Most Surprisingly Good Game

At GameSpot we make every effort to approach each new game without any preconceptions about its quality. But in some cases, games will sneak up on us by how good they are, which makes us realize that we weren't really expecting much from them, for one reason or another. Maybe the game seemed generic on first glance, or maybe the concept seemed too gimmicky. Regardless, these games turned out great. Here are the finalists for GameSpot's Most Surprisingly Good Game of 2003:

Def Jam Vendetta (GC, PS2)

Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Aki Corp.
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All the little hairs on the backs of our cynical necks stood up when we first heard about Def Jam: Vendetta, a wrestling game that would feature famous rap artists. Against all odds, it turned out to be one of the better wrestling games of the year, it did justice to its cast, and--as expected--it featured a pretty great sound track.

Metal Arms: Glitch in the System (XBOX, GC, PS2)

Publisher: VU Games
Developer: Swingin' Ape
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What looked like a straightforward shooter turned out to be an incredibly intense and very well put together game, featuring some of the best robot-on-robot violence we've ever seen.

Otogi: Myth of Demons (XBOX)

Publisher: Sega
Developer: From Software
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For years now, we've enjoyed quirky games from developer From Software, but its mystical action adventure game, Otogi, turned out to be exceptionally good.

The Simpsons: Hit & Run (PC, XBOX, GC, PS2)

Publisher: VU Games
Developer: Radical Entertainment
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We've learned not to expect too much from any game based on a licensed property--The Simpsons, chief among them. We liked the idea of a Grand Theft Auto clone with Simpsons characters, but Hit & Run succeeded at being a very fun game, not just a knockoff.

WarioWare Inc.: Mega MicroGame$ (GBA)

Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
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Nothing could have prepared us for the spectacular madness that is WarioWare. This diminutive game drew more wows from our editors than most any other game released this year.

And the Winner is...