Super Mario Maker
What would a holiday buyer’s guide be without everyone’s favorite red-overalled plumber on the list? Super Mario Maker is the perfect game for older and younger gamers. The veterans will love the nostalgia and the ability to finally create the levels they dreamed of as a kid, while newcomers will be transfixed with the attention to detail and hands-on approach the game has to offer. Never one to miss a party, Mario makes it onto this year’s list with Super Mario Maker.

Lego Dimensions
Quite possibly the most geeked-out offering on shelves this holiday season is the too-good-to-be-true nerdgasm that is Lego Dimensions. Picking up a cue from the likes of Nintendo’s Amiibos and Disney’s Infinity games, Lego Dimensions incorporates the real life tangibility of Legos with the metaphysical transportation of them to your TV screen. In other words, you build a Lego, attach it to a base, and said Lego opens up new playable characters and levels in the game. Lego Dimensions is a two-for-one deal in that sense; it comes with a Lego set, which you build, and the game itself, in which all your favorite licenses in the Lego universe collide in one surprise adventure. With numerous add-ons to buy (Jurassic World, Back to the Future and Ghostbusters, among others), Lego Dimensions is perfect for any Lego lover.

Star Wars Battlefront
Just in time for the new Star Wars movie (and the holidays) is the highly anticipated Star Wars Battlefront. The next-gen Star Wars game that fans have been waiting for, Battlefront looks every bit as good as it promised to be. Be prepared for battles on planets like Hoth, Tatooine, Endor and the newly introduced Jakuu from the upcoming film, The Force Awakens. Players are also given the opportunity to play as iconic characters, including Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. Plus, the game is prequel trilogy-free, to the delight of many fans. Rather than a continuation of the previous games in the series, Battlefront is a complete reboot that is set to introduce the Star Wars universe to the next generation of gaming.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
Geared toward the more mature gamer on your holiday shopping list is the final installment in the Metal Gear franchise. The Phantom Pain is an epic, open-world adventure that sets Venom Snake (aka, Big Boss, Solid Snake, etc.) on a revenge mission into Afghanistan during the Soviet/Afghan war. It’s is a go-big-or-go-home game that raises all the stakes. Longtime Metal Gear fans will love it.

Batman Arkham Knight
Finishing up the Arkham trilogy of Batman games is Arkham Knight. Following the events of the previous two Arkham games, the stage has been set to introduce a new and mysterious villain, the titular Arkham Knight. But this time, the Dark Knight has a new trick up his sleeve: The Batmobile. Not included in any of the other Arkham entries, the Batmobile makes its long-awaited debut in this final act and truly changes the feel of the game. With the inclusion of the Batmobile and a new and exciting heavy, Arkham Knight is a surefire hit with Batman fans this season.

By Jason Savio