Discriminating Gamer

As promised, here’s part 2 of my best games of 2007 list. Read part 1 of the best games of 2007 here.

Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
Super Mario Sunshine was more of a vacation than its island theme indicated… Galaxy is the true spiritual successor to Super Mario 64, as it makes significant advances in the series while maintaining Mario’s classic sensibilities. This game brings back the wonder I recall taking flight for the first time as Raccoon Mario in Super Mario 3. The Wii-mote controls are fluid, intuitive and don’t feel even the least bit tacked on. What little story there is is typical Mario fare, but you don’t play Mario games for engrossing narrative.

Portal - The Orange Box (Xbox 360)
In a year chock full of name brand sequels and big budget mega-hits, quirky and diminutive (in size, not impact) Portal still managed to stand out from the crowd. It already has a legion of disciples dutifully spreading its dessert-related fallacy… and the truth revealed when the curtain is finally pulled back.

Half Life 2: Episode 2 - The Orange Box (Xbox 360)
Episode 2 eschews the first episode’s been there, gravity-gunned that dalliances in favor of more original, exciting sequences, none of which feel like plot-driving busy work. Hopefully I’m not giving away too much, but the vignette climaxes with a thrilling battle against an onslaught of Combine Striders, followed by the best-acted and most heartbreaking scene I’ve witnessed in my many years of video game playing. I can say without exaggeration that I was agape when all was said and done. Thank you, Valve, for pioneering the concept of tight, focused episodic game content and bringing the unbelievable Orange Box compilation to the console realm.

God of War II (PS2)
Read my full review of God of War II. The Cliff’s Notes version: the game is amazing.

Rock Band (Xbox 360)
Let me give you a case-in-point example of what makes Rock Band so great: Last week, an old college friend of my wife and her family were in town for a wedding. Word got around that we had Rock Band in the house, and I ended up mock rocking with my wife’s college friend’s husband’s brothers and cousins. Yeah. I was belting out Oasis and Metallica in front of people I had never met before and it wasn’t at all awkward. Plus, it was only the most recent in a series of Rock Band-centric gatherings I’ve hosted over the last six months. Sure, it has some interface issues and other minor annoyances, but Rock Band brings people together.

Honorable Mention (Which just means I’m pretty sure these games would be on the list, except I haven’t played them yet): Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Wii), Super Paper Mario (Wii) and The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (DS).