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Video games undoubtedly top the wish lists of many children - and just as many adults - this holiday season, but the usual glut of high-quality fall releases might give parents, significant others, and even Santa Claus pause as they stare at walls of games at the local store, not knowing what to get.

Fortunately, quite a few games have distanced themselves from the competition and are generally sure bets to buy for that special game-playing someone.

Jonah Lantto, manager of Game Crazy on South Broadway, said one game has come to rule over all this fall, much like the fabled One Ring in J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.

"The single biggest entertainment release of all time has been pretty hot, and that is 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.' The largest entertainment release of all time has definitely helped business and that's really if you own a (Xbox) 360 or PlayStation 3, that's what you want if you don't already have it," Lantto said. "Lots of great games, but that's definitely number one right now on those platforms."

Activision Blizzard, which publishes the Mature-rated "Modern Warfare 2," stated the first-person shooter had a five-day record of approximately $550 million, topping sales records of other video games, movies and books for the sameperiod of time after launch.

Lantto said "Modern Warfare 2's" popularity didn't surprise him because his expectations for the game were high to begin with. The game generated the biggest midnight launch at Game Crazy since Lantto took over as manager.

"We had darn near 150 people here," he said. "It was awesome."

As for why it's so popular, Lantto said that's pretty

simple. While the single-player campaign is pretty short, players can spend literally hundreds of hours in the multiplayer component and never get tired of it.

'"Call of Duty' is all about the multiplayer, it really is. 'Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare' unseated 'Halo 3' as the biggest worldwide multiplayer game, and 'Halo' has become a household name, and I think 'Call of Duty' has definitely breached that ground as well. ... 'Call of Duty' has, I think, become a cultural phenomenon on par with 'Star Wars' and 'Star Trek' and any other huge (intellectual property)," he said.

Playing with friends is also a highlight of the biggest game on Nintendo's Wii this fall. A new "Mario Bros." game is always a reason to celebrate for fans of Nintendo's venerable mascot, but this year friends and family members sitting on the couch can not only watch, they can join in.

"For the Wii, we cannot keep 'New Super Mario Bros. Wii' on our shelves. The 'New Super Mario Bros. Wii' edition has been a long time coming for Nintendo fans," Lantto said. "It's a four-player 'Mario Bros.' game, and it's awesome."

Up to four players can run Mario and his friends through the assorted levels in the everyone-rated game, and even if some of the players aren't Mario veterans, the game is designed to allow other more experienced players help them through the hard parts. While other Mario games like "Mario Kart" and "Mario Party" have allowed four players to compete before, this is the first time multiplayer has been added to a traditional Mario platforming game.

"It's really bringing back the Super Nintendo kind of version of Mario where it's more a 'Super Mario World.' There's a lot of different suits - they brought out the new penguin suit and all kinds of new suits that Mario's able to jump in and give him new powers. But what's really selling with that game is it's the first multiplayer Mario game ever. So you can play four players in a traditional Mario-style setting."

Those might be the biggest games this fall, but they certainly aren't the only options out there. In a lineup that is heavy with sequels to established franchises, there is a wide variety for gamers to choose from.

"Left 4 Dead 2" is a Mature-rated first-person shooter that challenges up to four players to survive five zombie-infested campaigns while being attacked by all sorts of undead creatures. While "Modern Warfare 2" and "New Super Mario Bros. Wii" feature multiplayer options as an added bonus, in "Left 4 Dead 2" playing well together as a team is absolutely vital to the gameplay experience.

"'Left 4 Dead 2' has been gigantic. I don't know what it is, but killing zombies never gets old. It really doesn't," Lantto said. "That game truly has the most unique multiplayer out there. You get to play not only as humans but as special infected zombies, each with their own unique abilities. And in that game you're working together as a team.

"Most multiplayer games don't force you to work as a team, you can really kind of run and gun and do your own thing. Whereas in 'Left 4 Dead,' you have to be organized, you have to be working together. Your four-person team kind of has to be a well-oiled machine."

Although multiplayer is a trend that's only getting bigger in gaming, there are still plenty of single-player experiences for those who want to go it alone.

"Assassin's Creed II" is a Mature-rated sequel that allows players to guide an assassin through Renaissance Italy on a quest for vengeance. Being able to climb buildings to escape guards and take out targets in a variety of ways are just a few of the features that have made this game a hit with fans.

"It's being heralded as the most-improved sequel of all time, as far as how great of a job it did improving on the groundwork layed by its predecessor," Lantto said.

As far as Lantto and his employees are concerned, their game of the year award would go to Teen-rated "Uncharted 2: Among Thieves," a PlayStation 3 exclusive that features fun multiplayer, but focuses heavily on the thrilling single-player campaign that is a mix between the video game series "Tomb Raider" and legendary movie franchise "Indiana Jones."

"That game is almost in a lot of ways, it's like playing a big-budget action movie. Great characters, great story, you know, touching moments, and their action set pieces are second to none in any video game today," Lantto said.

He also noted the Everyone-rated "Tony Hawk: Ride," the latest game in the popular Tony Hawk skateboarding series, features a skateboard deck gamers can actually stand on to control their characters, and has been a good seller.

A game that kind of snuck up on a lot of people is the Mature-rated "Borderlands." A combination of first-person shooter and role playing game, "Borderlands" tasks players with picking a character to take through a post-apocalyptic world and leveling them up with various weapons, armor pieces and special powers. This game allows two people to team up and take on the wastelands together, but at over 30 hours in length, it will probably end up being a massive single-player experience for many.

Next spring features yet more big games, with "Mass Effect 2," "Dante's Inferno," "Bioshock 2" and "Splinter Cell: Conviction" just a few of the titles that will take a bite out of gamers' wallets and social lives.

Although the latest and greatest games come in all sorts of flavors, Lantto said one common thread that joins many of the biggest is their multiplayer component. While there are several big games that are single-player only, Lantto said offering a great multiplayer experience might be the factor that makes many gamers choose one title over another in the current difficult economic climate.

"The worldwide phenomenon of multiplayer, it truly did begin with 'Halo' on the Xbox, and it's only compounded from there," he said. "Every kid that gets a 360 wants to play online with their friends. ... Most of the really successful games right now do have an awesome multiplayer."