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 Racing Game

NOMINEES:

Moto GP 2006 (Xbox 360)

Developer: THQ
Publisher: THQ

Once you put one of these bikes between your legs, you can't help but feel that cars are for wusses. After all, with only two wheels and a motorcycle's narrow design, it requires a lot more skill and patience to drive well. No game captures this better than Moto GP 2006. This series has continued to offer great graphics and realistic physics, and its first entry on Xbox 360 naturally ups the ante immensely.

Test Drive Unlimited (PS2, PSP, PS3, Xbox 360, PC)

Developer: Eden Studios
Publisher: Atari

Atari's Test Drive series has had so many ups and downs, it's enough to make you reach for an air-sickness bag. By pushing the ambition meter to 11, Test Drive Unlimited finally places the franchise in the ranks of the racing-game elite. Forget the open-ended mission structure, the picturesque vistas of Hawaii, or the photo-realistic cars. What turns the most heads is how Test Drive Unlimited integrates Xbox Live with its single-player game to make what can only be considered a motorized MMO. Human drivers inhabit the traffic, and can be raced against, traded with, or run off the road. All this comes at a price less than the majority of Xbox 360 games on the market.

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Toca Race Driver 3 (PS2, XBOX, PC)

Developer: Codemasters
Publisher: Codemasters

Codemasters can sure make racing games. The company behind such hits as Pro Race Driver and Colin McCrae has done it again. TOCA Race Driver 3 has more types of racing than any other game, and does justice to each driving style. With everything from monster trucks to F-1 racers, the game always keeps you guessing. No matter what type of vehicle you're behind the wheel of, you'll find great control, nice physics, and some of the best graphics Xbox can provide. Vehicles will even sustain crippling (and eye-pleasing) damage. TOCA Race Driver 3 also has a compelling storyline typing everything together. Don't overlook this sleek racing game.

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Excite Truck (Wii)

Developer: N/A
Publisher: Nintendo

This was the biggest (pleasant) surprise of the Wii launch, and with good reason. It shows guts by alluding to one of the most beloved titles on NES, then delivers with high-octane racing and some of the most intuitive use of Nintendo's new technology yet. You want speed? You got it. Tons of air? Sure enough. How about balanced game progression that will appease any skill-leveled driver? While that's not quite as exciting as the other two, it's no less important and is yet another area where Excite Truck shines like a coat of Turtle Wax. In fact, it's tough to find flaws in the game, period. While Zelda got the hype, this other Nintendo published launch game is no slouch, either.