Me (obviously) - I review games and do the Retro Review column.
Theo Fraser – The man who loves all things Nintendo and is the writer of Nintendophile.
Vincent Chiucci – A busy man who writes not only Gaming Trends and the Select and Start News Report but also now does the Top 5 column.
Jordan Williams – Reviewer and writer of Working Title.
Sean Garmer – Game reviewer and the man responsible for the monthly roundtables.
Sean McCabe – Review and writer of The Retrospective.
David Redkey – Games reviewer
Greg Bruno – Games Reviewer
Chris Kovatsh - Another newcomer to the site who’s doing reviews.
Cory Moore – Reviewer and writer of the new column The Fun Factor.
Will Scott – Writer of Unlockable Content
Best Platformer
Winner - New Super Mario Bros
Steve McHugh – Proving the best platformers at still in 2D.
Cory Moore- The best thing about this release is that almost everyone who has ever picked up a video game controller has played the timeless NES namesakes. With that said, this update brings enough to the table to satisfy older fans while attracting newer games, too.
Jordan Williams - I don't want to be lazy, but man does this look familiar. Like I said, this game was an almost near perfect platformer. It captured the old feel of Mario games PERFECTLY, it's glad to see people liked it.
Sean Garmer - Nothing touched NSMB this year in the platformer category. It has all the things that made the past Mario’s great, awesome levels, and the simplicity to appeal to everyone.
Theo Fraser - An easy win for the Italian plumber. Mario returned to the platforming genre and showed that he is still the king. I’ve spoken about this in more detail elsewhere, but suffice to say that Nintendo provided another thrilling chapter in the Mario series that serves as both a trip down memory lane and a look at how future side-scrollers could work, injecting 3D characters into 2D environments.
Runner Up – Castlevania: PoR
Steve McHugh – I’m so glad they got rid of the sign drawing in this game I can barely contain it. An epically good game that shames all the 3D Castlevania’s.
Jordan Williams- Hard if you want it that way, easy if you want it that way. It's just a great platformer game. Along with NSMB, it's pretty much a one-two punch.
Sean Garmer - Castlevania is great, but it’s not a platformer. Nonetheless, it’s here and I guess it’s another great thing for the DS.
Best RPG
Winner – Final Fantasy 12
Steve McHugh – Aa genuinely interesting battle system, stunning looks and a decent story make this one of the first FF games I’ve been excited about since 9. And there's no weird underwater volleyball so all is good.
Sean McCabe - Well, it is a good game. I could think of other games more deserving but also a lot less deserving, so I suppose this works.
Sean Garmer - Kingdom Hearts 2 to me had a better story, but FFXII beats it in the gameplay and depth department. It also totally beats Oblivion in everything. So to say that it deserves to be the winner is an understatement. They tried something new and it worked now they have something to roll with in XIII. Final Fantasy might get over hyped a lot but this time they lived up to it. In a year with great games from Square-Enix, this new Final Fantasy helps show that Square still has some creativity in the tank.
Jordan Williams - Oh, here comes the bias. FFXII was good. But I think Squeenix is still just phoning it in when it comes to these games. I really want to see a new evolution outside of the battle system. Maybe some more story...a new one? Please?
David Redkey - I would take this RPG over Oblivion. Story is stronger in my opinion…and that’s all that matters.
Runner Up - Elder Scrolls: Oblivion
Steve McHugh – This should have won this won over FF12. Depth, a pretty good story, freedom to do what you like and replay value like you don’t get in many games. Just utterly fantastic.
Jordan Williams - This is what I think should've took RPG of the year. It had A LOT more depth than FFXII did, and it was a role playing game at its heart. You played the role of what you wanted to be. It's a great feeling when you are 40 hours into the game and have done numerous things and realized you haven't even started the main quest yet.
David Redkey - A really, really good game…just not the best RPG this year.
Best FPS/Shooter
Winner – Gears of War
Steve McHugh – Nothing else was going to win this, in fact nothing else even came close when tallying up the votes.
Greg Bruno - This game really has it all. Good story (not great, but good), amazing graphics, addicting online play, and co-op story mode. What's not to love? Cheap Plug: Check out my review of Gears of War!
Sean Garmer - The game had a lot of competition this year, I will say that, but Gears is probably your sure fire winner because it has more of a broad appeal, while the other shooters all have a niche.
Jordan Williams - For the Co-Op alone. Single player does get a bit annoying with the touch and go style, but with co-op it makes you feel like a complete and utter badass. Trust me.
Joshua Richey -I think that it would be hard for anyone to argue against this, but I’m sure Nintendo fanboys will find some way to.
David Redkey - It’s well done game that shows off the new Unreal Engine.
Runner Up – FEAR (360)
Steve McHugh– Okay so in my review I said it was scary and to be honest after more play it’s creepier then scary but either way it’s a fantastic game with some of the best AI I’ve ever seen in a game. And that shotgun…wow.
Sean McCabe - I enjoyed this. I like horror games, and it makes good, sparing use of bullet time. But, I'd look like a hypocrite if I said I found the gameplay great, but then nice atmosphere makes up a lot to me, that and the fact that this game's accomplishments haven't been completely blown out of proportion.
Joshua Richey - Never played this game on the PC, but I’ll be honest, it scared the crap right out of me. I’ve never lost my handle on the controller out of fear (no pun intended) until I played this game. Still would to have liked to see Prey in this spot.
David Redkey - I would take this one as being better overall as a single player game. It’s a compelling experience and the A.I. is second to none.
Theo Fraser - Although I haven’t played the 360 version, I was a big fan of the game on PC. As an FPS, it’s not the best out there (hence it’s place as Runner Up), but FEAR is one of those genre-bending games that come along every once in a while. It’s more of an “exploratory horror” than anything else, and it’s the constant scares that will keep you coming back to see what’s around the corner, even though you know you’ll end up needing to change your pants. Sure, you eventually become desensitized to the shock tactics implemented throughout the game, but I guarantee you that you won’t get through a single sitting without breaking a sweat. Not a ‘classic’ game as such, but one that deserves to be experienced by everyone who can stomach it.
Best Action/Adventure
Winner – Legend of Zelda: TP
Steve McHugh – An easy win here for Zelda. I mean its Zelda of course it’s going to win this category.
Greg Bruno - Amazing story line with enthralling gameplay. Do what you can to play this game.
Sean McCabe - I should think so.
Sean Garmer - No doubt about it, but this category had a lot of very good games for it this year. Our runner-up Dead Rising, Okami, Castlevania just to name a few of the ones Zelda defeated. Nintendo should be up in arms about that.
Jordan Williams - Some are saying that TP feels more like OoTII, but hey. They were both great games(whether I liked it or not). It was certainly ONE of the best action adventure games this year, but if anything, I think it tied with...
Joshua Richey - I guess we have to give Zelda some award, huh? Okay, I understand that Zelda fans are more than happy with how this game played out. But I’m not a Zelda fan. I went into with an open mind, and while I don’t think that it sucks… I didn’t see what all of the fuss was about either.
Vincent Chiucchi - A various amount of playing styles all wrapped into one gorgeous game.
Runner Up – Dead Rising
Steve McHugh – You either love Dead Rising or you hate it. Considering you can mow down hordes of Zombies with a bowling ball guess which side I fall on? Yep that’s right it’s bloody great.
Will Scott - I personally think this is the best game on the 360, but it's a marketed towards folks that love zombies. And if you love zombies, you love this game. It's almost a given. There's so much to do in the game that it just doesn't get old.
Sean McCabe - Well, it was fun but I'm still waiting on another Survival Horror game from Capcom.
Sean Garmer - Fun game, can get boring after a while, unless you’re a zombie-loving freak. Capcom did a good thing with this game by showing us that killing zombies can certainly be more fun than it has any right to be.
Jordan Williams - This was one of the best kill fests all this year, the story was decent, but really. In a game where the main objective is to simply survive a zombie infested mall for 3 days. Who really needs a story? Just give me a baseball bat and let me be on my way.
Joshua Richey - Zombies + Lawn Mowers = Fun! I can’t believe that it took up until now for us to finally realize that. Dead Rising had a very unique style and was captivating to play.
Vincent Chiucchi - Killing zombies over and over and over is a formula for tiresome, boring gameplay. Killing zombies with lawn mowers, soccer balls, and Mega Man's freaking buster cannon is a formula for out-freaking-standing. Capcom really delivered for Dead Rising, and it's one game I would gladly like to see a sequel too. And definitely on a console I actually own.
David Redkey - Now this is what I’m talking about. A really well down game and some interesting design choices make this game stand out.
Best Fighting Game
Winner - Tekken Dark Resurrection (PSP)
Steve McHugh- I have to say I’m more of a VF guy then a Tekken one but this is one of the best PSP games out there with a huge amount to learn and a lot of fun to be had. A great game.
David Redkey - 3 new characters, the best graphics of any portable game around, downloadable content, and a multiple play modes make this game a must buy for any fight fan.
Runner up - Street Fighter Alpha Anthology -
Sean McCabe - An anthology of some of the greatest fighters ever made. A great set, good bargain.
Steve McHugh - Well Street fighter Alpha 3 is one of the best 2D fighters ever made so this is automatically a great game to own.
David Redkey - Street Fighter Alpha Anthology-Street Fighter Alpha 3 is on this disk…that alone makes it one of the best fighting games of the year.
Best Driving
Winner – Excite Truck
Sean Garmer - Wow, I’m surprised that this won over one of the most established driving series ever. This game was fun and different, it gave you a one of a kind of experience. That’s another testament to Nintendo and shows that the Wii can give you things no other system can.
Cory Moore- Excite Truck isn’t the perfect racing game by any means, but it pretty much wins by default because of the relative lack of racers this year. The innovate controls and crazy stunts are a step in the right direction.
Chris Kovatsh - This game provided huge ridiculous jumps and exciting gameplay that is top notch for an arcade style racer. This game is best played by yourself to enjoy it to its fullest.
Runner Up – Need for Speed: Carbon
Steve McHugh – Need for Speeds are either great or awful. This is actually pretty good although and does a lot of things well. Even so Burnout would have won this for me.
Sean Garmer- I’ve never been a big fan of NFS, well until this game came out and blew me away. EA made a great racing game with this one.
Best Sport
Winner – Wii Sport
Steve McHugh – I love this game and I don’t know of anyone who didn’t enjoy playing this. One of the most charming games I’ve played in years.
Will Scott - My grandfather played this game. He liked it. So do my parents, my girlfriend, and every other person I've shown it to. Need I say more?
Greg Bruno - The mighty Madden falls to armless cartoons. Wow. Although it doesn't go undeserved. Those little Mii's play one hell of a game of tennis. Nearly broke my Wii remote serving against those little bastards.
Sean McCabe - Ha, I love this. Sports simulators beaten out by innovation. Just awesome.
Sean Garmer- Ha Ha, this is hilarious, a game that emulates the real motion of sports, beats out all these games that try to give you outright simulations. This game was free, great fun, and could be played by anyone. Not something, you could say for any other sports game that has come out ever. How can you beat a game that lets you swing a remote as if you were really playing these sports? The answer, you can’t.
Cory Moore- Everyone I’ve introduced to Wii Sports has thoroughly enjoyed at least one aspect of the game. It’s easy to pick up, the games are all very different, and the learning curve with the Wii-mote is a piece of cake. If the rest of the Wii-themes titles are anything like this, Nintendo may just reclaim the top of the mountain after this console war is done.
Joshua Richey - By far the best sports game that I’ve played all year. You take someone like me –who was skeptical of the Wii- and have him or her play this game… and you’ll want a Wii in no time.
Vincent Chiucchi - No complicated control schemes. No lousy offense / defense teams. No season long strikes. Just pick it up, swing around, have fun.
David Redkey - I wasn’t impressed when I first played this game and I still feel unimpressed. Pretty good for a party game but a lack of any semblance of depth really kills it for me.
Theo Fraser - I’m glad this is getting the recognition it so rightfully deserves. For a free game, it sure is a damn good one. You don’t need to invest hours into it; you can pick it up, dive right into the games and maybe spend just 5 minutes honing your skills in the Training mode. Little bursts of gameplay like that are how the game has become so successful. Each game functions perfectly and for the first time in video game history, it really feels as if you are DOING something. YOU are swinging that bat, YOU just got that strike, YOU just knocked your best friend unconscious. It works, it’s fluid, and it’s fun. That, my friends, is a winning combination.
Runner Up – Madden ‘07
Steve McHugh – I haven’t played Madden since about 1995 when you could hurt someone so much an ambulance would come on the pitch knocking people over. Ahh good times. I hear this is good depending on the system you got it for.
Cory Moore- Madden ’07 was accepted differently on all systems. Some consoles lack features, some were packed with goodies. Some barely changed the control scheme, others made crazy-good improvements. Check out the Wii’s version for the best experience.
David Redkey - If you want innovation…Madden 07 for the Wii did it. Talk about depth and innovation. Too bad the graphics looked worse than the original X-box…a must buy for any sports fan.
Runner Up – Pro Evo 6
Steve McHugh – The best football game ever. Always has been and probably always will be. Master league is the biggest time eating thing ever.
Best TV/Film license
Winner – Lego Starwars 2
Steve McHugh – Thank you Traveller’s Tales; thank you for one of the best games of the year. I cannot wait for Batman.
Will Scott - Two words: Lego Vader. It was a nice, simple game that recreates the Star Wars universe better than almost any game in recent memory.
Sean Garmer - This was a hard category to pick for, because both of these games deserved this honour. Lego Star Wars was great and fun, you can’t go wrong picking this up. Both the winner and runner-up were interchangeable here in my view.
Cory Moore- Lego Star Wars was awesome enough, and that was with the prequel characters! When you mix the gameplay of the original game with characters from the original trilogy, it makes a winning combination. This is the perfect example of using a license.
Jordan Williams - Nothing beats watching Hans shoot Greedo's torso off. Lego Starwars was a great game, and its sequel was even better. The idea behind it is hilarious, and I do enjoy all of the wanton Lego violence you can cause.
Chris Kovatsh - I was sad after I played the first Lego Star Wars just because I didn’t think they could ever make another one. Apparently I just completely didn’t think of the idea that they could make one using the original movies. They did an excellent job with this game and as easy as it is, it’s still a complete blast to play.
Vincent Chiucchi - Kids like it because it combines legos and Star Wars. Adults like it because it keeps the best parts of the films (most of them anyway) and delivers the fun experience of Star Wars without the wooden acting and the changing of who shoots who first.
David Redkey - A really good (if not overly easy) licensed game.
Runner Up – Marvel Ultimate Alliance
Steve McHugh – Raven just keep making these games better and better. Combine a huge list of playable characters, some great locations and easy to get into gameplay and you get one of the top 5 comic book games ever.
Will Scott - This is the ultimate comic book video game, period. With a huge cast of characters and fun gameplay, it's a fan's dream come true.
Sean Garmer - This is the best comic book game ever, you get to play with 20 Marvel characters that span the spectrum of the Marvel universe, while also playing through a lengthy adventure (for a brawler anyway) with a great fighting system. What more could you ask for, other than getting to play with three other friends or online, oh wait, you can do that too.
Jordan Williams - Marvel is really onto something with these Marvel Legends-esque games. This one was definitely the best yet, and I hope it only gets better from here.
Chris Kovatsh - This game uses the "If it's not broke, don't fix it" mentality. Switching it up and using the entire Marvel cast instead of mainly just X-Men made a lot of people's dreams come true. Getting to use people like Hulk really helped attract people to this game (Ed – The Hulk wasn’t in it before anyone e-mails saying that).
David Redkey - Over a hundred different Marvel characters and a fun superhero romp makes this one of the best-licensed games this year.
Best multiplayer
Winner – Wii Sport
Steve McHugh – Get some mates round and you’ll play this forever.
Greg Bruno - Wii Sports should not be played during/after drinking. It breaks TV's and friendships. Otherwise, it's a blast.
Sean McCabe - Well, with the fun I've had beating my friends at Wii Bowling, this is deserved.
Sean Garmer - This is totally more deserving than Gears of War, you can’t equal the fun with everyone that you can have with this game. Five different sports that are easy to play, not to mention, you get to move around and act silly while you do it too, and it requires no technical strategy either.
Cory Moore- In traditional Nintendo fashion, Wii Sports thrives in the multiplayer arena, no pun intended. Even though the games are simple in design, the thrill of playing with and trying to one-up friends increases its replay value beyond belief.
Joshua Richey - Hands down, probably the least ‘arguable’ game to win this year. From Tennis to Baseball, Wii Sports brought something to the table that a lot of fat gaming nerds never got to achieve growing up.
Vincent Chiucchi - You pick up the controller and you swing. That's pretty much as simple as you can get. With such simplicity just about anybody can join in and break your HDTV in no time. Remember folks: common sense is all you need (and maybe some duct tape).
David Redkey - It’s easy to pick up and play…but does it really have the staying power for repeat play?
Theo Fraser - Admittedly, you’re not going to get a deep multiplayer experience with this, but if you’re looking for good, solid fun, look no further than Wii Sports. It’s accessible to anyone, meaning that anyone can be good at it. Just because you’ve been playing games for 15 years, it doesn’t mean your 5-year-old little cousin won’t put up some stiff competition. It’s that unpredictability that makes it so rewarding.
Runner Up – Gears of War
Steve McHugh – It’s been played more then Halo 2 over Xbox Live and is the first game to do so. The Co-op is probably the finest I’ve played in years, it also has split-screen play which all multiplayer games should have. This kicks all sorts of multi-player ass.
Jordan Williams - What can I say that I haven't said already? It's simply some of the best co-op for those who lack XBL. Yes, there are still a few of us.
Joshua Richey - A really intense online mode with some well designed levels to roam around in. Who could ask for more?
David Redkey - This game just rocks when played with a friend.
Best single player
Winner – Legend of Zelda: TP
Steve McHugh – Zelda’s a hugely impressive game and a pretty big undertaking as this game is massive.
Runner Up – Dead Rising
Steve McHugh – This game gives one thing that a lot of games seem to forget, fun. Huge sprawling amounts of fun. If you don’t play this game and smile there’s something wrong with you.
Jordan Williams - Seeing as I HAVE beat this, I can rate it. The game does plod at some points, and GODDAMNED OTIS is annoying. But ignore that, and you still have a fairly fun game on your hands. Once you beat it you can pick it up again for random killings.
David Redkey - A really good experience
Well that’s 2 down and 1 to go. Join us next time when we’ll be looking at the awards for the individual consoles as well as the coveted Developer and Game of the Year.
