JournalStar.com - Ground Zero Online

Best video games: 'Resident Evil 4' tops list
By AIMEE HATFIELD / Lincoln Journal Star
Thursday, Dec 29, 2005 - 09:13:34 pm CST

This was a great year for gamers. Two new systems were introduced (the PSP and the Xbox 360), and last year’s new system (the DS) picked up steam. Lots of great games were released in every genre, giving gamers plenty to do throughout the year.

I went through my reviews from the year and picked out the console games that received an A. Coincidentally, there were 10, making it a breeze to choose my top 10 list.

So, without further ado, here are my choices for the top 10 console games of 2005. Except for the gold, silver and bronze, they are in alphabetical order.

1. “Resident Evil 4,” by Capcom, for GameCube and Playstation 2, rated Mature, released in January (GC) and October (PS2). This won hands down; it was the only game I gave an A+. Everything about this horror-thriller, in both versions, screams perfection: interesting story, great controls, gorgeous graphics and, most importantly, it’s a heck of a lot of fun.

2. “God of War,” by Sony, for PlayStation 2, rated Mature, March. Kratos’ quest to kill a god easily wins second because I’d debated giving it the coveted A+. In the end, I didn’t because it’s a relatively straightforward action game. But it’s a near-perfect action game, with an entertaining story, beautiful visuals and sounds and a stellar combat system.

3. “Jade Empire,” by Microsoft, for Xbox, rated Mature, April. This beautiful role-playing game set in ancient China gives players the option of being good or evil and recruiting followers. An active combat system, lots of fighting styles and an engrossing storyline complete the package for the best Xbox game of the year.

4. “Call of Duty 2,” by Activision, for Xbox 360, rated Teen, November. You might be surprised a game on a brand-new system could crack the list, but “Call of Duty” is amazing, both in looks and in gameplay. Good luck trying to stop once you’ve started playing; the World War II missions are engrossing and addictive.

5. “Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King,” by Square Enix, for PlayStation 2, rated Teen, November. This game returns to more typical RPG elements for its battle system, but it’s so much more than that. The storyline is engaging, enemies are colorful (almost silly, even) and the world is vibrant. RPG fans would do well to check it out. Read my full review next week in Ground Zero.

6. “Forza Motorsport,” by Microsoft, for Xbox, rated Everyone, May. “Forza” answers the “Gran Turismo” series with a bang. Fans of simulation racing will enjoy taking the hundreds of real-life cars for a spin on dozens of tracks. Xbox Live makes it even better, with online races and a virtual car marketplace.

7. “Gran Turismo 4,” by Sony, for PlayStation 2, rated Everyone, February. This next step in the “Gran Turismo” behemoth doesn’t offer a lot in the way of new features, but it perfects what already was outstanding: great racing with hundreds of realistic-looking vehicles.

8. “Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones,” by Ubisoft, for PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, rated Mature, December. This is a thinking action game. It’s not as simple as running from point A to point B; you first have to make a death-defying leap onto that ledge, then cross that rope and climb that wall before you can get to the guy you must fight. And that’s what makes “Prince” so fun.

9. “Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory,” by Ubisoft, for PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, rated Mature, March. This game makes excellent use of the environment. As Sam Fisher, you must stick to the shadows, silently stalking your prey, and the game gives you so many ways to do it. It’s easily the best choice for stealthy gamers.

10. “Tekken 5,” by Namco, for PlayStation 2, rated Teen, February. The newest in this fighting series offers almost 30 of your favorite characters, gorgeous arenas, excellent controls and full versions of “Tekken,” “Tekken 2” and “Tekken 3.” It can’t get much better than this.

Runners-up: “Shadow of the Colossus,” “Psychonauts,” “Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition,” “Indigo Prophecy,” “Devil May Cry 3,” “Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance.”

But what’s good for handheld systems?

I didn’t include any handheld games in my top 10 list, so if you’re a gamer on the go, here are my picks for the five best handheld games of 2005.

Interestingly, three are for the Nintendo DS. So, at least for quality of games, I’m declaring the DS the handheld-system winner for the year.

1. “Advance Wars: Dual Strike,” by Nintendo, for Nintendo DS, rated Everyone, released in August.

2. “Mario Kart DS,” by Nintendo, for DS, rated Everyone, November.

3. “Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories,” by Nintendo, for PSP, rated Mature, October.

4. “The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap,” by Nintendo, for Game Boy Advance, rated Everyone, January.

5. “Nintendogs,” by Nintendo, for DS, rated Everyone, August.