Bundles offer classic games at bargain prices

If you just got your first Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3, you're probably knee-deep in "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3," "Battlefield 3" or "Madden NFL '12." I'm just guessing.

But let me tell you newbies, you've missed a lot of great games over the years -- all the "Metal Gear" and "God of War" titles, for starters.

Luckily, you can buy bundles of these classic games at bargain prices.

■ "Metal Gear Solid HD Collection" (Konami for PS 3 and Xbox 360; rated "M") is $40 and contains three revered games on one disk.

It comes with "Metal Gear Solid 2" from 2001, "Metal Gear Solid 3" from 2004 and "Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker" from 2010.

Even though they're old, they've been remastered in high definition. The original stellar game play and often-confusing story lines are all intact, but with tweaks and cinematic splash.

There's an astounding amount of gaming here. You play as Solid Snake, a grisly war spy soldier, and one of the most iconic heroes in the history of games.

You sneak up on bad guys in stealth missions and break their necks. You shoot villainous soldiers. And you watch a lot of beautifully illustrated scenes as directed by the exalted game designer Hideo Kojima.

■ "Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Trilogy" (Ubisoft for PS 3; rated "M") is another collection of games (remastered for high definition), which kicked mucho butt when they originally came out. "Trilogy" is retailing for $40.

It comes with "Splinter Cell" from 2002, "Pandora Tomorrow" from 2004 and "Chaos Theory" from 2005.

You portray a spy soldier who sneaks up on bad guys and breaks their necks or shoots them. "Splinter Cell" is a more mainstream, Americanized series than "Metal Gear." But it's still very good, and "Trilogy" comes with tons of gaming and sleuthing good times.

■ "God of War: Collection" and "God of War: Origins Collection" (both Sony for PS 3; both rated "M") will get you caught up on most of the "God of War" universe.

"Collection" comes with 2005's "God of War," plus 2007's "God of War 2," both remastered into high def. It retails for $30.

"Origins Collection" bundles two remastered PSP games: 2008's "God of War: Chains of Olympus" and 2010's "God of War: Ghost of Sparta." Both are now in high def. It retails for $40.

The "God of War" series is my favorite of all time. You portray a very mean Spartan who used to be Zeus' god of war, until you fell from grace and became human again.

Now as an angry, vengeful human, you go fighting through mythical times. You use chains-and-blades (attached to your wrists) to beat the tar out of villainous skeletons, giant beasts and eventually those mythical gods you're so angry at. It's really superawesome and stunningly gorgeous.

Unfortunately, none of these "God" collections contains the finale, "God of War 3," which still retails new for $30, two years after it was released.

Contact Doug Elfman at delfman@reviewjournal.com.
He blogs at reviewjournal.com/elfman.