In the meantime, if you’ve missed any of the other sections in this guide, here are links:

Part 1: PC Games and Nintendo Wii
Part 2: Nintendo DS and Sony PSP
Part 3: Playstation 2 and original XBox

Playstation 3

Out of all the games I’ve looked at, Playstation 3 seems to be the hardest console for which to find sub-$20 games. This is at partially because it’s been around for a year less than the XBox 360, and partially because there aren’t as many good games for the Playstation 3 as there are for the XBox 360. Still, there are bargains to be found, and there are good downloadable games. I shall lead you to them.

The Last Guy
This downloadable PSN game uses actual satellite photos of cities from around the world. The city is under siege by Mothra or aliens or CHUDs, and you’ve got to lead a set number of citizens to safe zones in each level. $9.99 on the Playstation Network.

The Darkness
This being another gangster story, even the demonic powers didn’t entice me to play. That’s just not my thing. But the game got fairly good reviews, and it can be found for a very reasonable price. As I see it right now, there’s an EBay auction about to end, and the price is currently at $8.

Burnout Paradise
Racing games are a genre I don’t normally like. But for fans of racing games, this one’s supposed to be pretty good. You can find it on EBay for around $20.

Super Stardust HD
Although I’ve only played the demo, my take is that Super Stardust is the Playstation 3’s answer to Geometry Wars. You’re a little ship with omnidirectional shooting, and there’s crap flying at you from every direction. Different types of ammo for different foes/obstacles adds to the complexity. It’s downloadable for $9.99 from the Playstation Network.

Echochrome
This puzzle game went largely overlooked, but I think it’s fantastic, innovative, and a lot of fun. The game is black and white only, consisting of simple lines and stick figures, but the simple-seeming goal can become quite challenging. You must get the walking stick figure, whom you cannot control directly, from point A to point B to point C and back only by rotating the environment. When an obstacle isn’t visible from your point of view, it does not exist. And when two planes appear to line up, the stick figure can walk from one to another even if they’re actually far apart. It’s half Lemmings and half M.C. Escher. Echochrome is available for download on the Playstation Network for $9.99.

Assassins Creed
Although the game didn’t totally live up to the hype, it was still fun. I’m not sure if it’s technically a stealth game when the stealth involves less hiding and more blending into a crowd, but the building climbing was well-done even if the stealth wasn’t. Battles annoyed me, and the game quickly grew monotonous. Thus, I never finished. But it’s definitely an interesting game, well-worth $15 on EBay for a used copy.

Resistance: Fall of Man
Although I’ve never played Resistance, the premise seems very Half-Life 2 to me. Alien Invasion. Fight the aliens. The sequel just came out, and while you won’t find Resistance 2 anywhere for under $20, you can get caught up on the story by grabbing the original on EBay for $16.50 used.

Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness
I played the PC version months ago, but just finally now, the first Penny Arcade game has come to the Playstation Network. It’s fun. And it’s very crude. Not for kids. But it’s the most fun I’ve had with an episodic game other than the Half-Life 2 episodes. If you like Penny Arcade’s style of humor, I recommend it. You can download it for $14.99 from the Playstation Network.

Oblivion
Oblivion was one of the earliest games to come out for the Playstation 3. I played the heck out of the PC version, myself. It’s a fantastic RPG, and now that it’s a couple years old, you can find a copy on EBay for around $20.

Pixeljunk Monsters
For the past few months, since I sold my copies of Assassins’ Creed and Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune on EBay, I’ve had no game discs for the Playstation 3. What have I been playing? Pixeljunk Monsters. This is hands-down my favorite Playstation 3 game. You can go back and read the three part guide I wrote up for it if you’re interested. Pixeljunk Monsters is a $9.99 download from the Playstation Network.

XBox 360

First of all, I completely agree with Greg about Penny Arcade, The Darkness, Burnout Paradise, Oblivion and Assassin’s Creed.  All of these are also available for the 360.  I’ll also add some more.

The Orange Box

I saw The Orange Box at Target for 20 bucks this weekend and was tempted to buy it all over again.  Getting Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2: Episode 1, Half-Life 2: Episode 2, Portal and Team Fortress 2 for 20 bucks is an absolute steal.  Any of those games would be worth 20 bucks, but all of them for 20?  That’s downright unreal.

Mass Effect

Mass Effect can be had for about 19 bucks on Ebay, presumably less if you look hard enough.  This game was a great deal at 60, so for 20 it’s well worth it.  A gripping story, memorable characters, a fantastic dialog system and plenty of hard hitting sci-fi action makes it one of the most memorable RPG’s of late and one of BioWare’s best.  Get it for the RPG enthusiast or sci-fi junkie on your list.

Gears of War

The second one just came out, and it’s good and all, but for sheer balls to the wall intensity, nothing beats the original.  Gears of War is chock full of crappy writing and substandard story telling, but it also has some of the most intense moments in gaming I’ve ever experienced.  Grab a friend, jump into the story co-op style and have a blast.  You should be able to find it on Ebay for no more than 15.

1600 Microsoft Points Card

Unlike the PSN, the Xbox Live Marketplace uses Microsoft Points as a unit of currency.  Most stores sell 1600 points for 20 bucks, which is the ratio we’ll use when discussing the price of Xbox Live Arcade games.  Sometimes you can find 1600 point cards on sale for 15 bucks, but 20 is the usual rate.  Give one to a Live subscriber on your list and let them pick the quality game of their choice.

Braid

One of the best Live Arcade games ever released and one of the most inventive platformers to come out in some time.  In an effort to rescue a princess who may or may not want to be rescued you’ll use your ability to rewind time to navigate some seriously clever puzzles.  Braid has a lot of things going for it, including lush graphics, great music, a poignant story and some great platforming mechanics.  A must buy.  Cost is 1200 points or 15 bucks.

Puzzle Quest

We’ve talked about Puzzle Quest before, and the same glorious blend of addictive puzzle game play and RPG stylings is available on the 360 for 800 points, or 10 bucks.  For an extra 700 points you can give the Plague Lord expansion pack too.  What a bargain!

Bionic Commando Rearmed

I haven’t played it, but fans of the original Bionic Commando love this game to death.  For 800 points (10 bucks) you can give the gift of old school, cybernetic platforming.

Ah, the Last Generation. We here in Lungfishopolis remember so well when it used to be the current generation, back before we had high-definition displays and online co-op gaming. There are still a number of gems to be found here. Read on, and you may see a few that make great inexpensive gifts.

Playstation 2

The Playstation 2 had a long reign as the king of consoles, and during that time it amassed a great number of excellent game titles. Although it’s all last-gen, this list is truly the creme de la creme.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Although I’ve never been as big a fan of the Prince of Persia games as many others have, I’ve played the games enough to admit their appeal. Crazy platformers with a lot of fighting, the Prince of Persia games were the first to implement real parkour into a video game. You can get a copy on EBay for around $8.

Kingdom Hearts
I’ve never played Kingdom Hearts, but I understand the draw of an RPG that puts familiar Disney characters into more serious roles and hands them crazy big swords. Essentially Final Fantasy with Mickey, Donald, and Goofy, I’ve known many adults who’ve played and enjoyed Kingdom Hearts and its sequel. As I look, Kingdom Hearts is going on EBay for around $6, and Kingdom Hearts II for closer to $10.

Dark Cloud 2
I’ve been meaning to get myself of copy of Dark Cloud 2 for a while, and have never gotten around to it, largely due to the wealth of other games I’d rather play. An action/adventure RPG that I’ve often heard compared to Zelda, Dark Cloud 2 has you time-travelling in an attempt to save your world from a villain from the future intent on erasing everything. If you’re lucky, you can snag a copy on EBay for just under $20.

Katamari Damacy
This quirky game from 2004 is still a lot of fun. In Katamari Damacy, you play a microscopic prince whose job it is to help his father, The King of All Cosmos, to rebuild the stars which he’s accidentally destroyed. This is done by rolling a magical ball called a katamari through various environments, and picking up objects which stick to the katamari if they’re small enough. At first, you collect paper clips, pennies, and other small items. As the katamari grows in size, you’re eventually able to collect pencils, toasters, chairs, cars, houses, and eventually mountains. The game is completely bizarre, yet it’s so much fun to stick the family cat to the katamari, and eventually roll down the street collecting pedestrians and cars. You can get Katamari Damacy for $15 on EBay.

Resident Evil 4
I’m a firm believer that shooters need to be played with a keyboard and mouse, and that’s why I was so surprised to find myself enjoying Resident Evil 4 so much, when I had to constantly aim with a thumbstick. Somehow, they made it work. And it works very well. Resident Evil 4 is a fantastic game, and if you’ve never had the pleasure, now’s the time to grab yourself a copy and try the game. You can get it for between $10 and $20 on EBay, depending on whether it’s new or used.

Indigo Prophecy
I’ll admit that the plot at the very end of Indigo Prophecy gets so convoluted and wacky that it’s laughable, but the vast majority of the game is just fantastic. The game’s creators have taken the standard adventure game and added timed sequences, action sequences, stealth sequences, and a lot of minigames. There’s even a timer on conversations – if you take too long to respond, the game picks an option that’s usually a stuttered response worse than any of the options it gave you. The game has a ton of conventions that completely defy the norms of the genre. For example, you alternately play both the role of the suspect and the detectives tracking him down. And there’s a sanity meter rather than a life gauge – if it drops too low, you’ll commit suicide. Better not spend too much time looking at that picture of your ex-girlfriend! You can get Indigo Prophecy for $15 on EBay.

God of War
It’s unlikely that I even need to explain what God of War is to you if you’ve got a Playstation 2. Suffice it to say that it’s mostly a brawler with plenty of platforming and puzzle elements, and that its graphics approach the graphical quality of some of the first Playstation 3 games. You can find God of War on EBay for around $10, and God of War 2 on EBay for around $12.

Psychonauts
As I said two weeks ago when I listed Psychonauts in the PC section, I can’t say enough good things about Psychonauts. If you haven’t yet played this game, you may not know that this site got its name from Psychonaut’s comedy sequence, which may very well be the greatest single level in any video game, ever. An action/adventure platformer that strives for photorealism about as much as Indiana Jones strives for a job as a snake charmer. Psychonauts is the only game to date that has made me laugh out loud, and it did so on numerous occasions. If you’ve never had the pleasure, you owe it to yourself to pick up a copy. You can get it for well under $20 on EBay.

Beyond Good and Evil
Another game that’s appearing in more than one section is Beyond Good and Evil. It may be my favorite game of all time. It has stealth gameplay, fighting, vehicle driving, puzzles, collection, and mini-games. The characters are lovable, and the story is well-written. For the record, I’ve bought four copies of this game over the years. A year or so after I finished playing on the PC, I wanted to replay it but the disc was scratched, so I bought another copy. Then, I bought a PS2 copy to give as a gift. A couple months ago, Steam was having a sale and I picked up another copy for $5. Currently, I’m seeing “buy it now” sales on EBay for $4 for the PS2 version. It’s so sad that such a great game is fetching so little money. But it’s good for those of you who’ve missed it.

Shadow of the Colossus
A phenomenal game that far too few people have had a chance to play, Shadow of the Colossus is a gem from the same folks that designed the cult favorite Ico. The story is left very vague, but the game focuses more on cinematics. In an attempt to save the life of a young woman, the protagonist follows the direction of an unknown spirit, and travels the land, slaying huge monsters known as Colossi. The battles against the colossi are as much puzzles as they are fights, and they are truly epic. You can find Shadow of the Colossus on EBay for around $15.

Original XBox

Doesn’t seem like too many people own an old XBox anymore. But in the spirit of being complete, I’m going to give you ten good XBox games. Who knows? You might have a nephew who’s only ever played Halo on the thing and hasn’t yet gotten to experience any of the system’s truly good games.

Max Payne
If you’re a fan of third-person shooters, and you’re playing on the XBox, you won’t find many better candidates. The recent movie was a hideous adaptation of what was once one of the very best games available on the XBox. Its use of bullet-time slow-down effects was unprecedented at the time, and the story of a man out for vengeance after having lost his family played the righteous wrath card perfectly. You can now find a brand new copy on EBay for a paltry $6.

Lego Star Wars
Although a bit too unnervingly simplistic for my personal tastes, lots of people loved the Lego Star Wars games. They’re actually really good for kids, as the game’s only violence involves the rapid disassembly of Legos. Even today, copies are hard to come by, but you can likely find one on EBay for $20.

Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth
I ripped on this game pretty hard after having played it on my PC. After all, it’s H.P. Lovecraft – how could I expect anything less than greatness? But although the frustration factor on the PC version was pretty high at times, and I did actually encounter a game-breaking bug, the overall tension towards the beginning of the game and the amazing chase scenes were probably worth the $10 you’ll pay for the game on EBay.

Prince of Persia
As mentioned above, I’ve played the Prince of Persia games enough to admit their appeal, although they’re not my favorites. You can get a copy on EBay for no more than $9 – less if you’re lucky.

Half-Life 2
It’s true that Half-Life 2 is one of my favorite games of all time, although if I were going to recommend it, the old XBox would be the very last platform I’d recommend it on. PC is by far a superior choice. Still, it’s an absolutely fantastic game, and you should be able to find it on EBay for around $5.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
X-Wing, Rebel Assault, Jedi Knight, Rogue Squadron, Lego Star Wars, Empire at War – there has been no lack of good Star Wars video games. But probably the most well-regarded of all of them was Knights of the Old Republic. This Bioware RPG not only allowed you to choose between dark and light, and gave you the ability of assembling companions of varying moral shades, it had a fantastic storyline, and a great twist. You can get a used copy on EBay for around $12.

Indigo Prophecy
This is another title I mentioned previously. The ending of Indigo Prophecy was worse than season 3 of Heroes, but the majority of the game’s story was much closer to season 1 of Heroes. That is to say that most of it was very good. Indigo Prophecy is a totally new take on the adventure game genre, and should not be missed. You can grab a copy on EBay for around $5.

Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay
Whether or not you like Vin Diesel’s movies, this was a fantastic game. Primarily a shooter with a lot of RPG and stealth elements, the game’s storyline and voice acting are top notch. It must be one of the XBox’s best games. Somehow, I’m seeing it listed on EBay for just under $1.

Jade Empire
Before Brandon recommended it to me, I hadn’t even considered playing Jade Empire. I’m glad I did. While the fighting and movement are decidedly last-gen, the game’s story is simply awesome. And the River Raid type minigame is fun too. It’s going for about $3 on EBay.

Psychonauts
Ditto what I said above in the PS2 section. Great game, very funny. The XBox version seems to be a bit hard to find nowadays, but you could find it for as little as $15.

The Affordable Gaming Committee wishes you happy Holiday shopping.

Handheld games are generally the least expensive on the market. Some sell for as little as $20 when they’re brand new. But as technology advances, prices increase. Today, it’s common to see handheld games going for $40 or more. Luckily, there are still plenty of bargains out there. This week, we’ll be looking at Sony PSP and Nintendo DS games available for under $20.

Nintendo DS

The Nintendo DS is a phenomenal handheld platform. While it doesn’t match the graphics or multimedia capabilities of the PSP, it has some truly fantastic games.

Lunar Knights
While I’ve not yet had the chance to play Lunar Knights, it’s been on my to-play list for quite a while. Essentially a dungeon crawler RPG, the reviews praise the game’s story enough to make me want to pick up a copy. Currently, I’m seeing it available on EBay for $16.

Arkanoid DS
Simple yet addictive, Arkanoid was the arcade’s evolution of Atari’s Breakout, a game I played on the Atari 2600 decades ago. For $15, it’s certainly worth a visit to EBay.

Castlevania
There have been many portable versions of the Castlevania franchise, and I’ve enjoyed many of them. Most recently, I really liked Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, but before that, Dawn of Sorrow was also an excellent portable game that made great use of the DS’s stylus controls. You can get Portrait of Ruin on EBay for $20, and Dawn of Sorrow for $15.

Elite Beat Agents
I won’t lie to you, Elite Beat Agents is a weird game, wherein you run through tapping rhythm games, leading the Men-In-Black-like agents to solve world problems through dance. Their missions vary from saving the world from aliens who want to turn everyone to stone to helping a babysitter impress her boyfriend. And the music featured in the game is very catchy: The Jackson Five, Earth Wind and Fire, Jamiroquai, David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, and a lot more. Definately worth dropping $6 on EBay.

Professor Layton and The Curious Village
With Professor Layton, Level-5 has found a way to bring a different kind of puzzles to the DS. Matchstick puzzles, sliding puzzles, and plenty of other visually-oriented logic puzzles and brain teasers. The game makes excellent use of the stylus, which is all but required to solve every puzzle. It’s also got a great hint system. And the game also features full-motion hand-drawn animation for many of the cutscenes, which is a very nice touch. It’s probably geared towards kids, but I enjoyed it from start to end, and I’ve got to admit that some of the puzzles kicked my ass. Luckily, most of the harder ones are optional. You can find Professor Layton for $20 on EBay.

N+
It’s got a name that’s so short it can get confusing, but N+ made a big name for itself on XBox live arcade. Recently, it’s come to the DS, and it sold brand new in stores for $20. Although I’ve yet to play, my brother tells me that N+ is crushingly hard, but that somehow you quickly gain the skill to get past levels which at first seemed impossible. You can pick up N+ on EBay for $10 if you’ve got the stones.

Advance Wars
The Advance Wars series has always been a favorite of mine. They’ve found a way to make a good strategic turn-based strategy game on a handheld, and make good use of both screens. I’ve yet to try Advance Wars: Days of Ruin, but given that it’s currently selling for $5 on EBay, I should pick up a copy. Advance Wars: Dual Strike is only half that: $2.50.

MarioKart DS
I wasn’t sure whether I’d be able to include Mariokart in this list, but I did find a copy on EBay that sold for $16. Even after three years, the game is holding its value remarkably well. And with good reason – it’s a fantastic game. Nintendo has managed to port their amazingly popular kart racing game to their handheld platform, and they’ve lost none of the addictive fun. You can play over wi-fi with friends locally, or against friends or random strangers online via Nintendo WFC. How odd to be sitting in an airport racing against some random person in Japan. But my copy of Mariokart is one of the DS games that I refuse to sell.

Puzzle Quest
I think Puzzle Quest was the DS game that I was most excited to get. A combination RPG/Puzzle game was unheard of at the time. There’s a strange sort of satisfaction that comes from lining up a row of five gems in order to kill a goblin. At one point, I laid siege to an entire town and broke down laughing after I used my headbutt ability. “I headbutted an entire town!”, I yelled to my wife, in near-hysterics. I got an unenthusiastic “yes, dear” type of response. Needless to say, capturing monsters and throwing them in your dungeon, forging new magic items, and training your mounts is a lot of fun, and each is a specific type of puzzle. You can get Puzzle Quest for $11 on EBay.

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
If I had to recommend one Nintendo DS game, it would be Phantom Hourglass. I’d never have believed that anyone could design an RPG in which you control everything exclusively with the stylus and make it good. But the game is very good. It makes excellent, albeit infrequent use of the microphone, and encourages you to draw on every map with your stylus in order to take notes and mark locations. You can get it for $15 on EBay.

Sony PSP

The PSP doesn’t have quite as many games, period, as the DS, however it does have a very good selection of titles just under 20 bucks, and not eBay prices, genuine new in the store prices, thanks to Sony’s Greatest Hits line of titles for $19.99.  Throw some of these under the tree during your winter holiday of choice and you’ll make some gamers quite happy.

MemoryStick Pro Duo 2GB
Yeah, I know that this isn’t a game, but unlike the DS which allows you to save game progress to the cartridge, the PSP requires a memory card for saving game progress.  You can usually get a 2GB SanDisk MemoryStick Pro Duo for under 20 bucks as witnessed at Amazon.  2GB is plenty of room for game saves and if you want to go the movie route, you can easily fit a 2 hour movie on there and have room to spare.

Killzone Liberation – $19.99
Killzone Liberation is a tactical, 3rd person shooter that displays the PSP’s graphical prowess to a high degree, providing plenty of high action gaming as well.  The campaign can be a little frustrating at times, and short, but the action is fast and frantic.  Ad-hoc multiplayer means that you can blast away at others that also have a copy of the game too, but there’s no online multiplayer if you’re a hermit like me.

Burnout Legends – $18.99
One of the best racing series ever made gets a highly polished entry on the PSP in Burnout Legends.  Whereas other racers penalize you for crashing, the Burnout series has always encouraged crashing as a means of getting your opponents off of the road.  Burnout is the one racing game I’ve always enjoyed, and racing games lend themselves well to portable gaming due to the ability to parse your gaming in small chunks.  Once the Burnout bug bites you, you can carry on your need to crash with the many 360 and PS3 outings.

Tekken: Dark Resurrection – $19.99
I’m horrible at fighting games, but damn it if Tekken: Dark Resurrection ain’t the best looking fighting game you’ll ever see on a handheld.  It controls well, has tons of modes and lets you exchange ghosts, AI profiles of your fighting style, with other players so that you can practice up fighting against Cousin Jimmy before you take him on for real over the wireless connection.  Fighting games are one of the more value laden genres out there due to all of the characters and modes, and just continually playing to get better, so combine this with such a beautiful looking game and you’ve got one hell of a package for under 20 bucks.

Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters – $19.99
Ratchet and Clank has consistently been one of the best platforming series out there, and this foray into the PSP is no different.  The hoverboarding sucks, as it does on every R&C game, but everything else is just plain Ratchet and Clank goodness.  It controls well, looks great, has lots of fun challenges outside of the story mode and retains the series’ trademark sense of humor.  It’s also fairly lengthy and you can go back and bring your leveled up weapons and armor sets into subsequent playthroughs at higher difficulty levels.  Be warned though, that if this is your first R&C game, you may be finding yourself stocking up on Sony hardware so that you can play all of the other games in the series.  At the risk of contradicting myself though, avoid Secret Agent Clank, also for the PSP.  Let us not speak of that game.

GTA: Vice City Stories & Liberty City Stories – $19.99 each
20 bucks for a GTA game is a tremendous value, and don’t think that you won’t get your money’s worth here just because it’s on a handheld.  This is GTA in all of it’s blood soaked, open world glory.  Whether you choose to visit Liberty City or head to the warmer climes of Vice City, you’ll have plenty to do and see, and kill.

Syphon Filter: Logan’s Shadow & Dark Mirror – $9.79 – $12.79
Billed as a tactical espionage game, the Syphon Filter series is just that.  It’s a third person spyfest with lots of cool guns, gadgets and explosives.  The games control really well and have great graphics, but both also have online multiplayer so once you’re done with the single player mode, you can spend hours taking dudes out online.  Savvy shoppers can probably pick up the two combined for less than 20 bucks, thereby earning you a place in the Shopping Hall of Fame.

Hot Shots Golf Open Tee – $19.99
Hot Shots is pure video game golf.  There’s no Tiger Woods style realism here, but that’s part of the fun. You’re playing for ridiculous outfits and accessories, not to hoist the Ryder Cup over your head.  The graphics are bright and sparkly and the game controls really well.  There is some grinding of the same courses over and over again, but the courses are still challenging even with repeated exposure.  The game’s sequel came out this year, however there’s not a lot added to the game to justify the extra ten bucks, so stick with the older version and save some cash.

Daxter – $14.99
More platforming goodness, this time as Daxter from the Jak and Daxter series.  What is it with Sony and alien platforming duos anyway?  Doesn’t matter I guess.  Daxter controls well, looks good and is fun to play.  It’s also cheap, so as the kids would say, it is full of win.

For the record, I agree completely with Greg’s appraisal of Puzzle Quest, and it is available on the PSP, however there is a pretty big bug in the game, namely that you can’t level up your mount.  A leveled up mount is essential for avoiding battles with lesser beasties, as well as giving you extra spells in combat, so while I would hate for the PSP playing nation to miss out on such an excellent title, I can’t, in good conscience, recommend it for the PSP.

There’s a buzz in the air. That time of year is quickly approaching once more. The time when thousands of people descend upon America’s malls and department stores and consume, consume, consume.

But this year, many more of us are on a budget. It can be tough to get yourself to spend $60 on a game. But you know what? You don’t have to. Just wait six months, maybe a year, and that $60 game now costs $30. And while that doesn’t help those of us who want give Fable 2, Dead Space, or Wii Music as a Christmas present this year, there are other options.

Last year’s big budget games present opportunities. The games are no less good now than they were then. And downloadable titles can also be a lot of fun without breaking the bank. The Affordable Gaming Committee has come together at Lungfishopolis town hall and compiled a list of games that you can buy as gifts this holiday season, all for under $20. And these games aren’t Barbie Horse Adventures or Superman 64. They’re all solid games out of which you should get a lot of enjoyment.

Each week, we’ll be listing twenty games: ten each from two different platforms. This week, we’ll be looking at PC Games and Nintendo Wii games.

PC

The PC list reads like an advertisement for Steam, but I’m just a fan of downloadable games. To learn how to give a Steam game as a gift, follow this link. I’m listing the recommended system specs for each game, but you should note that the “required” system specs for each are lower. I just never trust the “required” numbers.

Far Cry
For a long time, I had a love/hate relationship with Far Cry. It was one of the first shooters I really got into, and it was very hard. Now, I’m not talking about that stupid XBox knockoff version that came along a year or so later – I’m talking about the original Far Cry. There were no freaky powers, just an island full of evil mad scientists, mutated soldiers, and more mercenaries than you can find in Iraq. To this day, it’s the most fun I’ve had as a sniper. Far Cry recommends a 1 GHz processor and 256 MB RAM. You can pick up Far Cry for $10 on Steam, or less than $5 on EBay if you don’t mind a used copy.

Thief: Deadly Shadows
As a huge fan of stealth games, I loved Thief: Deadly Shadows, and I place it in my top five stealth games of all time alongside such classics as Tenchu: Stealth Assassins and Metal Gear Solid. Most gamers I talk to prefer The Dark Project and Metal Age, but whether it was because the earlier games in the series were more difficult, or because the graphics weren’t as good, I just couldn’t get into them. So my recommendation is for Deadly Shadows. You can pick up a copy for $20 on Steam, or about $8 on EBay if you don’t mind a used copy. Thief: Deadly Shadows recommends a 1.5 GHz processor and 256 MB RAM.

The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay
Well written shooters with RPG elements, stealth gameplay, and good acting are hard to come by. That’s why I absolutely loved Vin Diesel’s game. I’ve played through it twice. Once you get the eyeshine and can toggle your darkvision by removing the goggles, it starts to get really good. I may even go back to this one and replay it a third time some day. You can get yourself a copy on EBay for around $13. The box recommends a hefty 2.6 GHz processor and 512 MB RAM, but I played through it on a 2.4 GHz machine without issues. That said, it was unplayable on my older 1.4 GHz machine.

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion
Oblivion is one of those games you can lose yourself in. Personally, I lost a great many hours to the game. The reason I’ll always recommend the PC version over a console version is because of the great wealth of game mods available for Oblivion. They make what was a good game into a truly great game. The BT mod and Oscuro’s Oblivion Overhaul alone make the PC version a superior product. Oblivion requires a 2 GHz processor and 512 MB RAM, but it’s a great game. You should be able to find it for somewhere between $10 and $20 on EBay.

Starcraft
Starcraft is a decade old now, but I still see the Battle Chest box on shelves everywhere games are sold. There’s a reason for that – Starcraft is a fantastic game. It’s the best real-time strategy game I’ve ever played. If you’ve never played it, now’s the chance to give it a go before Starcraft 2 comes out early next year. Decade-old games have another advantage too: the game requires only a 90MHz processor and 16 MB of memory – this one would run on a cell phone. The Starcraft Battle Chest is typically $20 in stores, but you can find it on EBay for $10.

Penny Arcade Adventures: On The Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness
I don’t recommend the Penny Arcade game to anyone who’s not familiar with the online comic, but if you’ve read and appreciate Penny Arcade’s sarcastic and crude style, much more of that type of humor awaits in the games, wherein you can battle hobos, mimes, and barbershop quartets, use fruit to distract depraved lustful robots, and encounter the world’s only urinologist. These games recommend a 1 GHz processor and 512 MB of memory. Episode 1 and 2 are already out, and can be found for $15 each at the Greenhouse Games site.

Audiosurf
Very few games today have the kind of simple addictive gameplay exhibited by Audiosurf. It’s a combination racing game/puzzle game/rhythm game. First point the game to your mp3 collection and select a song, then select one of the game’s many modes, which are categorized by difficulty level. Then the game uses the song you’ve picked to procedurally generate a racetrack. Slow songs, or slow portions of songs have mostly slower uphill tracks. Faster music, or more intense portions of a song, have steeper downhill slopes. My favorites are songs with slower and faster portions, which create more of a roller coaster type track. In enjoy playing Audiosurf to Where’s My Thing?, Sabotage, and Don’t Fear the Reaper. This game does have sufficient cowbell. It recommends a 1.6 GHz processor and 512 MB of memory, and can be found for $9.99 on Steam.

Psychonauts
I can’t say enough good things about Psychonauts. If you haven’t yet played this game, you may not know that this site got its name from Psychonaut’s comedy sequence, which may very well be the greatest single level in any video game, ever. An action/adventure platformer that strives for photorealism about as much as B.A. Baracus strives for a pilot’s license, Psychonauts is the only game to date that has made me laugh out loud, and it did so on numerous occasions. If you’ve never had the pleasure, you owe it to yourself to download a copy from Steam for $20. If you don’t mind a used disc, I’ve seen it selling on EBay for as little as $5. Psychonauts recommends a 1 GHz processor and 256 MB of memory.

Half-Life 2
If you’ve never played Half-Life 2, I can only assume that it’s because you A) Don’t like shooters, or B) Got motion sickness when you tried to play. But now that Steam allows you to adjust the viewable angle, you may no longer need to worry about the motion sickness. They haven’t released a patch to cure the don’t-like-shooters problem.

Half-Life 2 is not only my favorite shooter, it’s one of my favorite games of all time. It takes a “show, don’t tell” approach to storytelling that’s been often imitated, but never done quite as well. And it runs smoothly and looks beautiful on older hardware. They recommend a 1.2 GHz processor and 256 MB of memory, although it scales very well for newer systems. If you don’t get it as part of the beautiful Orange Box compilation, your best bet is the Steam version for $20. You can get a used copy at Gamestop for $10, and it’s even less than that on EBay, but the Steam version comes with Lost Coast, and includes achievements, which are always nice.

Beyond Good and Evil
I think Beyond Good and Evil has been at the top of most lists I’ve created. If you haven’t yet guessed, I’m a bit partial to the game. Stealth gameplay, fighting, vehicle driving, puzzles, collection, mini-games – this game has got serious variety. The characters are lovable, and the story is well-written. For the record, I’ve bought four copies of this game over the years. most recently, I bought it on Steam for $5. Normally, it’s ten, but when I saw it on sale one weekend, I couldn’t resist. Beyond Good and Evil recommends a 1 GHz processor and 256 MB of RAM.

Nintendo Wii

Sadly, many of the Wii games I’d wanted to recommend just aren’t available for under $20 – even older games. So my list won’t include Super Mario Galaxy, Mario Kart, Twilight Princess, Boom Blox, Warioware: Smooth Moves, or Super Smash Brothers Brawl. But there are still a number of good games you can get on the Wii without buying garbage like Carnival Games or Red Steel. If you want to buy a Wiiware downloadable game as a gift, you can do it right through the Wii interface.

Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure
I’ll admit that I’ve never played Zack & Wiki. That’s because I’d heard so much about how frustrating certain parts were. And like that horrible Kevin Costner movie which I will not name, in Zack & Wiki, there is only one penalty: death! If only this were the Thunderdome, I could spin “Gulag”. The game did get high praise despite the difficulty, and since it’s available on EBay for $10, I’m going to recommend it.

Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
I haven’t played many games in the Fire Emblem series, but the two I played on handhelds were a lot of fun. The RPG/Turn-based strategy gameplay leaves a lot of room for strategic battles, and in these games, if a companion dies, he’s gone for good. You can find Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn for $10 on EBay.

Lostwinds
One of the original Wiiware titles, Lostwinds is probably still Wiiware’s highest-profile game. Lostwinds is essentially a platformer with an interesting new mechanic that draws from Okami and Super Mario Galaxy: the player can use the Wii remote to draw paths on-screen that control the winds. These winds can be used to enhance jumps, defeat enemies, and solve puzzles. A second player can join in to add a second wind cursor, allowing for more windiness. For $10, you can download Lostwinds from the Wii store.

World of Goo
A physics-based puzzler with some similarities to Fantastic Contraption, World of Goo challenges you to use your goo balls to  build various structures and reach a goal point. It begins simply, but quickly grows in complexity. World of Goo is a relatively new WiiWare title that you can pick up for $15.

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
I’ve never been into the Metroid games, but given this game’s popularity and following, I’d sure like to pick it up when I get some time. The game is currently going for $12.50 on EBay, which seems like a steal.

Dr. Mario Online Rx
I first played Dr. Mario on the old NES system, and later on a NES emulator. But it wasn’t until I started playing the Virus Buster version included with Brain Age 2 on the Nintendo DS that I really got addicted. So when I saw the new Dr. Mario Online Rx being offered on Wiiware for $10, I jumped on it. Not only does it include the original Dr. Mario and the newer Virus Buster version, it also allows you to play against other people online.

Eternal Darkness
Okay, okay. I know that Eternal Darkness isn’t really a Wii game. But for someone like me who never had a Gamecube, the Wii is my first chance to try Eternal Darkness, and this is a game you really should not miss. Primarily a survival horror game, this game’s true beauty is in its insanity effects. Some games might mess with you a little bit, but Eternal Darkness screws with your head in ways that will leave you stunned and chuckling at yourself. I can’t ruin the surprises by going into details, but trust me – the game is awesome. And it’s begininng to get harder to find. It’s currently selling for $18 on EBay, but games like this soon go up over $100, so grab your copy now. I’m not letting go of mine.

No More Heroes
What can I say about No More Heroes? Travis Touchdown is my hero. The game is so outrageously over-the-top that you can’t help but laugh. I’d never play this game in front of kids, but I was super-excited at the announcement of a sequel. There’s tons of violence, as much cleavage as you’ll ever see in a game, and you save the game by sitting on a toilet! If you like totally off-the-wall humor and don’t mind a game that’s most definitely rated M for mature, go buy this game now. You can get it on EBay for $20.

Resident Evil 4
The fact that I found this game to be (in its own way) as good as Resident Evil 2 is really saying something. I played the Playstation 2 version, which was excellent. I can only imagine that the Wii version, using the Wii remote as a light gun, is even better. Even years later, this is a first-class game that you won’t be able to put down. I’m amazed that you can get it for only $10 on EBay.

Okami
I picked up my Wii copy of Okami on a whim, and it sat on my shelf for many moons before I fired it up and realized what an amazing game it is. It shares a lot of the gameplay with Zelda: Twilight Princess, but I think it’s a much better game visually. For $10 on EBay, this one’s a no-brainer.

So there’s your first list, folks! The Affordable Gaming Committee hopes that you find it useful this holiday season.