Yeah, I know I'm launching this one a tad early this year, but what the hey; 2007's gonna be over before we know it, and with very few must-have titles left in the release queue, I think we're good to go.   Yep, it's time for our annual 'Best Of' video games awards!  Like past years before, there's no set category, but I myself am going to go with a top five model, along with an honorable mentions listing.  You are, of course, free to add in your own categories as you see fit, but just to get things rolling:

-TOP GAMES OF 2007

-BEST GAMES YOU'VE PLAYED THIS YEAR RELEASED BEFORE 2007

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Will be back with my own entries in a bit!

My top games of 2007:

#1) Super Mario Galaxy (Wii) - My favorite Wii and Mario game to date.

#2) Metroid Prime 3 Corruption (Wii) - A great continuation of the MP franchise with excellent Wiimote controls and very satisfying gameplay.

#3) Picross DS (NDS) - So. Damn. Addictive.

Honorable mentions (remakes):

Dracula X Chronicles (PSP) -  A solid remake, with the original DX and SOTN as unlockables. Great OST, too.

Silent Hill Origins (PSP) - Haven't finished it yet, but I will. It's not bad at all, and the music so far is great.

Tomb Raider Anniversary (PS2) - Very fun, but frustrating. Very much worth a playthrough, but probably isn't worth keeping.

Best games pre-2007 that I've played this year:

(Edit - took out Daxter. The last two hours of this game were almost painful.)

Eternal Darkness (GCN) - Yep. Three consecutive playthroughs only reinforced the fact that this is my favorite action/horror game ever.

Tomb Raider Legend (PS2) - I played this on the 360, but preferred the PS2 version due to its brighter colors and easlier-to-see lighting. A totally amazing game, even though it's only about 7 hours long.

Viewtiful Joe 2 (GCN) - Not as consistent as VJ and suffers from some deja vu, but it was still excellent.

I'm sure I forgot something, but this will have to do for now.

Top Games of 2007:
1.  Super Mario Galaxy - I haven't had this much fun playing with my wife in a long time.
2.  Tie between LoZ: Twilight Princess and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. - They were both great games, but MP3 was too short

Biggest Dissappointments (in no particular order)

Odin Sphere - I absolutely loved this game through Gwendolyn's story, and then it just became the same thing over and over again.  Maybe I'll go back and finish it someday

Super Paper Mario - The only previews I saw were the ones of actual platforming, so naturally I was excited.  Too much text and time in between platforming made this one a fail for me.

Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of Lions - The game itself is wonderful, except for the absolutely horrendous slowdowns when casting a spell or performing an action.  Anyone who's played the game before knew how long battles could take.  Well, you've just added about 5-10 minutes per battle.  Thanks alot Square. >:(

The wife's favourites
1.  Super Mario Galaxy - she was the best 2p a man could ask for.
2.  Wii Sports
3.  Excite Trucks (believe it or not)

And, I finished Final Fantasy XII, and Mario's Picross for the Gameboy this year.  Other than the games on the list, I can't really remember what I played through (darn school!).

Super Mario Galaxy.

That's all.

Yeah. Seconded, totally. This game was awful.

Sorry. Nothing came even close to impressing me nearly as much as Bioshock did.

I'm currently playing this and having fun but there is a certain, somewhat small amount of frustration that comes along with it like you say.

Wild Arms 5 - disappointment
I liked this one when I started but 40 hrs later I grew pretty weary and refused to finish it when some balance issues became apparent in the battles near the end. The fact the main character wasn't one of characters I personally connected with was a blow just like WA4 and WA3. I wanted to strangle the last character you got for being an unoriginal, cocky piece of trash with terrible accuracy and a shit eating grin. Dungeon design was again terribly weak and not even the WA1 and tons of WA2 references could save it. I stuck around for 10 years (got two great games out of 1&2) which is long enough, I don't plan to follow the series any longer because I don't plan on getting a new console or handheld.

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Glad to see I wasn't the only one.  Not that I've played through the first one....

The best game I played that was released in 2007 was probably Bioshock on the PC.  The best pre-2007 game I played was either Disgaea 2 (PS2) or Ys ~ The Oath in Felghana (PC).

A game that I really liked that had almost no positive press was Warriors Orochi (PS2).  IMO, it is the best DW-style game for 2P gameplay.  The tag-team action makes it feel more balanced, and the fact that levels go up to 99 and Hard mode is actually hard gives it lots of replay value.

TOP FIVE GAMES OF 2007:

5) Parodius Portable (PSP) - For years I'd been hoping that the Parodius titles would hit portable systems in some fashion or another. My long-standing patience was rewarded early this year when Konami graciously bestowed us with a compilation of all five Parodius shooters, and they are, for all intents and purposes, perfect ports. Along with a new remake of the MSX original, screen ratio options to best suit one's playing preference, and speedy load times, this is about as fine a collection as one could want. The only downer was that console-exclusive extras, like Upa, Goemon and Kid Dracula, as well as Revival/Manual mode didn't make it in. That, and there were sporadic changes to some of the music. (I miss Garland's "In The Mood" most of all.) But when all is said and told, this to me is still the PSP's very best title, and another happenstance that fills yet another chunk of my wishful gaming life: to have all of my favorite classic games readily available in portable format.

4) Phoenix Wright: Trials And Tribulations (DS) - It's been a wonderful two years experiencing the adventures of Phoenix Wright. To be honest, I thought the series wouldn't see a chance in hell for us to receive Gyakuten Saiban 3 in English, but I'm glad I was proven wrong. It was well worth the wait, because this is, to many as well as myself, the best of the three games. Trials And Tribulations is bursting at the seams with strong characters, intriguing cases, terrific music, and consistently clever writing. Every major character from the trilogy plays key roles here, especially in the final case, and the interaction between one another portrays a surprisingly natural ebb and flow within the game's world. Like the first game's DL-6 incident, the overarching story is a presence throughout, and the trilogy's focal story threads flow into a dramatic tapestry that will leave you stunned and genuinely satisfied by the time it's all over. Although the fourth one is on the way, it's sad that this is the last of the "Phoenix" titles. It'll be strange that this will be the last time we'll get to visit the ol' Wright Office, looking out the window at the ever-popular Gatewater Hotel, checking out what poster is currently hanging on that wall, and seeing how Charley the plant is making out. Thanks for the great times, Phoenix - you sure went out with a bang with this one.

3) Contra 4 (DS) - C4 took me by surprise with the announcement that it was 1) Going to be a true, back-to-roots Contra, and 2) That it was being farmed out to American developer WayForward. Like everyone else, I greeted the news with equal excitement and trepidation. "Were we really going to see an actual, honest-to-goodness sequel to one of my most favorite video game series of all time?" And then the next question immediately popped up: "How bad is WayForward going to f--- this up?" The answers: Yes, and not one iota. The shift back to true run 'n gun is something sorely missed, and here it's done right on so many levels. Both equal homage and boasting its own distinct flavor, WayForward and Konami have successfully managed to nail everything that makes Contra so classic; detailed graphics, spot-on controls, action-packed levels with arcade pacing, and a twitch-based challenge that constantly demands your full attention and reflexes. Add in a killer soundtrack from Jake Kaufman, as well as a hearty helping of bonuses, and you've got a package that's totally worthy of the 20th Anniversary moniker.

2) Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Tamashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2 (DS) - The best games really did come out of nowhere this year. For fans of the first game, this was certainly one of the greatest surprises we could ever hope for. Fresh off of Elite Beat Agents, and coming out just as quickly as it was announced..... that's right, it's the sequel to the BEST GAME ON THE DS, and it's every bit as incredible as its predecessors before it. iNiS crafts yet another masterpiece with a beefier and equally addictive song selection, more hilarious scenarios, and a fleshed-out inclusion of the series' best cumulative features. But it's the flow charts that are undoubtedly the best improvement; newly tweaked hit markers and some ingeniously tight phrase bar patterns provide a wonderfully-challenging learning curve, yet remain indelibly enjoyable to play even when mastered. It's hard to imagine EBA2 ever topping this, but they can try, right? (Translation: "Make it happen, iNiS!")

1) Super Mario Galaxy (Wii) - Though nothing can replace a 2D-based Mario platformer for me, Galaxy comes closer than anything the series has ever attempted before. Not only has it surpassed my expectations of what a great 3D Mario should be, but it's also turned out to be one of the most magical gaming experiences I've ever had. The concept, the dynamics, the graphics and music - everything is polished to a beautifully-glossy sheen, while the game itself managed to stun me with many, many great moments of innovation. Visiting new galaxies is always a new and exciting treat; the bite-sized pick-up-and-play level designs are my most favorite aspect, and to me, are an evolutionary step up from SM64 and Sunshine. I'm also happy that they didn't go completely overboard with Wii-centric controls, and what's there is implemented extremely well. There's no two ways about it - if ever there was a viable reason to own a Wii right now, this is it. Truly the system's (as well as Mario's) finest hour, and ultimately, my 2007 Game of the Year.

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HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Wario Ware Smooth Moves (Wii) - Smooth Moves gets the distinct honor of being my very first Wii game. An adequate entry in the WW series, with design sensibilities more in line with Intelligent Systems than R&D1. For better or for worse, the series now feels like a testing ground for exploring Nintendo's latest system technology, and in the case of Touched and now Smooth Moves, I think they're mostly successful endeavors. Yet, at the same time, the fact they've arrived so soon during the system's lifespan leaves the nagging feeling that perhaps they're not the best that they could be. I had a good time with the game while it lasted, though it doesn't quite have the lasting appeal of the first Wario Ware or Twisted.

Final Fantasy VI Advance (GBA) - I'll admit I was sore-headed about the noticeable slowdown and choppy animation that plagues this port, but it wasn't a make or break deal for me. I knew I was going to be picking up the game no matter what, and enjoying it for what it is: FFVI on a portable. The music is faithfully replicated given the restraints of the GBA format, and the general flow of the game's quest is completely intact. Two things that do bug me, though. First, the new translation; it's Woolsey's script for the most part, but obvious polish was included. It's some of that polish though, more accurate to the original translation it may be, that brought about some unwanted changes. My other problem is with the world map, especially in the World of Ruin. That on-screen map is just too ridiculously tiny and difficult on a portable to see where you're going properly, what with the red indicator blending in so well with the purple-colored water. I wish Square did something along the lines of FFVII, where they filled the entire screen with an enlarged transparent map that could be toggled on and off. Those aside, it was awesome playing through FFVI again, and now I have two of my most favorite Final Fantasies (FFV Advance being the other) on portable.

DJ Max Portable 2 (PSP) - A beefy append to an already beefy series, with scads of new songs, unlockables, and play modes. Import-friendly too, this follow-up is a no-brainer for music-rhythm game fans and serves as one of the few truly excellent original titles for the PSP. Hard as hell, though..... I shudder to think how eight-button mode plays, of which I've yet to even unlock.

Phoenix Wright: Justice For All (DS) - Although decidedly less impressive than both predecessor and sequel, due to a script that isn't quite as sharp and music that's generally regarded as the weakest in the trilogy, Justice For All's cases are still engrossing, and the story further embellishes on the ongoing journeys of these wonderful characters. Like PW1 and PW3, Capcom deserves props for another great GBA to DS port job, once again utilizing the excellent streamlined touchscreen format, quick-text scrolling feature (after finishing the cases, of course), and upgraded music. Plus, JFA's tense and exciting Case Four stands as one of the ubiquitous favorites among fans.

Virtua Tennis 3 (PSP) - A worthy successor to the first VT, it's nice to get my freakishly-competitive game on with a whole new title. You can't go wrong with the tried-and-true formula and the addition of building player stats, and the new mini-games contribute to an already enjoyable game. The AI can go to the deepest depths of hell for their always-perfect lob counters, though.

Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales (DS) - Fables was a tremendously pleasant surprise. What I thought would be something that relied purely on novelty and brand-name recognition turned out to be a robust, jam-packed adventure that's bursting with variety. Light RPG-overworld exploring, DS-centric minigames, and card battle strategy -- having any one of these elements as a standalone likely wouldn't amount to much, but coming together as a complete package, it really does come off as a fun experience. The visual flair and FF-arranged music score are charming, as is the sharp localization of the script. Definitely my sleeper hit of the year, and really, a surprisingly-quality title considering Square-Enix's somewhat clockwork routine of churning out mediocre software nowadays.

Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition (Wii) - Say what you will about Capcom and their ports, but when they choose to bring over and revise one of their greatest masterpieces, throwing in a bunch of nice extras and a control scheme that works in its favor, one can certainly muster forgiveness. I had initial frustrations with the Wii controls, but had gotten the hang of it after a few chapters of play. Now, I just can't ever imagine going back to the standard controller. With a cleaner-looking resolution, even quicker load times, and no disc-swapping, this really is the definitive edition of RE4 to get.

Picross DS (DS) - Only by name did I know of Picross up till now. It's a good thing, too, else I might have been hopelessly hooked for years. Easily the best puzzle game of the year, the ingeniously crafted concept and ease of use make this an instant winner. It's hard not to rely on simply "memorizing" the picture to solve a repeat puzzle every now and again, but your first full run through the game is a wonderful one. Now let's see an expansion cart, Nintendo!

DK: Jungle Climber (DS) - There's something to be said for getting back to gameplay basics. Jungle Climber takes the simple premise and control scheme that its predecessor King of Swing laid down, and manages to create another fully-functional and thoroughly enjoyable title. The shoulder button control scheme of jumping and peg-grabbing hasn’t changed a bit, but the tweaks and tightening of techniques certainly make for nominal improvements. The level designs have gotten even more ambitious, and along with the new dual-screen setup, allows for some creative new ideas for this collect-a-thon title at heart. The only thing I didn't particularly care for at first was the one/two-hit death, as opposed to the life bar in Swing - but I realize this makes the game more challenging in a good way, as you're less prone to get sloppy with your movements.

Sonic Rush Adventure (DS) - With the exception of a fairly slow start, what with the lengthy "adventure" narratives, this has turned out to be every bit as good as any other traditional Sonic title, and certainly improves on a lot of the first Rush's shortcomings. The same gratuitous sense of speed and gameplay is more or less unchanged, but now, with 99% less bottomless pits. Since you'll be falling less, the levels now adopt a more streamlined design so that you'll almost always be able to get to the goal, whether you end up on the bottom screen or the top. This does make the game quite a bit easier than Rush, where the series' basic rule of holding on to at least a few golden coins should get you through the end with relative ease. The island-traveling concept and its mini-games are less of a hindrance than I thought they would be, and they're actually mildly fun diversions to the main game. The game's aesthetics once again get top billing; the graphics are damned good, and it amazes me to see the DS doing visual effects like this. Adventure is certainly one of the finer looking 2D/3D hybrids I've seen in just about any game, while the music I find even better than Naganuma's contribution before. I think folks who couldn't quite connect with the first Sonic Rush may readily accept this one. It's a more structured experience that allows the player to better appreciate the fast, furious, fun.

Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles (PSP) - It's great to finally see Rondo of Blood debut outside of Japan, even coming in two flavors. I must admit I experienced a bit of aftershock from initially experiencing a "new" old-school Castlevania game, but it didn't take me too long to get back into the swing of things. The remake plays about as well as you'd expect a 3D retooling to play, and the level structure is pretty spot on accurate from the original PC Engine version. I'm still just a touch sore with the framerate, with Maverick Hunter X cementing my belief that all current remakes should be running at 60fps. To its credit, though, Drac X boasts some pretty good looking 3D graphics, cutscenes that breathe new life into the overall flow of the game, and a worthwhile musical score arrangement. Maria is just as much fun to play as before, and having Symphony of The Night along for the ride is a nice bonus. Emulation for both the original Rondo and Symphony are more than competent, with the only complaints being a few small hitches with sounds and load time.

Guitar Hero III: Legend of Rock (PS2) - After the limp showcasing that was GH2 (and to a certain extent, Rock The 80s), Neversoft managed to win me back over to the franchise with a far more favorable song selection and better play patterns. I get that same rush playing songs like "Hit Me With Your Best Shot," "Mississippi Queen," and "Welcome To The Jungle" as I did with GH1's "I Love Rock And Roll," "Crossroads," and "Bark At The Moon." The new interface is definitely welcome, with things looking sleeker all around. The venues look great, but the new character modeling really did take an awful hit. I could give or take the new Battle mode, too. On the one hand, there's far and few of them in between - but on the other, what was there drove me insane with bouts of frustration.

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BEST GAMES YOU'VE PLAYED THIS YEAR RELEASED BEFORE 2007:

... Now that I reflect back on it, I don't think there was a single older game I've played this year.  Whoa, I'm all caught up. ^_^

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GAMES THAT DIDN'T MAKE THE CUT (Either because I've yet to pick them up, or I've played much too little of them to really formulate a solid opinion):

After Burner: Black Falcon (PSP)
Assassin's Creed (PS3)
Dance Dance Revolution: Hottest Party (Wii)
Front Mission (DS)
God of War 2 (PS2)
Hotel Dusk (DS)
Mega Man ZX Advent (DS)
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops PLUS (PSP)
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Wii)
NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams (Wii)
Ontamarama (DS)
Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles (Wii)
Rock Band (PS3)
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (DS)
Tomb Raider Anniversary (Wii)
Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure (Wii)

I have one thing to say...oof! I did not like this one the more I played it and I have say, ATM, there are probably a total of 5 notecharts I'm interested in working at a better score for (Cliffs, Jungle, Talk Dirty to Me, The Metal and She Bangs the Drums). I figured some songs would grow on me over time, but...Let's just say there's far fewer songs here that I'd personally listen to than in any previous entry. Sorry Slipknot, sorry Muse, sorry Rob, sorry Aerosmith (can we get a song from you guys that would make a FUN GH song for a change? I know there's some in there!), sorry whoever the hell the modern bands in tier 3 are...Your songs were f---ing chores to even stay awake through, much less play. What was the selection criteria? Darts? Picking names out of the hat? More than once, I stopped hitting notes on a fret because of how bad a taste some of these were leaving in my mouth (the songs and the charts that go with them). I positively hate Nirvana and I honestly ENJOY playing Heart Shaped Box more than what these songs have to offer. Just...total blah. Even the classics I frequently listen to (Hurricane, Best Shot, Paranoid) didn't really end up distinguishing themselves on their charts (although the other tier 8 songs ended up doing it in all the wrong ways...Mosh 1, Number of the Beast's intro and main chord on hard -yes, CHORD, not CHORDS- and One's last 2 minutes can all suck shit as far as I'm concerned...and for good measure, the first 10 seconds or so of Fire and Flames can as well) and ones I did like to hear AND play (Mississippi, Radio Song, The Metal to some extent) were very short. Combined with the SHAFT the PS2 version got (I can live with no Bret Michaels or DLC...The load times even on retrys are atrocious enough to try my patience), battle mode, the oddball star power placements (infrequent and often very long, not a welcome change at all...I liked GH1's method of giving out way too much, since you get to plan more) the change in orientation (which I still don't feel comfortable with...think more overhead than the Harmonix games) and the ugly stick this thing got hit with (Midori = dude in drag...there's no way to mistake that model for a woman...and the singer is a subconscious effort to promote the new Caveman show), it may be time to move on to Rock Band for good. Totally disappointing.

And not to sound totally argumentative, but I have to give Rock the 80's my easy GOTY award. I picked it up when I was making the jump to hard on GH2 and it clicked...both the music and the charts. There's a couple I don't even pretend to enjoy playing (What I Like About You, Because It's Midnight, Holy Diver, but it's much better on expert), but I spend a lot of time replaying this just because I enjoy the whole setlist and when I need to space out/relax (especially on hyperspeed, which is just "see note, hit note" on reaction and I let my mind think about other things). It's kind of like playing Megaman 2, where everything just kind of comes together and I just kind of enjoy the atmosphere, even without a real high difficulty (I CAN play expert, but I like hard more as a straight preference...I've said "I f---ing hate 3-note chords!" so much, the words have lost all meaning). And one thing to consider: This is the only GH with both Priest and Maiden in it (and somehow Wrathchild ended up being a LOT better off than Number of the Beast). Electric Eye is, by far, one of my favorite notecharts. Not bad for a cheap cash-in. I'm very happy with it, although I'll admit it should have been a lot more than it is.

Had to get used to the screens in Contra 4, but it's amazing, as is virt's score. My precious awesome fire shot is back in action! Puchi Carat is one of 20+ games included in Taito Legends 2, but it's maddeningly fun (like Arkanoid with Puzzle Bobble rules). I liked Pokemon Puzzle's set-up more than Planet Puzzle League (which is REALLY bland to look at and listen to), but online wifi...You know, you can't top that. And Metal Slug Anthology! Of course!

Looking to be more active next year, but I got my money's worth out of this year, though there's still some I need to play (Sonic, Picross and the rest of the Phoenix Wrights, Neo Geo Battle Coliseum, maybe Growlanser V). The pick-up-and-play stuff fits my schedule perfectly ATM. Only other game that stunk up was SNK vs Capcom: Cardfighters DS, which totally forgot why the original was so good.

Edit: Ah, BEFORE 2007 as well...

Well...yeah, GH2 was my first. It has a couple speedbumps early on (rescue me before I fall into despair...oh wait, too late! And tier 5 is kind of an overall waste), but I found it very well-put together and still play it. Especially the final tiers. I thought they did well both picking a good mix of songs and putting gems to them. Far more epic and meaningful than III's seemingly random selection (Freebird vs ...uh, a metal mix of "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" in a retarded battle for the finale. I rest my case). Also got to play some GH1...Didn't like the HOPO's at all, but I do agree "Bark at the Moon" is one of the best notecharts in the series. Main thing that struck me was the loads of starpower to be found.

Phoenix Wright 1 and Sly 1 were pretty much it though, otherwise and both were quality.

Honestly, I didn't really play enough games this year to make a gigantic list but Super Mario Galaxy easily gets the #1 place. I'm currently playing Eternal Sonata (mostly out of boredom) but despite how graphically pretty the game is, the characters and a good chunk of the story are taken from anime archetypes. Still, pretty!

Also, I've gotten a chance to try the DS FFIV remake and it's terrific. Does it even HAVE a North American release date?

Seconded.  I'll post my full 2007 rundown in mid-January.

Not yet, but there's little doubt that it will get one.

Mass Effect

THE best game I have played in a long time....period.  I'm on my third play through with the same character I created to begin with and she is currently at lv. 59 playing through on Hardcore.  And I plan on playing a fourth time through with her on Insanity Difficulty.  Then I'll create a male Shepard, commence doing pretty much the same thing but I'll pick a different background and such for him.

Anyways it's a very amazing game.  The choices and decsions you get to make through out are damn cool.  I wish the game didn't end.  Bring on Mass Effect 2!  Love it!

This. Hell yes, this. I've been crashing with it almost every night now - hooked and addicted to playing more each night in the hopes of beating one of the modes. Not since Vagrant Story have I sunk so much into a game. Old-school is back and it kicks ass and calls me back.

BEST GAMES OF 2007
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So, um. It turns out that I've only actually bought five '07 games thus far, thanks to family rules prohibiting personal purchases after Halloween and some truly irritating release scheduling (more on that later). So I guess those five get the de facto nods. Still, in ascending order:

5. Brain Age 2 - I loves me some Sudoku.
4. Super Paper Mario - Not quite done with it (though I believe I've figured out the story's secret), but I've enjoyed it more than I did The Thousand-Year Door.
3. Picross DS - I've lost days to this sucker.
2. Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations - I've some misgivings about this one (I don't much like Godot at all - for many of the same reasons I disliked Angel Starr, Case 3 could've used more meat on its supporting characters' bones and the last day in court doesn't come close to the wild frenzies of previous games' climaxes), but I still love it dearly. That "w00t" has been accepted into the dictionary before "zvarri" is a crime against the English language.
1. Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Justice For All - No, this isn't some dyslexic error; I genuinely think when the dust is settled, the second Phoenix is the better game. For all the praise of Tribulations' over-arching narrative, Justice pulled off a better trick: pitch-perfect thematic reinforcement.

I'm gonna have to go on a tangent here, so bear with me.

I'm a pretty big fan of Law & Order (excepting the Arthur Branch years...but that's a rant for another time) and particularly the way each of the individual elements and set pieces reinforce the theme of the episode. Take the first part of 'The Torrents of Greed': an uncooperative storeowner is nearly beaten to death by a Mafia goon for refusing to sell untaxed cigarettes while oblivious patrolmen nearby discuss their dreams of winning the lottery, and the only witness to the crime, a homeless man, winds up killing himself engorging on free food at his state-funded hotel room. Other evidence is eventually accumlated, implicating the goon in the beatdown, but the lead prosecutor instead gives unconditional immunity to the goon in exchange for testimony against the don. In the ensuing trial, the goon's testimony is shredded by the don's defense and exposed as perjury. Since said testimony was the only thing involving the don in the crime, the charges are dropped, and the goon can only be tried for perjury, since he's immune from the other charges. Clearly as one of the policemen says to the prosecutor at the end, 'you got greedy.' Which is the point. Greed in all its forms colors each character's actions and provides the thematic backbone to the whole story. Which brings us back to the Ace Attorney games.

The games in the Phoenix arc all take on the themes of burden, identity, and trust, with each game spotlighting one in particular. JFA's theme writ large is identity, and every step reflects this. A few:

-Franziska is a von Karma, and won't let anyone forget it. She hammers her fist with the same rhythm her father hammered his head by, and is even shot in the same shoulder. Also, everybody is to be addressed by their full name, objectified as something other than a von Karma at all times.

-Morgan publicly insists Maya be addressed with deferential honorifics, but privately seeks dominance over the bloodline and frames her for murder (handily relying on the spirit medium's ability to assume another's identity to act as proof).

-Celeste is rebuffed by one of the 'heroes' once she's been identified as having been the other's lover

-There are more obvious inversions of identity, with Ini being Mimi, Dr. Hotti being neither, Max Galactica being Billy Bob Johns, Ben unable to speak for himself without Trilo, the Hero of Heroes being a sociopath and the savage killer being perhaps the most principled character in the whole game.

-Phoenix himself doesn't know who he is at the start of Case 1, and Case 4 is all about you, as he, defining who he is.

These are just a few; every character's connection to the theme makes itself apparent with just a little consideration.

With all due respect to Bioshock and FFXII, this is writing, baby, and typos be damned.

Well, poop. I'd planned on adding other categories, but Phoenix lovin' took me 'til after 3AM here. I'll add more tomorrow, then.

What? This sounds amazing. Now there's one more reason to get that Saturn.

Right on bro! That game is SO good, and the special ending for beating all three scenarios (even though they're basically the same with just different cutscenes) is a feature ALL games should take into consideration! If only there was a sequel... but there are other Lovecraft inspired games which are also wonderful.

cheers,

-avatar!

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Okay, so say that someone wants to start a Saturn collection.  Buying the console, modding it, and a decent library would run what nowadays?  And say that person doesn't understand a lick of japanese/chinese, whatever, would it still be worth a purchase?

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Mine was Bioshock until I played Portal.

Bioshock

Much as I liked both games, I still find myself reaching for the first title every time I need a viewtiful fix.  The balance between puzzles and fighting is much better in VJ1, where VJ2 bogs down by throwing puzzles at you at every turn.  Plus the slowdown that plagues VJ2 has always been an issue for me.   VJ2's definitely got the better bosses and music score, though; Frost Tiger can wipe the floor with Fire Leo any day of the week!

Rank Bioshock as the one game I've wanted to play all year -- but couldn't, due to lack of system/system requirements.  I'd prefer to play it on 360 than PC, and I must admit, the 360 is beginning to look more and more enticing.  Perhaps next year.

You've certainly caught my attention with this lofty claim.  Not sure I'm hard-up enough to track down a Saturn at this point, but boy, does the game sound right up my alley.   Speaking of quirky shmups, Konami just HAS to bring Otomedius to home systems.  I wonder if it could work on the DS?

We'll have to agree to disagree on GH3 versus GH2/80s, but for the record, GH1 remains to be my favorite Hero title.  It definitely has the highest ratio of songs I enjoy listening to and playing, and I concede to the star power point; its overabundance really does give you better flexibility as to when to store and then break it out.

Glad to see a fellow lady-in-arms (assuming you're the same RinoaDestiny from the GFAQ boards) so invested in the old-school fight. ;)  My DS hasn't had a chance to be taken out of sleep mode very much since C4 arrived.  I just wish the game allowed you to restart and carry over your lives after you've completed it, like the old Contras; I want to see how many back-to-back playthroughs it would take to amass 99 lives. :)  (I usually end up with about eighteen on Normal.) 

A fascinating observation, and one that's absolutely correct.  The lack of an overarching story narrative was prominently substituted in JFA with this "unyielding search for identity" theme.  Your examples certainly point to the many facets that make up the thematic whole.

And for the curious, it seems that Apollo Justice's main theme is going to be "deception."  Seems like a banal thing to say, given the genre, but AJ's twists apparently take deception to a whole new strata.

Reading this statement and knowing my own ability at C4 just makes me want to cry...

No, I haven't gotten off Level 4 yet... ;_;

Yep, exactly the same RinoaDestiny on GameFAQS.

Old-school's simply the way to go. I remember loving NES Contra back when I was a kid because it was hard and challenging, so even though I never beat Level 1, the memories stuck. It's great, though, to finally have a game that kicks your ass and makes you work for that victory. If only more games did this (then, again, this is also why I'm an Ikaruga fan).

Easy Mode took me two weeks to figure out. I finally beat it tonight, so I'm beaming. Of course, I still can't pass Level 1 of NES Contra (I will, though) and I'm a challenge away from unlocking Super C. Normal Mode is next for mastery. Many deaths await me.

I'm such a masochist when it comes to games.

.

It's certainly my favorite. Between Touhou's bullet hells and Ikaruga, I'm more fond of the polarity-changing and chaining system. It's truly a game that can be easily learned but hard to master. I have RNA's level runs on my hard drive. It's amazing how well he plays.

I made it to the third level (The Lost Valley) and I'm flabbergasted... to a point the game isn't anything special but seeing a "video game world" that is engraved in my memories from another prespective 10yrs later makes me feel like a kid in a candy store. I still hold a deeper respect for the original, especially when it comes to the music even though Anniversary is reprising a lot of Nathan. M's original material. While many will hate the comparison the original Tomb Raider was in many ways my Mario 64 - it was the first real 3D game that grabbed me.

Always love polls like this. Lemmesee:

1. The Orange Box: Best damn deal in the history of video gaming. Next to Mario All-stars maybe. Half-Life 2 has changed the way I look at FPS, and turned me from a sceptic into a frothing-at-the-mouth fanboy. It is without a doubt one of the best series I have ever played in my entire life and I love everything about it.
Well, maybe not the music.
Throw in the absolute brilliance that was Portal, and BAM, you've got yourself game of the year, if not decennium.

2. Super Mario Galaxy: I never liked any of the 3D Mario's very much, so I was kinda hesitant about this one, but boy was I wrong. And I've NEVER felt so happy being wrong in my entire life. THIS is what Mario is all about, pure, uncut, unadulterated FUN. The unlockable was more than enough incentive to play through the entire game a second time, which is something I hardly do nowadays with a backlog the size of Eurasia. Hats off to Nintendo for making me a believer again.

3. Final Fantasy Tactics Advance 2: I was going to put Phantom Hourglass here, but then I realised that this game had me playing intensively, even doing all the side stuff (everything I could find at least, which is only 75% of the entire game), for over 60 hours, so I decided this one should rank higher. It's still not as good as the PSX original, but man, is it ever fun. It's quite light-hearted again, and easy to play, which suited me perfectly. The irritating Laws from FFTA1 are still here, but this time not to screw you over, but simply to award you if you obey them. There is no penalty for breaking them, which is a Godsend. I even liked the soundtrack, and I'm not much of a Sakimoto fan. Great stuff.

4. LoZ: Phantom Hourglass: What can I say? I still like 2D Zelda best, and this game, despite using 3D graphics, perfectly maintains the 2D Zelda gameplay. Maybe it is kinda easy, but I loved it all the way through. Even the sailing didn't bother me at all this time, as it is not quite as abundant as in Wind Waker. Loved it.

5. God of War 2: Yeah, that was THIS year, although it feels like ages ago. I didn't like the original that much, but man, this one kicks all kinds of Ass. "Subtlety" cannot be found in Kratos's vocabulary, and the game is all the better for it. Everything is huge, grand-scale, bombastic, over-the-top, in-your-face, smash-someone's-head-against-the-wall action, and, well, sometimes you just gotta let your testosteron run. I look forward to part 3.

Best Non-2007 Game I played this Year: Oblivion.
Holy. Shit.
I'm a JRPG man at heart, and never really cared for American-style role-playing, but sweet zombie Jesus on a stick, this game is fantastically awesome. HUGE is the operative phrase here, with an insanely large and detailed world, filled to the brim with dungeons, people, monsters and a shitload of quests, this one kept me entertained for HOURS. I seriously spent 100+ hours on this game, on 1 adventure only, making it the longest running game I've ever played, and I loved every single second of it. Truly phenomenal.

Most disappointing:

Megaman Starforce 2: Berserk x Dinosaur: I loved the EXE series with a passion, but MS1 was already a big step back, although still really enjoyable. MS2 however is just plain boring and cumbersome. Even writing about WHY is too much trouble so I'm not gonna bother.

DISCLAIMER: Bioshock and Mass Effect are lying next to my 360, waiting eagerly to be played, but I'm afraid that isn't gonna happen until next year, so they didn't make it into my final list. It might well have looked different.
That is to say, I'm not sure Bioshock will change it (might be wrong though), but I have high expectations of Mass Effect and can't wait to start it.
Also, Japan STILL hasn't gotten Metroid Prime 3 for some reason, and I have no clue when it will hit stores here.
Still, those are 5 great games I put up there.

Get to it man! Mass Effect rocks!

Indeed! You should also get the add-ons if you haven't yet! They are also amazing I wonder what the next installment of the Elder Scrolls will be like? Almost scary to think about...

cheers,

-avatar!

Persona 3 gets my vote!