As promised, I did some research on what the hottest casual games are at the moment. I have my own favorites but of course, that does not mean that everyone else will like them. So I headed on over to Gamezebo, my favorite source of casual games. This is their current top ten list:

1. Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst
2. Mortimer Beckett and the Time Paradox
3. Build-a-lot 3: Passport to Europe
4. Treasure Seekers: Visions of Gold
5. Mystery Stories: Berlin Nights
6. Hospital Hustle
7. Fitness Dash
8. Alabama Smith in Escape from Pompeii
9. Forgotten Lands: First Colony
10. Call of Atlantis

Let me see. I am currently playing Build-a lot- 3: Passport to Europe. It really isn’t that much different from the previous versions of the game, except for new places, new types of houses and buildings, and new services. They also added a bit more “trouble” for the player – fire and noisy party incidents. If you know someone who liked the first two games, then it would be a good idea to get the third.

Fitness Dash and Hospital Hustle are looking pretty good. I think they will suit people who liked Flo and her slew of Diner Dash games. I have also looked into Forgotten Lands: First Colony and it might be good for those who like “slow-paced building-worlds” games. The reviews of this last game generally bode well except for the graphics, which are reportedly unsatisfactory.

So there you have it – take your pick and make a casual gamer happy this Christmas!

How many times have you gotten all excited about a video game gift only to be dismayed at what you see when you tear off the wrapping? I have heard countless horror stories about this. Then there is the other side of the story – parents buying their young children certain games (meant for older people) and then blaming the video game companies for their children’s behavior.

In order to avoid these potentially disastrous situations, The New York Times published a guide on giving video games this Christmas. It is quite amusing, actually. For us avid gamers, it is a no brainer. You might want to share the article with your friends and family members who may otherwise be less informed.

The list provided covers a lot of ground – good enough to help those who need help. Some of the games that made it to the list include Grand Theft Auto IV (are you even surprised?), Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution, War Hammer Online, Wii Fit (I want one!), Little Big Planet (I want that too!), Fallout 3, and Gears of War 2.

This got me thinking – casual games were not really mentioned. There is a slew of new casual games available. But who would you give a casual game to? Your aunt? Your sister? Don’t make the mistake of overlooking even the hardcore gamer. If you remember, I know a lot of people who would actually play these games every now and then. Let me look up which are the hottest ones and get back to you next time.

I love the National Geographic Channel. Come to think of it, I have always liked Nat Geo. Back in the day (no, I am not going to reveal my age), we only had access to the magazines. I still remember going through back issues of the National Geographic Magazine after school and on the weekend. They fascinated me like anything. Today, we have multimedia versions and I am loving them!

I never really thought about Nat Geo testing the video game waters, though, but if you think about it (which, as I said, I didn’t), it makes perfect sense. They have print media, they have TV, they even have films – why not video games? It was really just a matter of time till they forayed into this format.

So now, the people at Nat Geo have come up with National Geographic Games. Don’t be fooled – they are not in it for the money. Their goal is to provide high quality video games that will encourage people – particularly the younger generation – to develop an interest in nature and science. They have actually teamed up with Sony and Namco Bandai to develop games for the existing consoles in the market, including an array of mobile platforms.

The first game released is Herod’s Lost Tomb, which is actually available for downloading for the PC, the Mac, and the iPhone. If you want to try it out, you can visit BigFishGames. I heard that it was free but apparently, the full version sells for about $7. Why don’t you take a look and let us know if you would play Nat Geo games?

Awards ceremonies are always something to look forward to. When I find a video game that I like, I want that certain validation that I feel when an awarding body chooses to highlight that game. I suppose a lot of other people feel the same way and that is why a lot of noise was created when Spike announced the nominees for this year’s Video Game Awards.

Naturally, there are many categories covered by the Awards. From Best Independent Game to Best Team Sports Game to Best [Console Type] Game – you have it all in the VGA. What interests me are two categories – Best PS3 Game and Game of the Year.

So what are the nominees for these categories? For Game of the Year we have:

Gears of War 2
Grand Theft Auto IV
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Fallout 3
Little Big Planet

You’ll notice that most of these are PS3 games. As such, it is no big surprise that the games for the Best PS3 Game category are almost the same:

Grand Theft Auto IV
Little Big Planet
Resistance 2
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

Which games will come out on top? I don’t know. I am rooting for Grand Theft Auto IV (is this such a surprise?) but we will all find out on the 14th of December. The Awards will be broadcast live from Sony Picture Studios in Culver City, California. More than the awarding itself, there will be a performance by 50 Cent, who is coming out with the game 50 Cent: Blood in the Sand soon.

Cooking games have become popular in the past year but many of them tend to be similar to each other. I personally don’t mind this as long as the games are fun. A newcomer to the world of cooking games seems to be catching on like wildfire. I am sure that you know all about Top Chef, the reality TV show. Now there is a game version, which is touted by Gamezebo as one of the best cooking games:

In game, you play a young and naive chef named Anna. As you progress, you learn more about Anna and the other contestants – some friendly, some not – through short intro and outro cutscenes. Naturally, you have a rival, who’s named Charles. He is arrogant and condescending, and wouldn’t it feel great to knock him down a peg!

After Anna decides what dish she’ll prepare, like a canapé, grilled meat or sandwich, a recipe appears. But this is where Top Chef becomes wonderfully inventive. Rather than explicitly following a to-do list for a dish, you have to add the ingredients that you think are most appropriate.

For me, the “tasty-looking” food is very important. That is what actually entices me to play these cooking games. Of course, the fact that you can make up your mind as to which ingredients to use adds another realm to the game. Perhaps Top Chef will beat all those other games out there.

Beatles fans – this is what we have been waiting for! I have been raving about the juxtaposition of music and video games for a while now but I never really thought about the fact that so many great bands have been featured in various video games and that there is one BIG name missing, namely, The Beatles!

Thanks to Aced Magazine, I became aware of this fact:

Next year, the legendary music of The Beatles will be featured in video game format for the first time. The project is currently being developed by Apple Crops Ltd., MTV Games, and Harmonix, the creators of the popular interactive game Rock Band.

The still untitled game will be created with the blessing of the surviving members of The Beatles, Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, as well as Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison. The project’s Music Producer will be Giles Martin, the co-producer of The Beatles LOVE project.

And what do the remaining Beatles member have to say?

“It gives me great pleasure to be part of The Beatles/Apple and Harmonix/Rock Band partnership,” said Ringo Starr. “The Beatles continue to evolve with the passing of time, and how wonderful that The Beatles’ legacy will find its natural progression into the 21st century through the computerized world we live in. Let the games commence.”

Indeed, let the games begin! I do not have to say that this game will be at the top of my list next year – even if I do prefer Guitar Hero.