I did this last year (Click!) and the year before (Click!) so here it is again for 2008.  Basically, since a little more than half the year is over now, let's sum up the "best of 2008" in VGM so far.  If you suffer from memory loss and don't remember what came out this year, start here.  From #5 to #1, here goes mine..

5) drammatica -The Very Best of Yoko Shimomura-
What can be better?  Take a bunch of tracks from classic Square games (you know, back when they were actually good) and awesomely perform arrangements of them with a real orchestra.  This CD brings back some great memories of the fun I had playing these games and listening to Shimomura's classic music.  Extra props to the Legend of Mana tracks, those gave me chills the first time I heard them, especially Hometown Domina!

4) Metal Gear Solid 4 Guns of the Patriots Original Soundtrack
I was afraid this album was going to be a let down because a) Norihiko Hibino didn't have a major role, and b) the lack of the main theme we all know and love.  I was dead wrong though.  Not only did Gregson-Williams, Toda, and crew do a good job, they actually surpassed what I thought MGS4 would sound like.  Old Snake, Gekko, Drebin 893, Midnight Shadow, Mobs Alive, I could go on forever.  The two vocals hit me hard as well since they both play at very emotional parts of the game.  Here's To You, MGS4.

3) Silent Hill Zero Original Soundtracks
How can a Silent Hill album not make a "best of" list, right?  Brilliant Yamaoka as usual here, very consistent with other works in the series.  He returns to his roots by having this sound a lot like the original Silent Hill, only this one has four vocal songs as well.  Speaking of the vocals, they're excellent and all, but I definitely enjoyed 3's and 4's more.  Maybe I only rated this #3 cause I couldn't bring myself to actually finish the game?

2) Super Mario Galaxy Original Sound Track Platinum Version
Mahito Yokota pretty much comes out of nowhere and composes the best Mario soundtrack in twelve years.  The use of a real orchestra definitely adds to the enjoyment especially for such tracks as Gusty Garden, Egg Planet, and of course the amazing title track Super Mario Galaxy.  According to VGMdb's stats page, it's the most collected album of 2008 and for good reason.  Hunting this bad boy down on YJA was well worth it!

1) No More Heroes Original Sound Tracks
I really can't say enough about this soundtrack.  Enjoyable in game and even more enjoyable while taking a drive or just rockin out to it at home.  Masafumi Takada really outdid himself with this as it's the most fun I've had listening to VGM in a long time.  I can't wait for more new material from him!  Season of the Samurai, Pleather for Breakfast, NO MORE NO MORE HEROES, Ten Tons of Titanium, and even the retro CHIPSTER DASH and LET'S FIGHT A BOSS, the list goes on and on.  Three thumbs up, A++++++, extra gold star, highly highly recommended.

Honorable mentions that almost made it: Minna no Golf Portable 1 & 2 Perfect Sound Collection, Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon ~Labyrinth of Forgotten Time~ Original Soundtrack, No More Heroes Sound Tracks Dark Side, NiGHTS ~Journey of Dreams~ Original Soundtrack, Golden Axe The Music.

There are a few major releases from this year that I didn't really listen to yet (Soma Bringer, Sekaiju no MeiQ 2, Senjou no Valkyria) so my list could definitely change.  We'll see what happens around the end of the year.

-Mike

There's...been VGM released this year? Wow, I almost didn't know that...

Not terribly enthused so far, but Sekaijuu 2 and its arrange were solid, the new NiGHTS was good (if tragically flawed release-wise, but some good tracks) and the new Black Mages was okay, but felt more like a demo of what they're really capable of now. Only releases that have me enthused are the new JDK Band album (which pretty much knocked me on my ass and continues to do so) and Guilty Gear Overture Vol. 2. Best thing so far was the new Phantasy Star boxset...FINALLY! And I still need to hear Mana Khemia 2 and the new Power Pro Stadium album (but to be honest, I haven't come across a soundtrack in the series that has come close to PP9 and PP5, both in the first PP Stadium album).

And I need to sit down and listen to some of the Brawl rip.

5) Guilty Gear 2 Vol. 2 - A headbanging pleasure to listen to, all the way through.

4) Soma Bringer OST - Mitsuda's most solid effort in years. Almost as good as Tsugunai.

3) Super Mario Galaxy Platinum OST - Loved the game, love the complete OST.

2) Silent Hill Zero OST - Yamaoka friggin' rules. This album is infectious.

1) No More Heroes OST - Takada does it again with three discs full of awesome, mostly-upbeat electronic oriented killing music. One of my favorite OSTs of all time, not just 2008.

As you can tell, I am a man of many words today.

05) Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon: Labyrinth of Forgotten Time Original Soundtrack
04) Soma Bringer Original Soundtrack
03) Guilty Gear 2 Overture Original Soundtrack Vol. 2
02) Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of The Patriots Original Soundtracks
01) Super Mario Galaxy Original Soundtrack Platinum Version

Honorable mentions:

NiGHTS ~Journey of Dreams~ Original Soundtrack
drammatica -The Very Best of Yoko Shimomura-
Samurai Spirits Sen Original Soundtrack

As you can tell, I am a gal of FEW words today.  ;)

only got two so far.

drammatica
Rune Factory 2 Complete Soundtrack

I've been pretty indifferent to 2008, but here are my favourite soundtracks:

1) Sekaiju no MeiQ II Original Soundtrack
2) Death Smiles Original Soundtrack
3) Metal Gear Solid 4 Original Soundtrack
4) Lost Odyssey Original Soundtrack
5) Guilty Gear 2 Overture Original Soundtrack Vol. 2

And top arranged albums:

1) No More Heroes Soundtracks Dark Side
2) The Black Mages III ~Darkness and Starlight~
3) Drammatica -The Very Best of Yoko Shimomura-
4) Sekaiju no MeiQ II Super Arrange Version
5) Sekaiju no MeiQ II Piano Sketch Ver.

Top five disappointing releases for the sake of negativity (if we're talking absolutely worst, Lux-Pain is just behind Muchi Muchi Pork, but I never had that high expectations):

1) Muchi Muchi Pork! Original Soundtrack
2) Makai Senki Disgaea 3 Original Soundtrack
3) Lux-Pain Original Soundtrack
4) Final Fantasy XI Piano Collections
5) Final Fantasy IV Original Soundtrack

Haven't listened to No More Heroes, Mana-Khemia 2, Soma Bringer, and Super Mario Galaxy enough to decide where to put them. They're definitely among the top, but not decided if they're part of my top five.

The winner so far is Sekaiju no MeiQ 2 Arrange. Wonderful tunes, a solid arrange album.

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue OST has some nice stuff in there.

I'll have to go south with the rest...

Black Mages III was disappointing in contrast to the first two though the Darkness and Starlight track was impressive albeit an endurance of sorts.

Even though they came out at the 2007-2008 cusp, I'll say both Rockman 20th arranges were supremely lame.

1) Super Mario Galaxy Orchestral OST
2) Silent Hill Zero
3) drammatica

and that's about it.
Don't care about MGS music, No More Heroes is good but uses its main theme WAY WAY WAY too much and Guilty Gear 2 Vol.2 just didn't impress me as much as, well, any of the previous albums.

My sentiments exactly, though, I've yet to hear either the Mana-Khemia 2 and Persona 4 soundtracks.

Otherwise, if anything, I'm still picking up stuff from previous years.

1. Omega Five Sound Track - surprise ownage. If only more composers of previous generations could make a comeback like Iwatsuki. At least I think he had been away from the VGM scene for awhile.

2. No More Heroes Original Sound Track - what my man Zane said

3. Deathsmiles Original Soundtrack - a couple of songs sound like Castlevania meets Mushihimesama. More awesomeness of that nature would've put this one at the top of my list.

4. Space Invaders Extreme -Audio Cluster-

5. No More Heroes -Dark Side- - Takada's remix is the best... big surprise

05 v/a - metal gear solid 4
04 hitoshi sakimoto - valkyria chronicles
03 masafumi takada - no more heroes
02 shoji meguro - persona 4
01 hideki sakamoto - echochrome (mugen kairou)

special mention - although i wasn't such a big fan of the nmh remix album, fukuda's 'PURE-WHITE GIANT TINY GLASTONBURY' is amazing

I haven't heard that many soundtracks this year so my list is pretty short.

1: Super Mario Galaxy PlatinumOST - I'd stick with the one-disc version... but the second disc version gets the vote because it's complete and there are some tracks on it that I really like.
2: Lost Odyssey OST - Uematsu's best score since FFVIII.

I haven't heard Soma Bringer or Valkyria Chronicles and I'll update this list if I like them.

.