The last thing most gaming households need is another gaming peripheral. I know I can’t walk 2 feet without tripping over a “Guitar Hero” and “Rock Band” controller, “DDR” pad or steering wheel. Not to mention about 15,000 controllers, styli, various chargers and extra batteries required by the various gaming peripherals.
That being said, here are three peripherals-included games that would be a welcome addition to any gaming household.
DJ Hero (360, PS3, Wii, PS2; $119.99): You know that friend of yours who always turns his or her nose up whenever you break out the plastic guitar and drumset? Because that classic or modern rock tune you’re banging out is just not hip enough? “DJ Hero” is the game for that person. As to be expected, it draws heavily from dance and hip-hop tracks and is all about the fine art of turntablism. It’s surprisingly harder than you’d think to master the turntable controller, but that doesn’t mean that no fun is being had while you’re learning. Grandmaster Flash holding your hands through the tutorials is a nice touch and the new-old song mixes are pleasantly surprising. As an added bonus, you can bring over your guitar and jam to select tracks with your hip friend.
Tony Hawk RIDE (360, PS3, Wii; $119.99): You know that friend of yours who’s always wanted to be a pro-skater, but never quite gotten up the courage to, you know, hop on a board and hit the streets? “Tony Hawk RIDE” is the game for that person. Thanks to its wireless, motion sensor-covered skateboard controller – which looks like a deck sans wheels – you get a realistic feeling for what it’s like to skateboard for realz. Through instructional tutorials narrated by the pro himself, Tony Hawk, you’ll learn the basics of tricks like ollies and kickflips too. While the controller isn’t always the most responsive thing in the world, it’s okay. The game still makes for a fun ride.
Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles (Wii: $49.99): Okay, this is a bit of a cheat, since you don’t really need a peripheral to play it, but using the Wii Zapper ($19.99) does add a certain bit of je ne sais quoi to the gaming experience. Like previous “RE” Wii experiences, everything runs along on a rail, so you can’t control where you’re moving. But, the new feature of the game (which is graphically rather stunning, by the by) is that it’s a first person shooter which makes all the action just a tad bit more horrifically entertaining. There’s also a 2-player co-op mode, so you’ll have an excuse to loiter around your friend’s house after the holidays too.
