Xmass gift help

[AtheistWorld.Com]

Ok, ok ok, I know I know I know.

But you see, my daughter was raised by her mother as a catholic and I have not seen her in a year and want to get her a xmas gift.

her mom tiped me off and said get her a new computer, so I am geting her a Dell with a nice 17" flat panel (LCD).

But I also want to get her a few cool games.

The trouble is, I have no idea what type of games a 12 year old girl likes.

She is super intelligent A student and she finds school "borring because its too easy" in her words and she is great in science.

Anyway, I need sugestions on good PC games she would like.

Max

[dduardo]

Hmm, that is a little tricky. If she was a he, then I could start telling you names one after the other. Based on things I've heard on the internet and observed from my sister, there is a tendency for them to like more strategy based games ( aka thinking involved ), rather then the mindless shooting games out there, which by the way, I have no problem with.

Here is a list of top games I think she would enjoy. They are in no specific order.

1) The Sims
http://www.pcgameworld.com/review.php/id/229/The_Sims/

2) Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup
http://www.pcgameworld.com/review.php/id/434/Harry_Potter:_Quidditch_World_Cup/

3) Nancy Drew: Danger on Deception Island
http://www.pcgameworld.com/review.php/id/424/Nancy_Drew:_Danger_on_Deception_Island/

4) King's Quest: The Mask of Eternity
http://www.pcgameworld.com/review.php/id/162/King's_Quest:_The_Mask_of_Eternity/

5) Railroad Tycoon II
http://www.pcgameworld.com/review.php/id/208/Railroad_Tycoon_II/

6)Worms Armageddon
http://www.pcgameworld.com/review.php/id/266/Worms_Armageddon/

She also might appreciate, rather than games, a bundled digital camera or mp3 player.

[photon]

Virtual Rubik's Cube.

[redrogue]

A great game (or games!) to give you daughter are those from the Myst series.

I don't know if you're familiar with this title, but there are (at least) six games in the series:

1. Myst (Original)
2. Riven
3. realMyst (remake of the Myst to take advantage of today's highend graphics technology.
4. Myst: Masterpiece Edition
5. Myst III: Exile

and finally they've gone on-line with endless worlds to explore:

6. URU: Ages Beyond Myst

The games stress total emersion with haunting sounds and melodies. They also stress high-end photorealism in their graphics. There is no violence.

You explore "ages" or other worlds through books and solve puzzles (which can be difficult!) to get to other parts of the game.

URU is the newest incarnation as you can now explore -endless- ages and play with others online.

I believe your daughter will enjoy them. [:)]

Here are some links:

The company who creates these games is out of Seattle, WA called Cyan Worlds, Inc. (www.cyanworlds.com)

URU: Ages Beyond Myst (official site):
http://urulive.ubi.com

Here's a fan's site with introduction to all of the games including URU:
http://members.aol.com/mystsequel/

Myst III Exile: http://www.myst3.com/html/exile.html

I hope this helps!

Cheers.

[photon]

Redrouge knows his buisiness. I've only played the original game, but even that is great. It's cool how you get to explore and move a wierd guy around, and still be solving all these neat puzzles. It's even kind of a story. In the original, you can take these old books from a room, and read all the diaries of old people that don't exist.

[AtheistWorld.Com]

Thanks much guys!

I will check them out.

No online games thought, she has a slow 56k connection and cable is expensive where she lives and DSL is not available, so no online games for now.

Anything else?

Max

[redrogue]

Originally posted by photon
Redrouge knows his buisiness.

Sorry I just have to correct you there.
I'm female. [:D]

Does my writing "sound" masculine? Hmm. Sounds like a topic of discussion in the social sciences forum.

Sorry to digress...

[dduardo]

redrogue, for a female your pretty geeky.

Software Developer, Unix Admin, Runs Debain "Sarge", etc, etc. [o)]

Not many females are doing what you are doing.

If you like Myst, the Zork series is good too. Zork: Nemesis is probable the best of the whole series, but is also the most disturbing. I played it when I was 12 and I freaked out when playing it in the dark.

[photon]

Sorry I just have to correct you there.
I'm female.
oops. [*(] Sorry. (acts embarrased and shifts feet) [:D]

Nemesis is probable the best of the whole series, but is also the most disturbing. I played it when I was 12 and I freaked out when playing it in the dark.
You got freaked out by a text adventure?[8)] Or was it a graphic version?

[dduardo]

Yes photon, I got scared of the blinking ascii characters that ran across the screen. Duh. Obviously it was the graphic version.

Here is an old drawing of a room with really bad colors

http://www.siggraph.org/publications/newsletter/v33n4/columns/images/rouse6.jpg

[photon]

AHH! That is one scary link. I almost wet my pants.
[:D]

I've played Zork 1, but lost interest after I got into the caves and stuff. A graphic version might be a little better. Is Nemesis freeware?