CHRIS DAHLEN
1. and 2. Half-Life 2: Episode One and The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess
These weren't just stellar entries in classic franchises; they also delivered some of the year's most striking moments. Like the first time you drop into Zelda's dark, digital twilight world. Or giving yourself "Wii elbow" charging an orc on horseback. Or watching Half-Life 2's Alyx show a moment of exhausted despair before she bucks up and gets back to blowing the crap out of zombies.
3 and 4. Eets and DEFCON
Indie gaming ain't dead, you don't need a big budget to look great, and gameplay trumps everything. Eets is joyfully addictive, running players through a series of cartoony yet fiendish puzzles and expertly ratcheting up the difficulty. DEFCON delivers an easy-to-learn multiplayer war game, plus the chance to kill tens of millions of people in a thermonuclear war—injecting just enough moral queasiness to make it sophisticated beyond its budget.
5. Bully
Living up to its billing as a Grand Theft Auto for teens, Bully nails the pleasures of adolescent rebellion and playing hooky. The low-lethality weapons don't cut into the fun, and by the end, the game actually seems rather sweet. But don't tell the outraged critics who helped make it a bestseller.
6. Perplex City
One of the first alternate-reality games to nudge into the mainstream, Perplex City lures players with challenging (and collectible) puzzle cards, and holds them with a hokey but fast-moving story of murder and scandal that even reaches into live events. It's an engaging head-game for casual and obsessive players alike.
7. Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime
2006 saw several epic RPGs for the consoles. But the best handheld-sized saga was Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime. Rocket—a chipper, good-hearted slime from Boingburg—has to save the day after villainous birds destroy his town and kidnap its citizens. You get to conquer a rich, pun-plagued world, but the biggest reward is watching Boingburg come back to life, building by building and slime by slime.
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