Voting for the Game of the Year

[Jetherik]

It is time once again to look back and figure out which game is GotY for each system and overall. Was Doom your favorite, or maybe it was King Kong. Though, games that are just coming out, it is hard to say if they are GotY if not enough people were able to play them. Click the poll for your favorite one, or add in a write in in the comments. The poll is just games that I have read a lot of posts on in Weekend Gamer.

Later on we will do each system by itself, and each category. This is just to get things started and see what comes up.

Oh yeah, and my game of year (puts fanboy costume on, turns up the theme music) - Gothic 2 Gold - Night of the Raven. Alright, I admit, I won't be playing this until Christmas so I guess it cannot count as my GotY, yet. :cool:

[TrackZero]

For my money, the most fun I've had is with Psychonauts, Republic Commando and/or Shadow of the Collossus.

(I consider World of Warcraft to be last years game.)

[TheKeck]

I hate how you have to submit a post before the poll associated with it can be created.

[Oddmaker]

COD2 is my goty!

[thecrazyd]

Psychonauts = GOTY.


Runners Up:

Shadow of the Collosus
FEAR

[Jetherik]

I didn't think the post would go up until after I did the poll. :o

[LiquidRain]

There's really so much missing on the list.... but Resident Evil 4? Don't forget it just because it came out in January!

[TheKeck]

Gonna have to say Battlefield 2

[Heretic Machine]

PS2: Hell if I know, haven't bought any games from this year.
XBOX: Hell if I know, haven't bought anything worth mentioning this year.
GC: ...Hell if I know, haven't bought anything from this year.
PC: w00t
360: Kameo
PSP: Don't own one.
GBA: Haven't bought any of the games from this year.
DS: Kirby's Canvas Curse
Overall: ...Kameo, I guess.

It's strange... it seems like every game I've bought this year has been bad, or from another year. Oh well, that's fine, I saved lots of money buying used and Greatest Hits games. Seems like there hasn't been a whole lot that has came out this year that interested me, or that didn't turn out to suck. What a mediocre year...

[TrackZero]

DS: Kirby's Canvas Curse


The leading DS titles really should be Meteos and Castlevania. I've clocked in 40+ hours in both of those without even noticing.

[Jetherik]

There's really so much missing on the list.... but Resident Evil 4? Don't forget it just because it came out in January!
Your right LiquidRain - you prodded my memory that there was a lot of talk on it.

[dead]

hmm, not much of a goty list. COD2, the best of a bad lot

[thecrazyd]

Oi! Put Psychonauts on the damned list!

[Heretic Machine]

Oh... Resident Evil 4 came out this year? That gets GOTY then, hands down. I thought it came out last Fall for some reason.

[LilAbner]

Here's my GoTYs...bear in mind they're only the games I've played, of course:

Xbox: Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory|Runner-up: HL 2
PS2: Um, can I do GTA SA again? Otherwise a horrible year for the weakest system.
GameCube: RE4, hands down. No runner-up.
PC: Battlefield 2|Runner-up: The Movies
PSP: GTA: LCS|Runner-up: MLB
DS: Mario Kart DS|Runner-up: Advance Wars Dual Strike
360: Don't own one

System of the year: DS. I was DS' biggest critic when it launched last year, but in the past few months we've really seen some AAA titles hit this system, and now it's online. Nintendo's WiFi Connection is totally lagless....Nintendo may be years behind the curve, but when they finally get around to doing something they do it right.

Runner-up System of the Year: PSP. The year of the handhelds....taking a crap has never been this much fun. With a jaw-dropping screen, a slew of great games and a bunch of other functions, this may well be 2006's system of the year. We'll see.

[yellowoystercult]

I'm bummed I don't see Shadow of the Colossus on that list. It'd get my vote in a heartbeat.

Adored RE4 and Guitar Hero, though. I think I'll give my voting love to RE4.

[Leaving Hope]

Would you mind adding an "s" to Guild War. =)

[jacktion]

I voted Resident Evil 4, but Shadow of the Colossus was really amazing! It should definitely be in the running over some of those others listed.

Actually, after further review, what is up with this list? There are some horrible games on there. This is not a GOTY list.

[Draft]

Resident Evil 4.

[Edwin]

Why is this article even approved? The end of the year isn't here and not all games have been released.

Why isn't God of War on this poll? How about Ninja Gaiden Black? As much as I didn't like it GTA:SA still qualifies. Forza? Mario Kart DS? Shadow of the Colossus?

In other words, no thought was put into this article.

[thecrazyd]

Why is this article even approved? The end of the year isn't here and not all games have been released.
Cause Jetherik is a red name. The list sucks, though.

[Murtaug]

I have played none of the titles on that list.

I really have no pick for Game of the Year either. The biggest release I can think of, that I actually own and have played is Doom 3 for the Xbox, and I became bored with that about half way through and have not gone back to it since. Was Gran Turismo 4, Forza.. great racers on their respective systems. Chaos Theory was a blast.. other then that, notta. Everything else I've bought were older titles.

[Edwin]

I don't give a damn what color his name is, this article/story is bunk.

[TrackZero]

Why is this article even approved? The end of the year isn't here and not all games have been released.

Why isn't God of War on this poll? How about Ninja Gaiden Black? As much as I didn't like it GTA:SA still qualifies. Forza? Mario Kart DS? Shadow of the Colossus?

In other words, no thought was put into this article.

Great choices, they should all be on the poll above.

[Last of the Red Hot Mamas]

I agree, this is fucked. The options should be:

1. Resident Evil 4
2. Resident Evil 4
3. Resident Evil 4
4. Resident Evil 4
5. Resident Evil 4
6. Resident Evil 4 (PS2 version)
7. Resident Evil 4
8. Resident Evil 4
9. Resident Evil 4
10. Resident Evil 4

The correct choice, of course, is number 7.

[TheKeck]

I don't give a damn what color his name is, this article/story is bunk.

Well, you asked why this post was approved. His red name means that he's an admin. That is, he approved the post himself. Get a clue.

[see colon]

i voted RE4, but i think a close second for me is lost in blue. the game is refreshing, and surprisingly just about everything i want in a survival RPG. except zombies. it could have used some zombies.

it's funny how some people are saying this was a bad year for games. not only did this year have some slick hardware launches (360, PSP, gizmondo... if you call that a launch), but this last year also had solid releases accross all platforms. even the ngage got it's killer app this year (roots).

[Jetherik]

The poll only supports a limited number of options. If I had a choice, the poll would have had lots of suggestions. The idea is to have a discussion started. And yes, there are a great many games missing. There will be more polls that will be put together.

[Klade]

Battlefield 2, since HL 2 was actually released in 2004.

[Heretic Machine]

How about Ninja Gaiden Black?

NOT A NEW GAME! NOT A NEW FUCKING GAME!

How the hell does this game keep getting brought out as a game of this year? It's a RE-RELEASE.

[screwtape]

Maybe once a week we can do a poll for one or two systems, then do a final GOTY poll based off the top one or two from each platform.

Based on the list above, I have to say RE4.

[*Legion*]

I was *this* close to voting Civ4, but then I saw Psychonauts on the list.

[Nite_Moogle]

F.E.A.R.? That'd probably get my vote even though World of Warcraft has truly dominated my year (check the xfire stats, ugh).

[LiquidRain]

A better way to have this constructed would be to have an "umbrella" topic on the front page that links to "Best Game of The Year" polls for each major system this year. When winners have been decided from each, assemble the winners from each system under one poll.

That'd be the most democratic way, in my humble opinion. Best? Maybe not, because more than one game from each system could be argue to be one of "the best", but I'll leave that up to you guys to discuss. :)

Looks like Resident Evil 4 is running away with the poll though. Well deserved, I might add.

[KNOTE]

Why is FEAR not in the poll?

[Major Scud]

Mario Kart DS for DS
Resident Evil 4 for Gamecube
Kameo for Xbox 360
Farcry instincts for Xbox
Dragon Quest VIII for PS2
F.E.A.R. for PC
and I dont own a PSP so I'm not voting there....

[Deadend]

Castlevania DS
Meteos
Resident Evil 4
God of War
FEAR

Wow, there are not many games I can think of that shattered my mind this year.

[MaiXu]

Psychonauts = GOTY.


Runners Up:

Shadow of the Collosus
FEAR

As much as I loved Psychonauts - the humor, the characters, the premise, the unqiue graphical style, and the inventive levels - it simply had too many ho-hum platformer elements for me. It was a great and wild ride while it lasted, but far too generic in many key gameplay elements to qualify as GotY.

[thecrazyd]

As much as I loved Psychonauts - the humor, the characters, the premise, the unqiue graphical style, and the inventive levels - it simply had too many ho-hum platformer elements for me. It was a great and wild ride while it lasted, but far too generic in many key gameplay elements to qualify as GotY.
I think it was the perfect meld of platforming and adventure. It was the last game that I played that was almost entirely without flaws. I was waiting for that game for four long years, and it exceeded my expectations. I cannot imagine another game coming close.

While the platforming was not the best I have played, it held its own very well. That was not the true strength of the game.

[Everlost_MI]

Actually I am anxious for the worst game of the year poll. Honest. I feel like David Letterman because I have a top ten list of games that just sucked.

Nope, not wanking just wee bit bitter.

Oh and I voted for RE4 as the game of the year in this poll. But those titles that came close were Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, Pirates!, Sacred Gold, GTA: LCS and Hulk: Ultimate Destruction.

[PIPBoy3000]

Psychonauts was one of the most original games that came out this year, an island in a sea of sequels. The crazy situations and humor were brilliant. It's a shame it didn't get the commercial success it deserved.

[DigitalFirefly]

I would have voted for Shadow of the Colossus had it been there.

[Heretic Machine]

Psychonauts was one of the most original games that came out this year, an island in a sea of sequels. The crazy situations and humor were brilliant. It's a shame it didn't get the commercial success it deserved.

If they had gotten the XBOX version onto the shelves in the big retail outlets, I probably would of gotten it. But every week I looked, and found that the XBOX version was the only one not on the shelves, and it just happend to be the version I wanted.

[thecrazyd]

If they had gotten the XBOX version onto the shelves in the big retail outlets, I probably would of gotten it. But every week I looked, and found that the XBOX version was the only one not on the shelves, and it just happend to be the version I wanted.
That's no excuse. You should be rushing out to get it now. Game of the Year.

[JudasGoat]

I agree. Psychonauts is absolutely brilliant. Still, I chose RE4.

[tehryu]

no love for warhammer? And we need to add an honorary mention or something because while no one in thier right mind would vote it GOTY, Lego Star Wars was a very nice peice of work. They are going to make another based on the original trilogy in case anyone cares.

4 way tie for goty DS: meteos, advanced wars, mario kart, and castlevania

GBA GOTY: no contest-- fire emblem

[thecrazyd]

I guess I am alone in the fact that my DS GOTY is Phoenix Wright. Worth the cost of the system. Now, let's see the sequels localized.

[Deadend]

I guess I am alone in the fact that my DS GOTY is Phoenix Wright. Worth the cost of the system. Now, let's see the sequels localized.

So, when everyone starts to agree that it's a race between Mario Kart and Castlevania, you will hop in and shout 'OBJECTION!'?

[nonchalance]

Man, I feel terrible. I've only played two games on the list.

[thecrazyd]

So, when everyone starts to agree that it's a race between Mario Kart and Castlevania, you will hop in and shout 'OBJECTION!'?
I hop around yelling "OBJECTION!" all the time anyway, so I doubt anyone would notice.

[Kelegacy]

I voted for Dragon Quest VIII, but that correct. Shadow of the Colossus should have been mentioned here. That is the REAL game of the year, by far. But here's the breakdown of what I've enjoyed:

Action: Resident Evil 4
Adventure: Shadow of the Colossus
Platformer: Psychonauts
RPG: Dragon Quest VIII
Racing: Burnout Revenge
Sports: MVP Baseball 2005

Overall: SotC

[bardockkun]

Man, why don't we just go with a Game of the Year and a DS game of the year since greater competition in that. Since i'll admit DS came out with some damn fine games this year (Phoenix Wright, Under the Knife, Castlevania, Meteos, Kirby, Mario & Luigi, Nintendogs, Mario Kart, and many others).

Since yah rather wide margin for the games and honestly is there going to be more games added to the survey or is it just going to stay as that?

[Zacharai]

I've been subscribed to Evil Avatar's rss feed for seven months, but this will be my first post. Surprising, considering how much of my work day goes into reading the posts.

I've only really been enthralled in two games this year, and there's plenty I haven't played. My vote is a tie between Lumines and Resident Evil 4.

Honorable mention has to go to Psychonauts and Civ 4. Many of the others, I haven't played. I just don't have the time anymore to focus on games like I used to.

[Rafer]

Gotta go with Shadow of the Colossus. F.E.A.R. and RE4 are looking good but I'm only 2/3rds of the way through both of them.

[Achilles]

Kameo wasn’t on there so I went with FEAR.

PS2: GoW
360: Kameo
GC: RE4
PC: FEAR
PSP: Lumines
DS: Nintendogs

[Genital Eclipse]

Here's the deal, if you voted for something other than I did then most likely you have roids the size of anything other than small berries. Thus, if you have something larger than berries, berries larger than the hemroids you have, then thus given hemroids lead you to believe you're an idiot.

I don't mean to break the news to you harder than this.

If you understand anything other than what i've said then you believe nothing more than what I said. If what I said means something to you then your votes on this thread mean something more than than the chimichanga I had at beso del sol.

If you're pondering any sort of fantastic, intellectual, absurd, level 13 reply to my comments then most likely you're just barely a quarter older than my left knuckle. Just to repeat how i feel: i hate you.

Does anyone else remember the time Achilles posted about how Kameo wasn't on the thread but FEAR was. Those are times I remember, prior to posts about my comment, prior to Heresyte and his ridiculous coments about Metoes, Meat Sticks, and Marios Karts. Does anyone else realize that three posts before mine someone named 'Rafer' posted and quite frankly no one cares?

Think about this:

(fill in that blank with my hatred)

If you've read this far then pull the cheetos out of your cracks. (Yes, there's multiple cracks, multiple folds, multiple meat stacks.)

To sum this up, i hate you.

Why even reply to this?

I voted for the DC mod I made which deleted all maps but Bocage day 3. No choppers, no planes, just straight up windmill snipers docking on your no turning abrams.

Words up to the 3 jager bombs bleeding through my lungs.

I hate you.

[Achilles]

You are one strange guy Genital Eclipse.

[Rirath]

Voted for Guild Wars myself, but Guitar Hero and Dragon Quest VIII were close.

[Xed]

Guild Wars for me. Psychonauts is awesome as well, would have almost gotten my vote.

Gothic 2 is still much better than both of them, but I couldn't possibly vote for it as game of the year (this year, that is), as I played it ages ago^^

[thecrazyd]

Genital Eclipse... all that shit... and you vote for fucking Guild Wars? A second rate MMO that is only played because it is fucking free?

[AversionFX]

Way too many games missing from that list.

[bobbler]

The simple fact that the only real choice isn't on the list means this poll is pointless (SotC). I don't care what kind of fanboy you are, or what planet you are from, SotC is the game of the year for anyone who has half a brain! That includes those influenced by AEG and pals.

With that said, Shadow of the Colossus for my game of the year... by miles.

RE4 was fun, but not worthy. God of War was also fun, but also not worthy. The rest of the games on that list I either haven't played (or gotten far enough into) or aren't even close to being worthy -- I still need to play Psychonauts.

[Pornstar_NL]

Meh, king kong, any system! :eek:

[RevXwise]

How the hell is guitar hero beating out battlefield 2?

[thecrazyd]

Well, personally, I have played alot more Guitar Hero then Battlefield 2, and would say it is a better game.

[TKO]

I'd say we can vote for Battlefield 2 when it's damn well completed. :)

My vote would be for Psychonauts. If we're splitting platforms: Psychonauts (PS2), Pirates! (XBox), GTA: SA (PC) (it was this year on the pc right? certainly it was the biggest chunk of my game-time this year), Nintendogs (DS), and I dunno if I would vote for anything for the PSP since aparantly it's not a games machine any more .. I hear Sony are concentrating on the more lucrative spyware market anyway. (burn!) :)

[AspectVoid]

The simple fact that the only real choice isn't on the list means this poll is pointless (SotC). I don't care what kind of fanboy you are, or what planet you are from, SotC is the game of the year for anyone who has half a brain! That includes those influenced by AEG and pals.

And if you have a full brain, you'll realize there really wasn't anything worthy of GotY this year. :D Every game had its faults, and if this was last year, none of these games would be in the running.

For me, what makes a game GotY worthy is when I've beaten the game, I say to myself, "Damn, that was great! I gotta start over right now!" There has been no game this year that did that for me. Out of all the games I bought that were released this year, I have not played any of them twice yet. For me, this has just been a down year.

[Rommel]

Can we vote for WoW? Seriously - this game ate my life and I didn't even like it at first!

[Spigot]

Wait... didn't the smart people at Spike already decide what the game of the year was? Silly EvAvers, voting on games that have already shipped and possibly been played...

But seriously folks...

Looking back this was a pretty great year for games. I don't know if I can choose one game over another, but my top 5 would probably be:

God of War (PS2)
Shadow Of The Colossus (PS2)
Dragon Quest VIII (PS2)
Freedom Force Vs. The Third Reich (PC)
Psychonauts (XBOX)

If WoW wasn't a 2004 game I'd vote for it too. Probably the game I've spent the most time with this year.

Sadly, I don't have a DS or I'm sure more of those titles would appear. Guitar Heroes seems amazing but I'd have a hard time sneaking in a giant guitar into the house past the ever vigilant eye of my wife.

Several of the other ones on the list are definately in my top 10 to top 15. I'd add The Movies too, but I'm not sure where it would fall as the game itself is kind of ok but the movie making tech is awesome.

[Spigot]

....

[Smoulders with generic rage]

I hate you.

Spigot backs away slowly and shuts the door...

[Spigot]

Actually I am anxious for the worst game of the year poll. Honest. I feel like David Letterman because I have a top ten list of games that just sucked.

You should put that list out, Everlost. I'd be very interested in who made it onto that list and why.

[Spigot]

And if you have a full brain, you'll realize there really wasn't anything worthy of GotY this year. :D Every game had its faults, and if this was last year, none of these games would be in the running.

For me, what makes a game GotY worthy is when I've beaten the game, I say to myself, "Damn, that was great! I gotta start over right now!" There has been no game this year that did that for me. Out of all the games I bought that were released this year, I have not played any of them twice yet. For me, this has just been a down year.

Did you not play Psychonauts, Shadow of the Colossus, God of War or RE4? By your standards of Game Of The Year, those 3 at the very least would pass the test (at least for me).

I don't tend to replay games, so for me it's more of a matter of how well a game has stuck in my brain despite my having finished it months ago. I can still remember aspects of SotC, Psychonauts and God Of War and I haven't played most of those since the spring.

[Spigot]

NOT A NEW GAME! NOT A NEW FUCKING GAME!

How the hell does this game keep getting brought out as a game of this year? It's a RE-RELEASE.

But it has easy mode... People can beat it now...

[AspectVoid]

Did you not play Psychonauts, Shadow of the Colossus, God of War or RE4? By your standards of Game Of The Year, those 3 at the very least would pass the test (at least for me).

I don't tend to replay games, so for me it's more of a matter of how well a game has stuck in my brain despite my having finished it months ago. I can still remember aspects of SotC, Psychonauts and God Of War and I haven't played most of those since the spring.


Yeah, I did, I played them all once and they had no appeal for me to go back to. All of them are sitting on my shelf with my other games, not being played. All of them had things that just didn't appeal to me, from control issues in RE4 (why the hell can't I move and fire?) to getting tired of doing the same thing (SotC where its find the magic spot and stab it).

Now that I think about it, Devil May Cry 3 came out this year, and I played through that 2 1/2 times, but given I forgot what year it was released in already, that pretty much tells you that its really not GotY worthy.

As for remembering aspects of games, I can remember most games I've played, so that doesn't really work for me. I haven't played Zelda: A Link to the Past in about 5 years, but I can still visualize where everything is and where to go in it (and I only beat it twice). I haven't play Wing Commander in almost a decade, but I still remember all the characters and quite a few of the missions.

[Fyd]

goty, resident evil 4.......

but shadow of colossus its great, really great game and god of war :)

[disc]

I see you're having a laugh.

Not actually including the game of the year in that list is pretty lame.

Shadow of the Colossus.

It's not even funny.

[NELS]

Resident Evil 4 without out a doubt, its best game in a few years.

[Kelegacy]

I see you're having a laugh.

Not actually including the game of the year in that list is pretty lame.

Shadow of the Colossus.

It's not even funny.

I'm glad Shadow of the Colossus hasn't suffered from the "good game sells bad" curse that Psychonauts had. I'm also happy to see I'm not in the minority for people who think this game deserves Game of the Year. It's a fantastic game...no, experience.

[EvilBob46]

PS2: Um, can I do GTA SA again? Otherwise a horrible year for the weakest system.


Quotes like this make me doubt whether a lot of people here even own PS2s. God of War, Shadow of the Colossus, Dragon Quest VIII...three radically different games and you must have been bound to like one of them.

If not, then you're entitled to your opinion of course. And you have my sincere condolences.

[H.Bogard]

PS2 - God of war
xbox - ninja gaiden black
gc - erm, dont play that system much, i`d say any mario game, they get a bunch of those every year
psp - all 70% rated games = failed sony, maybe burnout.
DS - dont have one never played one.
PC - FEAR
overall - FEAR goddamnit!

[Spoon]

I'm not playing one of those games, haha.
The movies, baby

[mulligan]

YES WE KNOW RESIDENT EVIL 4 KICKS ASS.. now stop reminding me that i haven't played it!!! and now that is out on PS2 i have no excuse, well .. maybe that im broke...

[Sloth]

Out of all of those FEAR is the only one I played and beat, so I had to vote for fear. I liked it, but not as much as Half Life 2. I played a bit of psychonauts and thought it was good but didn't play it all the way through. Guild Wars was meh, fun if you have friends who play but otherwise meh.

[TheKeck]

I didn't think the post would go up until after I did the poll. :o

Hey, I only mention it because it happens to me. I really do hate it. :)

[Kyle Jones]

As I didn't get a single one of the games on that list, I don't feel like I can vote! Odds are though my GOTY will be Animal Crossing Wild World. I have no doubt that I'll love it just as much or more than the gamecube version!

[The Iron Weasel]

Between RE4, BF2, F.E.A.R. and CoD2 for me.

RE4 was the most unique and reinvented a tired series to make it AWESOME once again, so I went with that.

[Onea]

Age of Empires 3!

Some jerk didn't put it on the list.

[thecrazyd]

RE4 was the most unique
You obviously have not played Psychonauts or Shadow of the Collosus.

*Edit* Hell, or Guitar Hero for that matter.

[EternalGamer]

Gamecube: RE4
Xbox: Oddworld: Stranger's Wraith
PS2: Guitar Heroes
DS: Meteos
Xbox 360: Kameo

Though I know it doesn't have a chance in hell at winning (both due to the fact that not many people have the system yet and to lame print reviews), Kameo is the game I have enjoyed the most this year.

Dan

[The Iron Weasel]

You obviously have not played Psychonauts or Shadow of the Collosus.

*Edit* Hell, or Guitar Hero for that matter.

No, actualy I havent. So I'm not going to vote for a game I didn't play.

[AbeLincoln]

I've enjoyed many of the games on that list. Unfortunately haven't played RE:4 but, nothing has reached down and touched my gamer soul as much as Psychonauts. I've never felt that good about a game so quickly. I remember just after watching the opening movie and running around a little I was in love, it felt so much like the games I grew up on without being one of them, made me feel like a kid again. That is why it has to get my vote and hopefully gets runner up.

[thecrazyd]

No, actualy I havent. So I'm not going to vote for a game I didn't play.
Well, here is your chance!

[danhoo]

So many good games on the list. Have to give my vote to RE4, but gotta say SotC would come in a close second for me. And Psychonauts was excellent, despite a few parts of "Meat Circus" that had me cursing.

[Crono]

Game of the Year for this year? Anyone who has played through the game entirely yet (or even half-way) would most likely agree its Dragon Quest 8. I hate the DBZ look of it, but it grew on me after awhile. The game is def GotY material.

[Draft]

So awesome to see RE4 stomping the guts out of those other crappy games, especially the Psychonauts. That game has more hideous characters collecting random shit than scavenger hunt day at the burn ward.

In videogames, as in life, the beautiful always win.

http://www.vgamers.de/screenshots/resi4/r100_08081525_000004.jpg

vs.

http://www.gameshout.com/xbox/psychonauts/images/psychonauts.jpg

[ÜberJumper]

I was going to vote BF2, but EA's been a bunch of fucknuts with the game's retarded browser, stupid patches and inablity to fix bugs.

I voted Dawn of War (I'm assuming that's the Winter Assault expansion pack, as the Original game was released in 2004).

SotC gets an honorable mention from me. But the game is so damn depressing.

[Carnisaur]

Wow, Psychonauts got second? That's why I love this site.

[Mason]

I love disagreeing with you, Draft.

I played Psychonauts without bothering to collect much of anything. You pick up some stuff when you're running right past it, and that's mostly all you need to complete the game. It's entirely optional to go all obsessive-compulsive over the collection, which is how it should be.

I haven't played RE4 so I can't compare the two, but Psychonauts was an exceptionally creative and fun game.

And Carnisaur, to be fair SotC wasn't on the list until recently, and it probably would've siphoned off a large number of the Psychonaut votes. Not sure which I would've gone with, had I had the option.

[Kelegacy]

I love disagreeing with you, Draft.

I played Psychonauts without bothering to collect much of anything. You pick up some stuff when you're running right past it, and that's mostly all you need to complete the game. It's entirely optional to go all obsessive-compulsive over the collection, which is how it should be.

I haven't played RE4 so I can't compare the two, but Psychonauts was an exceptionally creative and fun game.

And Carnisaur, to be fair SotC wasn't on the list until recently, and it probably would've siphoned off a large number of the Psychonaut votes. Not sure which I would've gone with, had I had the option.

Resident Evil 4 and Psychonauts are two totally different games, art styles (one's a macabre cartoon-like game and the other is "realistic" horror) so for Draft to be comparing the two is silly and ignorant. Both are great games, both are beautiful, and both deserve respect.

Shadow of the Colossus would have got my vote, so this poll is screwed up now. SotC would have got dozens more votes, but we early voters had to choose other games.

[agentgray]

I would have said RE4, but GW has gotten a LOT more time out of me.

[kizke]

My vote is definitely going five ways, for distinct reasons.

Psychonauts - because it's the first really good 3D platformer since Mario 64. Tim Schafer knows how to create really fun, unique, engrossing worlds, and it shines through really well in Psychonauts.

Shadow of the Colossus - perhaps the most important game released this year. It reminds us that in a world of myriad EA sequels and other crap, originality and art can be channeled through a video game.

Lumines - because it's transcendent. If you've ever put in a good amount of time with it, you know what I mean. There's a way in which the game grabs ahold of you, the music sucks you in, and you enter almost a zen state. Best puzzle game ever.

Battlefield 2 - because if you've ever played a game with friends on a LAN or on a good server with VoIP, it takes the whole idea of gaming to a whole new level. Chain of command? Squad tactics? At its heights, Battlefield 2 is the most fun you can have with your friends. There's a real feeling of exhilaration that is unmatched by anything else I've played. If only EA hadn't fucked up the patching and the interface and rushed out Special Forces too early...bastards.

And last, the game I finally gave the nudge to for Game of the Year:

Guitar Hero - Ever played Guitar Freaks? No? How about Dance Dance Revolution? No, you haven't? Ever played a guitar? No?

Perfect.

There's something really special about the universal appeal that Guitar Hero has. The entire feel of the game - from the wonderful guitar peripheral to the characters and the interface - exudes enjoyment.

Everyone's had a dream of being in a band, and for just a brief while you can feel like you really just nailed that solo on More Than a Feeling, and you're sure to get laid after the show by lots of hot fans.

This is the only game I've ever seen where everyone who sees it wants to try. All my friends - even those who vehemently oppose video games - have given it a shot and loved it. My mom, who hasn't played a single game since Tetris on the Gameboy, passed Iron Man on her first try. It was worth $70 alone to see my mom playing Black Sabbath.

The challenge in the game starts low and picks up over a long course to the point where you're playing some exceedingly complex parts. I just finished the game on Expert, and I'm still going back and trying to get five-star reviews on every song. The fun never dies out. For making something that brings people together and offers something truly unique, I commend Harmonix and RedOctane for making what I view is the greatest game of 2005.

[bobbler]

The poll really should be reset; a few were added since it's first incarnation. If we want any sort of reality based conclusion to be taken from this, that is.

It doesn't really matter though, I suppose.

[Druin]

Re4 sucks the nuts. Its slow, its bad, you cant strafe, it looks horrible. I mean its HORRIBLE. I am voting for lego starwars.

ps iron weasel sux

[The Iron Weasel]

Re4 sucks the nuts. Its slow, its bad, you cant strafe, it looks horrible. I mean its HORRIBLE. I am voting for lego starwars.

Thats my friend, hes stupid, don't listen to him.

[Manzy]

I think they should change it where you rank your top five. Probably get a better idea of which is the better game.

1. RE4
2. Shadow of the Colossus
3. Civilization 4
4. F.E.A.R
5. God of War

[Draft]

Resident Evil 4 and Psychonauts are two totally different games, art styles (one's a macabre cartoon-like game and the other is "realistic" horror) so for Draft to be comparing the two is silly and ignorant. Both are great games, both are beautiful, and both deserve respect.Isn't that the ENTIRE concept of "game of the year?" To compare games that came out in the same year? Isn't it? Huh?

I remain convinced that the number one reason Psychonauts failed is that the characters are genuinely hideous. As fun and creative as the levels and gameplay were, platformers live and die based on their appeal to kids. That's why Sonic, Mario, Spyro, Crash Bandicoot and even Bubsy the goddamn Bobcat are bright, cheery individuals awash in vibrant primary colors.

When the hero of your platformer is a digital Brian Peppers suffering from Rosacea and clad in a shit brown jumpsuit, you have a problem, and before you get angry, the sales figures back me up.

[kizke]

Isn't that the ENTIRE concept of "game of the year?" To compare games that came out in the same year? Isn't it? Huh?

I remain convinced that the number one reason Psychonauts failed is that the characters are genuinely hideous. As fun and creative as the levels and gameplay were, platformers live and die based on their appeal to kids. That's why Sonic, Mario, Spyro, Crash Bandicoot and even Bubsy the goddamn Bobcat are bright, cheery individuals awash in vibrant primary colors.

When the hero of your platformer is a digital Brian Peppers suffering from Rosacea and clad in a shit brown jumpsuit, you have a problem, and before you get angry, the sales figures back me up.

You can't honestly tell me the characters didn't have charm.

[thecrazyd]

And I would say the character designs are one of the game's greatest strengths.

[Kelegacy]

Isn't that the ENTIRE concept of "game of the year?" To compare games that came out in the same year? Isn't it? Huh?

I remain convinced that the number one reason Psychonauts failed is that the characters are genuinely hideous. As fun and creative as the levels and gameplay were, platformers live and die based on their appeal to kids. That's why Sonic, Mario, Spyro, Crash Bandicoot and even Bubsy the goddamn Bobcat are bright, cheery individuals awash in vibrant primary colors.

When the hero of your platformer is a digital Brian Peppers suffering from Rosacea and clad in a shit brown jumpsuit, you have a problem, and before you get angry, the sales figures back me up.

And sales figures speak volumes on human interests. That's why the Backstreet Boys and N'Sync have sold millions...they are two of the best bands EVER! Right?

The Psychonauts character designs are probably the best I've seen all year. They are supposed to be likeable AND semi-macabre. I've always said that Psychonauts would make an excellent Nicktoon, because it reminds me so much of shows like Invader Zim. Zim's characters are NOT attractive--and this is intentional--but they have so much charm that you can't help but like them.

Raz, his teachers, the enemies, his friends...they are all created with such dazzling heart that to call the designs ugly and insipid is, in a way, ignorant.

[Draft]

ignorant.Was that like the word of the day on your calender?

[danhoo]

When the hero of your platformer is a digital Brian Peppers suffering from Rosacea and clad in a shit brown jumpsuit, you have a problem, and before you get angry, the sales figures back me up.

Draft, that's a bit harsh (damn funny, but harsh). It's a platformer...the character designs are supposed to be quirky.

And I would argue that Psychonaut's poor sales numbers were more due to poor marketing by a second tier publisher (Majesco). I think I saw maybe one or two print ads for it, after I had already started seeing it on shelves.

[Draft]

Draft, that's a bit harsh (damn funny, but harsh). It's a platformer...the character designs are supposed to be quirky.They are supposed to be colorful and iconic. The importance of that can't be emphasized enough.

I read an interview once with Sony's head of Japanese localization. He's the man who's in charge of porting western developed titles to Japan. When he sat down with Ratchet and Clank, do you what he did? He gave Ratchet a pair of big, bushy eyebrows, specifically so that Japanese children would have an easy starting point when they sat down to draw him.

I like how Invader Zim is dredged up as an example of "macabre" art. Invader Zim is The Fairy Oddparents with just enough edge to end up on gothic highschool t-shirts. Psychonauts looks more like Salad Fingers than Invader Zim, and that's what kills its appeal for a lot of people, little kids especially.

As adults, we are able to look past an obvious visual shortcoming to find "inner value" (or at least we're supposed to.) Kids lack pretense. If you show them something ugly and something pretty, they're going to choose the pretty thing every time. That's why Sonic Adventure 2 sells a million copies.

[thecrazyd]

You are making the assumption that it was intended for children.

[Mason]

I remain convinced that the number one reason Psychonauts failed is that the characters are genuinely hideous.

Have you seen the cartoons that kids watch nowadays? Seem like the tikes are happy with the ugly. Of course, our generation watched Thundercats and now a bunch of them are furries, so visually unappealing cartoons might be for the best.

Commercial success and game quality are pretty independent, in my experience. Poor or inaccurate marketing (remember the PoP:SoT commercials with the DJ?), lack of well-known mainstream game reviews, and the simple fact that people are wary of new things can all keep the best of games from getting the sales numbers that they deserve.

RE4 came out of the blue. A (so I am told) great game, quite innovative, that's part of a pre-existing and well-known series? How often do you get that? SotC is the more usual pattern, a game that is great but not tied to any major franchise, no mainstream marketing, and thus reliant more on word-of-mouth than anything else. If SotC hadn't had years of ICO word-of-mouth going for it, how many do you think it would've sold?

And did you play all the way through Psychonauts?

[Kelegacy]

I like how Invader Zim is dredged up as an example of "macabre" art. Invader Zim is The Fairy Oddparents with just enough edge to end up on gothic highschool t-shirts. Psychonauts looks more like Salad Fingers than Invader Zim, and that's what kills its appeal for a lot of people, little kids especially.

You're kidding, right? Invader Zim is the brainchild of Jhonen Vasquez, a disturbing artist with a penchant for the bizarre. The episode where Zim was harvesting children's organs comes to mind, as it highlights the macabre sheen that Vasquez is known for.

Schafer's characters are not of a certain race; they all look different, with skin colors, head shapes, sizes, etc. Some look downright alien. But they are all children, despite their appearances. I can't think of a character in Psychonauts that I truly hated, from a design point of view.

And as thecrazyd said, this game is not necessarily for children. Children can enjoy it like any other platformer because of its great mechanics, but adults can appreciate the visuals and content even more. Kids would like the characters because they are silly, funny, and weird. Adults would enjoy the same things, but also be able to pick up on the obscure humor and jokes.

If Psychonauts was a shittier game, it would have sold better.

[Mason]

If Psychonauts was a shittier game, it would have sold better.

I don't know about that, but if it had been half as good and with a movie tie-in license, it would've sold like hotcakes.

Originality is a negative trait for games, when it comes to appealing to the mainstream. If people haven't heard of it before, and it isn't introduced with millions in marketing, it just won't sell.

[Achilles]

I think everyone who bought Psychonauts is on this forum.

I can see why the art style wouldn't appeal to mainstream folks (it doesn't appeal to me at all either), and when there are so many games to play, why take a chance on something that looks like something you might not like?

[bardockkun]

I feel tempted to vote for Star Wars Lego just because it has no votes.

[Heretic Machine]

The more angst you pack into a game, the better it sells. That's a fact. Psychonaughts didn't have the angst, and it didn't have an uber franchise to back it up, so it got screwed. It's really not a surprise.

If Kameo had came out anytime but at launch then to sell it Microsoft would of made it's advertising focus on either heavy sexuality or violence. That's what sells to kids. Your only hope of selling "cute" games to an American audience, without a huge franchise already built, is to get the adult crowd to buy it. That's why Animal Crossing, The Sims, Smash Bros, and many others are primairly being played by adults when it comes to America. Japan is entirely different, you can still sell a cute game to kids 9-14. When Chibi-Robo comes to America who do you think will buy it, kids or adults? I'll tell you right now, it'll be players 16+ because they will be the only ones that have a chance to not be worried about looking cool when they go to pick up a new game.

[Jaded Fool]

I'd love to say SotC, but i'll have to wait until the end of February next year to even consider buying it. I'd also love to say DQ VIII, but afaik that's not even coming out over here.

Other than that, I don't believe any of the others deserve GOTY. RE4 was gorgeous, and huge amounts of fun. But for some reason, I got bored as soon as I cleared the second town thing (the windy area, it's not far in). I loved the start of the game so much I played it about 6 times, but never got further.

[i aint yer pa]

Resident Evil 4 (Gamecube)

Case closed.

[Dr.Finger]

PS2: God of War
XBox: Unreal Championship 2
GC: Resident Evil 4
PC: Civilization 4
Multiplatform: Timesplitters-Future Perfect

Game of The Year: Resident Evil 4