Written by Matt Swider  on December 01, 2008

Holiday Buyer's Guide 2008: Cyber Monday is offering a lot of deals, but don't just buy anything because of its cheap price. If it's for Xbox 360, make sure it's on our list of recommended holiday titles.

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Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts (360 Exclusive)
Banjo-Kazooie, everyone's favorite N64 era bear-and-bird duo, debuts in their first non-Nintendo game. Nuts & Bolts represents a dramatic system change because developer Rare was bought by Microsoft, but the series' theme remains the same: a bright and beautifully-rendered platform game. In addition to collecting notes and jigsaw puzzles, players also gather parts for vehicle customization. Whether you're traveling on foot or in a vehicle, roaming this colorful 3D world as the old bear and bird might make you forget about the cold reality of winter this holiday season.

Bonus: Reliving the nostalgic N64 days doesn't have to mean dusting off the old Nintendo 64. The original Banjo-Kazooie from 1998 is coming to Xbox Live Arcade on December 3, 2008. Including 1,200 Microsoft Points would be an ideal stocking stuffer for the game's ten-year anniversary.

Viva Piёata: Trouble in Paradise (360 Exclusive)
Last year's Viva Piёata: Party Animals was a mini-game departure compared to the series' first life sim. Trouble in Paradise shelves the Mario Party gameplay in favor of simulation again, and this time it's on a deeper level. In addition to the garden gameplay being deeper and offering more variety, co-op play allows up to two via split-screen and four online. If you happen to own an Xbox Live Vision camera, the game supports card scanning if you're really, really into Viva Piёata.



Lips (360 Exclusive)
The corny E3 demo of Lips oversold the whole party notion; it's not going to be as fun as Guitar Hero or Rock Band with friends. But, read my lips: If you want the best karaoke game for Xbox 360, this is the best choice. Like PS3's SingStar, the playlist is filled with music that is tailored to singers. In Rock Band, you're not going to hear Ace of Base sing УI Saw the SignФ or The Jackson 5 perform УABC,Ф even though those are the songs people love to butcher when in groups. No, Rock Band has songs by Nine Inch Nails; no one I know can sing 75% of the lyrics unless it's a karaoke bar song. That's what SingStar and Lips deliver. While SingStar is the better choice (if you own a PS3) because you can download songs from the SingStore, Lips has microphone handles that light up. Can't go wrong with that.


Fallout 3
Bethesda Softworks doesn't release a new game every month or even every year. Instead, the company takes its time to craft near-perfect games; case in point, 2006's Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Taking the same gameplay engine, Bethesda Softworks created an even cooler post-apocalyptic theme for its 2008 title, Fallout 3. The targeting system with its pinpoint accuracy is unique and the environment of a nuked Washington D.C. is eerie to explore. The creatures that inhabit the area bleed a lot, so this one's only for mature gamers, but it may be the best gift you get during the holidays.


Guitar Hero World Tour
Rock Band's drums and microphone addition really spiced up the Guitar Hero formula last year, and this year, it's Guitar Hero that's one-upping Rock Band. World Tour adds a raked drum set (meaning the triangle cymbals hang above the three drum pads), which makes playing the virtual drums feel more like playing a real electronic set. The drums are also wireless and have softer pads to reduce noise. While the microphone is wired, the option to have static lyrics on the screen instead of constantly scrolling words makes singing ten times easier (note: we didn't say this would make you sound ten times better). The wireless guitar has an interesting touch-sensitive slider bar for playing specific semi-transparent notes, making the only places in which Rock Band 2 outperforms World Tour is in the combined song list and career mode.


Rock Band 2
Rock Band 2 doesn't change up the hardware too much, so if you already have Rock Band 1 instruments, you may want to just buy the $60 game disc. The only hardware investment worth making if you have an extra $300 is the super-sweet electronic ION premium drum set. But for most shoppers, money is tight and rebuying drums and guitars (even with slight enhancements like the ability to add cymbals later) isn't an option this holiday season. So, what makes Rock Band 2 worth $60? The addictive career mode, the daily challenges and the combined playlist. For $5, you can import your Rock Band 1 songs and downloaded tracks for the ultimate music-game playlist. While Guitar Hero has the newer hardware, Rock Band 2 has the more complete soundtrack.



Call of Duty: World at War
Call of Duty is the revered World War II series (except for Call of Duty 4, which took place during modern times). So, owning World at War this holiday season is a no brainer. While people loved the terror-themed CoD4 and are hesitant to step back into yet another WWII game, this version takes on the much ignored Pacific and Eastern fronts (Уmuch ignoredФ compared to all of the games that have you relive D-Day, at least). Plus, it'll go nicely with The Pacific, upcoming HBO TV mini-series set to debut next year as a follow-up to Band of Brothers.



Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV may have released in April, but anyone who doesn't have it should put it at the top of their holiday wish list. This much-hyped sandbox action game delivered (and even surpassed some people's expectations) in its next-generation console debut. For the first time, online multiplayer keeps players occupied after finishing the extensive single-player campaign and downloadable content will be available for owners of the recommended Xbox 360 version starting February 17, 2009.




LEGO Batman: The Video Game
If you just finished this summer's LEGO Indiana Jones game, your love for LEGOs is going to be fulfilled through the holiday season with LEGO Batman, which released this fall. Fighting crime as a block-styled Batman and Robin (among other unlockable characters) makes for an eye-catching adventure compared to the desert sands of Indiana Jones. Additionally, Danny Elfman's classic Batman soundtrack makes this LEGO game complete and better than any Dark Knight game that could've released alongside the film.



Madden NFL 09
When you go to the store intending to pick up the latest Madden game, expect to do a double take when you see coverboy Brett Favre in his Green Bay Packers uniform. It's not an old version; the cover art was simply finalized before his unretirement and subsequent trade to the New York Jets. There's an alternate downloadable cover featuring Brett in his new uniform, making this 20th anniversary edition of Madden extra unique. Maybe this is EA's way of fooling the infamous Madden curse (Non-believers who doubted it at the end of last season should take note of Vince Young's current status).



Quantum of Solace
Quantum of Solace the game follows the film in both story and quality, so if you've seen the movie and loved it, there's little reason to pass up this James Bond action title. The game is like all James Bond films in that it doesn't really advance its medium and do anything drastically different. It just happens to have a popular, likeable main character and a solid $60 million budget. So, as long as you aren't expecting a ground-breaking FPS and think you are James Bond, Quantum of Solace is a sure-fire hit.