Yahoo! Games: Best of 2006 Awards

We scrutinize all of last year's releases and hand out the Best of 2006 honors.

By YVG Staff

Best Video Game of Year

NOMINEES:

Bully (PS2)

Developer: Rockstar Vancouver
Publisher: Rockstar Games

How do you make a game about going to school? Like this: convincing characters, plenty of well-integrated minigames, and an imaginative set of missions. If you spent some time at Bullworth Academy last year, you'll know what we're talking about -- and if not, it's about time you went back to school. Bully was unmissable.

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Company of Heroes (PC)

Developer: Relic Entertainment
Publisher: THQ

Making a World War II real-time strategy game feel original and new is no mean feat. Luckily, Company of Heroes' creator Relic is no mean developer. Relic ditched the genre conventions of staid graphics and dumbass soldiers, replacing them with a gorgeous-yet-functional 3D battlefield and infantry that actually had brains. The result was one of the best games of the year. 'Nuff said.

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The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion (Xbox 360, PC, PS3)

Developer: Bethesda
Publisher: 2K Games

Who could fail to be enthralled with Oblivion's huge, gorgeous world, imposing detailed quests and Patrick Stewart voiceovers? Not us, that's for sure. It usually takes years for new consoles to acquire their first triple-A role-playing games, but Bethesda struck gold right away on the 360. If anything, it's even better on the PC, thanks to the huge variety of community-developed mods that add even more depth and content to this immense game.

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Gears of War (Xbox 360)

Developer: Epic Games
Publisher: Microsoft

Never underestimate the appeal of a chainsaw. Bursting onto the 360 back in November, Gears of War brought the vast expertise of first-person shooter pros Epic to the 360, and man, did it ever show. Tight design proved the game's hallmark, from the no-filler single player campaign to the perfectly balanced multiplayer modes and its masterpiece of an interface.

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Guitar Hero 2 (PS2)

Developer: RedOctane
Publisher: Activision

Managing to broaden its appeal for both veteran and novice players, the smash hit Guitar Hero came back in 2006 with an all new track list, genius cooperative two-player mode, and a few careful control tweaks. How could you not be impressed with a soundtrack that includes Guns n'Roses, Aerosmith, Primus, Anthrax and Black Sabbath? Guitar Hero II proved itself well able to live up to our expectations, and that's high praise indeed.

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The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii, GC)

Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo

To nobody's surprise, Twilight Princess proved to be the standout game of the Wii launch. Far from being a gimmick, the motion-sensitive controls integrate beautifully into the game, thankfully. No, there's little here that's really innovative or novel, but the story is told with such delicacy and panache that it doesn't need to break new ground. It's up there with the best Zelda games ever made, and there isn't much that's higher praise than that.

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Wii Sports

Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo

No other game this year touched Wii Sports' accessibility. Video game-hating grandmas the world over finally had the chance to thrash the kids at a game they could actually control. Here's the one game that really got the Wii in 2006 -- and although it was pricey, it came with a free console. You can't beat that for entertainment or value.