mySimon Gaming Shopping Picks

We wonder what Packers fans think of Brett Favre gracing the cover of Madden NFL 09, which hits stores next week (you can preorder it now). We also wonder if EA Sports will have to change the cover if Favre signs on with another team. Either way, the 20th installment in this popular football game franchise offers a new look and feel, ever-more authentic gameplay, and, according to GameSpot, "The game now molds itself around you, the player, adjusting the difficulty level to best fit your gameplay style. With Madden IQ, everything you do in the game will be used to calculate your skill level." We wonder if the game can predict when you'll retire too.

One of the most eagerly anticipated video games of 2008, Grand Theft Auto IV, comes out in 2 weeks, but stores are already accepting preorders. The game follows Niko Bellic, an Eastern European immigrant, as he tries to make a fresh start in Liberty City (based on NY and NJ), but is instead "dragged into a criminal underworld by a series of shysters, thieves, and sociopaths." We hear the game features densely packed vertical environments, on-mission and off-mission play, and incredibly realistic detail.

Carry your Nintendo Wii, games, remotes, and accessories around in style with this Brunswick bowling style bag made just for the Wii. The zippered bottom section has room for the console and A/V cable, while the rest of the bag has pockets designed for other Wii accessories, including a mesh pocket for the sensor bar. Everything is nicely padded to keep your gear safe from bumps and bruises. Complete the look with a pair of bowling shoes.

Save Sin City from the terrorists in Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2, the sequel to the award-winning first-person shooter from a couple years ago. The sequel (created by the same studio behind the first one) features new Vegas locations, environments that change from dusk to bright daylight to dawn, improved AI, new weapons and armor, and an upgraded multiplayer mode that includes more maps, new adversarial modes, and an intuitive matchmaking system.

If you've ever watched American Idol and thought, "I can sing so much better than that person," this game's for you. Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore lets you grab the included mic and show the world how it's done. Sing 40 hits from the '70s to today, as the game measures your pitch, the crowd boos and cheers, and Simon, Paula, and Randy critique your performance. You can also enter head-to-head online competitions and tournaments for up to 8 players. Just don't tell your neighbors we told you about this game.

Get more out of your Wii games with the Nunchuk controller. It uses the same motion-sensing technology as the Wii remote. When you plug the Nunchuk into your Wii remote, the input device duo becomes your sword and shield to combat charging assailants, your defense against a brawny linebacker, and more. And in some games you can use the Nunchuk's analog stick to move your playable character while you throw a pass or aim a weapon with the Wii remote. Don't worry, lefties, the Nunchuk is contoured to fit comfortably in either hand. More Wii accessories.

We just got back from the Tenleytown (Washington, DC) Best Buy, where there was a small wall of Nintendo Wii consoles, which were going like hotcakes. If you've been having trouble finding one, we suggest you call your local Best Buy ASAP - there may still be a chance to get one under the tree for Christmas.

Store and charge your Wiimotes in the Nyko charge station. It comes with 2 NiMH batteries exclusively designed for Wiimotes, each of which provides up to 25 hours of play time. Just put your Wiimotes in the charging dock and 8 hours later they're fully recharged. More Wii accessories.

Shopping for a holiday gift for someone who already has a Nintendo Wii? Check out the Wii Zapper. It's an affordable ($20) accessory for use in shooting games. Just load your Wii remote and nunchuk into the Zapper and use the trigger to rapid-fire at all targets in your way. The Zapper comes with a game called Link's Crossbow Training that lets you test your marksmanship against skeletons and goblins. More Zapper-centric Wii games are in the pipeline for 2008 releases. See all Wii games. More gifts for gamers.

Check out the latest PlayStation 3. It's only $400, with full HD 1080p resolution, a 40GB hard drive, Blu-ray (and regular) DVD player, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and an almost Wii-like controller that can sense motion in 6 directions. You can use the PS3 to stream and store your favorite MP3s, pictures, and videos from any Windows Media Center compatible PC, and it even comes with a copy of the Spider-Man 3 Blu-ray disc. Its main drawback is that it won't play PS2 games, but we can live with that. Compare prices on PS3 games.

It's the First Annual Mater-National Race Festival, hosted by Lightning McQueen's best friend, Mater. Explore Radiator Springs, play in the all-new Monster Mode, jump into the fast lane with 6 new international racing competitors, burn rubber on new tracks, and twist and turn your way through new mini-games like Ramone's Rhythmic Rumble and Fillmore's Fuel Frenzy.

Are you ready to rock? Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock has more than 70 songs, including some of our favorites ("Sabotage" by the Beastie Boys, "My Name is Jonas" by Weezer, and "Rock N Roll All Nite" by Kiss). The game features new venues, lighting effects, character moves, and authentic instruments, and lets you face off against Slash and other guitar icons. It works with the older controller, but you might want to check out the new wireless one, which has a Gibson Les Paul design with a removable faceplate, detachable neck, improved fret button design, and longer strum bar.

What's more awesome than the Sony PSP? The Sony PSP Slim. It's a little more expensive than its predecessor, but it's 19% thinner, a third lighter, and has twice as much RAM - which means faster loading and improved game performance. Other new features include a video output that lets you connect it to your big-screen TV, lower power consumption, a smaller battery, and the ability to charge via USB. And yes, it still plays the exact same games.

The first two Halo games sold more than 14.5 million copies and accounted for more than 650 million hours of gaming on Xbox Live. Those numbers are going to look small once Halo 3, the third and final installment of the Halo trilogy, comes out next week. (You can preorder it now.) In this first-person shooter, Master Chief returns to finish the fight against the Covenant and the Flood. New game features include enhanced AI, real-time lighting, new weapons, equipment, and vehicles, and the ability to save multiplayer game data on your hard drive. More Halo 3 gear.

Just in time for the hockey preseason: NHL 08, a game where you go from up-and-coming player to "electrifying NHL superstar." (We're not sure if you get to keep your teeth.) This year's game has some new features: Skill Stick lets you tap the puck through a defender's legs to walk around him. Dynamic AI adjusts to your every move. The new skating engine provides more speed, control, and responsiveness. Plus you can take any team into Practice mode and create custom plays.

Coming soon from EA: Skate, a game where you can become famous and generate mainstream hype, or have fun outrunning security guards ("skateboarding's not a crime!") and building street cred. Either way you get physics-driven animation that ensures no 2 tricks are ever the same. The game features "flickit," a new controller action that puts an end to button mashing; customizable equipment, characters, and clothes; and an extensive online multiplayer gaming system. Bad Brains, Rick James, the Dwarves, and NWA are just a few of the artists on the diverse soundtrack.

Electronic Arts says Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 is almost better than real golf because you don't have to deal with heat, tee-off charges, or finding a partner. They forgot to mention carrying your own clubs, swinging and missing, and plaid pants. Anyway, the latest Tiger Woods game records your entire game so you can brag about it on EA Sports GamerNet. It also tracks your performance on every hole, round, and course, helping you identify your strengths and weaknesses. And the new Photo Game Face feature lets you use photos of your own face to create a customized golfer profile.

Escape from the tedium of your commute and ho-hum 9-5 with Stuntman: Ignition. As a new Hollywood stunt driver, you've got to impress movie directors with all kinds of dangerous, high-speed vehicle stunts in environments ranging from San Francisco city streets to military bases in Kyrgyzstan. You'll master control of 25 vehicles, including sports cars, motorcycles, and hovercraft, in 6 different movies. You can also steal stunts form rival stuntmen, and challenge them to online multiplayer games.

The most popular video game on GameSpot right now is BioShock, a first-person shooter set in 1960 in the ruined undersea metropolis of Rapture. Caught between powerful forces and hunted down by genetically modified "splicers" and lethal security systems, you have to come to grips with a deadly, mysterious world filled with powerful technology and fascinating characters. No encounter ever plays out the same, and no 2 gamers will play the game the same way.

It doesn't come out for another 13 days, but Madden NFL 08 has already won multiple Best of E3 awards (from GameSpot, IGN, and the 36 major media outlets who decide the Game Critics Awards). An all-new read and react system helps you identify on-field strengths and weaknesses, so you can react quickly, create mismatches, and exploit your opponent's weaknesses. Other features include a new front-office mode, customizable stat summaries, and new Battle for the Ball mechanics.