GamerNode is proud to present to you, the reader, our compilation of the Best of 2006. Accolades in the following categories were decided through consultations between members of the GamerNode staff. Read on, and see if your favorites made our list of the Best of 2006…
Best PC Game:
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Best Xbox 360 Game:
Gears of War
Best PS3 Game:
Resistance: Fall of Man
Best Wii Game:
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Best PS2 Game:
Okami
Okami is a game that should win plenty of awards on its artistic merits alone. It is one of the most unique and incredible looking games ever made. But beyond that, the game’s Celestial Brush is an extremely simple gameplay feature that manages to drastically change the game’s mechanics for the better. No comparison can really be drawn with Okami, as it’s truly a unique experience that can’t be had anywhere else.
HM: Bully
Best GameCube Game:
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Best PSP Game:
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
The sequel to MGS 3: Snake Eater presents a solid story, thrilling gameplay, and plenty of PSP innovations never seen in concert in any preceding PSP game. Portable Ops is well-balanced, and Konami crafted a game that is pure PSP–perfect for on-the-go gunning.
HM: Daxter
Best DS Game:
New Super Mario Bros.
The Mario Brothers have come a long way, from single screen versus-action, to 2D side-scrolling goodness, all the way to a three-dimensional gaming utopia. New Super Mario Bros manages to take the entire evolutionary history of the Super Mario franchise and meld it into a fun, fresh, 2 1/2-D platformer with precision control and utterly satisfying gameplay (with a healthy dose of nostalgia in the mix). Add to this a selection of mini-games for quick, bite-sized action and you end up with a complete, portable Mario package.
HM: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
Best Shooter:
Gears of War
Not since Halo has a shooter sent a surge of excitement through gamers like Gears of War. While Gears falls short of genre-changing innovation, what makes the game remarkable is how finely crafted the experience is. The cover, reload, and health management systems are just the most prominent on the laundry list of wonderful ways in which Gears reinvents the shooter. The tremendous single-player campaign is enhanced by a robust co-op and multiplayer, both of which add replay value that ensures we’ll be playing Gears of War for the entire lifespan of the 360.
HM: Resistance: Fall of Man
Best Sports Game:
Wii Sports
Until now, no sports game has involved the gamer in the same capacity as Wii Sports does. Innovative 1:1 motion detection all but puts the player directly into the game. In five different sports, we have been invited to swing, roll, hit and throw with unprecedented responsiveness, witnessing a level of perceived achievement formerly reserved only for real-world sports participants. Wii Sports could be, and has been, described as a glorified tech demo, showcasing the Wii remote. However, what it really amounts to is the seed of gaming revolution.
HM: GTR 2
