Runner Up: Metal Slug Anthology (Wii)
Best Xbox Live Arcade Game
Winner: UNO
Synopses: Christina Little
Not all of the games on the Xbox 360 have been too family friendly. When Xbox Live Marketplace started releasing arcade games to players, it was only a matter of time before some classic card games would be announced.
When UNO was released to the Marketplace, players bought the game right away and started playing. It was a chance to play a familiar game and talk to your friends and even some people who would become your friends.
UNO became so popular that when Xbox owners bought a gold membership for Xbox Live for a year, they even included UNO for free.
It's impossible to log into UNO and not find players in games. With the release of the Xbox Live Vision Camera, players not only have the chance to talk to people, but see them as well! UNO gives a chance to let the whole family play the Xbox 360, making it the Best Xbox Live Arcade Game for 2006.
Runner Up: Assault Heroes
Best PS Store Game
Winner: Blast Factor
Synopses: Ken Edwards
Starting Sony's download service out strong, in much the same way that Geometry Wars Retro Evolved did for the Xbox 360, Blast Factor is a challenging shooter with subtle SIXAXIS controls. Is it the next Geometry Wars as many had hoped? No. But that doesn't mean it isn't worth your time and money.
Runner Up: Lemmings
Best Virtual Console Game
Winner: Gunstar Heroes
Synopses: Andrew Ogier
Fourteen years hasn't aged this game one iota. Even by today's standards, Gunstar Heroes satiates the adrenal gland more than any game of it's genre.
It effectively takes everything that's exciting about Shoot 'Em Ups, removes the fluff, and throws it at the player in wave upon wave of immensely gratifying battles that make your hands sweat, while also adding strategy elements with its innovative weapon merging mechanics.
The beautiful 2-D graphics, awesome soundtrack, and fluid controls certainly help make Gunstar stand out, but what makes it stand out most for me is that the game is just as enjoyable and as much of a challenge in single player as it is with a friend.
Gunstar Heroes is a timeless classic, well worth 800 points, and is one of the greatest games on the Wii.
Runner Up: Super Castlevania IV
Best Innovation In a Game
Winner: Wii Remote
Synopses: Mark Buckingham
It's funny how an old or simplistic idea can feel so new and fresh when a different way of interacting with it is applied. Enter the Wii Remote. Where the other guys went the route of better graphics and more concurrent audio channels, Nintendo realized that improvements to the sights and sounds in a game will only get you so far.
Article comments
1 - Phillip Winn
I really enjoyed Sketchfighter on the Mac, but it really isn't in the same league as Civ 4. Decent picks overall.
2 - sunny
plz send me magazine of ps2 games plz plz plz