5. Super Mario Galaxy (Wii) - I'm the first to say that I've never been a fan of the 3D Mario games. I played Mario 64 and didn't like it, tried Mario Sunshine and hated it...but Galaxy is different. It is unique and charming. It plays like nothing I've really played before, but that is normal for a Wii game. My only problem is that it can be a little disorientating when first starting out, but after awhile you get used to it and a blasting through levels with ease. Not to say it's difficult, but it's just right that it doesn't get to challenging that it becomes frustrating. Easily the best Wii game this year.

4. Halo 3 (360) - Halo 3 may not have been as good as it was if it didn't have everything it had. If it would have just been the single player and multiplayer components, it would have been decent. The story "ends" with a satisfying conclusion, assuming you didn't see the Legendary ending that leaves it open for more. The multiplayer is fun, but not too much has changed. But the other parts are what make it a great game. The ability to save entire game sessions and then watch them and upload them to Bungie's website is awesome. And then there is the incredible Forge mode that lets you screw around with maps and do some fun stuff. I've spent hours playing with Forge with a friend and it was probably more fun then the rest of the game. Some of the stuff you can do is just funny, other stuff is just awesome. It could have been better, but with what we were given, it doesn't disappoint as much as Halo 2 did.

3. The Orange Box (PC) - Talk about a steal. Five games for only $50? The business people at Valve must have lost their minds. Sure, I already had Half Life 2 and Episode 1, but it was still a value. Episode 2 continues the great story and has some really intense moments. Team Fortress 2 is funny and a solid multiplayer game; oh and the graphical style is a must see. Then there's the golden nugget of the whole package...Portal. The way it plays is great and will make you think. The story is simple but great. But the humor in Portal is what makes it stand out above everything. It is truly funning and the ending credit song is too damn good to not listen to 20 times more. Even if you have played HL2 and Ep.1, you would be missing out so much by not playing Portal. Oh, and the cake is a lie.

2. Call of Duty 4 (PC) - Easily the best improved sequel in a long time. Call of Duty 2 sucked, plain and simple. Being in a clan that has been playing CoD2 for about 2 years makes it more apparent that it sucks. That's what makes CoD4 so great. It's different, it plays a hell of a lot better, and IW is actually trying with this game. The single player of CoD4 is worth playing for anyone, even if you will get nothing out of the multiplayer. The single player is the closest thing you'll get to playing a movie. It may be short, but the experience is awe inspiring. Some of the levels will stick with you for a long time. Just when the single player is winding down, you're left with a multiplayer experience that will keep you coming back. The maps aren't that big, and can be a little too cramped for 32 players, but they are still fun. Add on top of that the rank structure that will keep you playing even after you reach level 55 and tinkering with your custom classes; you have a multiplayer game that will have some legs to it. And the fact that there will be mapping/modding maps coming soon just makes the package so much sweeter.

1. Bioshock and Mass Effect (360) - To give my number one game to just one game was impossible this year. Both Bioshock and Mass Effect were games that just had me so engrossed in them and brought me so much entertainment that I couldn't give one the honor over the other.

Bioshock is a game that is absolutely gorgeous when you see it, but when you play it really shines. The shooting experience is fun. It's not real challenging for the most part, but when you try to take down a Big Daddy, you'll be in for the fight of your life. But with only a single player game, what makes it so great. Well, the story is what makes it so great. There is so much to the story that you'll get what you want out of it. You can blow through the story and finish it for the sake of finishing it, or you can go out and find all of the diaries and learn about the rich back story. Some say the ending wasn't the greatest, but after saving all of the little sisters, I was happy with what they ended it with. It made me happy that I wasn't able to get myself to harvest any of the little sisters. And after playing Bioshock, I commend the developers for not tacking on some multiplayer component just for the sake of having multiplayer.

Just when I though that Bioshock was going to be my number one game of the year, Mass Effect came out and showed me that Bioshock wasn't the only game that would prove so engrossing. The story of Mass Effect will keep you playing even if you don't enjoy the combat or can't get pass the obvious technical issues. But minor technical issues aside (well I found them minor) the combat is fun, but simple. You never feel like you have to level grind to make it through the game as there is just so much other stuff to do that you'll forget about the story for awhile. Then there is the story that makes you wonder what is going to happen next. There were things that happened in it that I didn't expect, and while the ending is somewhat of a cliffhanger it didn't bother me as they have to leave it open for the next game. But what makes this game so great is what made the original KOTOR so great, the dialogue. The good and bad responses are not as clear as before as some of the good responses can even get a harsh response from other characters. Then there are the decisions you have to make with these responses. The cold truth is that you are going to lose a crewmate whether you want to or not. You could even lose two if you want. But when you get to the big choice, it can be difficult if you used them a lot in your party. And to me that is what makes a good game; something that can give me a decision that can be difficult, but doesn't give me a clear answer of what the right choice is.

So while there were games that may have had good multiplayer or more features, my games of the year come down to the single player experience. Yes, multiplayer is great, but if you can give me a game that I'll remember even when I haven't played it in awhile you have made a truly good game. The only disappointing thing this year is that there are more games next year that may even top this list, which is hard to imagine. But that's what makes looking forward to 2008 so exciting.