Marvel Super Heroes vs Street Fighter Giren's Ambition Metal Gear Solid Sega Dreamcast The King of Fighters '98 Beat Mania Xenogears

Charles McCarter: I recently discovered that my ideal job would be something like Gabrielle's on XENA. That is, I'd get to walk around and hit people with a big stick. OK, so I'm kidding, but when the stress gets really bad, I turn to video games to blow it off. And the strategy stuff just doesn't do it. This year, I'd recommend MARVEL SUPER HEROES VS STREET FIGHTER, but since that may be kind of hard to find, a good runner-up is the older X-MEN VS STREET FIGHTER (which has better character selection anyway). Keith Rhee: MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM - GIREN'S AMBITION (import Saturn). The strategy sim aspect will no doubt appeal to fans of the genre, but it's the lavish visuals from scenes in the original series, as well as the combat animation, that will have most GUNDAM fans salivating. Scott Frazier: For Others: Definitely METAL GEAR SOLID. Definitely. For Me: No! Don't make any more DIABLO! No! I can't waste any more weeks on it! Well, OK. Make another one or two. Or twelve. Mark Johnson: Ideally, I'd love to see a Dreamcast under the tree, with VIRTUA FIGHTER 3 and SONIC ADVENTURE. However this will most definitely be a rarity due to the large demand and low supply of this powerhouse console. Roderick Lee: CHRISTMAS NiGHTS. OK, this is not new or recent. But it is seasonal. Ivevei Upatkoon: I was going to say FINAL FANTASY VIII, but everyone's going it get anyway, so I guess I'd go for SNK's KING OF FIGHTERS 98. I admit that Capcom holds the upper hand in terms of graphics and pure gameplay in the 2D fighter world, but KOF is just fun! This time, all the characters from the previous games, 94 through to 97, are here for your ultimate dream match! Since I can't afford NEWTYPE anymore, much less one of these ¥28,000 ROM cart babies, I suppose it's just as well my Neo Geo isn't here with me in Japan. Eugene Moon: METAL GEAR SOLID. A 3rd-person perspective game that is the definitive "interactive movie." I mean, how many movies have you seen where all the action is from the first-person perspective? This is the game I've always wanted Hollywood to make. Tom Larsen: I'm still trying to get through TOMB RAIDER 2... Should I try for FINAL FANTASY VIII? Maria Rider: BEAT MANIA. This game is one of the current hottest in Japan. Konami has put out a funky, fresh game mimicking the PARAPPA THE RAPPER and BUST A MOVE dance games already out. This time it is you playing the DJ and you tape the buttons to the beat and mix out a song. Do it wrong and you get penalized. Do it right and you get stage money for it. It's fun and the music is great too! Rika Takahashi: XENOGEARS. It may not be as pretty as FF7, and admittedly has a few flaws, but the gripping story more than makes up for it. Also, GENSOU SUIKODEN. This oldie but goodie is very affordable if you know where to shop ($20 or less brand-new), and is well worth every penny. Simple combat system, and a somewhat linear but good plot. Last but not least, REBUS (KARTIA in the USA). I like how all magic comes from cards called kartia's and how you can combine runes to make spells, and the monster compatibility was much easier to understand than the zodiac system for FINAL FANTASY TACTICS. It is rather linear, however, so it's definately not for people who like to move their character from place to place. Images: Copyright © 1997, 1998 by Nintendo of America Inc. Copyright © CLAMP, Kodansha, NHK, NEP21