Gaming websites left, right and centre are currently offering up their subjective ‘Best of 2006’ videogame summations, relaying extensive background along with review scores, site-specific opinion, and more. Wow. But then, who’s really got the time or the patience to read through the top 100 games of 2006, or even the top 50—especially when the listings are released daily in batches of 10?

If you’d rather just steal a glance—at that which you already know—and receive concrete gratification concerning the best 10, and 5 worst videogames of the year, then here’s how Lou Kesten of the Associated Press saw 2006 in the world of videogames:

"…no one person can play every game released in a year. But I played an awful lot of them, and here are my 10 favourites—along with the five that no gamer should be subjected to."


BEST OF 2006

1. Okami (Capcom, PlayStation 2): This utterly original adventure delivered a perfect blend of puzzles and action in a mesmerizing tale based on Japanese mythology. The gorgeous graphics, inspired by classic Japanese art, look like nothing else you’ve ever seen in a videogame.

2. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Bethesda Softworks, Xbox 360): Two hundred hours in and I still feel like I haven’t scratched the surface of this wide-ranging medieval role-playing adventure. With a compelling main story and hundreds of side missions, it’s the first must-have game of the 360 era.

3. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Nintendo, Wii, GameCube): The ‘Zelda’ is a satisfying combination of the familiar (clever weapons, diabolical dungeons) and the new (Link is now a werewolf!). We always anticipate great things from Zelda, but Twilight Princess delivers well beyond expectations.

4. Gears of War (Microsoft, Xbox 360): The second must-have for the 360 is Gears of War, a riotous shooter that pits a team of human grunts against an insectoid army. It’s gory, scary and thrilling, especially if you enjoy slicing up aliens with a chainsaw.

5. Xenosaga Episode III: Also Sprach Zarathustra (Namco, PlayStation 2): The finale of the ambitious (some say pretentious) Xenosaga trilogy tackles religion, philosophy, metaphysics and more topics you wouldn’t expect a game to address. It’s really fun if you don’t mind having your mind blown.

6. Wii Sports (Nintendo, Wii): Nintendo’s new Wii console has received a lot of attention from people who don’t normally play games. Wii Sports, which is packed with the system, is an effective demonstration of its motion-sensing remote, and I have yet to meet anyone who can resist playing once they see it in action.

7. New Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo, DS): The lovable plumber returns to his 2D roots in this side-scrolling running-and-jumping adventure. A blast for those of us who loved the original SMB, and a real challenge for just about any player, with dozens of levels and tons of secrets.

8. Final Fantasy XII (Square Enix, PlayStation 2): I’m not completely sold on the new real-time battle system introduced in this instalment, but it delivers everything—grandiose story, lavish graphics and generous gameplay—you expect from a Final Fantasy epic.

9. LocoRoco (Sony, PlayStation Portable): Jelly-like blobs ooze their way across colourful landscapes, splitting and recombining to get past obstacles. With its vibrant look and catchy soundtrack, it’s the year’s most endearing puzzle game

10. Resistance: Fall of Man (Sony, PlayStation 3): Ratchet & Clank creators Insomniac Games juice up the Second World War shooter with alien invaders and flamboyant weapons. The best of the PS3 launch titles.


WORST OF 2006

1. 25 to Life (Eidos, Xbox, PlayStation 2): The only way an urban gangsta can escape to a better life is by killing hundreds of cops. The goriest, most reprehensible of the street crime sagas trying to rip off Grand Theft Auto.

2. Torino 2006 (2K Sports, Xbox, PlayStation 2): Fifteen winter games, all made crushingly dull by this half-hearted attempt to cash in on Olympic fever. Designers, you have three years to create a decent curling simulation before the Vancouver games.

3. Jaws Unleashed (Majesco, Xbox, PlayStation 2): Glitchy graphics, unnecessarily complicated controls and stupid missions take all the fun out of swimming around and chomping on innocent humans.

4. Bomberman Act: Zero (Konami, Xbox 360): That misplaced colon in the title was indicative of this slipshod production, which turned a colourful, lively party game into a morbid, unplayable mess.

5. Superman Returns (Electronic Arts, Xbox 360, Xbox, PlayStation 2): The 1999 Superman 64 is often called the worst videogame ever. Superman Returns is a little—just a little—better.

And there you have it, or at least there you have Mr. Kesten’s viewpoint on 2006. GamerSquad will offer up its own before the close of the year.