5. Lumines 2 (PSP)

Although it’s essentially a sequel with additions, Lumines 2 provided me with hours of portable amazement. The vibrant skins and furiously addictive gaming deemed this title worthy of number 5. You can check out my review of Lumines 2 here.

4. The Legend Of Zelda : Twilight Princess (Wii)

Another year, another Zelda game. I’m not the only sucker to the series out there. Twilight Princess introduced unique elements that contributed to both story and gameplay, making another Zelda story seem fresh again. The Wii version specifically stood out, introducing a new control element to give the series even more life. Why fix something that isn’t broken?

3. Viva Pinata (XBOX 360)

A wonderful combination of simulation, atmosphere, creatures, and� gardening. The world of Viva Pinata is colourful, fun, interesting, and shouldn’t be missed. Simulation games often need their own sense of atmosphere, their own world for you to immerse yourself in, which is abundant in Viva Pinata.

2. Gears Of War (XBOX 360)

Action, action and more action. Not only did Gears Of War pack a punch, it boasted some great characters and is one of the most visually advanced XBOX 360 games to date. It certainly got enough publicity to boost itself up the sales charts. It’s now a reason for a lot of people to purchase a 360. The co-op and multiplayer modes are the main features.

1. Okami (PS2)

My reason for choosing Okami as game of the year, is due to sheer creativity. Okami is a visual delight, hindered only by the now apparently dated technology of the PS2 (Tekken 5, anyone?). The white wolf has some great abilities, mainly the tail brush, adding something beyond your standard 3rd person action/adventure. Okami is the last game we’ll see from Clover Studios (now a subsidiary of Capcom), and is certainly a worthy farewell.

Honorable mentions:

Dead Rising (XBOX 360)
Zombies! So many zombies!

LocoRoco (PSP)
Literally fun for the whole family. Most can’t resist the warm fuzzy feelings derived from rolling that little smiley guy down hills. This didn’t make the list due to it being a bit short and unrewarding once complete.

5. Halo 3 (XBOX 360)

With the amount of hype Halo 3 is getting, it�s hard not to get involved whether you’re a fan or not. Halo 1 and 2 completely dominated the XBOX, and Halo 3 will be the reason for many 360 console sales past and future. Hopefully it won’t suffer from the over-hype Halo 2 received. It’s getting to the point where it’ll end up being excellent, but won’t impress to a level the hype is presuming.

4. Spore (PC)

Spore is coming to us straight from the brain of Will Wright (Sim City, The Sims), master of simulation. Featuring a seemingly unlimited array of lifeforms to manipulate, hopefully Spore will re-invent simulation into something we’ve never seen before.

3. Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)

Pure party action. Nothing says a gaming party like Smash Bros. This’ll be the 3rd episode in the series, following on from the N64 and Gamecube counterparts. Not only is this another episode in a fantastic series, but it’ll also be interesting to see how the Wii controller is implemented.

2. World Of Warcraft : Burning Crusade (PC)

Whether you play it or not, this will be HUGE for gaming. The World of Warcraft has already sucked in 7 million players around the world. With the upcoming expansion, this will change the life of many addictions, or enhance a passing hobby for others.

1. Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3)

With all the flak the PS3 has been receiving, hopefully MGS 4 will make it all worthwhile. Considering the quality of the series to date, I think we can be sure of this. Known for being a movie as much as a game, the MGS series continues to blend a perfect story and sneaking action.

Honorable mentions:

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Wii) - Samus is back, but this may just be more of the same under a new control system.

Super Mario Galaxy (Wii) - Nothing says video games like the Italian in the red hat. Never failing to impress, this’ll surely be a revolution.

Supreme Commander (PC) - This RTS is looking impressive indeed. Coming from Chris Taylor (Total Annihilation), this title will have a few nifty features such as dual-monitor support.