Game of the Year awards are almost never consensus picks. Different gamers like different types of games. Here at Snackbar Games, we have a diverse staff of writers and editors, and between now and the end of the year, they’ll each be telling you, however they choose, about their top ten of ’08. We finish on Christmas Eve with our other new Canadian writer, Chris Lavigne.

In no particular order:

Order Up – With its plethora of terrible minigame collections and abysmal casual games, choosing a Wii game to play sometimes seems like a game of Russian roulette where the bullets-to-blanks ratio has been reversed. Taking a chance with Order Up was rewarded with a very addictive restaurant simulator that restored my faith in Wii kind.

Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People – The humour on Homestarrunner.com stimulates my funny glands like nothing else, so it’s no wonder Strong Bad’s episodic adventures provided some of my favourite gaming moments this year. I could have created my own Teen Girl Squad cartoons for hours. Oh wait, I did. READ MORE

Game of the Year awards are almost never consensus picks. Different gamers like different types of games. Here at Snackbar Games, we have a diverse staff of writers and editors, and between now and the end of the year, they’ll each be telling you, however they choose, about their top ten of ’08. Staff writer Paul Bishop’s short list might make Sony fanboys smile a bit.

Fortunately this year, I finally got an Xbox 360, so a lot of the games I loved this year were from previous years as I got caught up. Of the releases this year, I could only give this honor to 7 games. In no particular order, my top 7 are:

God of War: Chains of Olympus (PSP) – A perfect game for the PSP, which carries all of the action of the previous titles in a portable format.

Final Fantasy: Crisis Core (PSP) – Another beautiful game from beginning to end that is particularly more poignant for FFVII fans. Hours and hours of extra missions make this an ideal game for the RPG enthusiast on the go. Now they need to re-release FFVII on the PSP.

Metal Gear Solid IV (PS3) – Epic storytelling, with stunning graphics. This game sets the bar high for production and polish. READ MORE

Game of the Year awards are almost never consensus picks. Different gamers like different types of games. Here at Snackbar Games, we have a diverse staff of writers and editors, and between now and the end of the year, they’ll each be telling you, however they choose, about their top ten of ’08. Today, news editor Graham Russell typed this sentence instead of writing an intro.

I hope everyone is enjoying these looks into the staff and what they really enjoyed this year…personally, I’ve found them really insightful, and I hope you readers have found a kindred spirit among our crew. Anyway, on to my own list:

10. Soul Calibur IV (360/Bandai Namco)

I have no idea why I like this game so much. The production values aren’t great, the new characters are unbalanced, and I’m not a tournament-level fighter by any means. There’s just something about the character customization…and somehow I’m not pathetic at it. The HD upgrade was helpful with a game like this, and I’ll take Yoda over Vader for pure entertainment value.

9. Tetris Party (WiiWare/Hudson)

This was, to me, the most enjoyable WiiWare title this year. I’m not much into Mega Man, though I can respect the game and its nostalgia value. With Party, Hudson crammed in a bunch of modes at a tiny price, and a handful of them are truly special, like co-op and online multiplayer. Some are tacked on, but think of them like airline peanuts – you’re still getting where you need to go, but they’ve given you a little bonus to enjoy for a minute or two.

8. de Blob (Wii/THQ)

I may not rank this game #1 like Cone, but it had a magical quality. I’m a sucker for innovative concepts, slick menus and cool, original soundtracks, and this game had all three. For those who liked Katamari Damacy or Jet Set Radio, this is a must-buy. (Seriously, go now. I’ll wait.) It’s a bit clunky at times, but if the developers can get the green light for a sequel, a little more mechanical polish will do this game wonders.

READ MORE

Game of the Year awards are almost never consensus picks. Different gamers like different types of games. Here at Snackbar Games, we have a diverse staff of writers and editors, and between now and the end of the year, they’ll each be telling you, however they choose, about their top ten of ’08. We round out the first week with head honcho Chris Rasco’s top…9. Budget cuts?

9. Warrior’s Orochi 2

More of the same hack and slash action that KOEI has been putting out for years, but I just can’t get enough of it. The tweaks this year have kept me playing since it’s release. Since there isn’t really anything groundbreaking going on here, I couldn’t put it any higher on my list for 2008.

8. Wii Fit

Despite the quirky nature of many of the Wii titles, Wii Fit included, I really enjoy what Wii Fit is doing for gaming. It really delivers on the promise that the Wii is the truly interactive gaming system. Not to mention that it’s a true workout if you stick with it and do it for 20-30 minutes a day.

7. Boom Blox

If the kids didn’t get this for me for my birthday, I would have missed out on one of the years top titles. Boom Blox is one part carnival game, one part reverse Jenga, and one part frustration. What you end up with is a really entertaining game that I love playing with the kids. READ MORE