Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue

Feature

2011 Holiday Buying Guide

by Ben Reeves on Nov 08, 2011 at 09:30 AM

It's mall Santa season, and that means it’s time to start doing your holiday shopping. Need some help working up a list? We’ve got you covered. Here are the hottest geeky gadgets and gizmos of 2011. Sell some of those old comics and take out a personal bank loan, because you have a lot to buy. You might even find something on this list you’ll want to give to someone else – so buy two. Text by Ben Reeves and Kyle Hilliard.

Be sure to check out our video of this year's highlight's here.

Nav: Under $30 | $30-$100 | $100-$300 | $300-$1000 | $1000+ | Media Shelf

UNDER $30 – You Feel Obligated To Give A Gift

The Simpsons TomTom GPS Voices
If the default TomTom voices telling you to make a U-turn aren’t providing enough comic relief, maybe Homer or Mr. Burns from The Simpsons could help turn things around. Both characters are available to purchase online. Original voice actors Dan Castellaneta and Harry Shearer stepped into the recording booth to make sure that your future commutes will be as authentic as possible. $12.99

Batman Arkham City Action Figure Series 01
We liked Arkham City quite a bit, awarding it the rare 10 out of 10, so the opportunity to display some of the characters from the game on your desk is one that shouldn’t be passed up. You can pick between cowl-less Batman, Harley Quinn, or hooded Robin. $17.99

Life of George
No, Life of George isn’t a LEGO biopic of George Washington (though that would be awesome...) Life of George is a new LEGO experience that integrates with your iOS device, allowing you to capture and score your creations. George takes you on a tour around the world as he challenges you to a series of one- or two-player building exercises. Build them quickly and capture your handiwork using your iPhone’s camera to measure your building skills. $29.99

Walking Dead Figures
Comic author Robert Kirkman has been vocal about his intention to create a zombie story that never ends, and he’s on schedule. The second season of The Walking Dead is in full swing, and the comic book seems set to continue on for the rest of eternity. Whether you’re a fan of the comic or the show or both, McFarlane Toys has you covered. You can choose from television or comic versions of Officer Rick Grimes, the show version of Daryl Dixon (complete with a bushel of dead squirrels!), or the comic character Michonne (complete with zombie decapitating samurai sword!) from the comic. $19.99

Nav: Under $30 | $30-$100 | $100-$300 | $300-$1000 | $1000+ | Media Shelf

$30-$100 – You Care A Little

Mortal Kombat Cardboard Standups

These life-sized cardboard replicas of Mortal Kombat characters look as imposing as inter-dimensional warriors, but they’re really as harmless as a cat’s toy. Manufacturer Advance Graphics has produced standups based on Ermac, Goro, Kitana, Smoke, Raiden, Scorpion, Sonya, and Sub-Zero, and each character stands approximately 70 inches tall. Terrorize your friends and family by hiding these lookalikes around corners and in dark areas of the basement. $34.95

Elder Sign Dice Game
The Ancient One’s return is imminent. Armed with tools, allies, and occult knowledge you must race against time and stave off his return. From the designers of Arkham Horror, this fast-paced, cooperative dice game will test the sanity and stamina of up to eight people. $34.99

Mass Effect SSV Normandy Ship Replica
What is this? A spaceship for ants? It should be at least three times bigger! Dark Horse’s replica of Mass Effect’s iconic starship only sits 6.25 inches long, so it won’t be able to get you around the galaxy, but your apartment will be safer with the Normandy patrolling the dark corners of your bookshelf. $34.99 3 Elder Sign Dice Game The Ancient Ones’ return is imminent. Armed with tools, allies, and occult knowledge, you must race against time and stave them off. From the designers of Arkham Horror, this fast-paced, cooperative dice game will test the sanity and stamina of up to eight people. $34.99

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Beginner Box
The excellent Pathfinder role-playing game should be up every old-school tabletop enthusiast’s alley, but the system can be daunting to newcomers. The new Beginner Box offers an excellent introduction to the game and includes lots of goodies, from a full set of dice and pre-made characters to 80 full-color cardboard minis and an attractive play mat on which to host those first epic battles. $34.99

Squid Kids Ink 10-Doh Figurines
The labels to some of these anthropomorphized NES cartridges are a product of user- submitted art and the talented artists at Squid Kids Ink. All nine versions of the figure stand nine inches tall. They’re limited, and the whole set will eventually be difficult to come by, so grab them quickly. $30.00

Batbaby Sharky Vinyl Figure
Is a baby cartoon shark dressed like Batman any more ridiculous than watching George Clooney play a nipply Dark Knight in Batman & Robin? At least this five-inch vinyl figure from Toy Qube looks adorable on our desk. Every time Clooney climbs up there, he knocks over our lamp. $47.99

KRE-O Transformers Optimus Prime Construction Set
This 3-in-1 KRE-O construction set lets you build the iconic Autobot leader as a robot figure, a semi truck, or a battle station (yeah, who cares about that one). The full set includes 542 LEGO-compatible construction pieces, and if you put Optimus Prime back together, he’ll owe you a favor. Make him dress like a maid and clean your house. $59.99

Pac-Man Blik
Pac-Man exists in a dark world where he is constantly chased by ghosts that he can only defeat by finding a limited number of power pellets. What an existential nightmare! But, if you’ve ever wished that walking around your house could be more like that, then these wall coverings might be for you. Place singular Pac-Man mazes on your wall, or line your whole house with them. It’s your life. $75.00

Logitech Harmony Link
It’s time to get rid of your dumb remotes; Logitech’s new Harmony Link turns your iOS or Android smartphone into a smart remote. With the single touch of a button, the Harmony Link automatically turns on multiple devices and selects the appropriate input settings for your favorite shows. Its swipe controls also let you adjust volume and video playback with simple swipes and taps to your phone. It’s like having a personal television butler that sits in your hand and never complains about his salary. $99.99

Nav: Under $30 | $30-$100 | $100-$300 | $300-$1000 | $1000+ | Media Shelf

$100-$300 – You Care A Lot

Star Wars Wallpaper
The sophisticated look of wallpaper rarely lends itself to the nerd world. It’s unlikely that you would ever walk into someone’s house, admire their choice of wallpaper, and know you have something in common. Super 7’s Star Wars wallpaper seeks to change that. It’s classy from a distance, and nerdy up close. Now your houseguests will know you’re a geek the moment they step in the door – none of this waiting for you to speak business. $120.00

Powerbag Messenger Bags
Historically, it was never socially acceptable for a man to carry a purse. This all changed with the advent of the messenger bag. Now men can carry their own purses without calling them purses. The Powerbag is the Superman of messenger bags. (Also compatible with women.) This messenger bag is so awesome that you can charge your electronic devices with a built-in, rechargeable 3000mAh battery. Your phone won’t die on this purse’s bag’s watch. $139.99

Santa Cruz Duff Skateboard
You’d be lying if you claimed that you never wanted a skateboard in the shape of Homer Simpson’s head. It’s the first thought everyone had when watching The Simpsons for the first time, regardless of whether or not you were into skateboarding. If Homer’s head isn’t cutting it, you can also go with the Duff beer can design, or a more traditional skateboard with a Simpsons theme. $159.99

Mortal Kombat Figures
Mortal Kombat is back, and it’s just as good as we remembered it. Scorpion and Sub-Zero are also available, but this Raiden statue caught our eye. Raiden stands 10 inches tall, and he looks really angry. You can remove the hat, which somehow makes him seem angrier. So angry, in fact, that Syco Collectibles placed LEDs in his eyes so that they glow with rage. Better still, all of the figures were created using art assets from the game. $164.99

Kisai Rogue Touch LED Watch
This colored LCD watch features LED backlighting and touchscreen controls, so you can turn it on with a gentle tap. But the Rogue Touch’s best feature is its aerodynamic design and polished gunmetal surface. This watch looks so respectable that people are bound to treat you differently when you wear it (magic may not work for used car salesmen). $179.99

Kindle Fire
Amazon is evolving past digital ink to bring out an iPad competitor: the Kindle Fire. It does a lot more than display books; it also offers games, music, and movies in one sleek little package. It’s lightweight, small, runs a modified version of Google’s Android, and easily connects to a huge Amazon-fueled media catalog. $199.99

Apple iPhone 4S
The latest iPhone doesn’t do much to separate itself physically from its predecessor, but it does have a few bells and whistles that make the new version worth grabbing. Along with a better camera and the ability to record video in full 1080p, you also get a better processor, better battery life, and Siri voice controls. The updated voice controls allow you to search Wikipedia, ask for directions, and a variety of other things without smudging your iPhone’s screen. Apple’s updated iOS also ushers in the iCloud, which allows you to access all your media and documents through your PC and iOS devices without those pesky wires. Starting at $199.99 (with two-year contract)

Nike ID Lebron 9 Shoes
In this digital information age, everything is about personalization and customization. Why should your shoes be any different? Nike ID allows you to select everything from materials, colors, and outsoles among other details in order to build a Nike shoe that’s uniquely you. You can also take digital versions of your Nike ID creations into NBA 2K12, so your favorite sports team can dunk in style. $206.00

Cantina Blues And Other Robot Art Prints
It takes more than video game figurines and Star Wars bed sheets to decorate your room in style. If you’re looking for some classic art prints to hang on your wall, but don’t want to sacrifice your geek cred, check out Eric Joyner’s wild collection of limited-edition prints. They usually center on ‘50s era robots and sprinkle-covered doughnuts, but they’re all a visual treat. $225.00-500.00

Nav: Under $30 | $30-$100 | $100-$300 | $300-$1000 | $1000+ | Media Shelf

$300-$1,00 – You Want To Have Their Babies

Wolf Link and Midna Statue
Link is so cute that we just want to scratch him behind the ears, and now that he has a wolf form that no longer seems inappropriate. First 4 Figures has created a whole collection of impressive Zelda statues, and this Link and Midna statue holds to that trend. Standing 15 inches tall, this is one of the largest Zelda statues the manufacturer offers. Its scale is matched only by its price tag, but it’s worth it. $329.99

Recon Mod Live Ski Goggles
Get a look at the ski slopes through Iron Man’s eyes. Recon Instrument’s software modifies any Recon Ready Ski goggle (goggles sold separately) so they can display important feedback such as speed, latitude/longitude, altitude, distance traveled, a run-counter, temperature, and time. The added Bluetooth capabilities let you interface with your smartphone to display CallerID, text messages, and music playlists. This high tech eyewear also runs on a modified version of Google’s Android, so it shouldn’t take too long before we start seeing some useful apps, such as a program that makes fart noises every time you hit a mogul. $399.99

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1
Many are calling Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 the iPad’s stiffest competition and it’s not hard to see why. The Tab’s brilliant 10.1-inch screen and powerful speakers make it a handy device to watch movies or play games while on the go, and Google’s Honeycomb OS gives you organized access to the internet, email, and an endless stream of inventive Android apps. $499.99 (Wi-fi only), $629.99 (Verizon 4G)

Nikon 1 J1
Capture your life’s highlights using the highly responsive auto focus and super-fast shooting speed of the Nikon 1 J1. This sleek machine is so fast that you can snap photos while recording movies, and its array of upgradeable lenses will turn your Flickr gallery into an online art show. The Nikon 1 J1 even has a built in smart photo selector that works to capture your friends and family only when they look their best. That should get a workout during Christmas dinner. $649.95

Nav: Under $30 | $30-$100 | $100-$300 | $300-$1000 | $1000+ | Media Shelf

$1,000 AND UP – You’re Not Getting Them Back… But You Can Try

Alienware M18x Laptop
We gave Alienware’s M14x a 9/10 in issue 222. Its big brother has all the M14x’s features, but displays your games on a gorgeous 18-inch screen. Alienware lets you stuff this machine with either NVIDIA SLI or AMD CrossFireX technologies, and its optional factory-overclocked Intel Core i7 Extreme processor puts many desktops to shame. The M18x is also 3D ready, but we really appreciate the system’s wireless HD capabilities, which let you wirelessly stream video content to other displays in your house. Starting at $1,999.99

Gibson Firebird X Limited Edition Robot Guitar
Gibson’s new Firebird is the elite smartphone of guitars. It has great battery life, Bluetooth options for wireless pedal controls, and open source software so handy developers will be able to create personalized software for it. It can also produce a wide array of slider effects and distortions without the need for added accessories. For this sticker price, the guitar tunes itself and comes packed in a case that can survive a six-story fall. $5,570.00

Sony Bravia 65-inch HX929 Smart TV
The Sony Bravia line is known for producing deeper black levels and richer colors than most modern 3D ready TVs. Sony’s newest 65-inch system is also thinner than a dictionary and built using Corning Gorilla Glass, which makes it harder to crack than a coconut. The system’s 240 Hz refresh rate is perfect for gaming, and its built-in Wi-Fi lets you connect to a host of Internet video sites from the comfort of your couch. $5,999.99

Battlestar Galactica Life-Size Cylon Figure
Face it: Machines will eventually become the dominant race, so we might as well start making friends now. This life-sized replica of a Battlestar Galactica Cylon stands seven feet tall and emits the same haunting visor lights and eerie hum of its more mobile brethren. This lifelike statue is sure to impress fellow Battlestar fans, terrify your dog, and shame your spouse; it’s a small price to pay for unity. $7,999.99

Nav: Under $30 | $30-$100 | $100-$300 | $300-$1000 | $1000+ | Media Shelf