Phoenix Down Under: The GOTD

Since approximately 10 years have passed since the last time anyone thought about this, let's sit back and take a look at what this decade has brought to the gaming world.

Here are my candidates for the Game of the Decade. You may be pleasantly surprised - or horribly disappointed.

2000: Perfect Dark

I remember when I was a young lad growing up, I played a shit-load of Perfect Dark. I loved that game. I loved the weapons, the graphics, the cheats, the multiplayer, co-op and counter-op missions. Also, that wacky floating computer. He was great.

Perfect Dark was basically GoldenEye if GoldenEye, in addition to being a game, was also The Hulk. Bigger, better, more angry, and green - the colour of quality assurance.

Pictured: Quality.

It improved vastly on all aspects of the game. Despite that, you'll still never hear quite as many people claim that it was a land-mark hit like GoldenEye.

Why was it awesome?

Because it provided an incomparable console FPS experience. It had many features and a cutting edge bot system for multiplayer that developers apparently still can't match today. You could also switch the heads around on various bodies. It was hilarious.

2001: Super Smash Bros. Melee

I remember when I was a young lad growing up, a friend of mine brought over his copy of Smash Bros. Melee for the Gamecube. I was already a huge fan of the original Nintendo 64 game, which I bought because Pikachu was on the cover.

This game was like that game. Only this game was better in every way. Everything had been improved on. I played as Ganondorf a lot, and even unlocked Mewtwo for my friend. Come to think of it, I probably stole that experience from him. Sorry Ryan.

Why was it awesome?

For one, you could make beloved Nintendo icons beat the shit out of Luigi.

Because fuck that guy.

The graphics were also vastly improved, as well as the stages. The Adventure mode and trophies were a nice touch too. You couldn't pay me to stop playing that game. I'd play for an hour, get bored and do something else, then come crawling back within the space of another hour.

2002: TimeSplitters 2

I remember when I was a young lad growing up, I needed things to shoot. I hadn't met my shooting things quota at the time, so I turned to this game. TimeSplitters 2 was developed by most of the guys that made GoldenEye and Perfect Dark after Rare sold their soul to Microsoft. I never played the first game (or the third one), but this was certainly my GOTY for 2002.

Why was it awesome:

I'm going to list the reasons why.

Multiplayer, great campaign, aliens, monkeys, multiplayer, controls, graphical style, multiplayer, cut-scenes, flame-throwers, bricks, robots, Elvis impersonators, MULTIPLAYER!

2003: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

I remember when I was a young lad growing up, (I'll stop this now) I loved Majora's Mask, and I loved Ocarina of Time... a little less, but Wind Waker blew my mind. I cannot say enough good things about this game. I'll try to cram them in though. Just for you.

The addition of this picture isn't necessary.

Why was it awesome?

It grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me until everything was hazy. Yet one thing was clear: this game was close to being the most amazing game ever. There were no real "Oh God, not this temple again" moments, and the charm of the graphics were new and exciting to me. There were numerous side-quests and stories too. Notable mentions go to Prince of Persia: Sands of Time and Beyond Good & Evil. I'd have included them if I didn't arbitrarily restrict myself to one game per year.

2004: Metroid Prime 2: Echoes

That's right. Snake Eater and Half Life 2 can kiss my shapely, toned butt. I didn't get to include a Metroid Prime game yet, so here it is. Despite probably being the least favourite in the Prime series, and being really notorious for those stupid dimensional puzzles, MP2 was still damn amazing.

Damn amazing.

Why was it awesome?

Great environments, awesome weapons, lore and enemies. It's Metroid! In 3D! Even though at this point it wasn't that amazing because the first game had already been released in 2002.

2005: Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance

My first encounter with a Fire Emblem game, meaning that its transition to 3D wasn't particularly amazing to me. What was amazing to me was how the fun the game was, and how many times I played it. So much so that the disc got scratched almost beyond repair. Luckily though, toothpaste is to game discs what duct tape is to your house.

Why was it awesome?

The writing didn't exactly jump out of the screen and punch me in the face, but the characters were extremely likable. From the mysterious Black Knight to the axe-wielding Greil and the badass and also mysterious Stefan, I enjoyed following their story, and damn did it piss me off when you were careless and one of them died (they don't come back).

It felt like you were commanding a rag-tag group of dumb-asses on a quest to save the word from a much larger enemy - and you were. Commanding your little variety of troops and leveling them up was satisfying. However, it wasn't satisfying when you fought tooth and nail through a level only to have one of your characters bite the dust at the end by way of a cheap-shot or something. If it was one of the weaklings (or uggos), well, I was willing to let it slide.

2006: Okami

I didn't play this game until much later, but it was one of the main reasons I purchased a PS2.

Why was it awesome?

The style was unique, the gameplay combined a number of puzzle-solving and RPG elements and the story was unique. It was also quite long. A notable mention also goes to Twilight Princess - haters be damned.

2007: Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Justice For All

If there's one series you'll often hear me bang on about, it's Phoenix Wright. I love games, but rarely do I love a series. Even rarer is it that I'll admire a bunch of characters. Although the games don't feature much replayability, they're damn well mind-blowing the first time around.

No objections here.

Why was it awesome?

Phoenix Wright not only incorporated a detective-like story and puzzle solving with awesome characters, but the humour is genius. If I could write jokes like that I'd probably die a happy man. Partly out of satisfaction with life, but also because my own jokes would be so damn funny. As I mentioned, the characters are all unique and have their own little quirks that make them interesting. There are basically no flat characters. It's not just this one though, the first and third games are equally amazing. If it wasn't for that Fire Emblem game, I'd have mentioned the series earlier.

2008: Grand Theft Auto IV + Expansions

I have sunk over 150 hours of my (admittedly worthless) time into Grand Theft Auto IV and its two expansions; they're marvelous. Although the original release was somewhat boring at times, The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony spiced things up and took the series back to its roots.

Why was it awesome?

The city was huge and made you feel like you were a part of just one story in a city chock full of them. The graphics contributed to this, and although there was the occasional texture pop, the city looked damn nice. The physics engine made running from the fuzz super fun. The Ballad of Gay Tony took the series back into the over-the-top realm where it belongs, including tanks and parachutes to mess around with.

2009: Uncharted 2

Uncharted 2 is an amazing display of how writing in a video game should be done. Not just because the characters are great, and quirky, but because you can tell it was written with the medium of a video game in mind. It utilises its genre and the fact that it's an interactive experience to tell a story and show some great characters. Some of the most amazing moments in video games come from this title.

Why was it awesome?

Amazing story mode and great developer support. But mostly, the train scene. Oh man.

2010: Red Dead Redemption

Some of the more eagle-eyed readers might say; "Steve, you fool! 2010 isn't over yet! How can you pick a game of the year already?" To which I would say yes, that's true, but I'm not waiting until the end of the year to write this - I already know my GotY. While it's true that I'm rather looking forward to Black Ops (like, a lot), I highly doubt it will take me for an emotional, immersive journey where I sympathise with the characters and their plights.

You know, that place wasn't as wild as they said it was.

Why was it awesome?

Pretty much all the reasons listed above. The environments of the US west and Mexico, the characterisation and plot. The variety of things to do and how it fun it was to jump onto trains from your horse. Not to mention the great multiplayer, with co-op and some nice DLC.

And the winner is...

Grand Theft Auto IV + its expansions. It wasn't one of those sleeper hits that's loved the internet over, but it was damn fun. So if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go steal some motor vehicles and helicopters while shooting at law enforcement. Then I might play some Grand Theft Auto IV.

ADDED BONUS:

Oh hi, welcome to this special section that I (Jason) thought would be neat to add. Being that we all have different opinions on games, I proposed we all put our own list up for viewing, sans the explanations (otherwise this would rival one of the longest posts on the blog that I wrote a long time ago). While no one else has bothered to do this yet... It'll just be my post thus far. Updates to come as they get listed.

Jason:
Let me preface this by saying I used Wikipedia's list of notable games, and I must've missed a few of my favorite games since I remembered a couple after finishing it... But I did my best to choose games that weren't just a favorite to me, but rather things that defined the genre in a special way and changed the industry. Even in the honorable mentions I didn't list some of my favorite games of the past decade. Keep in mind I am a very RPG centric type of video game player, as well... But I tried to keep my love of the genre to a minimum. So without further ado...

2000: Deus Ex (PC)
2001: Gran Turismo 3 (PS2)
2002: Metroid Prime (GC)
2003: Beyond Good and Evil (PS2, GC, XBOX)
2004: Tales of Symphonia (GC)
2005: Shadow of the Colossus (PS2)
2006: Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (PC, 360)
2007: The Witcher (PC)
2008: Persona 4 (PS2)
2009: Muramasa: The Demon Blade (Wii)
2010: 3D Dot Game Heroes (PS3)

Honorable Mention: Ico (2001) Katamari Damacy (2004) Psychonauts, killer7, God of War (2005) Rogue Galaxy (2007) Valkyria Chronicles, Metal Gear Solid 4 (2008)

Favorite Game of the Decade: Persona 4