Philadelphia Daily News Plugged In column: Some hot new games for older systems.

Byline: Jonathan Takiff

Dec. 13--YOU MAY HAVE to jump through fire or fight off rivals to claim a Nintendo Wii or (harder still) a Sony PlayStation 3 at a retail outlet this season. But there's still good news for gift buyers looking to satisfy a video gamer. Many of the most compelling and highly rated new titles this season are designed for the established console and portable systems that your recipient already has in his or her hot little hands. PRIMED FOR PLAYSTATION 2: Gorgeous Japanese-style artwork and equally refined gameplay fuse in the amazing fairy tale "Okami" (Capcom), upstaging graphics of even the best new-gen games.

Strap on the Fender-like controller and rock till you drop on "Guitar Hero II" (Red Octane). While great for soloing, this music-'n'-rhythm game cranks to 11 in the harmonic multiplayer (i.e., "band") mode.

Forget those misplaced fears about "Bully" (Rockstar Games)encouraging …