Video Game Gifts for Grandparents

Playing video games is a hobby anyone can enjoy, even grandparents. Just because grandma isn't interested in the latest shooter, there are still plenty of other types of games. Picking out a great video game for grandparents is easy, as long as you keep their interests in mind. Most of these games can be found at retailers such as Gamestop and Amazon.com

Wii Fit ($75.00 for board and game, $339.99 for board and console bundle)
Wii Fit is perfect for grandparents who like to kept active. The Balance Board comes with Wii Fit Plus, which includes a variety of fitness activities like yoga, running, and hula-hoops. Wii Fit is a great fitness tool, especially when it's too cold for outdoor exercise.

Wii Sports Resort ($49.99)
This is a great party game for the whole family. Grandparents, even ones who never played a video game before, usually love Sports Resort. With dozens of mini-games like bowling, golf, and basketball, there is something for everyone.

Super Mario Bros (500 points on the Wii)
Some of today's grandparents bought the original 8 bit Nintendo system for their children, like my parents did. Many of the old Nintendo games like Super Mario Bros are available for download on the Wii. Buying an older game is a great, nostalgic present.

Challenge Me: Brain Puzzles 2 ( $19.99 Wii, PC, DS)
Releasing on December 9, Brain Puzzle 2 has Sodoku, Numbers Soup, and five other games. There are three difficulty levels and new puzzles when you reload. Brain Puzzles 2 is fun, challenging game grandparents will enjoy.

Clubhouse Games (DS $19.99)
Clubhouse Games is an enormous collection of 20 games, including darts, checkers, chess, bowling, and poker. With Wi-Fi, grandparents can connect and play with grandkids. There is also a free play mode and a challenge mode.

Brain Age (DS $15.00)
Praised for their challenging and fun game play, Brain Age and Brain Age 2, are perfect gifts for grandparents. Players are given a series of problems to solve. The ultimate goal is lower your brain age to 20 years old. Not only are the games entertaining, they help keep the mind sharp.

Jeopardy (Wii, DS, $30.00)
This video game version of the popular TV show has 2,400 clues. It supports multiplayer for up to three players, so family members can challenge each other. On the Wii, players can use their Mii characters. With the use of Wii speak, you can answer the questions just like on the TV show.

Wheel of Fortune (Wii, DS, $30.00)
Just like Jeopardy, this game supports multiplayer and Wii speak. There are over 8,000 puzzles for family members of all ages can enjoy.

Tetris (Wii, DS, hand held, $14.00 and up)
Over the years, there has been many variations of the classic game. There are games such as Tetris DS, Tetris Deluxe for the Wii, and even separate hand held games. For any grandparent that loves puzzles, Tetris is always a great gift.

Crossword puzzles (DS, PC, hand held, prices vary)
Crossword puzzle video games are great gifts for grandparents. They come in a variety of types from Crossword DS, to the New York Times Crossword for the PC. There are even stand alone hand held crossword games.

Sources:

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/01/phys-ed-why-wii-fit-is-best-for-grandparents/

http://www.brainage.com/launch/what.jsp

http://www.amazon.com/Wii-Sports-Resort-Nintendo/dp/B001COQW14

http://www.amazon.com/Jeopardy-Nintendo-Wii/dp/B003S2JI82