Top 7 Gifts for the Playstation 2 Gamer

With the large number of games being churned out each year for Playstation 2, sorting out the good ones can be challenging. Is your gift recipient a fan of action/adventure games, or do they prefer first-person shooters? What about role-playing games (RPGs)? This list includes the hottest games for the 2006 holiday season, guaranteed to please even the most finicky gamer:

1. Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning (action/adventure)
The purple dragon is back in a new adventure, this time taking the player back in time to Spyro's birth. His past is slowly revealed as celebrities like Elijah Wood and David Spade bring the characters to life. The game features a new Combat and Upgrade system, and an entire level devoted to flying for the first time since Spyro hit the game console.

2. Kingdom Hearts II (RPG)
The sequel to a surprising hit, Kingdom Hearts II mixes anime with favorite Disney characters and weaves it all into an intriguing tale of good versus evil. The animation is top notch, and the story is well thought out - two things every RPG player is certain to notice and appreciate.

3. World Series of Poker: Tournament of Champions 2007 (gaming)
Learn from the best poker players in the world with World Series of Poker 2007. You can start as a rookie and learn the ropes of poker from five-time WSOP winner Chris Ferguson. The game pits you against 25 famous players such as Phil Laak, Joseph Hachem, and Jenifer Tilly as you play for a spot in the Tournament of Champions at the Rio Las Vegas. Eye Toy compatibility allows for multi-player format, where you can read your opponents' tells. It's also transferrable to the Sony PSP for portable game time. Perfect for any poker enthusiast who wants to tighten up their game.

4. Mortal Kombat: Armageddon (fighting)
The game that added the phrase "Finish Him" to American lingo has returned, with more eye-popping special effects than ever. Its new "Create-A-Fighter Mode" allows you to customize your own fighters, while the equally new "Create-A-Fatality" system lets you invent your own ways of killing off opponents. The usual "Konquest Mode" is no longer a simple training ground - it's now a mini-adventure loosely tied around a story. Online, you can also find the most extensive character library ever, complete with nearly every Mortal Kombat character every created. WARNING: Mature rating.

5. The Sims 2: Pets (strategy)
In response to the clamor of Sims 1 fans begging to let their Sim creations once again have pets, EA has created a module for Sims 2 players that will let them again share the joy of having a four-legged friend in the household. There are several dog and cat breeds to choose from, or come up with your own with the "Create-a-Pet" mode. You can customize your pet's body shape and markings, and even give it a sweet (or sour) personality. Use positive reinforcement to teach it tricks and curb bad behavior, but don't neglect your pet or all that training will go out the window.

6. Final Fantasy XII (RPG)
The long-awaited newest installment of the Final Fantasy series is here. The setting is Ivalice, where magic and airships roam freely and the world is on the eve of a racial war. The Kingdom of Dalmasca is at the center of this story, with an invasion and the return of a long-lost princess its focus. Players will find an advanced combat system, with a transition from the usual Active Time Battle (or ATB) to Active Dimension Battle, which greatly increases the effectiveness of real-time battles. The AI of enemies have also been improved, allowing the player to feel as though they're battling a real adversary instead of a computer. Available October 31.

7. Just Cause (action/adventure)
Marketed as featuring the largest environment ever created in a video game, Just Cause plunges the player right in the middle of San Esperito, a group of islands plagued by infighting and drag trafficking. The player controls a CIA operative sent to overthrow the government, but it's more than just shooting your way out - the player is expected to use the surrounding factions and alliances to their advantage. Explore the various environments on your way to achieving your goal; gameplay is non-linear, allowing you to complete the missions in any order. You can even concentrate on side missions and go back to the main story later. The third-person perspective adds to the action, leaving the player feel like they've been dropped right in the middle of a movie shoot.