Rapture may be the most fascinating setting I've ever encountered in any video game. A multifaroius, broken down, underwater Utopian city thickly entrenched in 1940s art-deco aesthetics is tough to top. This excellent setting is accompanied by a memorable campaign with great narrative elements and a smart gameplay system that allows well crafted combat situations to be manipulated by your plasmid abilities. It's one of the very few hyperbole releases where the overzealous critical and popular reception will mark a point of bright eyed nostalgia rather than a sense of aversion.

The pinnacle of rhythm games for me, GH2 is closest I've come to being obsessed with a game since the original THPS. I loved it so much I bought the 360 version after already owning it on the PS2, a golden rule I had to make an amendment for. The additional leaderboard and achievement support tipped it over the edge. While the genre hit an overwhelming crescendo by the end of the year between GH3 and RB, it has been GH2 that has stood out once the dust has settled. while it may not be able to boast the feature set of it's predecessors, GH2 stands as the quintessential trip down the highway of notes.

A game can commonly be broken into two halves: single player and multiplayer. However, when it comes to Halo 3 (and 2 before it), it is a foundation composed of hype and multiplayer. That's not to say that the campaign is bad, it's just not what I love about the game. Halo is hype. The pre-release giddy fanboyism seen across the net is as boisterous as that of a Zelda or MGS release, but there's unmatched marketing muscle to back it up, pushing the Halo series over the top for hype impact seen in the aughts. All the industry clamor in the years leading up to Halo 3 manifested into real world advertising within the month of release, as brilliant commercials and harmless Mountain Dew promotions cropped up. Once the game arrived, the deep impact was made, and the party finally dissipated as the rest of the legendary 2007 release calendar continued. What was left for me was the quintessential multiplayer FPS experience. In fact, remove FPS from that statement.

Kameo rocks. It may be short, but every moment in this well composed adventure is a joy to play. With a main character whose ability is to transform into different elemental warriors, the action and gameplay is varied throughout. The visuals were stellar for the time, though it is also a posterchild for the faults of overzealous light bloom. Kameo is Rare in perfect form in my opinion, and it provides an excellent type of adventure that the 360 library rarely delivers. I love Kameo.

I love Shadowrun and I'm not afraid to admit it. I understand that the misuse of an esteemed pen and paper license on top of a full priced multiplayer only release set it up for the lukewarm reception it received, but none of that bothered me. Shadowrun is a hell of a multiplayer FPS that wisely sets itself apart it the crowded genre. The motif of the game is the fight between magic and technology, but both need to be utilized by the player to succeed. Class and weapon selection shift performance variables, but its the selection of magic and tech abilities that may be purchased before each round and equipped on the fly that determine the victor. These abilities allow strategies to be planned and adjusted instinctively when calls for offensive and defensive aggression shift throughout the fight. It's this off the cuff, think and react edge embodied in a fun FPS model that champions Shadowrun in my book.

The other game I received along with PDZ for Xmas 06. Opposite story though, this one was actually liked by people, a lot of people. The opposites continue, as I really enjoyed the campaign and it's focus on the (Kill.Switch inspired) cover mechanics, launching a current gen trend that I totally got behind. The shooting was satisfying and the firefights were exciting, though there were some portions of the game that I really disliked. On the flip side, I hated the multiplayer, which was 80% concentrated nerd rage.

I think the first current gen game I played was the Kameo demo I tried at the old Fresh Pond Toys R Us after seeing Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire for a second time in theaters. However, PDZ does get the honor of being the first game I played for the 360 I received for Christmas in 2006. As someone who never played the original when it was huge, I came to the game with much gentler expectations. What I got out of it was a very fun multiplayer experience, and a not so hot campaign. I hold a nice place in my heart for PDZ though, perhaps amplified due to it's constant victimization.

I have borrowed this game from my friend for nearly three years now, which must mean that I officially own it. Condemned is a great change of pace from the usual first person fare. The combat is vicious. Firearms are scare, so more personal melee options are necessary to take down crazed hobos and demons. The atmosphere is terrific and the forensic touches are great additions. It's a well realized launch title and a modern cult classic in gaming. Also, one of my favorite box arts.

A consistent fan of the series from first playing the original THPS in May 2000 through receiving Underground for Christmas in 2003, my purchase of THUG 2 in October 2004 was a debilitating experience. My beloved series had finally jumped the shark for me with its shift to a tired skater hooliganism trope placed on top of a gameplay structure with little room left to grow after 5 years of annual entries. I took a hiatus from the series in 05 and 06, only to return for one final stand in January 2007 with THP8. THP8 was just what I needed, as it provided a return to form with a focus strictly on skateboarding and cranking out combos. With an open city to roam around in and an engine full of tricks and mechanics accumulated from seven years of iterations, I plugged hours upon hours into THP8 just skating and scoring. Looking at the direction the series has gone in with the succeeding two entries, I think I can safely say that THP8 will personally stand as a valiant farewell to a once remarkable series.

My first XBLA game. I've always had an interest in these types of tricky ball navigation games (Marble Madness, Super Monkey Ball). Weird expectations-flip with MBU though. The single player was fun and provided a ton of levels to play, but Switchball has a better idea of what I want from this type of game. However, it turned out that the online multiplayer was crazy fun, and very active for years, outlasting most retail releases. Go figure.

At some point in April 2007, I came down to the decision between between buying NBA 2K7 for the 360 or Burnout Dominator for the PS2. As a basketball fan, I really wanted a good NBA game, and I did enjoy NBA 2K2 for the Gamecube quite a bit, so why not go with 2K7? It was a fine game, but I grew extremely frustrated with a multiplayer rubberband system that would make NFL Blitz jealous. The bottom fell out after that. I should have went with Dominator,

I admire everything about Geometry Wars besides the part where I have to play it. It was the flagship XBLA title at launch and convinced us of the potential of digital downloads. It traveled against the current of the HD era's launch, flying the flag of well crafted simplicity in the face of multimillion dollar projects. The primitive visuals are glitzed up with neon colors and bombastic particle effects, creating a striking light show that affirms the beauty of gussied up retro. There's a hitch though. Geometry Wars is a twin stick shooter, and it turns out that I don't really like those...

Might be the most convenient release date I can recall. This free scrolling shooter provided a day's worth of fun, and that's all it needed to do. Coinciding with a botched launch of the Halo 3 beta, Aegis Wing was the hero of the day for many. I spent the entire day after school playing online co-op with my friend, beating the short game numerous times and racking up the achievements. By the next morning, Xbox Live had returned to equilibrium. Crackdown disks span, a glimpse of the future commenced, and Aegis Wing was laid to rest. It's fifteen minutes of fame had run its course, but that's a quarter hour longer than most XBLA releases.

I have had some experience with Bomberman in my younger years with Bomberman Hero for the N64 and Bomberman Generation for the Gamecube. They were decent action-adventure games that I spent far too much time with. I remember enjoying the classic Bomberman multiplayer in Generation, but I guess that part of me slipped over the five years between Generation and Live. I impulse bought Live thinking that online Bomberman would be my cup of tea, but I was damn wrong. It just doesn't do anything for me, and serves as one of my biggest purchase regrets.

I am an idiot. Who the hell purchases Tetris these days? Guess what, it's Tetris, I can confirm that. What a dumbass.

I do not like Hexic very much.

Yaris was free and it wasn't worth downloading. It has some goofy personality elements that are likable, but its just so dull to play. Yaris is really bad.