Yahoo! Games: Best of 2006 Awards

• Best Action-Adventure Game
• Best Online Multiplayer Game
• Best Parlor Game
• Best Racing Game
• Best Role-Playing Game
• Best Shooter Game
• Best Sports Game
• Best Strategy Game
• Best Original Game
• Best Video Game of Year

• Best Casual Game
• Most Innovative Casual Game

WINNER:

Dead Rising

Capcom largely ignored boring old guns in favor of an altogether more creative weapon system: pick up just about anything in the game's shopping mall surroundings, and sling it at the nearest crowd of zombies. For extra kudos, do it while wearing a dress and a Megaman hat. And take pictures of the aftermath. Dead Rising offers almost limitless potential for creative mayhem.

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Editor Notes

With an innovative character progression system that demanded you play the game through time and again, and a limited (controversial) save mechanic that created real tension, you'll understand why this gets the Original Game gong: nobody's ever made a game quite like this before. --Mike Smith

The irony of this being the Best Original Game of 2006 is that it's pretty much the video game translation of George Romero's best work. It's been a long time coming, but someone finally appreciated what zombies are all about: a horde of shambling undead that will not stop, no matter how many you kill. I even liked the things many people hated about Dead Rising: the saved game system, the way the story advanced no matter what you did, the respawning, and even the cheesy backstory. When I get around to replaying my favorite games of 2006, this is at the top of the list. --Tom Chick

Get your torches and pitchforks ready: I did not really love Resident Evil 4. For me, Dead Rising is the best zombie game of all time, severed hands-down. I love the setting, for one thing. Who hasn't wanted to go homicidal in a mall? The diversity in zombies is a breath of fresh air, as you don't fight the same two undead dudes over and over. Dead Rising also has sandbox appeal, since you can forget about the mission and just slay for slaying's sake. An iffy save system and Otis' untimely phone calls can't keep me from being a happy shopper here. --Justin Leeper

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