We're in the thick of the holiday season, so rather than come up with a silly "Best of 2006" list, I instead whipped up a list of 10 games that I believe would be sound and virtuous purchases. I tried to come up with titles that covered a range of platforms, genres and, most importantly, prices.

I pulled the suggested retail prices from major retailers, though better deals can be had online.

Without further ado, here are the games and their corresponding categories.

The Starbucks Coffee

I call these games the Starbucks Coffee. As in, I don't know if they're worth all the money, but they're pretty good. Next-generation console titles are pricey, and Wii and PC games ain't cheap either. So I selected four of the best new games I've played over the last few months.

Gears Of War (Xbox 360)

The idea of paying £50 / €70 for a game pains me, but I didn't mind so much with Gears of War; it was a rewarding - albeit entirely too short - experience. I think the surprisingly high review scores and critical acclaim are a little bit overboard, but Gears is an eye-popping game filled with exemplary next-generation visuals and plenty of carnage. The online and multiplayer campaigns make up for a lacklustre story and brief, almost anti-climactic single player. And the carnage is good. Very good. But my favourite thing about Gears isn't the action or the impressive graphics, because that will only get a game so far. What I loved most was that the game is ridiculously hard. I love the difficulty levels ("Insane" truly is insane). I applaud the fact that Epic has made a shooter that challenges players instead of letting them run around shooting everything in site and taking more bullets than 50 Cent at a Source Awards after-party. Gears is entirely realistic in the sense that if you pop your head up in plain sight, you'll get it blown off. A game this difficult will keep you busy for a while and hopefully make sure you get your money's worth.

Price: £50 / €70

Slide Show

Dead Rising (Xbox 360)

This is another Xbox 360 that can suck up time in a good way. Capcom's zombie-fest is the second best title yet for the 360 behind Gears of War. Before I go any further, I will admit that Dead Rising is a highly flawed game - if you don't have an HD screen, the text is nearly impossible to read, and the save system is a complete disaster. Still, this game is a romp. I normally don't enjoy sandbox games, but Dead Rising (which is heavily inspired by George Romero's classic "Dawn of the Dead") puts players in a zombie-infested mall where they can use pretty much any item - hockey sticks, lawn mowers and even guitars - as weapons to battle the undead. And Dead Rising isn't just free-form madness, either. There's a pretty good narrative that holds everything together, with some enticing missions and bizarre twists. There's also plenty of wacky humour and odd characters. You can move from mission to mission and from store to store, picking up katanas at a swords and knives boutique shop or a chainsaw at the hardware outlet. You can also jump around to different sequences and simply explore the extensive setting. Whether you simply want to hack away at the undead or actually follow the storyline's missions, you can spend hours on Dead Rising over the holidays.

Price: £50 / €60