This list is much longer than I intended, but I do play a lot of games. I was supposed to have one list for everything that happened this year, music movies, games, websites, and so on. I have to do the other things later, though, so here’s the long games list. Let me know what you think of my picks, the full list is after the jump.

Downloadable Game of the Year

Band of Bugs (XBLA)
Band of Bugs is still my top-played Xbox Live Arcade game. I have really enjoyed Fire Emblem in the past, but it is a pretty heavy game. Band of Bugs is the perfect casual turn-based tactical game. It’s colourful and has wonderful variety, a great selection of multiplayer modes and a stellar level designer. Band of Bugs was also the first game to fully utilize the Gamescore policy and add an extra three Achievements with downloadable campaigns, which were also great.

Honourable Mention
Carcassone (XBLA), Super Metroid (VC)
Carcassone is the perfect port of a board game to a video game. Super Metroid finally getting re-released was also a great gaming experience for me, as now my Metroid collection is complete.

Downloadable Add-On of the Year

Crackdown “Free-For-All” and “Gettin’ Busy” packs (360)
If every developer looked at Crackdown for DLC ideas, the Marketplace would be a better, uh, place. I sunk another good 10 hours or so into Crackdown just because of these two packs. The ‘god mode,’ new vehicles and challenging Achievements for those of us who had already mastered the game was great. The pack was timed well, too: not too far from the game’s release that it didn’t have full effect, but not so far off that everyone had already permantly shelved it.

Honourable Mention
Band of Bugs’ “Red Kingdom,” “Ninja Sticks of Fury” campaigns (XBLA)
I don’t have many other options, not that Crackdown wouldn’t have gotten the award anyways. Band of Bugs’ two packs created a new single player experience as long as the initial one and added some fun, new units. Unfortunately no one was playing online anymore except the hardcores on the NinjaBee forums who kick my ass every time. Rock Band may have gotten an honourable mention, but as you’ll see I haven’t gotten my hands on it yet…

Handheld Game of the Year

Pokémon Diamond/Pearl (DS)
This is really “DS Game of the Year” since my brother only has sports games on his PSP. Also, I only bought three DS games this year, and one was Brain Age 2 for $20, and the free stylus gift set was a big incentive. I always felt like I missed something when Pokémon was popular since I wasn’t allowed to own a video game platform at that time, so I picked up Diamond to see what I missed. I missed a lot, apparently. Online battles were great and they’re about my only memorable experience on the DS this year, which is really sad.

Honourable Mention
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (DS)
I haven’t had enough time with this game, but what I’ve played so far is a lot of fun. I can’t say I love the touch screen sword fighting all the time, but the Animal Crossing-style movement is perfect.

Game of the Year

Uh…Not BioShock? (360)
As much as I’m an XBLA nut, I didn’t have much trouble making my picks for that slot. This year, though, there have been so many great retail games. BioShock is obviously getting hailed as most peoples’ GotY, which I think it deserves in most cases. It’s not my Game of the Year, though. The hacking and photo-shooting got a bit too tedious, and while the story was incredible, it peaked three quarters of the way through the game, so the ending having nothing to top that point was very disheartening for me. That still doesn’t answer what my choice is going to be. I know it’s not going to be a Wii game, so let’s try this first…

Nintendo Wii Game of the Year

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Wii)
Arguably the best in the Prime series, its only downfall was its easy difficulty. Retro Studios obviously took into account what people didn’t like with MP2:E and improved it, though, and it shows. Some were unhappy with the lack of multiplayer, but I was one of those guys arguing that Metroid is a single player game first, etc. so I had no problem with that.

Honourable Mention
Battalion Wars 2 (Wii)
With online multiplayer, naval units and an overall more balanced experience, Battalion Wars 2 is the perfect follow-up. I can’t wait to play this one some more.

Xbox 360 Game of the Year

Mass Effect (360)
I’m still not sure if I totally agree with my own pick, here. Mass Effect is an incredible game, though, and I don’t think any other game has really left me with any lasting impact quite like Mass Effect. It has a solid story, and I love science fiction and third person shooters. Yes, the menus are horrid, but the conversation system is perfect. It’s the best RPG I’ve played since Golden Sun: The Lost Age and I was overjoyed that Mass Effect was everything I was expecting.

Honourable Mention
Crackdown (360), The Orange Box (360)
These two games are amazing. Before I had Mass Effect or The Orange Box, I had no doubt that Crackdown would be my GotY. It’s Co-op, city, the Agility Orbs, everything is so fun. And The Orange Box is a wonderful collection and the best value on the 360. Seriously, if you have $60 and can only buy one game from 2007, it better be The Orange Box. Portal needs no more praise and Team Fortress 2 is one of the best online multiplayer games ever. I’ve also loved going through the Half-Life 2 series from beginning to (nearly) end. Assassin’s Creed deserves praise, too, being another solid sandbox game that is a lot of fun.

Gaming Surprises of 2007

• Mass Effect being as good as I had hoped.
• Xbox Live Arcade has a consistent lineup all year, and two titles a week becomes common.
• My 360 breaks before it even hits the one year since it was made, never mind one year since I opened it. Wait, that’s actually not all that surprising.
• It is December 31st and I still don’t have Rock Band because EA decided they’d rather have shortages in Canada than in the United States.
• Most gaming awards were given to the ‘right’ games. Halo 3 won little from the people that matter and story based games swept the awards. Harmonix throughly kicked Neversoft’s ass, as it should be.
• Weird mergers and company aquisitions occur. BioWare and Bizarre have been gobbled up, much to my dismay. Activision Blizzard forms and we see the full results of the Harmonix/Red Octane split, among others.
• Nintendo’s still the only developer making good Wii games, which can only happen every three months or so. BWii, MP3:C, Super Mario Galaxy are the only recent ones to dazzle.
• I barley used my DS in comparison to last year.
• I STILL DON’T HAVE ROCK BAND! Luckily I’ll have it on the 2nd or 3rd, so details then if I can pry myself away.

Gaming Anticipations of 2008

• Playing Rock Band a lot. I’m especially looking forward to jamming with friends locally as well as Faint and supremesonic (and anyone else who gets it…Sakurina?) from ABXY.
• Spore. I hope.
• The future of downloadable content. Maybe we’ll get to see an XNA game on XBLA this year.
• Getting to play all the games I missed from ‘07 at discount prices (I hope). I’m looking at you skate.
• My 360 not breaking, or at least breaking and getting replaced with a new one with an HDMI port.
• Having a reason to play the Wii, maybe.
• A lot of great games, some of which I probably have already knew about but forgot about.

There you have it, my “Best of Things That Aren’t Gaming from 2007″ may follow tomorrow. Happy New Year.

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