Which Gaming System Should You Ask For or Buy This Holiday?

There’s so much to be had this holiday in the gaming spectrum. You’ll never find a better deal before the next gen hits!

Sometimes I can be tough figuring out which one you want the most. With Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday all coming this weekend you might be thinking about picking something up for yourself or someone close to you. Well I’m going to help you choose. We have seven consoles to go over in total: 3DS, PC, PS3, PS Vita, Wii, Wii U, and Xbox 360. Let’s get started!

Note: Deals used will be from either BestBuy, Walmart, Amazon, or Target. You could always find another retailer or even a better deal. Don’t take my suggestions as the be-all, end-all! Though they are pretty great.

Note 2: Even though most of these links are for this weekend or just Black Friday, keep in mind what I say about each system and you can use that info for Christmas shopping even after this crazy shopping weekend.

Nintendo 3DS

Got a Nintendo gamer at heart who could use some portable gaming in his or her live? You’ll find plenty of help this year with deals for both the normal 3DS and the bigger 3DS XL. What’s the different? The XL features much larger screens, is a bit more comfortable to hold, and is all the rage right now. That doesn’t mean the normal 3DS is a slough, though. If you or your recipient has good eyes, you can save on bucks and get a 3DS instead of the XL. Either way, every game from the DS and 3DS will work in both systems and with heavy hitters like Pokemon Black/White 2, Kingdom Hearts 3D, Super Mario 3D Land, and Paper Mario gamers of all ages will find something to like on Nintendo’s newest handheld. I mean, I’m 24 and I can’t stop playing Pokemon White 2. Some things never change…

Best Deal: Walmart’s $229 3DS XL Bundle with 2 games of your choice, a case, and one accessory. Price may go up if you pick more expensive games, though.

Good Deal: Best Buy’s $149 Flame Red Nintendo 3DS system with Super Mario 3D Land. This is not an XL system.

Bundle Deal: Walmart’s $224.99 Nintendo 3DS bundle including 3 games of your choice and a case. Price may go up if you pick more expensive games, though. This is not an XL system.

PC Gaming

Have someone in your life who wants to break into PC gaming or maybe you yourself want a nice rig? You can always find great deals for gaming PC systems but Black Friday is known for having the best of them. PC gaming has a lot of advantages and the best one may be the gift of games. With Steam gift cards you can always let your gift recipient (or even yourself!) pick out their own games with Steam’s amazing sales on digital games (note: that means download only, you don’t buy games off the shelf and need an internet connection). Owning a PC for gaming also means gamers are only upgrades away from being back on top in terms of power and graphics instead of buying a new console every 5 or so years. They may not always get every game that console owners do but in the long run, PC gaming has plenty of pros instead of cons.

Best Deal: Newegg.com’s $479 iBUYPOWER system perfect for gamers are an amazing price. Capable of running most, if not all, games off of Steam and other gaming sources.

Good Deal: Microcenter’s $499 HP Pavilion computer with perfect specs for gaming. Not a gaming PC maker but this set up is great for not only gamers but families as well. A win for everyone in the house!

Sony PlayStation 3

Looking to finally get into some PS3 gaming this year? Good timing! I could argue all day that the PS3 has the best deal this holiday and it may only be available this weekend. The PS3 is a powerful system and its gaming library is just as worthwhile as the 360’s. You’ll find amazing exclusives such as the inFamous series, Uncharted, Ratchet & Clank, Sly Cooper, and so many more. This system has more than enough for gamers of all ages and even includes an amazing deal with PlayStation Plus. If the recipient of this gift or even yourself has an internet connection, pick up a PS+ card ($17.99 for 3-months!) and they’ll get an instant game collection! Talk about a huge present.

Best Deal: Sony’s $199 PS3 bundle including a 250GB PlayStation 3 system with 5 games (inFamous series and Uncharted 1 & 2). These games are not exactly for kids but this bundle is pure greatness. You can find it at almost every retailer.

Good Deal: Walmart’s $249 Ultimate PS3 Bundle including a 160GB PlayStation 3 system, 1 extra controller, and a game of your choice. The price may rise if you pick a more expensive system and game. You can customize this bundle.

PS Vita

Sony keeps rolling with three amazing bundles for the Vita but one of them being extra amazing. The Vita is a slow up-and-comer but recently has been ramping up with near weekly releases of top tier games including Ragnarok Odyssey, Assassin’s Creed III Liberation, Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified, and Persona 4 Golden. While the release schedule ahead looks iffy, Sony has said there will be a blowout of Vita games in 2013 and with the way 2012 is ending for this powerful handheld, you have to be inclined to agree. If you have a gamer in your life who wants to play near console quality games in his hands on the go, the Vita is the best choice with games ranging for all ages, including bundles.

Best Deal: Amazon’s $179 Assassin’s Creed Vita bundle includeing two games (Assassin’s Creed and PlayStation All-Stars), 30 days of PlayStation Plus, 4GB memory card, and the limited edition White Vita. This deal is not up yet but keep checking this page as it is most likely coming up at midnight tomorrow PST (3am EST).

Good Deal: Sony’s $199 Call of Duty Vita bundle including a Black Vita, Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified game, and a 4GB memory card. You can find it at almost every retailer.

Kid’s Deal: Target’s $199 Lego Batman Vita bundle including a Black Vita and Lego Batman 2. No memory card included!

Nintendo Wii

The Wii is just about done but if you’re looking for a very cheap way to get some games in the house for you or your kids, then this may be the best place to look. There will be almost no new games coming for this system but there is a gigantic library of games already out for the Wii. You may find yourself knee deep in buying accessories for this thing but if you just need a console, some controllers, and the best games you should be fine. If you want some of the newer stuff and more power, then look at the Wii U or one of the other deals in this post if you can’t find one of those on the shelves.

Best Deal: Walmart’s $149 Wii bundle including 5 games (3 of them your choice), additional remote controller, and additional Nunchuk accessory. Price can go up if you choice more expensive items as this bundle can be customized.

Nintendo Wii U

Being the new guy in town means you are not going to find a amazing bundle deals or any savings this year. The Wii U just released on the 18th but you can expect a powerful system with a wide variety of games for kids, teens, and adults. There were over 30 games released for this new system on launch day so you’ll have plenty to pick from or you can pick up some Wii U points to let your gift recipient pick what they want on the online Wii U shop on the console.

Best Deal: Walmart’s $379 Wii U bundle including a Basic Wii U, one game, and a Wii remote. Price can go up if you choose a Deluxe Wii U as this bundle is customizable.

Note: The Wii U may be extremely hard to find in stores this holiday. It is the newest and hottest gaming commodity.

Microsoft Xbox 360

The 360 has been on fire for years now and the bundles this year are really good. Microsoft usually rolls out the red carpet for Black Friday and the holidays with 360 Holiday Bundles and this year is no different. The 360’s gaming library is filled with all the best games, exclusive DLC, and some pretty good exclusive games. You really can’t go wrong with either a PS3 or a 360 nowadays but if your gamer needs to play with his friends online then Xbox Live may be the best outlet for him or her.

Best Deal: Microsoft’s $199 360 Holiday Bundle including a Black 360 with a 250GB hard drive, a headset, Forza Motorsports 4, and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. This can be found at almost any retailer.

Good Deal: Target’s $389 360 Bundle including the Holiday Bundle listed in the Best Deal and 4 extra controllers. This may be best if you have a lot of kids or friends who come over to play.

Kid’s Deal: Walmart’s $199 360 Bundle including an exclusive 4GB White 360 consoles, Skylanders starter kit with an exclusive monster, and an extra controller.

There are many, many deals out there for games, accessories, and maybe even more system bundles. Do your homework and look at every site and store. Find the best deal and get some games in the house this holiday at amazing prices. This is always the best time to shop but also the craziest. Be safe out there and I hope I helped you pick out something for yourself, your friends, your family, and kids.

Happy gaming everyone and have a wonderful Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Mayan Apocalypse, and Christmas (or whatever you may celebrate in December!)!



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