Best Of 2006.

Yeah, I'm lazy. What can I say? However, I wanted to make a best of 2006 list, and this is the best place to put it. My list is going to be broken down into multiple sections, and I'd list them ahead of time if I was even sure what they were all going to be. And....we're off!

Top 5 Video Games

To make things easier for me I'm only going to include games that I actually had the time to finish.

1. Gears Of War - Xbox 360

While my number one and two picks could virtually be a tie, I had to seperate them for the sake of this list, and I could probably change my mind on a whim. I gave it the nudge to number one because it has such high replay value in my mind. The campaign mode doesn't take too long to complete, and you instantly want to jump back in as soon as it ends.

2. The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess

I just finished it a couple days ago, and I can't even begin to imagine how much extra stuff I've skipped over. I haven't even gone fishing yet(aside from what's required to complete the story)!

3. Bleach DS: Souten ni Kakeru Unmei

I spent a ton of time playing it by myself, and that requires fairly addicting gameplay considering the genre. I'm eagerly awaiting the sequel's release in February.

4. New Super Mario Bros.

We finally got a new 2D Mario game, and it was a blast. It turned out to be pretty easy, but still incredibly fun. I also ended spending a ton of time with it as I tried to collect the big coins in each stage, though I ultimately gave up at the beginning of the sixth world.

5. Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence

The only reason this isn't higher on my list is because it's a technically not a new game, but a re-release with alterations and online play. This is the release the game originally deserved, but wasn't given to fans until early last year. Regardless, it was fantastic. The secondary camera is what the core game really needed, and it truly made the experience complete for me. Also, though I don't consider it when judging the game, the pre-order bonus for it was possibly the best ever, though Castlevania: Portrait Of Ruin's cluster of awesome freebies sure gives it a run.

Honorable Mentions:

Castlevania: Portrait Of Ruin

While it wasn't as good as 2005's Dawn Of Sorrow, PoR still managed to provide plenty of enjoyment, but in the end it didn't quite living up to everything I was hoping for. It had some uninspired bosses and repetitive level design(some of the later portrait's resembled earlier ones). To be fair, it also had some extremely cool boss fights that helped make up for the lackluster ones, and it did feature some really cool level design in certain areas. Also, I felt there was some trouble in the new, two-character system. Having to enter the main menu every time I wanted switch spells with Charlotte became a pretty big annoyance after a while, as it was something I found myself doing fairly often. I still had a lot of fun with the game, and I appreciate Iga and co. trying to keep things fresh by adding the separate level design element, but I prefer the open-ended, large environment found in previous titles(starting with SoTN).

Tetris DS

I don't think I ever need another version of Tetris. It has the classic gameplay along with several new modes, and features Wi-Fi play. It's become a pretty big time sink for me, and it's hard to get away from considering you can just take it with you for whenever you have a few free minutes.

Some other titles that I've really been enjoying, especially FFXII, weren't included because I'm not finished with them yet, as I stated earlier. I have a pretty good feel for FFXII so far, as I'm just about 30 hrs. in, but I'll reserve judgement for when I actually finish it.

So, onward to the rest of the list.

Top Movies

It's honestly pretty difficult to remember all the new movies I saw this year, so I'm bound to leave something out.

1. Casino Royale

I've been a fan of Bond films for longer than I can remember, so I'm generally pretty psyched everytime a new one is released. However, my interest waned somewhat after the lackluster Die Another Day. I thought Brosnan played a pretty good Bond, but the plot sucked, and the film was disappointing in most aspects. After Daniel Craig was announced as the next bond, and that the next film would be based on Ian Flemming's Casino Royale,(with some updating) my interest started perking again. Any hopes I had been harboring were completely blown away when it hit theaters. Not only was it a good film, but easily one of the best Bond films I'd ever seen. Daniel Craig is perfect for the role, bringing back a more rugged, yet sophisticated Bond.

2. V For Vendetta

While I haven't read the graphic novel,(though I did finally obtain a copy) V was movie brilliance. It had me on edge the entire time with it's great main cast, dialogue, and intriguing story. Hugo Weaving really caught viewer's attentions everytime he spoke, helping, along with the rest of the cast, to make a great comic-to-movie experience.

3. Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

I don't think I need to say too much here, as pretty much everyone saw it. It was pretty much what I was expecting,(though the story sure surprised) which isn't a bad thing at all. And anyone who saw it should understand why I'm really, really anticipating the sequel.

Top 10 Albums

1. Tyr - Ragnarok
2. Bal-Sagoth - The Cthonic Chronicles
3. Amon Amarth - With Oden On Our Side
4. Scar Symmetry - Pitch Black Progress
5. Dragonforce - Inhuman Rampage
6. The Faceless - Akeldama
7. Kalmah - The Black Waltz
8. Disarmonia Mundi - Mind Tricks
9. Diablo Swing Orchestra - The Butcher's Ballroom
10. Torchbearer - Warnaments

Honorable Mentions

Rhapsody Of Fire - Triumph Or Agony
Sleep Terror - Probing Tranquility

Up next are my picks for 2007.