EDMONTON - When Game of the Year at the Video Game Awards went to free-roaming western epic Red Dead Redemption, it surprised many who saw Mass Effect 2 or Call of Duty: Black Ops as obvious favourites. Oh, and God of War III. People loved God of War III.

One thing the nominee field at the awards made obvious was the depth of quality games released in 2010. Just over 20 titles averaged a 90 per cent or higher score on rating aggregator Metacritic. Many more garnered average scores above 80.

The Nintendo Wii had a big year, with banner titles in fail-safe franchises like Metroid, Kirby, Donkey Kong and Super Mario. Xbox 360 (Kinect) and PlayStation 3 (Move) both made their motion control debut with mixed reaction from critics, but their libraries also ballooned with juggernauts like Rock Band 3 and Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood.

With so much out there, what does one buy that special console gamer this Christmas?

To understand what a gamer wants, the first thing to do is look at what they have. Sports gamers like sports games, and the year’s best were NBA 2K11, NHL 11, Madden NFL 11 or MLB 10: The Show. Kids want what they want, and you probably already have their list.

For the rest, it’s not so easy:

The Fiction Fiend

This year’s library of releases heavily favoured story. Most of the best games told adult tales of deception, mystery, and so forth. Arguably the best of the lot was Mass Effect 2, which sadly is only on the Xbox 360 and PC until after Christmas. The Edmonton-made space adventure gave players as many characters to talk to as there were to shoot, and Martin Sheen to boot. The western Red Dead Redemption also has a great story and is available on the PlayStation 3 and 360. Avoid Heavy Rain. Though it is all story, the experience is over far too soon and is ultimately better rented.

The Multi-player

There are two titles console multi-player fans want: Call of Duty: Black Ops and Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood. The former is yet another chance to run and gun friends online. But the latter got those hungry for something new hooked with its emphasis on stealth. The goal of the multi-player in Brotherhood is to quietly hunt a human target in an open world full of computer-controlled characters, while at the same time eluding players hunting you. Both tasks are best accomplished by blending in to the crowd as well as possible. It’s pretty addicting.

The Casual Gamer

Though it may be tempting to drop big money on motion control if your gamer’s got a PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360, be warned that they may not like the games. A sure thing is Rock Band 3. The name in music games innovated the seemingly worn-out genre this year by adding a keyboard controller. The result is a new way to play an old favourite, with a fresh catalogue of keyboard-heavy rock songs. This is a no-brainer if the kids already have Rock Band 2.

The Nostalgia Clinger

Chances are someone who exalts the old school has a Nintendo Wii, and if they do, look no further than: a) Super Mario Galaxy 2, another Super Mario 64 upgrade in the round, or b) Donkey Kong Country Returns, a challenging throwback to the side-scrolling series of Super Nintendo classics.

The Hardcore

Honestly, get the guy or girl a hefty chunk of online points to go toward downloadable games for their particular system. It’s definitely not the same as a gift certificate. This was a banner year in download-only games and having the freedom to get a bunch would delight any gamer. Experimental side-scrollers like Super Meat Boy and the ultra-depressing Limbo provided the loftiest challenges of any game this year on the Xbox 360. But the glut of downloadable games boiled over onto PlayStation 3 and Wii too, with strong titles like Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World: The Game and Cave Story, respectively.

For a regular dose of writing on video games from Ben Gelinas and a ragtag group of gamers, read Button Mash at edmontonjournal.com/buttonmash