The holidays may be over, but the gift cards remain. Here’s some ideas on how to make the most of those certificates.
By Charly SHELTON

Didn’t get what you wanted for the holidays? Or perhaps you got gift cards or cash and now you are left with the dilemma of deciding what to buy. Well never fear, dear Reader, because CV Weekly writers have been scouring every after Christmas sale and reading up on every new gadget to give you the best ways to spend your hard earned after Christmas money. After all, that is why we have been nice all year.

If you are into games, check out a new handheld system. Some are just as expensive as full consoles and some are even more expensive. But when you are dying of boredom and can’t wait to assassinate someone in a hurry or feel the need for speed (triple mushroom speed, that is), a portable gaming system is exactly what you need.

The Nintendo 3DS XL is the way to go if you like platformers and classic games. With titles like “Mario Kart,” “Super Mario,” “Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion,” “Legend of Zelda” and more developed in 3D for this system, jumping on enemies has never been more realistic.

For those who pine for the bygone days of games we grew up with, “Star Fox 64 3D,” “Super Mario DS” and “Mario Kart 7” all harken back to the bygone days of Game Boys, Super Nintendos and N64s, either in style or direct levels taken from past games and systems. This is good for kids and gamers who really enjoy these kinds of games. Hardcore gamers may be a little disappointed if they are looking for a true console experience. For that, check out the PSVita.

The PSVita is the PlayStation in portable form. This is a Sony handheld upgrade in their PSP (PlayStation Portable) line. The PSVita is an incredible system which can handle full console style titles such as “Assassins Creed,” “Uncharted” and “Silent Hill.” These are real games that aren’t slowed down or changed to work better on a handheld. Many other systems, including previous PSP systems, have released handheld versions of a console game that are from a different perspective and offer very few features. But not this time. These are full console games that can be handled and played on the powerful and intuitive PSVita. If you want shooters and more intense game play, PSVita is for you.

This is the first installment in an ongoing series of articles featuring the best places and things to spend your hard earned dollars on. If you know of any cool experiences or other goodies that warrant sharing, email wizard@cvweekly.com. And keep an eye out in the paper throughout 2013 for periodic articles in this series.

  Charly Shelton