What a player would have received for Christmas in 2007

According to People Magazine, one of the top gifts for children ages 9-12 in 2007 was the Hannah Montana DVD Board Game. It includes clips from the show, tons of trivia, and tons of other extras that any fan of the Disney Channel sensation would love.

But as much as I loved singing “Best of Both Worlds” in the bathroom mirror as a not-quite-dressed toddler, I had other plans for Christmas that year. As a player, I had to finish the fight, explore an underwater dystopia, venture into the outer reaches of space, and put an end to an evil terrorist plot, all from the comfort of my living room. What a Christmas it was.

Finish the fight in Halo 3

The Xbox 360 started to take off in late 2007. Gone were the tough early years when all you had to play was Gears of War and Viva Pinata, and in their place was one of many games that would come to define the generation. Halo 3 was finally here.

My older brother was very normal and developed a habit of snapping game discs we owned after filling them so no one else could. Yes, even at Christmas.

I grew up in a Halo house where evenings were spent in death matches with siblings as we battled for supremacy over Blood Gulch. The story of Master Chief defending humanity from the Federation was a defining sci-fi story from my childhood, and seeing it come to a heroic end over the Christmas season was a memory I'll never forget.

Even today, if you want a cheeky co-op session while the turkey cooks, dig out the Xbox and throw on the Master Chief Collection for a hot minute. Heck, why not engage Nan to see if she's any good with the battle rifle. I would, but my nan is dead.

Admire Wet T-Shirt Physics In Uncharted: Drake's Fortune

On the other end of the console spectrum was the PlayStation Triple Ballin' which launched in Europe for the first time in March 2007. But given the asking price, most of us probably didn't pick one up until Christmas at the earliest. Don't worry though, there were bugs all to play on it.

But even though it was thin on the ground when it came to exclusives, the PS3 came with a cheap and cheerful Blu-ray player and was perfect for showing your friends and family a bunch of beautiful games that played like crap. Enter Uncharted: Drake's Fortune from Naughty Dog, a wonderful yet nasty fun in the sun that would define narrative blockbusters for years to come.

Other PS3 exclusives from the era included Warhawk, Genji 2 and Heavenly Sword. I was hard done as a PlayStation kid and still think getting Lair under the tree one year was a form of parental neglect.

I'll never forget hurling obscenities at the jet ski section or trying to figure out the gunplay that felt like Gears of War smeared with Vaseline. What I remember most though is the physics you saw when Nathan Drake took a dip in the wet. Clothes would stick to him just like in real life, while gradually drying out before your eyes.

Take blurry photos with the very first iPhone

Now it's time for something completely different. 2007 was a transition year for much of the technology we used as HD screens became more common and smartphones began to trickle into the market. The first iPhone was a paradigm shift, even though in 2024 it's a laughably outdated phone that's only slightly better than a PDA you'd ask your dad to buy from the Scholastic Book Fair.

All kidding aside, it was fascinating to see how quickly things progressed as a teenager back then, and how the games I played and the machines I played them on changed every day.

Flirt With Cute Blue Aliens In Mass Effect

Opening my copy of Mass Effect on Christmas morning will be etched in my memory forever. Mostly because the version my parents had bought wasn't the official retail version, but this damn Chinese bootleg with fake cover art and some bizarre screenshots on the back that were definitely not legit. The game worked, though, and before I knew it I was throwing tons of cheevos as Commander Shepard instead of spending time with my family.

Christmas is always a weird Christmas for me when it comes to video games, because the kind of things I like to play are narrative experiences where input from your mom about why their kid is flirting with a cute blue alien isn't welcome. I'd rather do that in my room.

Quickscope Your Nan In Call Of Duty 4

There were so many great games in 2007 that I'm having trouble listing them all here, but I don't think you can get away without mentioning Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. That was it the game of the year, and one that would change the way shooters would work forever.

Here are some honorable mentions for the year because I don't want this piece to go on forever: BioShock, The Orange Box, Guitar Hero 3, God of War 2, Assassin's Creed, Crackdown. The list goes on…

On Christmas Eve, hours before my family would get irresponsibly drunk and forget there were tons of kids to take care of, I remember being blown away by nuclear weapons going off in Shock and Awe. Speaking of punches, my older siblings weren't afraid to pull some out at regular family functions. I'm revealing way too much about my dysfunctional childhood here, but they'll never read any of this so I'm clear.

When I played deathmatch against some of my siblings they complained that “as soon as Jade sees me she shoots and kills me” like that's not the point of the game. Dexterity problem…

Playing Super Mario Galaxy

I wish I had a funny and/or crazy anecdote about this one, but I don't, it's just a magical little masterpiece of a platformer perfect for a festive play session.