Family Video Game Guide Part 2

It's finally here. A couple of posts down you'll find part one of this guide where I throw out some video game recomendations out there for those of you looking to get a gift for a gamer in your family. Sometimes it can be tough to figure out which games are suitable for your child or niece or nephew, so I thought that I'd compile some games that are my favorites. I'll have one game for each console as well as one that can be played across all of the major ones. I'll also have a list at the end with some great games that I just don't have time to type up a little summary on.

Last time I featured games rated E for Everyone and today I'll have some games rated T for Teen. Again, just like movies, these games are rated generally and it's important for you to take a look at what your children can handle and what you want them playing.

According to the ESRB, or Entertainment Software Ratings Board, T for Teen games "have content that may be suitable for ages 13 and older. Titles in this category may contain violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, minimal blood, simulated gambling, and/or infrequent use of strong language."

I'll have the pictures and links updated later on tonight.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Available for: Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, DS, PSP, Playstation 2
Price: $34.99 to $59.99
# of Players: 1

While it isn't the best Star Wars game ever made, it's definitely pretty fun. Players take control of Darth Vader's apprentice in this story line that fills in some of the gaps between episodes three and four in the epic movie series. The force powers take center stage in this third person action game that takes you all across the Star Wars universe with some really cool lightsaber combos thrown-in. If you know a Star Wars fanatic out there who does not have this game; they need it.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Available for: Wii
Price: $49.99
# of Players: 1-4

This is by far one of the best games available for the Nintendo Wii. The game lets players pit characters from across the Nintendo realm and beyond against each other in royal rumbles of an epic scale. From Mario to Pikachu and Bowser to Sonic, players pick their combatant and go toe to toe against either a computer controlled opponent, or 1-3 friends online or off. The multiplayer is where this game really shines and there are plenty of unlockables there to give players well over 40 hours of gameplay. Even though it's rated Teen, it is a fairly tame game and a lot of fun for the entire family.

Motorstorm: Pacific Rift
Available for: Playstation 3
Price: $59.99
# of Players: 1-4

The original Motorstorm was a very solid off-road racing game for the Playstation 3, but there was definitely room for improvement. Enter Motorstorm: Pacific Rift. The game takes the core gameplay from its older brother but adds more tracks, more vehicles and more breath-taking environments. The racing is hot and heavy with many different classes of vehicles from motorcycles and ATVs to monster trucks and rally cars. The crashes steal the show in this one too with slow motion destruction and intense wrecks. The gearhead in the family will really enjoy this one for quite sometime.

Tom Clancy's End War
Available for: Xbox 360
Price: $59.99
# of Players: 1-4 Online

Now, this game is actually available for all major platforms, however I'm featuring it in the Xbox 360 section because of its voice recognition ease. You see, End War is a strategy game that uses voice commands to give troops and units their orders. Since the Xbox 360 comes with a headset in the box, it's much more guaranteed that your gamer will be able to play without having to get a headset. The game does a fantastic job of recognizing anyone's voice immediately without having to go through a whole bunch of training exercises. It's an absolute hoot to play this game with the voice commands and it's really cool to see such smart troop commands implemented so well. It's a great game for any chess or board game enthusiast.

Other multi-platform games recommended:

Mirror's Edge
Prince of Persia
Rock Band 2
Guitar Hero: World Tour