Oh Snap, It’s….The 2008 Geekadelphia Holiday Gift Guide!

Is it nearly Christmas Chanukah Kwanzaa the Holidays already?! We’ve been so busy rushing from convention to convention and playing game after game over the past few months that these pesky folks called “loved ones” keep bugging us for attention. Can you believe it?! Luckily, we snapped out of our haze and recognized the urgency for a detailed and comprehensive guide of the best gifts for the geekier “loved ones” in your life. So we’ve teamed up with PhiladelphiaWeekly.com and the fruits of our labor are here for all to see.

The video above documents a trip to Brave New Worlds Comics in Old City where we found out why some of the items you’ll find suggested after the break made it onto our list. Geekadelphia’s Ben Gilbert spoke with BNW’s Brian Johnson and Geekadelphia’s Editor-in-Chief Eric Smith about everything from The Dark Knight’s many “Limited” Editions to why zombies are awesome (as if you didn’t already know). To explore our full gift guide, with personal suggestions from each member of the Geekadelphia crew, hit that bump! (But do not, DO NOT, shake that bear.)

Eric’s Picks:

1: Fallout 3 (360/PS3/PC): People throw the “it’s the gift that keeps on giving” line around a lot these days, what with the holiday season and all, but truly Bethesda’s epic RPG adventure does just that. Drawing on their experience creating the outstanding Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Fallout 3′s developers craft a game that immerses the player into a deep storyline without forcing them to follow a linear path. Skip the story, go hunt down some ghouls. Feel like blowing up an entire city? Go for it. Do what you want, when you want. The story, which takes 20+ hours to complete, will still be there long after you’ve explored the vast landscape of the Capital Wasteland.

Brand new, the game will run your pockets $50 – $60, depending on what retailer you visit. Worth every penny. Interested in the special edition? I don’t recommend it. The game comes with so much built in, that scouring the internet for a bobble head just seems laughable. With the wealth of side-quests and the option to replay the game as an evil character, Fallout 3′s replayability is extremely high.

2: 300 Limited Collectors Edition DVD: Ah, 300. There is nothing like watching this film on a high definition television with surround sound. The awesome special effects, the gorgeous cinematography, incredible action scenes, and Gerard Butler’s over-the-top performance make this the best guy flick since Starship Troopers. And as a bonus, your girlfriend loves to watch this movie. I know mine does. I catch her staring at those muscled chests and arms all the time. Is that what you want Heather? Is that what you want?!

(ahem) I digress.

This new special edition comes with a new documentary on the real, historical story behind 300, featurettes on the graphic novel, a 52-page hardcover art book, photo cards, and all the contents that came on the original 2-disc edition. Comes in a gorgeous looking box and is guaranteed to look fantastic on your DVD shelf. As an added bonus, the box isn’t enormous, and won’t mess up the aesthetic look of your collection. That’s important to some of us.

3: Handmade Geek Themed Gifts on Etsy: Whether you’re a videogamer or a technology junkie, Etsy has special categories set aside just for you. Take the time to browse through the wealth of handmade items on the website, and give the person you care about something extra special this holiday season. Nothing says you care like a gift that’s one of a kind.

Ben’s Picks:

1: Rock Band 2 (360/PS3/Wii/PS2): If there were ever a game to bring folks together in a social gathering, the Rock Band franchise has nailed it. The original creators of the Guitar Hero series moved on to create a game that not only inspires drunken lullabies via television screen but also neighbors to call in noise complaints to the police at two a.m. on a Wednesday when “all you wanted to do was sing ‘Creep’ one more time.” Talk about a gift!

But no, honestly, Rock Band moves beyond the “fun videogame” category into the “fun social experience” category (a weird category, we know) and Rock Band 2 helps to improve that experience with additions like “No-Fail Mode” (where, believe it or not, no one can fail the song), the ability to move all your songs and downloadable content from RB1 over to RB2, and improved, more durable, instruments. If you still have instruments from the first edition, the second’ll set you back $60 for the disc ($50 on Wii/PS2), otherwise you’re looking at almost $200 bucks ($189.99 for 360/PS3Wii) for the full bundle (mic, guitar, drums, disc). But between the downloadable songs and the huge catalog of existing songs (not to mention the fact that they’re updated once-a-week, though I suppose I just did), when you combine the original game with the sequel, there’s more than enough to justify the price.

2: Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts (360): Like my first choice, Banjo Kazooie is a game for the whole family. While it’s not much of a multiplayer experience (though one is certainly present), the main quest will remind young parents of growing up with Super Nintendo or N64 systems and enjoying games like Mario 64, Donkey Kong Country and, of course, the original Banjo Kazooie, with families members.

You’re guiding Banjo (the bear) and his pal Kazooie (bird, in backpack) through a lenghty gauntlet of assorted levels, all created by the “L.O.G.” — an omnipotent, floating being with a television (hosting a game of Pong, mind you) for a head — and to record your progress you’re collecting “jiggies” (yes, jigsaw puzzle pieces). A simple premise built around one, crucial ingredient: you having fun with the game. And unlike the aforementioned platforming games, Banjo Kazooie adds another element: vehicle creation. The entire game is actually based around mini-quests that are often completed by building a new vehicle. This may be my love for Photoshop talking, but I had a great time building vehicle after vehicle. Either way, at $40, Banjo Kazooie makes a great addition to anyones game library — and it’s especially good for playing around the holidays with young children running every which way. Which reminds me!

3: Left 4 Dead (360/PC): It’s a Zombie Christmas! Finally! Where to begin?! Left 4 Dead could easily ruin the holidays for your family. Here’s the scenario: You’re at wherever you meet for the holidays and there’s a nice big television with an Xbox 360 connected to it. You’ve just received a copy of Left 4 Dead, the zombie apocalypse simulation you’re hoping will prepare you for the reality someday, and your over 18 family members asks to play a round or two with you. Excitedly, you accept, thinking about all the fun you’ll have killing zombies together. Fast forward ten minutes, you’re both moving through the subway and BAM! A hunter jumps your family member. Then a boomer throws up on you and you can’t see. You’re firing this way, that way. Your family member is begging you “Help me! Hunter! HELP! I can’t get up!” The flood of zombies relentlessly tears you asunder. And that’s before the Tank rolls onto the scene.

Left 4 Dead is brutal. It is relentless. It’s… a whole lot of fun. The entire game is played in 4-person co-op, though you can play single player with three AI-controlled team members or any other form of co-op with the extra seat filled automatically. Broken up into four different “movies”, L4D doesn’t always play out the same way through each one. The crux of the games replayability is its “AI Director” who, when your team is low on health, sends less zombies and maybe places a med-kit here or there for you (and vice versa, in case you were wondering). In fact, it always seems like you’re about to reach that safe house when Mr. Director lets all hell break loose and you’re left wondering what went wrong. This is to say nothing of the insanity that is online matchmaking, where you occassionally take on the role of one of the games “super zombies” and are essentially griefing the other team for as long as you can. If you’re old enough to be reading this far into our guide, you should already be heading out the door to grab a copy of this game. Left 4 Dead costs $60 and is available for Xbox 360 and PC.

Tim’s Picks:

1: Nerf N-Strike Vulcan EBF-25 Blaster: It’s everything you’ve ever wanted from a Nerf gun.  Detachable tri-pod, ammo box, mounting rails for extra accessories (laser sight not included), and a ton of ammo.  You can switch between single-fire mode and automatic, plus this makes all conventional Cubicle warfare obsolete.  If  you happen to simply buy it for yourself, that’s fine, nobody will judge you.  It’s a beautiful thing to be feared by the entire IT department.

2: Battlestar Galactica Franchise Collection: This Amazon.com package includes all of season 1, 2, 2.5, 3, and Razor all on DVD.  Without sounding like a Cylon, I must say this is in the running for one of the greatest collections to receive on the holidays.  It would turn any BSG noob into a rabid fan within a week, prepare them to buy Season 4 on DVD which comes out in January, and have them foaming at the mouth for the series finale that starts soon after that.

3: Anti-grav R/C Wall Racing Car: Because there is no excuse for thinking this is anything  less than cool.  For a long time, during my childhood, my parents would buy me outrageous R/C toys and my Dad would get an identical version to race against me.  This is sort of like that, except it rides walls of the vertical kind using a powerful vaccuum.

For more information on the items we spoke about in the video, please refer to the links below:

DVD:
The Dark Knight (in all shapes and sizes) on Amazon
Hellboy II: The Golden Army (in all shapes and sizes) on Amazon
Battlestar Galactica Franchise Collection (the last 3.5 years) on Amazon

Comic/Graphic Novel:
The Walking Dead (in all shapes and sizes) on Amazon
The Watchmen (new, hardcorver reissue) on Amazon

Videogames:
Gears of War 2 (in all shapes and sizes) on Amazon
Little Big Planet (it’s only got one shape, right?) on Amazon

Toys:
Nerf Vulcan Automatic Heavy Blaster (totally badass) on Amazon
Anti-Grav R/C Wall Racing Car on ThinkGeek