Stocking Stuffers

And buying video game stuff for holiday gift giving can require lots of cash. This irritates me, since I remember what it was like growing up poor.

So I’m splitting this year’s gift guide into two categories. One is for cash-strapped gift buyers. Another is for people flush with cash. Happy holidays, players!

ARE YOU LOW ON FUNDS?

Go to a used-game store like EB Games, GameCrazy or GameStop, where you can find a “refurbished” Nintendo DS ($80) for a kid under 10 or for a newbie gamer who likes puzzle games, which are available in abundance.

If you’re shopping for a hard-core gaming teen or adult, you might want to go instead with a refurbished PlayStation 2 ($80) or hand-held PSP ($130).

Refurbished machines are used but spruced up at factories, as dependable as new.

Do not buy an old Xbox (which is the pre-360 Xbox). No one’s making games for the original Xbox ($80) anymore.

Next, you need games. You can sift through used-game store bins for bargains ranging from $2 to $20. Used games always work. And if your gift receivers don’t like the titles you pick, they can usually exchange them, no fuss.

Instead of buying, it might be cheaper to rent games from stores like Blockbuster or Hollywood Video, for just a few dollars for weeklong rentals. Video stores offer gift cards for renting.

Another pricier but cooler option is GameFly.com. It’s like Netflix for games. GameFly mails games you pick out online. The cost is $16 per month to rent one game at a time and $23 a month to rent two games at a time.

DO YOU HAVE MONEY TO SPARE?

For a hard-core gamer, buy the new Xbox 360 Elite ($450) if your gamer doesn’t already own an Xbox 360. Check out store ads in the newspaper. You’ll see some offer Elite bundles with free games or other extras.

If you’re buying for an online gamer, you can’t go wrong with a one-year Xbox Live subscription card ($50).

If you want to get someone a second system, the PSP ($170) is my favorite, since it’s like holding a PS 2 in your fingers. The DS Lite ($130) is great for kids and fans of puzzle games.

But the trendy system is, of course, the Nintendo Wii ($250, or up to $500 as a multigame bundle). The interactive system thrills female and kid gamers en masse. Supplies are good. This season, you should be able to actually get your hands on one in a store.

I’m falling in love with the Sony PlayStation 3 ($500 for the 80 gig; $400 for the 40 gig). It’s a stronger computer than the Xbox 360 and Wii. It plays Blu-Ray and DVD movies, plus PS 2 games. And PS 3’s online gaming is free, as opposed to the fee-based Xbox Live.

The bad thing is the PS 3 isn’t selling great, so its future is relatively weaker than Xbox 360. There aren’t tons of great PS 3 games yet. And games released for multiple systems usually take weeks or months longer to hit the PS 3 than the Xbox 360.