The surprise hit of 2004, Katamari Damacy, was Team Fremont’s first Game of the Year and we are pleased to see its follow-up grace this year’s list as well. Although there is almost nothing new in this title, save the multiplayer co-op and all new levels, the King of all Cosmos is back in all his intergalactic glory (sadly, without his space warrior package) and that has to count for something. The music is once again, a major highlight of the Katamari experience, but the real charm of this game hasn’t changed. It is still dripping with a bizarrely quirky personality and the delicious appeal of pick-up-and-play.

We Love Katamari and we know you do, too. Now, hurry up and tell the King how nice he looks in his purple velvet pants so that bitch of a Prince can get busy rolling up some rubber chickens, a pay toilet or two, and that quaint little sushi shop around the corner. Bonzai!
-Moe

I love Meteos. I play it at home, at work, and in my sleep. It’s one of those super addictive games that you get hooked on within 5 minutes and find hard to put down for several months. Being first truly great puzzler on the DS, Meteos seriously puts the new features presented by the console to great use without being gimmicky.

The great thing about this game is the sheer speed and sense of urgency, I don’t think I’ve ever come across a puzzler quite as hectic as this one. Meteos also has a really nice soundtrack that perfectly compliments the visual styling of the game and maintain the mad pace. The sound also plays a good part in letting you know what is going on and how you are doing which is a nifty touch. I think John hit the nail on the head in his review when he called it an action puzzle game - I certainly wouldn’t disagree. It’s a great addiction so if you haven’t already, please go and buy it.
-Phil

Tim Shafer is a creative genius.  Need we say more? Yes? Okay...

Just when we thought the genre was dead, Psychonauts took the tried and true platformer, feeds it some LSD, spins it around a few times, turns it on its head...you get the idea. The surreal, trippy atmosphere, hilarious dialogue, and distorted characters and environments all added up to not only the best platform game of the year, but possibly of the best platform game of the current generation. Yeah, that's what we said. Got a problem with it?
-John

Just about every gamer alive today has some sort of love in their hearts for the Mario Kart franchise. Easily the college dorm room game of choice, MK sets the gold standard to multiplayer racing. With the Cube version not quite living up to expectations in a few key areas, hopes were high for the DS version.

And deliver this game did. Many are calling it the best game in the franchise with some great new tracks hanging out with the best of the old. Adding the ability to play via Wi-Fi makes this a stand out for the seires. Being able to play anyone, anywhere on the go shows Nintendo's commitment to easy to use Wi-Fi. Easily being one of the most fun handheld games to play, it combines the easy to play style of past Kart games with the cutting edge technology of Wi-Fi in an easy to use package.

What's not to love?
-Hilden

While this entry in the series did step away from its horror roots, the less frightening Resident Evil 4 ends up being a far better game than its predessesors. Taking a more action-oriented approach to gameplay, it has taken survival horror away from the traditional camera angles and tank-style controls that have plagued it for so long. No matter what platform you play it on, Resident Evil 4 is an excellent game from start to finish. It will be very interesting to see where Capcom goes from here. 

- Joe

Simply put, Shadow of the Colossus is a masterpiece of interactive art. It's a downright beautiful experience, and the stark contrast between peacefully riding around the valley and doing battle with living mountains only makes the best parts more exciting. Truly, few other games offer as many "holy shit!" moments as this one. What other game has the player clinging to the back of a giant while he tries to knock you off? Like Ico before it, every gamer should give this one a try.
-Joe

This one wasn’t on my gaming radar I’ll happily admit. If it wasn’t for John bugging me every day I probably would never have even picked it up. Boy am I ever glad that I have such good friends… God of War grabbed me, drew me in and totally kicked my ass, immediately becoming one of my favorite games this gen.

This is the game that Castlevania should have been when it went 3D and I’m sure that Konami could learn a lot from GoW in the future. It’s a perfect mix of retro gaming blended with some refined controls and sublime visuals. The locations were nothing short of awesome and the action never let up. It has to be said that Kratos is one of the most bad-ass, angry and violent characters ever devised. One of the great things about GoW is that it has plenty of background story to explain why Kratos is the way he is and also help the player connect and understand him. In short, this is one hell of a game that has a classic old school feel yet has an epic plot and some of the best visuals achieved on the PS2.
-Phil

While being yet another puzzle game, Lumines manages to stand out from the mass of games in this tired genre. Not only helping launch Sony's PSP, Lumines manages to take the standard Tetris style falling block game and give it new life with the idea of music interaction. Great for on-the-go gameplay, Lumines took most of the PSP users by storm.

Those who like the ease of moving blocks around, and those that trip out on interactive music, all found a game they could love in Lumines. Add to that some killer WiFi gameplay and what's not to love? Easily the best launch title in the PSP lineup, Lumines also demonstrated just how easy connecting with your friends could be. It's a great game that brought a lot of new faces to the Sony handheld.
-Hilden

Dear Communists and Dick Cheney,

Please note: Although we have had our differences in the past, I stand before you as a proud American. It is with great pride that I report the successful completion of free and democratic elections at Team Fremont to determine our favorite video games of the year. And even though not all factions were delighted with the outcome, we have banded together to form a new alliance to pursue truth and justice. It is at this time and with reverent fervor that I announce I consider it my patriotic duty to present the Team Fremont 2005 Game of the Year!

Love,
Your Humble Comrade and Wire-Tapee, Moe

Imagine you were assigned the task to build Mt. Rushmore, but instead of granite, you chose Marshall amplifiers. When you consider the American love affair with the electric guitar coupled with some of the greatest “guitar” songs to grace our ever-bleeding ears and a painfully engaging interface (many thanks to Gibson for the license) you have one of the most entertaining games ever made for any console. North America was blown away this year, just in time for the holiday season, by a beautiful mix of content, gameplay, fun, and a pile of style otherwise known as Guitar Hero, by developer Harmonix and publisher Red Octane. Aside from claiming the title of “Most time I’ve spent on a game in 10 years”, Guitar Hero has managed to accomplish something few games have done, namely the crossing of consumer demographics to include gamers of all ages, but more importantly, those who have played few, if any, games in their life.

Nothing makes me happier than to see a palate of these things gradually disappear before my eyes as soccer moms, muscle heads, girly men, jocks, geeks, the school slut, and of course, metal heads the world over grab an oversized box and head to the checkout with a look of intense anticipation and tremendous satisfaction. We all know that when they arrive home, plug in their Holy electric axes and for the first time strum a green/yellow chord with little help from the whammy bar and the ass-kickin’, screen shaking, lighting inducing Star Power, that neither they nor anyone they know will ever remember the days they lived without rock. Because much like Pat Robertson, Bob Jones and W, you will be born again… Though not of spite, but rather the blessed and eternal gift of ROCK!!