Connectivity might not have taken off the way Nintendo wanted, but at least we got this excellent game out of it. Four Swords took classic "Link to the Past" style gameplay and added multiplayer, as well as the most compelling use of connectivity to date. Rather than the traditional overworld of past Zelda titles, Four Swords simply allows players to pick a level and hop right into the action. Each level is essentially a race to get the most rupees, but there are standard Zelda puzzles scattered throughout. Most of these puzzles require all four Links to work together in some way, making the game a strange mix of cooperation and competition. Most of the action takes place on the TV screen, but when a player goes underground or into buildings, they’ll play on their GBA. While players can’t stray too far from one another, as everyone is restricted to one area until the group moves on, this limited solo exploration means snagging rupees and other goodies while your buddies are elsewhere. Let them handle that swarm of Octoroks; you’re too busy getting treasure. The music and sound are truly a nostalgic treat for Zelda fans. You’ll find remixed scores from pretty much every Zelda title, and the visuals are ripped straight from Link to the Past, albeit with some fancy Wind Waker special effects. The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords is one of the best multiplayer experiences on the Cube, so long as you and your friends all have GBAs. -Joe

Ok, before you get all up in arms and start asking why we labeled Sly 2 as our Best Platform Game even though Ratchet Clank 3 ranks higher, let's just say that we have a pretty strict definition of what is and what isn't a true platform game.

That being said, R&C 3 blew us all away by blasting both of its predecessors straight out of the water. How Insomniac is able to consistently improve this franchise is far beyond our comprehension, and as long as they keep doing it, we'll keep rewarding it.

By adding a surprisingly addicting and polished online multiplayer mode Insomniac really raised the bar on what we've come to expect from our fuzzy mascot games. Couple that with the best single-player mission in the series, and we can't imagine how this franchise can get any better. -John

It is a crime that Pikmin will never sell as well as it should. The original game was a stroke of pure Miyamoto genius and the sequel improves and improves some more. With a more in-depth control scheme and a lengthier playtime Pikmin 2 really has very little that can be faulted. It looks great, sounds great and most importantly plays great. It is obvious to see that EAD spent a lot of time into perfecting the Pikmin 2 formula and by listening to public and media criticism they have crafted a wondrous experience and a classic game. Adding a new character to the mix allowed for a great 2 player mode (although no co-op) and added flexibility in the single player game. The sheer amount of treasures to collect almost rival Super Smash Bros Melee and the underground cavern levels really help to flesh out the game and provide a nice change in pace. Pikmin 2 comes highly recommended indeed. -Phil

The GameCube might not be the best system for RPG fans, but it just so happens that one of best RPGs of the year is Cube exclusive. When Peach is captured, as was bound to happen, Mario sets out to rescue her – and just so happens to save the world at the same time. The villains are trying to open up The Thousand Year door, which contains a demon of immeasurable power. The storyline plays out as a race to grab the Crystal Stars, which serve as keys to the door. Along the way, Mario gets himself into a number of interesting and often humorous situations. He’ll team up with a salty sailor Bob-omb, a ditzy Goomba and a slew of other unique characters. Paper Mario doesn’t take itself very seriously, and that’s a large part of its charm. While the dialogue isn’t always laugh-out-loud funny, it would take a heart of stone to not crack a smile during the lengthy quest (especially if you take the time to talk to Luigi during the quest). The other highlight is the killer battle system that actually makes turn-based combat both strategic and fun. Every action requires some kind of skill based element, such as tapping a button just before the attack lands or aiming the arcing flight path of a bomb. It may not be all that different from the original Paper Mario, but it’s still loads of fun, and our choice for RPG of the year. -Joe

After the success of Grand Theft Auto III and Vice City, not many in the industry (including us) thought that Rockstar North would be able to pull it off again. After all, the free-form gameplay had cooled down in the media, and with countless development houses imitating the formula, the series really had no choice but to become stale. That is of course, unless Rockstar began opening some new doors.

They did.

San Andreas, while not completely fresh, has been reinvented and improved upon in every way, and has been expended well beyond our expectations. The game contains three massive cities, all with miles of wilderness between them; RPG elements that allows the player to see the results of how he/she plays the game; and offers the most rewarding experiences only to those who play through (if you stop playing the game before you're even out of the first city, you may not think the game is that special) to see it all.

If you own a PS2, you have no excuse not to at least try San Andreas for yourself. While other games last you a mere few hours, San Andreas is a game you can play for the next year, and never once tire of what you see and do. If you don't like the GTA formula, its doubtful that San Andreas will change your mind about the series. To everyone else though, the 100 hour gameplay is well worth the effort. -Brendon

I have to admit that I wasn’t that excited for Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. Very quickly the buzz surrounding the game was that there would be little different to this game and its prequel which really dampened the hype machine coming up to launch. I bought the game regardless and was pleasantly surprised to see how much improved it is. It looks stunning and there is a lot more going on with the geometry and texturing in this game. The overall design is vastly superior and Retro really managed to capture the essence of the Metroid games better than Prime. The gameplay design is far more polished this time around with more interesting levels and objectives than before and the difficulty level has been cranked up to 11. Add to that a simple yet addictive multiplayer and the interaction between the dark and light version of Aether and you have an epic adventure that will keep almost any gamer hooked for ages. Oh and for the record I don’t want a Dual Analog control for this game. I simply love the way that the two Metroid Prime games control. -Phil

Halo 2 has come and gone, and it was hard not to buy into at least some of the hype surrounding this title. While the single-player mode is slightly (okay, more than slightly) disappointing, no one can deny that the multiplayer game kicks all the ass, and just like in the first game, it's the multiplayer onslaught that is the real star of Halo 2.

At Team Fremont, we've got mixed emotions toward the matchmaking service. Some of us like it, some of us hate it. But what makes Halo 2 so special is that extra lick of polish that Bungie was known for since the first Halo: Tight, responsive controls, balanced multiplayer maps, and loads of different game modes to suit any style of play. Live play, while not flawless, is certainly of higher quality than many games released tailoring to online play. Offline splitscreen is just as addictive as its online counterpart, and the fluid gameplay spreads across all modes, making Halo 2 one of the year's best. -Brendon

In a year bombarded with - admittedly fantastic - sequels, one twenty dollar gem made us smile the most. Katamari Damacy didn't have the hype of Halo 2, the popularity of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, or the pedigree of Metroid Prime 2, but as far as we can tell, Namco's whacky surprise hit is pretty much the perfect video game.

The premise is absurdly simple: you, as the Prince, must roll a giant ball around (the Katamari) and collect different items so you can replace the stars in the sky that were destroyed by your father during a drunken rampage. As you progress, your once tiny ball that was only able to pick up thumbtacks and erasers, turns into a gigantic mass of elephants, cars, and eventually houses, ships, and clouds.

The fun doesn't stop there. The game's original soundtrack is easily the best in years, with crazy mambo, lounge, pop, and techno tunes, all incorporating the main Katamari Damacy theme song that you hear hummed at the beginning of the game. It's so good, in fact, that a few of us have imported the soundtrack and listen to it regularly.

And we would be remiss if we failed to mention the charm of the game's main characters, the silent Prince and the absurdly pompous King. The dialogue is whacky and distinctly Japanese in humor, providing endless laughs.

It's rare to have a game come along and be so fresh, original, charming, and captivating all at the same time. Katamari Damacy served as a reminder that in 2004, not everything was a carbon copy of 2003 and 2002, and for that it's more than deserving of our first Game of the Year Award.