The economy is bad, and your wallet is thin, so what are the best priced games to get your loved ones this holiday?

Gaming is not a cheap thrill, in fact some people even go so far as to resort to ramen noodles and kool-aid to make way for the money to buy that next awesome game they've had their eye on. I should know, I was once there in my younger days. So keeping up with the latest games, and by that I mean actually owning them and playing them for yourself is hard on the wallet. In this economy you'll take what you can get when you can get it. This holiday season is no exception to the rule, so let's take a look at a few games that are not only recent, but have come down considerably in price to fit your budget, and possibly give you a happy new year to boot.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Collection - $39.99

Although Lords of Shadow itself was released in 2010, for a modest $39.99, this great collection set will land you not only the game, but the expansion packs Reverie and Resurrection to go with it, extending your whipping fun quite a bit longer. On top of that, you will get the Nintendo 3DS Mirror of Fate, now in HD for your big screen. From what I've seen so far, MOF has been better accepted on the big screen than what it was on the hand held format. Along with this set is the demo for the upcoming Lords of Shadow 2, which fans are now flipping over.

Silent Hill HD Collection - Currently listed on Amazon for $18.42

What can I say, cheap and good. Two of the greatest Silent Hill games ever created, now in HD format. Who can forget being scared out of your wits by the horrible Pyramid Head and the creepy setting that SH games are known for? You get Silent Hill 2 and 3 for under 20 bucks, both in high resolution this time around. A good deal indeed.

Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes (Pre-Order Only) - $29.99

Who says all gifts have to be physical? It's the thought that counts, and this thought is in the form of already having this anticipated game paid for in full. You're gift this year could be a pre order receipt! The prologue to The Phantom Pain, this is probably one of the cheapest NEW games ever to hit the market with such a low price tag. But you had better hurry, stock keeps running out, and you're not the only one waiting in line for this one.

Silent Hill Downpour - Reduced to $22.10 on Amazon

The horror action is back again, and this time using the Unreal 3 based engine, Downpour delivers once again a horror experience that just may make you lose your lunch. DP somewhat takes after SH2 in that it is a stand alone game, but has pretty much all the elements you've come to know and love from past titles, and for just over 20 dollars, is sure not to break the bank this holiday season.


That about wraps it up, but there are many other titles of interest I could post about here, and I wish I had the time to do so. One other good thing you could give, is an Xbox Live card or Playstation Network card as there are some really good deals you can purchase with the points on them. Simply check one of the links on the right side of this blog as a good starting point. You will find many games ranging from $19.99 to as little as only $5. A great way to save money to end the year.

A Castlevania fan shows what Alucard would look like on the cover of a live action movie of Mirror of Fate and Lords of Shadow 2

Even though there is a "made for Internet" Castlevania movie floating around on YouTube, it still left some gaps in the story line. Not that I'm bashing it one bit, as it was great for the budget and time constraints. But what about the story line behind the famous character Alucard? His is a story that started way back in the days of Castlevania 3, Dracula's Curse. One of the best NES based titles of all time. Since then his story in Symphony of the Night only raised his popularity to even new heights. So what about a movie involving him, and only him? In Lords of Shadow 2 he makes a worthwhile appearance, but the main spotlight in LOS is shining on Gabriel Belmont most of the time.

One person on Twitter took the time to make a cover of what Alucard would appear like if he were to have his own live action movie. For that I say thank you for another fine piece of work Nero Howl. This cover was done as if there were a live action of Mirror of Fate and Lords of Shadow 2. Who knows, maybe Hollywood might actually see LOS for the great story line that it is and give it a shot a the big screen. Here is hoping, if not dreaming. Thanks Nero!

Nero Howl ‏@Nero_Howl

@CastlevaniaLOS An edition i made,if Alucard were in a Live Action movie of Mirror of Fate/LoS2 pic.twitter.com/UNNBZId54W

A video for Castlevania: Mirror of Fate in HD shows just about everything you need to know with well over an hour play time

From practically start to finish, this video uploaded a couple of weeks ago by jeppode shows Castlevania: Mirror of Fate in all of its HD glory. It lasts well over an hour of play time, and for those of you who might still be pondering if you should get the HD version of MOF, this should give you the insight you need. Resolution is 720p, so make sure you have a fast connection, or you can just use a YouTube downloader program to fetch it to your hard drive.

The Castlevania Collection that surfaced a few days ago on both Xbox360 and PS3 has been getting some pretty decent reviews, but there are those who don't see a need to get it if they already happen to have Mirror of Fate on 3DS. Still, for some, having it on the PC or game console in HD format while being able to play it on a much bigger screen is pleasing and handy to have. Amazon currently has it listed for both PS3 and 360 versions for $39.96 with FREE Shipping. Not a bad deal, and along comes the demo for Lords of Shadow 2.

The Castlevania Lords of Shadow Collection lands in store today, and you can't wait to play that awesome demo

For those who are playing Lords of Shadow for the first time, a game that launched back in 2010, you're likely stepping into the series for the first time in years. For those who have already played it, your likely purchasing it for either the expansion packs, the HD version of Mirror of Fate, or both. In either case, along with your new found Castlevania collection set, you're also getting a chance to play the demo for Lords of Shadow 2. The collection releases today in stores in both North and South America. Listed retail price, a modest $40. Not bad considering what comes with it. Let's take another look shall we?
 

• Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Both Reverie and Resurrection packs, and all other available downloaded content. 

• Castlevania: Mirror of Fate HD - The HD version of this Nintendo 3DS game, now on the big screen.

• Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 demo - The video below gives a run down of what's in store

Both Xbox 360 and PS3 now have it, along with a PC release, and digital download release. Mirror of Fate could possibly make it to the PC, according to Dave Cox, but for those of you waiting on a Lords of Shadow 2 release on PC, your day is coming as well. LOS2 release in February of next year. Cheers.

Amazon cuts its price for Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Ultimate Edition digital download to half of what it was before

It had just been released recently, and already the digital download for Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Ultimate Edition has been cut in half at Amazon now. If you were waiting for a significant price drop in the new re-release of this mega hit, then may this post find you, and find you well. What once was $29.99, is now only a small $14.99. For getting Lords of Shadow, plus all of the downloadable content packs, which include the Reverie, and Resurrection add on expansions, not to mention the HD version of Mirror of Fate, AND the demo to Lords of Shadow 2, what more could any Castlevania fan want?

Your purchase is secure too, as after you buy this download, should anything happen to your copy of it, such as a hard drive crash or whatever, then you can still download it again from Amazon's official game library. It's nice to see our money being backed up, even by those who don't practice backing up. If that makes any sense. If you're still wondering if you should add this Castlevania hit to your already Dracula fortified arsenal, this is as likely as good as it's going to get. With the holidays approaching, this could make a splendid and "cheap on your wallet" gift this year. You just can't put it under your tree, just in your computer since it's a digital download.

Below is 40 minutes of footage to give you some insight in the new compilation release.

Now the world will see how well Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate plays and looks in HD on the big screen

Today is the day Castlevania game fans. This is the first time in the history of the series that a handheld version has landed on the big screen. Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate was actually originally done in HD to start with, so it did have the intention of being a future prospect for a console based release. Xbox Live Arcade is where you can land this puppy for a modest price of $14.99. In addition to this, you can also have access to an exclusive demo of the upcoming Lords of Shadow 2. Let the game play video footage come pouring in, as I know it will soon.

Just in time for Halloween, even though it's actually a few days earlier than Konami had previously planned. Perhaps we can use some Silent Hill music to go with our Halloween experience. Ah yes, that's just around the corner too. 

Dave Cox tweeted that they are looking into bringing Castlevania: Mirror of Fate onto PC sometime in the future

With Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate in HD lurking around the corner and ready to land on Xbox Live Arcade this Friday, what about bringing it to PC? Since Lords of Shadow landed on PC earlier this year, one fan asked about the possibility of brining MOF to the PC format as well. Dave Cox responded as always, giving a thumbs up for bringing the new HD title to PC soon.

 Rafly Seven Sinners ‏@Devilbelmont 12h

@CastlevaniaLOS will MOF HD release on PC at 25th oct ?? Please reply...

Dave Cox ‏@CastlevaniaLOS

@Devilbelmont - No. We are looking into bringing the game to PC at some point though

Mirror of Fate is considered to be an "in between" story line plot in the middle of Lords of Shadow and Lords of Shadow 2. The PC has already landed on PC by way of Steam at the end of August, and with the Castlevania collection fixing to launch, some are wondering about a PC launch as well. It looks like we might see that as a reality according to Cox. The more the merrier. 

Castlevania game Mirror of Fate in HD will land on Xbox Live Arcade a few days earlier than originally planned

It's never too early for the whipping action of Castlevania games, as the HD edition of Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate will be landing on Xbox Live Arcade this Friday. This is an earlier time frame than the originally thought of Halloween date Konami had planned before. Towards the beginning of this year, when Mirror of Fate was launched on the Nintendo 3DS, sales were not all that great for the rather 2.5 3D platformer title. Even modeling after elements from Lords of Shadow for the Xbox 360 and PS3, Mirror of Fate came up short on the expectations set for it.

It's believed that it will be somewhat more appealing this time around being on the big screen. MOF was originally programmed in HD to start with, but was downsized in that regard to work on the 3DS. Perhaps it was by design that they wanted it to be apart of your TV screen since the beginning. However, if you can stand to wait a few more days past Halloween, on November 5th MOF will also be included with the Lords of Shadow Collection, along with a demo for LOS2. Either way, it'll be interesting to see how well received Mirror of Fate will be on the big screen.