GregHowley.com

If you've been reading this site for any length of time, you've probably grown ill while I spoke ad nauseum about which video games I most love. But it's been a while since the top 10 most fun games ever and Five must-play PS2 Games, so I figure it's okay if I pass out some genre awards here.

So for eight different genres of video game, I'm going to pick one as my personal favorite. A few will be no brainers, but some will be choices with which a lot of people will disagree. And I'm leaving out sports games and racing games, in which I have no interest.

Firstly, best Real-Time Strategy game. Probably the biggest no-brainer on this list. Starcraft. I recently replayed the original game, and at some point, if I ever get time, I'd like to replay Brood Wars. Starcraft's strongest suit is the perfect balance between its three races despite the fact that they are so very different. And Starcraft 2 promises to further differentiate the three races while maintaining that legendary balance. I can't wait.

Next, best first-person shooter. I know a lot of people are crazy over Halo, and I know Call of Duty and the WW2 shooters have gotten critical acclaim, but that's largely from people who enjoy playing multiplayer. I do not. Thus, my award for best first-person shooter ever goes to Half-Life 2 and its episodic sequels. The spellbinding dystopic future it presents you, the amazing graphics that hold up even years later, and some truly unforgettable characters put Half-Life 2 in a class all its own. This game has everything. Puzzles, vehicle driving, platform jumping beneath the scaffolding of a bridge while you're being attacked by flying alien vehicles, and of course, a town infested with zombies. I can't wait for episode two.

This brings us to the next category, best role-playing game. Lots of candidates here. I've never been a big enough fan of Final Fantasy games to put them in the running. And while I'm tempted to choose one of the Fallout games or perhaps Oblivion, I've got to give the win here to Baldurs Gate. The infinity engine remains the best role-playing game engine ever devised. Why? Largely in part because of the fact that since you're controlling up to six characters, you can play the game very strategically. Plus, it's got multiplayer support - my wife and I played all the way through Icewind Dale 2 together, each controlling three characters in the party. (Icewind Dale 2 is another Infinity Engine game)

Baldurs Gate has great characters, (yay Minsc!) great storylines, and a ton of replayability. One of its most brilliant devices is the real-time/turn-based hybrid it uses whereby you can pause the game at will and reissue commands. Lining up that lightning bolt perfectly or sneaking your thief up for a backstab never gets old.

Next up, best fighting game. Those who know me know that when it comes to fighting games, I'm a sucker for the 2-dimensional variety. I'll pass on the Tekkens, the Soul Caliburs, and the Dead or Alives. Give me the Samurai Showdowns, the Fatal Furies, the King of Fighters...es. But there's one game that's the undisputed king of all 2D fighters. Street Fighter 2. I grew up on this game. While in college and while working at Skooters in Bristol, I played this game in the arcades so much that I saw it in my sleep. I've even got the bigass controller at home so that I can play it and get the full arcade experience. Rarely have I met my match in Street Fighter 2. Although the computer in Super Street Fighter 2 turbo does still kick my ass. That game's just too fast.

Next we have the best adventure game, another category with many possible candidates. I know a lot of people will say Myst, Sam and Max, or Monkey Island, but I've never played any of those. And many of you will want to throttle me for not placing Grim Fandango in this slot, but it didn't appeal to me nearly as much as it seems to have appealed to everyone else. Similarly, Indigo Prophecy had quite a lot going for it, but the ending was just too anticlimactic. I've got to say that my all-time favorite adventure game is Maniac Mansion. Those old LucasArts games were fantastic - I'm still waiting for their release on the Nintendo DS, which would be the perfect platform. If you're in any doubt of the game's greatness, download the free PC version remake here. I replayed it a few years ago, and it's still fun!

The next genre is that of Rhythm game. Not a lot of options here, unless you want me to include Pa Rappa the Rapper. And to many, this would seem like an easy choice. But I've played Guitar Hero, and I sold it on EBay. Didn't do a lot for me. I'd much rather play Dance Dance Revolution.

DDR was a bit of a phenomenon amongst my old Lindy Hop friends. We'd have competitions, and while I certainly wasn't the best, I could get through Smoke on the Water on the Maniac setting, and I could bust it up on Afronova. I even had a friend bring me down to Chinatown in NYC to get my PS1 modded so I could play import copies with other versions of DDR. I've still got that modded PS1 somewhere - I should start playing DDR more - it's good exercise.

Best puzzle game is a tough category. Do you pick classics like Tetris and Dr. Mario or the current popular games like Puzzle Quest and Lumines? For me, I'd have to say the good old Super Nintendo Tetris Attack wins. It's got a lot of similarity to Planet Puzzle League, but somehow it had that je ne sais pas that just made it a fantastic game. Never having owned a SNES, I've only ever played it on an emulator, but when it shows up on Wii's virtual console, I'm all over it.

Lastly comes the category of best survival horror game, and I'm sure you know which game I'm about to pick. Really, there are only two options. And I'm not a big fan of Silent Hill. It's all about Resident Evil 2. Yes, I know that Resident Evil 4 was an amazing game, and I agree. But it wasn't survival horror - it was action. A 3rd person shooter. Resident Evil 1 was classic, and Resident Evil: Code Veronica X should have been given the "3" that the piece of crap they called "Resident Evil 3" got. But Resident Evil 2 was the best of 'em. That game scared the crap out of me. Only game that ever has. And since Clive Barker's Undying won't run on XP, it's likely the only game that will, unless Bioshock exceeds my expectations.

So that's my personal genre awards. Please comment with disagreements, as I'm sure there will be many.