Anyway, on with the show.
Best PlayStation 2 Game of 2006
5. Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence [7.6%]
4. Canis Canem Edit [8.3%]
3. Shadow of the Colossus [11.0%]
2. Kingdom Hearts II [11.7%]
1. Guitar Hero II [18.6%]
For those who voted for RedOctane's plastic axe-wielding gem, we salute you. Yup - in 2006, you lot couldn't get enough of Guitar Hero II - a decision that both we and our poor crippled fingers can certainly relate to. Lower down the top five, things were a tad tighter for the runner-up spot, with under one per cent dividing Kingdom Hearts II and Shadow of the Colossus in second and third respectively. And controversy or not, there's no doubt about one thing when it comes to Canis Canem Edit - it's one damn fine title.
Chris on Guitar Hero II: "Guitar Hero II is pretty much everything you could hope it to be. It keeps everything that made the first game good, and then improves on just about everything else. The soundtrack this time around is somewhat aimed more towards the hardcore player - not only in terms of the choice of tracks, but also in the more complicated style of play they produce compared to the more laid-back vibe of the original’s tracks.
But the game doesn’t suffer as a result, and what you have here is a selection of more interesting songs to play through. With more content in every area, a vastly improved multiplayer and an expert difficulty setting that’ll challenge you for months, Guitar Hero II is every bit the essential purchase the first game was."
Best Nintendo DS Game of 2006
5. Children of Mana [3.6%]
4. Prof. Kawashima's Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain? [5.8%]
3. Yoshi's Island DS [8.7%]
2. Metroid Prime Hunters [9.4%]
1. New Super Mario Bros. [34.0%]
Much like Giant Mario stomping his way through Goombas and Koopas, New Super Mario Bros. convincingly trampled the competition underfoot in this year's Nintendo DS category. It's barely surprising, given the bankability of Mario and the undoubted quality of his latest 2D platformer, though Metroid Prime Hunters (a game we awarded a cautious seven to) in second place may raise a few eyebrows. Late-2006 arrival Children of Mana squeezed into the top five thanks to a late surge in votes.
Matt on New Super Mario Bros.: "It’s not easy to put a final score on New Super Mario Bros. – while the game kicks the crap out of everything else currently available on both current generation handheld systems, it’s over a little too quickly. Some might argue that the game doesn’t have many innovative features, but in reality, all one really needs is a fun game, and fun is something that New Super Mario Bros. has truckloads of."
Best PSP Game of 2006
5. Killzone: Liberation [4.8%]
4. Daxter [6.3%]
3. Tekken Dark Resurrection [7.1%]
2. LocoRoco [11.1%]
1. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories [28.6%]
A convincing triumph for Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, which follows on from where predecessor Liberty City Stories left off in 2005 by scoring top spot in the PSP category for 2006. Positions two, three and four are all top-notch titles as well, but Killzone: Liberation in FIFTH place? Ahead of Tales of Eternia, OutRun and Gitaroo Man? Madness, we tell you.
Luke on Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories: "Vice City Stories is simply a superb title. The game is not without its faults, but they are quickly overshadowed by the sheer enjoyment you will get out of the game. Rockstar has learnt a lot in a year, and Vice City Stories is one of the most enjoyable titles on the PSP yet.
If you're a Grand Theft Auto fan, or own a PSP, then there should be no hesitation in picking this game up. It's a step up from Vice City and little enhancements have made the game a thoroughly enjoyable and essential portable experience."
Best Xbox 360 Game of 2006
5. Saints Row [2.0%]
4. Dead Rising [2.6%]
3. Viva Piñata [3.3%]
2. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion [11.2%]
1. Gears of War [67.3%]
The prettiest game of the year was never going to have too much trouble taking home the top gong in the Xbox 360 category, though of course Gears of War is far more than just an exceedingly pretty face. Its single player campaign is short, but majestic, while on Xbox Live the game has seen unprecedented levels of success and popularity. Oblivion was a well-beaten second, but was another title to stretch technical boundaries, with outstanding results. The joyous Viva Piñata deservedly made the podium, while two more sandbox titles - Saints Row and Dead Rising - rounded things off.
Chris-Leigh on Gears of War: "What Epic has created here is a gorgeous, Hollywood blockbuster of a game, a title packed with soaring production values and a style of combat that manages to be highly engaging, despite its ultimately repetitive nature.
True, it's some way from being original, and it features a cast and a setting that's almost as old as the science-fiction genre itself. But to whimper about such things as innovation would be rather missing the point; that for your hundred dollars or fifty quid, you're buying in to (at least) ten to twelve solid hours of supremely entertaining gaming. This is a formidable title - miss it at your peril."
Best Wii Game of 2006
5. Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz [1.9%]
4. Red Steel [3.1%]
3. Rayman Raving Rabbids [3.7%]
2. Wii Sports [8.0%]
1. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess [82.0%]
"Duh", frankly. As expected by every sane-minded individual under the sun, Zelda took home the Wii rosette by the most crushing of margins. The distance between Link's game and runner-up Wii Sports is a pretty emphatic testament to Twilight Princess's quality, yet could also be viewed as evidence that, beyond Zelda and Sports, there's not exactly an avalanche of top-notch titles available to Wii owners. Still, it's early days, and Twilight Princess was flippin' ace, providing as it did a forty- to fifty-hour ride of non-stop adventuring and entertainment. Lacking the barren patches that plagued Wind Waker (the sailing - ugh), it was a game that wisely drew on the best the Zelda franchise has to offer, yet was just as spectacular when doing things its own way.
Chris on The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess: "Twilight Princess is a game we could praise all day if we so wished - there are still plenty of good things worth mentioning that we haven’t touched on yet. Although still not a hard game by any means, the general increase in difficulty over Wind Waker is highly welcome, as is the ability to warp to a large variety of places on the Hyrule map. The side-quests are a joy to play, and the fishing especially is impressively deep this time around, with a giant lake to while the hours away in.
And then there’s the sheer length of the game: around 60 hours to do everything. Veteran Zelda players should finish the quest around the 30 - 40 hour mark, though realistically you’re looking at a lot longer for newcomers. With its genuinely interesting story, superb control scheme and near-faultless game design, Twilight Princess is one of the best games ever made and is as essential as a game can possibly be."
Best PC Game of 2006
5. Neverwinter Nights 2 [5.1%]
4. Half-Life 2: Episode One [5.8%]
3. Battlefield 2142 [11.6%]
2. Company of Heroes [12.3%]
1. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion [24.6%]
Oblivion's brains may have succumbed to the brawn of Gears in the Xbox 360 category, but on the PC it fairly romped to victory. The excellent Company of Heroes - one of only three games in 2006 to score a 9.5 from this site - finished in second, and was closely followed by Battlefield 2142. Equally marginal was the battle for fourth spot, with Half-Life 2: Episode One edging out Neverwinter Nights 2. Oh, and to the numerous nuggets who voted for it: no, the original World of Warcraft isn't a 2006 title. Gawd.
Brendan on The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion: "On the whole Oblivion is excellent. Really excellent, actually, and arguably the strongest contender for game of the year yet. It’s possibly the most accessible RPG ever made, with a limitless scope for character creation and the fantastic ‘do what you want, when you want’ gameplay. It’s also really freakin’ huge, with a massive world to explore, a great central plotline and an endless number of side-quests to conquer – it’s completely pointless to try and put an hourly figure on it.
The flaws – frame rate issues, loading times, a somewhat empty world and a subjective world leveling system – are really miniscule in comparison to the magnificent journey the game offers. Everyone with a capable PC should already own a copy of this most excellent game – if you don’t, ring up work and ask for a month off, then rush down to your closest store and grab it right now. Oblivion – it’s here, it’s brilliant, and it will take over your life."
Overall Game of 2006
5. Kingdom Hearts II [2.9%]
4. Guitar Hero II [4.6%]
3. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion [12.1%]
2. Gears of War [19.5%]
1. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess [32.2%]
The biggie, and would you look at that - Zelda and Gears occupying spots one and two. Perhaps that's not terribly surprising given the same result can be seen on many other Game of the Year lists at the moment, but you know, it's always nice to have it confirmed. Again. Oblivion snatches the bronze medal, and we can only applaud you all for pushing Guitar Hero II into a lofty fourth place. Oh, and commiserations must go out to Shadow of the Colossus, your sixth best game of 2006, which was beaten in a photo finish for fifth by Kingdom Hearts II.
Most Anticipated Game of 2007
5. Crysis [2.9%]
4. Metal Gear Solid 4 [4.1%]
3. Super Mario Galaxy [7.0%]
2. Super Smash Bros. Brawl [7.6%]
1. Halo 3 [21.0%]
The first next-gen Mario? New Snake shenanigans? Rockstar's latest GTA offering? Forget all those for now - in 2007, Master Chief is where it's at for more than a fifth of our readers. Halo 3 simply waltzed away with the title of 2007's Most Anticipated Game, registering nearly treble the number of votes that pushed Super Smash Bros. Brawl into second place. Another Nintendo institution sits in third spot in the shape of Super Mario Galaxy, whilst Grandpa Snake appears at fourth spot. However, perhaps one of the most notable things about this list is the omission of Grand Theft Auto IV - it seems the lack of information and media on Rockstar's latest opus may have backfired in this case. All the same, it'll probably sell a couple of hundred or so.
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And that, as they say, is that. All that's left to do is to remind you to keep your eyes peeled for the staff's picks in the coming days. Tune in then, and thanks again for all your votes!
I want as much of it as possible to be new to me.
Just for the record...you really shouldn't be voting for a game unless you've played it imo. It really does f@#k with the results!
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