1. Halo 3 (Xbox 360)
No contest here. One of the best first-person shooters ever made, “”Halo 3″” tops this year’s best games. The gameplay is so immersive that even months after its release players are still discovering new strategies and Easter-eggs. With the release of a new multiplayer map pack in December, most Halo addicts will be needing an intervention come January.
“”Halo 3″” is just one of those games that forces critics to start with “”perfect”” and work backwards. Correcting the gameplay issues of “”Halo 2″” and restoring the intrigue and depth to the plot from the first installment, “”Halo 3″” does something other gaming series can’t and brings about a well-rounded conclusion to the “”Halo”” saga.
2. Rock Band (Xbox 360, PS3, PS2)
Rocking out in your living room with a toy guitar, color-coded drum-pads and microphone was never so much fun. “”Rock Band”” allows you to mold your own rock star, form a band and tour the globe. Don’t be surprised if your video game persona spills over into the real world and you start giving teachers the finger and hucking burritos at passing cop cars.
This is the ultimate multiplayer game. Get a group of friends together and you will be hooked for hours. Customize outfits, challenge other bands and buy new instruments, and when your singer botches the lyrics to the “”Blitzkrieg Bop,”” don’t be afraid to blow all his cash getting his character striped zebra pants with rainbow frills.
3. Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
If you haven’t bought a Super Mario game in the past few years it might be time to take another look at Nintendo’s flagship series. Somehow Shigeru Miyamoto, the genius behind Mario, Donkey Kong and Zelda, has topped himself and created one of the most innovative platformers to date.
In “”Super Mario Galaxy”” players blast from tiny planet to tiny planet, trekking around the spheres right side-up, upside-down and sideways. New additions include Mario’s ability to take the form of a ghost, throw on a bee suit to sting enemies and even become a spring, all while chasing magic stars. If you ever wanted to experience a LSD trip from the comfort of your couch, here’s your chance.
4. The Orange Box (PC, Xbox 360, PS3)
Valve doesn’t make that many games and when they do they take their sweet time, but the results are almost always phenomenal. “”The Orange Box”” however is more than just a game. The package contains the 2004 Game of the Year “”Half Life 2,”” its 2006 follow-up, “”Half Life 2: Episode One,”” the release of “”Half Life 2: Episode Two,”” the insanely entertaining puzzle-game “”Portal”” and multi-player shooter “”Team Fortress 2.””
Each of these games alone could challenge for a spot on the list and together make the best combo-pack released since “”Super Mario Bros.”” was bundled with “”Duck Hunt.””
Among the five games, players get to choose between the intricate plot of the “”Half Life”” series, the chaos of “”Team Fortress”” or have a change of pace with “”Portal.””
5. Mass Effect (Xbox 360)
For those of you who still think role-playing games are lame, you’re right -ÿbut there’s RPGs and then there’s “”Mass Effect.”” Developers BioWare have taken the genre and flipped it on its head using a dynamic dialogue system to give a cinematic quality to boring diatribes found in most RPGs.
The game allows users to create custom characters and throw them into an intricate sci-fi universe. The game was briefly banned in Singapore due to possible same-sex alien-on-human love scene if players choose to be a female character. Enjoy.