Joshies Game of the Year Awards
mood: 
good
goodThe one point I need to make however is my awards go to games I played this year. While most did, not necessarily all of them were released this year. But who cares? Let’s get started.
PlayStation 2
Best game of the year: Kingdom Hearts II.
Kingdom Hearts II is a sheer masterpiece of a game. Sure, it has its flaws here and there but stack those up against the parts that are sheer brilliance and you have no contest. The camera is fixed, the battle system is a tone more fun to play, the graphics are amazing, the story is great and the voice acting (bar Aeris and the odd other) is outstanding. The only gripes I have with this game really is the difficulty. This is the only game in the world were trying to die is hard. For Christ sake Mickey, let Sora fight his own battles.
Kingdom Hearts II is a truly epic game and should be played by anyone who dares to call him or herself a gamer.
Worst game of the year: Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII.
By far the single biggest disappointment of the whole year. Dirge of Cerberus was hyped as the first true playable sequel to Final Fantasy VII. I could talk for months about where they went wrong and what they could have done with this opportunity. To sum up, Square can’t do shoot ‘em ups and shouldn’t try. The story is laughable and it is simply amazing that this product actually came from the same development house as my best game of the year. Avoid like the plague.
PlayStation Portable
Best game of the year: Loco Roco.
Loco Roco defines everything developers should be doing with the PSP but aren’t. Made by Sony themselves, this game is just pure addictive fun. Rolling around as a great big blob collecting over blobs by tilting the world itself might sound like a whacked idea, but it’s actually really good. This is the calibre of game you expect out of Nintendo. It’s easy to pick up and play, needs little explanation, and has high production values. It looks good and sounds brilliant. If you own a PSP, you must buy this game.
Worst game of the year: Metal Gear Ac!d.
On the flip side of the coin, what developers shouldn’t be doing with PSP. I give them credit for trying to fit the MGS universe onto the handheld and trying to take it into a new direction, but this isn’t the way to do it. Who ever thought a card battler was a good idea should be shot on sight. What also infuriates me is how utter ballshit crap the story is. Not even set in the actually timeline of the main games, Ac!d’s story makes about as much sense as a German speaking galleria in New York. Ac!d 2 corrects the major game play flaws, however the premise of this mini-series is broken to start with. Hold out and buy Portable Opps, a game actually connected to the great Metal Gear story instead of this shit.
Nintendo DS
Best game of the year: Tetris DS.
Yes, you’re probably all screaming at me now. I am fully aware of the lines of fantastic games the DS has had this year, but you know what? I’m giving the award to Tetris. No matter how many new and amazing DS games I’ve played, the cartridge that always returns to my machine is Tetris, and that has to say something.
The game is simply mastered to perfection, finally returning to the portable platform with Wi-Fi and online modes. There is simply no better place to play the greatest game of all time than DS.
Worst game of the year: Brain Training / Brain Age.
Yep, I’m giving the worst game award to Brain Training. Not because I don’t think the product has merits and not because I don’t think it’s a great and unique idea, but because it simply doesn’t live up to what it promises.
The actually science this product is meant to be based on simply doesn’t make sense. For more detail check out my article here. Dr Kawashima claims it is “vitally important to continue training” if I am to keep my brain fit and yet I was able to maintain my score without training for a long period of time. It just doesn’t add up.
Wii
Best game of the year: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
The Wii hasn’t exactly had much of the year to impress in (less than a month in fact), but I’m quite happy with my selections. Game of the year for Wii just has to go to Zelda. The Wiimote controls are not just tacked on. They actually work. Surprisingly well. Sixteen hours in I am amazed by the incredible quality and polish of this product.
Twilight Princess represents what all games should strive to be. It’s kept me utterly hooked for hours at a time, something few games have managed this year. Taking everything that was good about the last two decades of Zelda, this is the ultimate experience for anyone even slightly interested in the franchise.
A must play. For everyone.
Wii
Worst game of the year: Red Steal.
I’m going to admit now I haven’t put in nearly enough time or effort into Red Steal to even feel it justifies this spot. But that’s exactly why it’s here. I should want to play a game. From the moment I put this disc into the machine, this game made me feel like I was being forced to play.
The controls are pointless and awful, the story is boring, the graphics look like rehashes of an N64 game and the sword parts are pathetic.
PC
Best game of the year: Final Fantasy XI: Treasure of Aht Urhgan.
I’m really not a PC gamer, but the fact I’ve been playing this means it really gets into this spot by default. Still, the expansion to Square’s only successful MMO has sone great qualities to it. Adding chocobo raising, new jobs and new areas brings much needed life to the great game and from what I’ve seen of it, the new story line is incredibly interesting.
Not a must play, but if you want an MMO, I would highly recommend this above World of Warcraft.
Worst game of the year: Desperate Housewives.
This one gets here simply because I was asked to install it for a friend. A horrid mash together of a TV licence and a poor copy of the Sims, this thing should be burned on sight.
Retro
Best game of the year: Sonic the Hedgehog for Wii Virtual Console.
The 2D sonic games are simply a marvel of great gaming however I always hated the Mega Drive (Genesis in the US) controller. The d-pad was horrible and hard and the buttons broken with incredible ease. The Wii fixes this with what is simply the best D-pad in the history of gaming. Soft and comfortable, I can finally play Sonic for hours at a time without hurting my thumb in the process.
Also, the Wii’s ability to auto-save your position is love.
Worst game of the year: Super Mari Bros. for GameBoy Advance.
Simply the biggest rip of every known to mankind. Let’s list the problems shall we?
1) £30 for a 20-year-old game?
2) Inability to save your progress.
I mean, what is wrong with you Nintendo? I defy a gamer to complete Super Mari Bros. on a bus ride. Where is the Goddamn save function? For £30 I expect a save function.
I. Want. My. Money. Back.
Best game I didn’t play: Viva Piñata for X-box 360.
Worst game I didn’t play: Sonic the Hedgehog for X-box 360.
Most anticipated title of 2007: Final Fantasy XII for PlayStation 2.
Most dreaded title of 2007: Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core for PlayStation Portable.
Most curious game of 2007: Super Mario Galaxy for Wii.
