Video game gift guide

Below is our rigorously annual Video Game Gift Guide, in which we assess various titles across a spectrum of genres and platforms. Games make for great gifts — what other holiday present threatens to keep your loved one up until 3 a.m. for weeks on end?

Forthwith, a selection of the year's best games, selected for general awesomeness. Note that these are suggested retail prices; you can always find a better price with a little shopping. Also, PC and handheld versions are usually $10 to $20 cheaper.

Dance Central (X360; $49.99; Rated T): So far, "Dance Central" is motion-detection Kinect's killer app, the sort of immersive experience that best exemplifies the promise of playing a game without a controller. When you play "Dance Central," you are actually dancing, and the more confident you get, the better you do. The calories you'll burn are just gravy.

Fallout: New Vegas (PC, PS3, X360; $59.99; Rated M): The much-anticipated sequel to last year's best game, "Fallout 3," "New Vegas" offers a few interface tweaks and about 50 percent more total content, in terms of missions and virtual real estate. The terrific time-stop combat system returns, but beware — the game is riddled with bugs, including several of the game-freezing variety. That they're worth enduring is testament to the game's addictive qualities.

Gran Turismo 5 (PS3; $59.99; Rated E): Eight hundred cars come standard with "Gran Turismo 5," and you'll want to experience every one. Microsoft's "Forza" series has been narrowing the gap, and yet "Gran Turismo" remains the standard in driving simulation. While its extended development cycle has become a punchline, it's ultimately worth the wait.

Halo: Reach (X360; $59.99; Rated M): "Halo: Reach" is the pinnacle of the "Halo" series. Retaining the narrative and gameplay qualities that made its predecessors great, "Reach" adds multiplayer modes, maps, and an epic story that outdoes all that came before it. It's the one game that no teenage X360 owner should be without.

Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 (DS, PC, PS3, PSP, Wii, X360; $49.99; Rated E10): It may not include "The Deathly Hallows" among its adventures, but four books' worth of exploration and a kid-friendly play style make Lego Harry Potter the best game featuring the boy wizard. Grown-ups won't mind checking out the clever Lego-style interpretations of the most famous scenes, either.