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Holiday Guide To Buying Top Video Games, Consoles

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Video games and consoles will be among the hot gifts this holiday season, but deciding which ones to get can be tricky.

One of the hot sort of holiday items is the newest Xbox device.

Gamespot's Ben Howard says the device is great for the serious gamer.

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"It's $499 and really it's designed for those gamers who want the absolute best in graphics," Howard said.

If you're looking for family fun, consider the Nintendo Switch.

"You can take it on the go, play it on the plane, on the train, in the car. But you take it home, you dock it next to your television into a little sliding dock and you're playing it like a home console," Howard explained.

Then Nintendo's other big device this holiday is the Super Nintendo Classic. This is a miniature replica of the classic Nintendo console you might have played in the 90s.

But you might have a hard time getting one.

"This is really one of the very hottest toys this holiday season. And you know Nintendo promised there's gonna be more coming into stock, but you might have to be patient," Howard explained.

When it comes to family video games, Howard says "Super Mario Odyssey" is the big winner.

"This really taps into that nostalgia," he explained. "It's got that classic Mario feel, it's on the Nintendo Switch and you can play it with a child. I play it with my 7-year-old. It's got that fun sort of classic Mario game-play.

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Another top pick is "Star Wars Battlefront II."

"It's an action game set across all of the Star Wars eras, so you get to play characters like Han Solo, Darth Vader, Yoda, as well as fly those Star Wars spaceships that kind of take place in all those classic Star Wars epic battles," said Howard.

And his final suggestion for family games is "Madden NFL 18," which added "Longshot," the franchise's first-ever story mode.

"It's actually a story mode, where you get to step into the shoes of an NFL hopeful, go from high school football all the way through the draft and end up playing for you favorite team," Howard said.

His top suggestions for mature gamers are "Assasin's Creed Origins" and "Call Of Duty: WWII."

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