AMN Wii’s Editor’s Top 10 of 2006

I really counted Wii Sports out leading up until Wii’s launch. And, in truth, I think Wii Sports is still far from an “amazing” title. However, it has a few things going for it. For one, the primary reason Wii Sports is even on my list is because it was one of the few games released in 2006 that I think deserves to be on a top 10 list. Moreover, the game comes standard and free with every Wii in North America and Europe, which is totally great. Wii Bowling, specifically, is my favorite of the sports games packaged in the compilation, but tennis is fun, too. This is a great party game for people who love games and people who have never played them before, too.

The Xbox 360 launch last November was a bit weak, but early in 2006, Ubisoft wowed with the 360 version of Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter. After its debut at the E3 before, I expected GRAW to be a solid tactical third-person shooter, and the final product is just that. I’m not really into the multiplayer mode – at least not as much as I thought I’d be – but the single-player mode in Advanced Warfighter is engrossing. The game also looks great, as well, and is one of the 360’s prettiest yet.

Square’s latest main entry in the Final Fantasy franchise arrives as a political-themed epic featuring 50-plus hours of gameplay, engrossing cut-scenes and beautiful FMVs. It births a real-time combat system that replaces the turn-based and random battles that Final Fantasy is known for. It’s hard to say if I like the changes made in regards to combat, as I somewhat long for the nostalgic turn-based system of old-school Final Fantasy. The removal of random battles, however, is a godsend. And yet there’s another change that FFXII makes to the series: a very political-themed storyline. This is at the cost of a more love story-based one, though, so that’s slightly disappointing, in my opinion.

The wait for a new 2D entry in the Super Mario Bros. franchise has been slightly ridiculous, but it was mostly worth it. New Super Mario Bros. – worst name ever, unfortunately – is a handheld delight and my favorite DS game of the year (you might notice it’s the only one on my list). The game features the tried-and-true sidescrolling that set the video game industry on fire decades ago. If you own a DS, you simply must own Super Mario Bros. on DS. Period.

I’m a huge Rainbow Six 3 buff, so naturally, I love Vegas. This is the team’s best Rainbow Six since 3 back in 2003. Control is the tightest the franchise has ever known, finally working as well as it should. The campaign mode here is also a big step forward and stands on its own – a first for the series, I’d say. The heart of Rainbow Six Vegas, though, is online multiplayer, but that’s no surprise. Online play via Xbox Live is pure sweetness. There are new maps, modes and guns to master, and it’s as competitive and addicting as you’d expect from Rainbow Six.

I’m not down with episodic content or with Valve’s decision to make three episodic Half-Life 2 titles rather than one Half-Life 3 three-quel, but I am down with Half-Life 2: Episode One. The game picks up right after the ending of Half-Life 2, and like I love its predecessor, I love Episode One. Valve’s mix of top-notch first-person action and compelling storyline-telling impresses in a way few games do. And while this episodic affair is a bit on the short side, it only runs you $20.00. Good stuff, indeed.

Okami comes as the swan song for short-lived Capcom developer Clover Studios. This adventure features a style that’s wholly unique and gameplay that’s reminiscent of Nintendo’s Zelda franchise. And, surprisingly, the tale is quite long – epic, even. Set around a brush stroke system, Okami is brimming with clever use of art-based puzzles where you must draw certain objects to progress into the game. The game’s creator swears it wouldn’t work on Wii, but we all know he’s wrong. Regardless, the title is still great on PlayStation 2 and is one of the console’s last greats.

Epic’s third-person shooter, which reminds me of Resident Evil 4 (according to the game’s lead designer, it was inspired by the Cube horror title, actually), has had a lot of hype. People have called it a Halo killer – before it was even out. And they called it a Halo killer when it was released. While I don’t think it kills Bungie’s first-person shooter, I do think Gears of War sets the standard for its very own genre, one that ultimately plays differently than anything else out there. There are mixes of stealth, action, strategy and teamwork within this gorgeous Xbox 360 shooter. The single-player, like Halo 2, might not have an ending, but it’s still fun the whole way through. Meanwhile, the title’s multiplayer still has me glued to my TV screen, as I can’t put it down. And to anyone who says graphics don’t matter, I dare you to play Gears of War and tell me it’s not downright impressive. If you do, you’re a liar, and you know it.

Bathesda’s buggy yet awe-inspiring RPG sucked away many hours of my life early in this year, and I loved every minute of it. In fact, I refused to beat the game – though I was on the last quest in it – for weeks, simply so I could see and do more of the game’s many fascinating side quests. Oblivion is not the first in the Elder Scrolls franchise. Oppositely, it’s the fourth installment and thus plays very similarly to its predecessors. But regardless of how innovative or fresh the game is, it one-ups the forefathers of Elder Scrolls by delivering a next-gen game world and better storyline than anything Bathesda has done before. This, my friends, is a next-gen RPG.

While ’06 brought many top-notch games, there’s one that stands out head and shoulders above the rest, in my opinion – and it’s one I’ve been eagerly anticipating for about two years now. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is the Wii’s flagship title and reason enough to purchase Nintendo’s new console. It controls perfectly with the Wii-mote, ushering in a new era of controls for the franchise that instantly puts to shame the series’ long-running traditional controls. Hands down, there is no better aiming system for shooting Link’s bow than pointing the Wii remote and firing with it. What’s more, Twilight delivers a deeper and darker storyline than what the Zelda franchise is accustomed to, and I love that about the adventure. But it’s the underlying gameplay – a blend of exploration, puzzle solving, superb dungeon design and more – that makes this my Game of the Year and one of my favorite games of all time.

If you’d have asked me prior to the Wii launch whether this game would be in my top 10, I would have just laughed. However, after getting my Wii and messing around making a Mii, I decided to give it a shot. Turns out this game is actually loads of fun in short bursts. Tennis with four people is just plain exhilarating. Just yesterday I achieved 1,000 points in Wii bowling to go pro. Although the game has very little depth to it doesn’t mean you should just over look it completely. It is the ideal party game and best of all it was free with your Wii console.

What’s with these non-games actually turning out to be fun? I picked up Brian Age and actually thought it was a solid “game”. Granted I never played it for over 20-30 minutes at a sitting, but it was definitely entertaining while it lasted. In addition the game basically gives you a portable version of Sudoku, that in itself was worth buying it for me. The scary part was older people actually wanted to play it when I wasn’t. I even had my mother ask me to play this game.

It’s safe to say that Excite Truck was the sleeper hit of the Wii’s launch. When I first played this game at a kiosk I managed to pass the learning curve in less than 5 minutes. After that the game was nothing but fun. I never thought I would be playing it as much as I am now, but after beating Zelda it’s been hogging up time in my Wii’s disk slot. Only complaints I have are that in multiplayer, there should be the option to have CPUs as well.

I’ll get a lot of hate for this, but I definitely am fonder of 2D Mario games than 3D ones. When New Super Mario Bros was announced I was thrilled to say the least. After waiting patiently, when the game finally came out it definitely lived up to its hype. The touch screen gameplay never felt “tacked on” or gimmicky. The game stayed true to its roots and didn’t stray away too far which relieved my worries. If you have a DS and don’t have this game you shouldn’t think twice in picking it up.

When Call of Duty 2 launched alongside the Xbox 360 it fueled my decision to purchase the console. I am a big fan of WWII games as well as FPSs so when Call of Duty 3 came out I had to have it. Unfortunately the single player is not as good as it’s predecessor, but it makes up for it with its impressive online multiplayer. You now have the ability to pick your class and as you do well in that class you rank up. I could play this game online for hours and probably will.

I really shouldn’t have to give a reason as to why you I love this game. To sum it up, I live in the U.S. and this game didn’t release here. So when it came out in 3D with a small price tag of $40 and on a portable system, I had to get it. The game is really nostalgic especially if you are an old school gamer, and having never played it before it felt as though I was playing it when it first released.

This game came out of nowhere and hit me right in my blindside. I never thought a game about playing music would hold my attention for this long, but this one did. I remember trying to learn to play the electric guitar when I was younger and failed miserably, at least with Guitar Hero I can play pretty decently. On a side note, try not to play Guitar Hero 2 in front of large amounts of people, like at a GameStop kiosk, you may think you’re good, but trust me you’re not.

Warlord’s expansion pack adds new civilizations, and new gameplay tactics to the already amazing game, Civilization IV. If you’ve never played a Civilization game before, basically you start an empire at the dawn of time and you take that empire through history while conquering others, and expanding. With Warlords you can take control of new civilizations like the Vikings and the Carthaginians. In addition you have the new military unit, the Warlord, they can lead your troops into battle or built military buildings in your cities. Warlords is great game and needs to be played by any Civilization fan.

Gears of War is the epitome of how a next generation first person shooter should be. The presentation of the game is near perfect with everything drawing you into the experience, especially the game’s amazing graphics. Although the single player campaign is only a little over 10 hours, you are never bored throughout that time. Every moment has something new or exciting coming at you. Not to mention that playing this game in co-op with a friend is a spectacular experience. I haven’t played Gears of War online that much, but from what I have played online is very, very fun.

“Epic.” If I had one word to describe this entire game that word would be enough. Zelda Twilight Princess is a game I have been waiting years for, long before the GameCube even came out. After I was disappointed with Majora’s Mask, I was waiting for a Zelda that would take the crown from Ocarina of Time. I’m happy to say that this game has done it. Twilight Princess takes everything that OOT did and improve upon it. Some things have been missing from previous Zelda games, but more has been added, including new items. The sheer size of Hyrule is also a testament to how amazing this game is. I went through this game in 35 hours my first time, but I am playing through it again and trying to embrace all it has to offer, and I’m a little over 45 hours. If I had to choose one game to play this entire year and nothing else, it would be The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.

It seems odd to consider a retro compilation set as one of the best games of 2006, but in this case I’m looking more at value over total quality. This collection of nearly thirty familiar Sega Genesis titles contains some great hits and a few duds, but considering that this set costs $20 and downloading the same games individually off of the Wii’s Virtual Console costs $8 each, it’s an outright steal to get such great titles as Ristar, Comix Zone, Sonic the Hedgehog, a handful of Phantasy Star titles, and a slew of developer interviews at such a comparatively low price.

The appeal of Clubhouse Games is so obvious that I’m surprised it took this long to be released. Boasting a bunch of traditional card and board games, this DS collection provides the kind of fun that doesn’t come from an epic storyline or high definition visuals. Carrying around games such as Solitare, Dominos, Blackjack, and Darts in one’s pocket turns out to be incredibly convenient (unexpected gaming opportunities spring up all the time in today’s modern world), and the online multiplayer mode means that there’s always someone out there with which to play. Seriously, this collection should have been a DS launch title considering the wide appeal behind it. Afternoons at the clubhouse have never been so enjoyable.

Meet Jill. She’s your average girl living in your average city who goes to your average school. Oh, and she’s also the leader of a gang of thieves and an ace dozer pilot. When rival thieving gang puts Jill’s dad in the hospital and steals her precious red diamond, Jill climbs into her custom drill dozer and screws off for revenge. It’s Drill Dozer for the Game Boy Advance from Nintendo and it’s a breath of fresh 2D gaming air. Aboard the drill dozer Jill has two high-powered drills at her disposal, allowing her to drill right through walls, small objects, air ducts, and rival thieves. In a time when the Game Boy Advance library is rapidly becoming loaded with ports of old games and cheaply-made budget titles based on childrens’ animation, Drill Dozer provides some great action with just the right amount of challenge (and did I mention it has a built-in rumble ability?).

You’d think by now that Tetris would have worn out its welcome considering that we’ve been playing (and buying) the same overall game for twenty years now, but this year’s DS version of the famous puzzler is worth the price of admission all over again. While the original game modes we’ve come to expect are included, it’s the additions of new game modes such as Touch, Puzzle, and Push that make this one a great value. Add in some online multiplayer and it’s hard to see how this rendition of Tetris could be much better. You know you love the retro Nintendo wrappings of classic sprites and game tunes surrounding the tetrad-spinning experience, too.

While it’s longevity is still a question mark, Konami’s new Wii title features some innovative gameplay with the Wii remote. The basic gaming gimmick – tearing rooms apart to capture little critters known as Elebits – offers those of us who grew up watching childrens’ game shows where kids trashed rooms in search of prizes a chance to finally live out those long repressed dreams of destruction. The game’s Edit Mode adds a little replay value for the creative folks out there, and being able to trade custom levels with friends via WiiConnect24 just makes things all the better. Here’s hoping Elebits is the start of another beloved gaming franchise. Goodness knows we need more quirky gameplay in the world.

A proper Yoshi’s Island revival was a fantastic surprise when it was announced back at E3 2006, and even though the game was being developed by Artoon under guidance from Nintendo (the last such collaboration gave us the dismal Yoshi Topsy-Turvy) I held out hope that the game would live up to the legacy of the original game. It manages to do so, thankfully, with long levels, a bunch of challenges, and familiar gameplay that should be a textbook example of the old adage “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. While the various boss encounters weren’t quite as amazing as past confrontations with Hookbill the Koopa or Raphael the Raven, Yoshi’s Island DS is still one of the best games of the year, as any game that delivers a solid 2D platforming adventure in today’s 3D world is okay by me.

You’d think that the Symphony of the Night formula established two gaming generations ago would have grown stale by now, but this year’s Castlevania outing for the DS continues to move the series forward. Although the co-op gameplay is a bit of a gimmick, it does provide for a few clever puzzles. Following up on the storyline of the Sega Genesis edition of the series, Bloodlines, Castlevania diehards will recognize some familiar details that link the two plots together. The fun really gets going after the game has been completed, as new play modes open up that add tons to the replay value (including a play mode that only uses the control pad and stylus). The online aspect is a bit hit-or-miss, but on the whole it’s hard not to enjoy this one.

This spiritual update to Nintendo’s Excitebike has taken a lot of flack for being “just a tech demo”, but spend some quality time with this offroad racer and the depth it has to offer becomes apparent. While racing to the finish line is an important priority, it’s more adventageous to pull off amazing stunts such as air flips and power drifts to earn points towards the important S ranking. The best aspect of Excite Truck has to be the soundtrack, mainly because the game supports plugging in one’s own MP3s to use as background music. Now I can turn off the generic guitar screeching and race in style to the best music the F-Zero series has to offer.

It took more than a decade, but Nintendo finally brought Mario back for a classic original 2D gaming adventure. Retaining most of the elements from the original Super Mario Bros., this latest incarnation plays like a dream. It just feels right to me, like slipping into a comfy pair of slippers at the end of a long day. The downside? It’s a bit on the short side. I was left wanting more, but then again I’d probably offer that critcism if the game were a fifty hour epic. Useless Fact: the game was released shortly after E3 2006, but since I was reviewing the game I had the final version to play during the expo when most people had to wait in line to play the demo kiosk. While waiting in line to play the Wii I pulled my DS out, put New Super Mario into multiplayer mode, and hopefully brightened a few days as random people in line jumped in for a little multiplayer of this anticipated title.

Was there any doubt? After years of hype and build-up one of the most anticipated Zelda adventures of all time finally made it into our homes in 2006, and the result is dynamite. There are plenty of people to go on about the fantastic control scheme, the epic storyline, and all of the amazing little details found in this version of Hyrule, so let me just say that sidekick Midna is the best new gaming character introduced last year. Her personality and characterization is spot-on. This girl acts like hero Link is just the sidekick tagging along on her own fantastic adventure. Forget about that Tingle RPG spin-off; Nintendo should give Midna a starring role sometime soon.

What else could I put at the top of this list, honestly? This is one to savor, right up there with chestnuts on an open fire. Rather than blowing through this game in a week-long marathon following its release, I held onto it and only completed the first dungeon up to about a week ago. Call me crazy, but after waiting several long years, I’m going to take my time with this one. Sometimes a game is just too much fun to squander, and we should appreciate when we’re lucky enough to see one. Have fun blasting through the storyline; I’ll be the bum at the Hylian Fishing Pond taking it all in.

It might take a Christmas Miracleâ„¢ to get my Jacksonville Jaguars into the playoffs at this point, but I can still enjoy Madden 2007 for the Wii. This was one of my favorite games at E3 this year for one simple
reason: the controls make sense. As a casual sports game fan, I’ve never been one for exploiting the more complicated features of previous Madden titles, but I just can’t help myself from rewriting routes on the fly just before the snap when the controls are this easy. Be careful, though: after falling in love with the Wii control scheme, I became virtually worthless when regressing to a GameCube pad for a match against some family members. Even if you’ve signed a blood-debt against Electronic Arts and you’re not a football fan in the least, you deserve giving this game a shot just so you can see how well all-platform titles can be adapted to the Wii’s control setup with a little effort and ingenuity.

My stories with this game sound just like everyone else: grandmothers, aunts, uncles and others all are falling in love with this game.
Truly, Wii Sports is bringing non-gaming family members together like never before – literally. Yet just because my reasons are unoriginal doesn’t mean it doesn’t make my list all the same. Wii Sports is a joyful experience in simplicity. Being a left-hander puts me at a disadvantage when it comes to bowling, but I find tennis to be a barrel of fun. It only sweetens the deal that it comes free with every Wii. When Zelda needs to be put away and Madden is too hardcore, Wii Sports fills the bill perfectly.

Though the next-gen home wars may have stolen all of the headlines this holiday season, many gamers find themselves most thankful for a little Nintendo DS game that almost slipped under the radar. Yoshi’s Island 2 is the sequel to the Super Nintendo classic we all loved in our younger years. With its hand-drawn style graphics and cute story elements, Yoshi’s first platforming adventure was well met with a sequel. Now on the DS, Yoshi’s Island 2 features a twist, adding baby Donkey Kong and baby Peach to the mix, along with some new powers and a more vertical, dual-screen level scheme. Yet the Yoshi’s Island magic is definitely there, and gamers should be joyful. This is one Christmas miracle that shouldn’t be overlooked.

“What?!” You know you’ve all done it. Waltzing down the aisles of your favorite store, you happen upon the semi-bargain rack. Not the one with the five dollar games worth every penny and not one more, but the ones that cost fifteen or twenty and are good games that just got passed by. This is one of those types of games for me. I needed a quick gaming fix and figured I’d try a golf game on a home console for the first time since the Sega Genesis. Though the commentary is often a bit cockeyed, the gameplay here is solid. In between Wii sessions, I’ve been having fun playing through a PGA Season just for the heck of it. Mock me if you want, but I’m having a fun time all the same.

To reiterate, this isn’t number six on my list because the five above are all “better”. This is the start of my “Most Wanted” section.
This game provided the same level of enjoyment at E3 as– daresay– Mario Galaxy did. While I’ve had some limited time since with the multiplayer aspect, I have kept far away from the single player campaign. If nothing else, Gears is a graphical masterpiece. While poking around on the Wii is fun, I want to put my HDTV and surround sound systems through their paces. I can think of no better game to inaugurate a new 360 than Gears of War. I look forward to an incredible experience shortly.

This is another one on the 360 Wish List. I’ve been a distant fan of the Rainbow Six franchise since its inception. I haven’t actually played the Rainbow Six titles to any large extent, I have simple had feelings of goodwill towards the series as a whole.
The main issue is that I used to always consider the Rainbow franchise one meant for the realm of PCs, while I am almost exclusively a console gamer. Therefore, my experience with tactical games in the Tom Clancy series is thin, but I have yet to be disappointed by other Clancy titles like Splinter Cell. Ubisoft has done a consistently good job with their Clancy games, and Vegas looks like it’s among the best of this already solid bunch. Lights and guns will be blazing shortly on the Vegas strip.

It’s about time the premiere skating series made its way to HD. I’m a sucker for these games. Part of what makes these games so fun is that the gameplay is complex while the learning curve is relatively low.
I’ve even been a fan of the last few “Underground” outings, considered by many others to be low points in the franchise’s history. The promise of more expansive levels, those cool slow-mo combos and some fun multiplayer action puts Project 8 on my list.

Oh yes, ladies and gentlemen. The Burger King game. Forgive me, but I think that the “Burger King” is one of the greatest marketing characters in years. I love the delightfully freaky mask and can’t wait for an equally delightfully subpar chance to get behind the mask.
It’s one of those games that is worth the four bucks for the novelty of it. Like so many C-list horror movies, Sneak King earns its place of stardom purely because it’s so…bad.

It’s a copout! Yes, I will gladly take the easy route out and leave the last open spot for “everything else”, and rightfully so. Some of the best games coming out this holiday season have names like Super Mario Bros. and Pac-Man. Okay, they’re not exactly hitting the gaming world for the first time, but there’s something to be said for classic gaming. In addition, the prospect of playing these old games in either 480P or HD glory brings a smile. Imagine with me, dear reader:
playing Mario without having to blow on the cartridge, seen through component-vision instead of that ratty old coaxial cable! Plus, it’s only five bucks, and you’ve only paid for the game on, oh, four or five different formats by now. Is it worth ponying up again? It doesn’t really matter; we will all the same.