It’s that time of year again, when wishful lists are dutifully drafted before being checked and rechecked. That’s Santa’s job, you might argue, but I can’t leave anything to chance. Not in a household where, years ago, my wife quit frowning at the litany of digital bauble that dotted my list and began using common sense to appeal to my better nature. Did we really need a fifth 360 when a new dishwasher was demanding its way in? So, I stared down at my sweet little angels (my little boy Colin and daughter Aria) and realized quite quickly that these wee elves might be able to cobble the game carts I desire.

“Hey, I have no idea why Aria squeezed New Vegas in between The Littlest Pet Shop and Princess and the Frog discs, but look at that sweet little face. Do you really want to say no to that?”

That leads me to the safest domain on Earth, the Internet (or wait, is it a “wretched hive of scum and villainy”? I get them confused). Anyway, here I can ramble on with my Wish List in the hopes that somewhere out there, Kris Kringle will steer his peepers away from UpTreeSkirt.com to take a gander at my wish list and slot me over in that coveted “Nice” column. As I own a 360 and a Wii, and game primarily on those two systems, I am going to pick two titles per system.

In the Comments below, let me know if my choices mirror yours; or even better, tell me what rates high atop your list in the hopes that it finds its way beneath your tree.

All I Want for Christmas 2010 – Xbox 360

2. Enslaved: Odyssey to the West

Mike has already reviewed this on the site and gave it high marks. Even before he posted his thoughts, this one had my attention based on its pedigree. After all, this is from Ninja Theory, the developers behind the PS3-exclusive Heavenly Sword. While that game stumbled a bit with its pre-scripted combat, its cinematic eye caught mine.

With so many game developers aiming to ape Hollywood, Ninja Theory has taken the right track by drafting a gorilla of their own, bringing in King Kong himself, Andy Serkis, to provide motion-capture and help share the narrative flow in their games. For Enslaved they also drafted Alex Garland, the screenwriter behind 28 Days Later and the unfilmed Halo flick.

And that’s what I’m looking for in this game. I’m a sucker for third-person exploration games but grow weary of simple “go here because I said so” story beats. The word on this title is that the narrative hooks you and spins a great yarn. Stoke up that fire, ‘cause they got my ass in a seat.