Xbox 360 Gift Guide

Easily the most popular and most successful genre on the Xbox 360 is the shooter. These games aren’t for kids, as they are all rated “T” or “M” by the ESRB, but if you’re shopping for a teenage or older gamer you can’t to wrong with a shooter. Third-person, first-person, fast paced, realistic – there is quite a bit of variety in the genre to suit any gamer’s taste. We list the ten best right here.

One of the best ways to ensure you’re buying a game that someone will like is to go with the action genre. These games offer the most variety and are generally appealing to all gamers, so if you aren’t sure if the person you’re buying for is a sports or RPG or racing fan, at the very least they probably like action games so you can’t really go wrong. Our list of the Top 10 X360 Action Games represents lots of different types of action games as well as ESRB ratings from “E” to “M” to ensure that there is a game suitable for anyone on your shopping list.

The biggest craze in videogames today is music/rhythm games. These games let you play on special guitar or drum controllers and really feel like you are playing music. They are also great family games as they offer a wide selection of music choices and lots of difficulty options so there is something for gamers (and non gamers) of all ages, music preferences, and skill levels. Nothing brings a family together like playing some music.

Some of the longest lasting and most satisfying games you can buy are role-playing-games, and the Xbox 360 has a fine selection of them. In terms of value, you really can’t do any better than an RPG that takes 30-50 hours to play through. RPGs are good “bang for the buck” for you, and long-term entertainment for whomever you give them to. We list our picks for the best RPGs on the Xbox 360 right here.

Strategy games are similar to RPGs in terms of value and “bang for the buck” as they take quite a long time to play through and master. They aren’t quite as easy to recommend, however, because the gameplay definitely isn’t for everyone. These games are usually pretty challenging and require a bit of strategy and planning to really play well, and some people just plain aren’t looking for slowly paced games like these. I wouldn’t suggest blind-buying them for just anybody, but if you already know someone enjoys strategy games, our picks for the Top 10 Xbox 360 Strategy Games will ensure you’re getting them the absolute best.

I gotta tell you, sports games are a harder genre to recommend as gifts than anything else since they are outdated so quickly (new ones come out every year) and usually the newest, most expensive titles are the best. It can be tempting to get an older, cheaper version since it seems like they are all the same thing but, believe me, they aren’t all the same and if the person you are buying for tells you they want a sports game, they probably don’t want last year’s. We list the best sports games for each genre (basketball, football, hockey, soccer, etc.) right here to help you make sure you’re picking up the right game.

Racing games have never been better than they are during the current generation. The graphics are near photo realistic and gameplay is better than ever before. There are also a number of different genres and race types to chose from to ensure that whether you want rally, NASCAR, realistic simulations, frantic arcade racing, and much more there is something for everyone on Xbox 360. We have our picks for racing games that will make everyone happy right here.

The Xbox 360 is definitely weighted more towards teenage and adult gamers and isn’t as kid-friendly as it could be. There are still a lot of great kids games out there, but they can be hard to find underneath the pile of “T” and “M” rated shooters and action games that dominate the system. Movie licenses and recognizable characters are usually a pretty good way to go in general, but we share our picks for quality kid and family friendly games right here.

Nothing says “togetherness” like local multiplayer games. Instead of playing with strangers on Xbox Live, you can play games locally with friends and family. Personally, this is our preferred way to play. These are also a good way to try to get your non-gamer girlfriend/boyfriend involved since you can play together. You can buy a great new game for “Us” instead of just “you”, which is always a good idea.

One nice alternative to giving someone a normal Xbox 360 game is to give them an Xbox Live Arcade game. These are downloadable titles that are stored on your Xbox 360 hard drive. There are two ways to buy them – you can either buy specific titles (we list our picks for the 10 best at the link) through Amazon.com where you’ll get a code that you can print off and give to someone which will let them download that specific game. Or you can buy MS Point cards at GameStop, Wal-Mart, Amazon, and other retailers so that the recipient can us to buy whatever game they want. Either way, XBLA games or MS Points are a great, affordable gift idea.