Best of Video Games 2007

Every year, anyone keeping up with video games can sum up the last year with, "This has been a great year for the video game industry." However, with each new step, video games seem to be inching closer to perfection. This year showed a lot of advancement for the industry with even non-video games showing promise. Let's take a look at the greatest achievements for video games - the games and the culture. (Now keep in mind, some of these things aren't exactly brand new, but have been utilized very well within the last year.)

The Best Non-Video Game - "Second Life." Call it obsessive, call it nonsense, or call it incredible. "Second Life" is opening doors left and right for the advancement of all things virtual. I mean, concerts and even conferences are held in SL. Even CNN keeps up a "citizen journalist" blog report for SL. While people scoff at avid SL users (and enjoy a healthy game of "The Sims"), it's hard to deny the impact the virtual world will ultimately have on all things gaming.

The Best Video Game Book - "Scott Pilgrim Gets it Together," the latest volume about Pilgrim, the Canadian twenty-something who lives the life every slacker could dream of (a mysterious girlfriend, playing bass in a rock band called Sex Bob-omb, and fighting off a series of evil ex-boyfriends). The book is a short, fantastic read and is chock full of gaming references. Creator Bryan Leo O'Malley is truly a comic genius when it comes to these books. The latest book, which came out in November, features Scott and his girlfriend, Ramona Flowers, in the middle of the original "Sonic the Hedgehog" logo. Plus, check out this flyer for the third volume. Great stuff. To read more about the Scott Pilgrim series, you could go back into the depths of this blog. I highly recommend picking up every volume of this book. Honorable mention to the classic "I Am 8-Bit."

Best Video Game Film - Here's the thing, faithful reader. I haven't seen any video game movies this year. The contenders for the title (that most readily come to mind) are "Resident Evil: Extinction," "Hitman," and "King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters." Regardless, I'm going to go ahead and call the match for "King of Kong." It's a realistic documentary about the two greatest players in "King Kong" history. Since it's the only movie out of the three that I'm curious about seeing, it automatically wins the vote on this guy's part.

Best System for Your Viewing Pleasure - The PS3. With a nice TV and wireless Internet, you have access to crisp, free trailers for any of your most anticipated films. Also, with a Blu-ray player, even regular DVDs just look saucy on this machine. If you're considering buying a PlayStation 3, think about investing half in the gaming aspect and the other half in the incredible movie experience.

Best System for Your Listening Pleasure - The Xbox 360. See also the last post.

Best Game Soundtrack - "Rock Band." I apologize to any other game in the running, but if you include all of the downloadable content, you're up against a game that has all of "Who's Next" as well as "Flirtin' With Disaster" by Molly Hatchet. Win.

Best Downloadable Game - "Bomberman Live," the most faithful rendition of the Bomberman games to date. Honorable mention to "Punch-Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream."

Best Handheld Game - "The Legend of Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass." With the gameplay of a classic SNES Zelda game combined with the graphics of Windwaker for the GameCube, this game is hard to beat. Honorable mention goes to the Phoenix Wright games...mostly because I'm extremely excited for the "Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law" game. Again, I'm biased due to my lack of PSP.

Best Party Game - "Rock Band." While the "Mario Party" games tried to unite friends against each other in boardgame-like combat, "Rock Band" united friends in pure, unadulterated rock 'n' roll. I've rarely had more fun playing a game (co-op) with two or more people.

Best System to Utilize the Internet - Xbox 360. The PlayStation 3 clearly has great use for downloading trailers and demos, but the Xbox Arcade is quite vast. When it comes to game expansions (see "Rock Band" or "Guitar Hero III"), the 360 is king. Honorable mention to the Wii Shop Channel and some of the awesome games utilized therein.

Best Xbox 360 Game - "Bioshock." I actually played this game for the first time last week (since I'm terribly behind on the world anymore). Obviously, the 360 has had a slew of heavy hitters, ranging from "Rock Band" to "Call of Duty 4" to "Halo 3." However, "Bioshock" accomplishes dozens of things that even "Resident Evil 4" wasn't able to. While being one of the most imaginative original games I've ever played, it's also one of the most fun. It's creepy, it's challenging, and oddly realistic for such a suspenseful game. If you haven't taken a plunge into "Bioshock," you're missing out.

Best Wii Game - "Super Mario Galaxy." This game may have had Nintendo's patented terrible ending, it still holds up as the most consistently fun game the Wii has seen to date. And, again, you can read my full review on it here. Fantastic game.

Best PS3 Game - "The Orange Box." OK, so I'll admit, I don't really have much experience on the PS3, so reader, I urge you to disagree with me. "The Orange Box" is simply a combination of the most fun games I've played all year on the system. "Portal" is arguably the greatest puzzle/strategy game of the year, "Team Fortress 2" is a very innovative first-person shooter (and a lot of fun, at that), and "Half-Life 2" is about as epic as they come. Read the reviews at the links.

Best System - The Nintendo Wii. Yes, it doesn't have the whistles and bells that either of the other systems have. Regardless, the Wii is easily more user friendly for first time gamers, the elderly, and others who normally wouldn't be eager to play video games. The control system is innovative, the platform is cartoonish and accessible, and Nintendo has set the system up for endless possibilities (check your weather, check the news, shop online, watch videos on YouTube, the list goes on and on and on). With many new games on the horizon, the Wii has just begun its streak of winning the hearts of children and nerds (and child nerds) everywhere.

For the final category, I narrowed it down to a few video games that I feel deserve to be in the top ten games of the year. Again, I haven't played a very long list of games this year. Regardless, here are the nominees (and yes, I know that there are only two Wii games in the list - however there are many other games for the Wii that just missed the top ten, and my reasons for the Wii as the best system are for more than just the games available).

- "Super Mario Galaxy" (Wii)
- "Rock Band" (360/PS3)
- "The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass" (DS)
- "Assassins Creed" (360)
- "Bioshock" (360)
- "Super Paper Mario" (Wii)
- "The Orange Box" (360, PS3)
- "Halo 3" (360)
- "Call of Duty 4" (360)
- "God of War II" (PS2)

AND THE WINNER!

The Best Game of 2007 - "Rock Band." I'm glad that I could include the list of games above as honorable mentions, but it's hard to deny that "Rock Band" is easily the most fun game I've played all year. With four playing possibilities (guitar, bass, vocals and drums) and more and more downloadable content being released, this game has opened up a world of happiness to people like me. Not only that, but that soundtrack includes lady-friendly tracks (for vocals that is, thanks to Courtney Love, Shirley Manson and Karen O). "Rock Band" brings friends together, makes interactive rhythm gaming even more fun, and the game is forming new drummers by the week (that is if they can play it on expert). The songs are fun, which includes the ones that I don't like (I admit, the Fall Out Boy track is even mildly fun to play), and it eliminates all forms of shyness. Truly, "Rock Band" is one of the finest games to come out of this year and one that I'm looking forward to dragging back to college in the coming year.

And just for fun...

The Worst Game of 2007 - "Chicken Shoot" for the Nintendo Wii. Welcome to gamer oblivion, "Chicken Shoot." Join the Hall of Gaming Infamy with "Backyard Wrestling."

Happy 2008 everybody. Should all acquaintance be forgot and all that hogwash. Let me know what your favorites of 2007 are and be sure to tell me how wrong I am therein.