1. Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (GBA): Highlighting the reason why Game Boy Advance was the best system this year, Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow proved that Symphony of the Night wasn’t a fluke. The game’s soul collecting-and the subsequent plethora of abilities-infuses the combat with so much variety that continues to evolve the way you play until the very end of the game. The solid characters add quality to the classically-simple Castlevania story. And the art and animation work with the music to create an aesthetic masterpiece.

2. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GC): Wind Waker faced a lot of early criticism concerning its visual style, but the first few moments of the game are substance enough to snuff out the most jaded remarks. Wind Waker artfully epitomizes adventure. The visual style only helps to underline every other aspect-huge overworld, colorful characters, and solid music-effectively capturing Miyamoto’s vision of Link’s quest. Wind Waker may not be perfect, but it’s damned close.

3. The Getaway (PS2): Call it a Grand Theft Auto clone and I’ll kill you. Sony Europe’s The Getaway combines excellent story-telling techniques with a decidedly consistent and immersive game world. Some may find the non-traditional gameplay elements distracting - The Getaway ditches all on-screen indicators in favor of more cryptic, but creative ways of directing the game. I think it’s all brilliant. A pumping soundtrack adds intensity to the already great driving and shootout scenes. Though the on-foot controls could definitely use a tweaking, the overall experience The Getaway gives outweighs all complaints.

4. Boktai: The Sun Is in Your Hand (GBA): Hideo Kojima hits Nintendo’s handheld hard with his pocket-size masterpiece, Boktai. The game apes brother Metal Gear Solid in more ways than one, but it doesn’t forfeit having a style of its own. Stealth-based gameplay, coupled with the unique sun sensor that’s less gimmicky than you might think, is at the heart of Boktai. A unique weapon system with upgrades fills out the package, making Boktai a must own for Metal Gear nuts.

5. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (Multi): While Angel of Darkness was busy stinking up the adventure genre, Prince of Persia gave merit to an almost abandoned "pure adventure" variety of games. Unique controls (ever walked on walls to clear a gap in the floor?) make the crazy acrobatics that define Prince of Persia a blast to play. The combat gets stale, but the focus here is definitely exploring the grand environments. And that’s what Prince of Persia does artfully.

Best Games of 2003 by Genre
• Action/Adventure: Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
• Fighter: Soul Calibur 2
• Racing: Colin McRae Rally 3
• Strategy: Fire Emblem
• Shooter: Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Tides of War
• Online: Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Tides of War

Odds & Ends
• Best Developer: Konami (Aria of Sorrow, Boktai, Zone of the Enders)
• Worst Developer: Rockstar (Midnight Club II, Manhunt)
• Worst Game of the Year: Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness (PS2)

Sqoon's Top 5 Games of 2003

1. Ape Escape 2 (PS2): It is everything any Ape Escape or platformer fan could with for: more of the same. No longer the gimmicky innovation it was back in 1999, we can now judge it for what it is: a zany and incredible, accessible, playable, sheer funable game.

2. Disgaea: Hour of Darkness (PS2): Now that I think about it, no one should've been surprised that this became a top game of the year contender. I mean, it was published by Atlus, it's a turn-based strategy-RPG, and had the best character design and art you'll ever see in a Gamestop. As the story, filled with a wicked sense of humour, unfolds over its dozen-plus episodes, this outrageously unpredictable farce is like playing an anime OVA and reminds why some of us started watching it in the first place (or, in my case, why we should get back into it).

3. Ikaruga (GC): Feels like this game has been around for longer than a few months (maybe that’s because of the fact that it was first released in 2001). Maybe the game mechanics are so simple, that it’s so easy to learn, know, and recognize (but the game can’t be pigeonholed that easily and proficiency is difficult). It feels like it’s be around for longer than a few months (maybe because it’s timeless).

4. Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (GC): One of those great cooperative games where everyone of any skill can come together and still have an absolute blast. Being forced into the same car with another person makes for some interesting races, to say the least. It’s like one of those mismatch buddy-action movies. You be De Niro, I’ll be Charles Grodin.

5. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GC): I suppose it’s only Nintendo that can make an absorbing sequel without really changing much of the game at all. The characters are all here, the gameplay remains largely intact, and the difficulty is still so low, it’s almost pandering. The seafaring aspect was spectacular, up until the point where they forced you to do it (everyone knows what I’m talking about). It was frustrating, yes, but God, wasn’t it beautiful along the way?

Best Games of 2003 by Genre
• Fighting: Soul Calibur 2
• Platformer: Wallace & Gromit in Project Zoo
• RPG: Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits
• Puzzle: Tall: Infinity
• Racing: Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
• Strategy: Disgaea: Hour of Darkness
• Shooter: Ikaruga

Odds & Ends
• Best Developer: I don’t think I’ve played enough to be able to make a serious, informed judgment. So this year, I decree: you’re all winners!
• Worst Developer: Except for you 3DO. I do a fancy dance step on your grave.
• Worst Game of the Year: Phix: The Adventure: If Super Magnetic Neo couldn’t do it, what made you think you could? Controlling a character that looks like an Ewok’s ugly cousin, this "magnetically charged' adventure is ruined by bad camera angles, unbalanced difficulty, and sounds effects that will make aliens want to destroy our planet when the sound waves reach them in a 1,000 years. Proof that even with a low budget price, that $10 could be better spent scrounging up for a punch to the mouth.
• Best Media Campaign: Enter the Matrix: Come on, it’s no contest. What other game has two movies as their promotional campaign? Sure, they weren’t any good, but it’s the thought and effort that counts, right?
• Worst Media Campaign: I like the Zelda games. I saw the commercial with the singing fat man in tights holding a sign for the GameCube collection. I hate the Zelda games.
• Overhyped Game of the Year: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
• Best Swag: I think I gave most of my E3 stuff away but if there’s something I have regrets letting go (or maybe I still have it; I don’t know), it was the Rockstar E3 catalog. Printed on real nice cardboard paper, it’s about the size of your outstretched hand. The cover, jacket, and back are completely white and the Rockstar logo on the front is just visible enough. I guess it’s a lot like the White Album but without a crappy B-side. There are over two dozen hip Rockstar stickers inside, so even though you’re probably a civilization-shunned deviant for playing their games, at least you gave up your soul in style.
• Biggest Gaming News Item: YS VI announced for America. A long dormant series in America makes a return from a company that was never associated with the games. Real left-field.
• Best use of a monkey: You know how Ape Escape 2 had a couple monkeys in them? They were really cool.
• Most Innovative: Prince of Pesia: The Sands of Time - Reverse time? Boss. For once, you’re not completely punished for incompetence and being clumsy; in fact, you’re rewarded with a fancy and expensive special effect as you fix it.

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