Hero, I seem to be the only one. Rock Band seems to be popular with both casual gamers and hardcore gamers. Again Rock Band is the third game in a series so if your gamer likes this type of game you probably already know it.

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm
Systems: PC
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm is an expansion pack. Basically it adds on to the original World of Warcraft game. To play Cataclysm the gamer most already have the original World of Warcraft game. World of Warcraft gamers play for hours at a time though so chances are you will know if the gamer in your family has the original World of Warcraft.