Our most prestigious award goes to the single greatest game of the year--the game that moved us, impressed us, and entertained us like none other. Since we play and enjoy hundreds of games each year, almost needless to say, it isn't easy to settle on a winner--especially this year, in which there were any number of excellent games but very few that were universally appealing and basically flawless. Indeed, deliberations over this particular award lasted for hours and spanned days as each of GameSpot's editors brought his or her strongest arguments to bear, in favor of or against one candidate or another. The decision we finally arrived at initially took us by surprise, but we strongly believe that out of all these exceptional games, one does stand apart as the best of the best.

Logically, GameSpot's 2003 Game of the Year must be the single greatest from among the respective winners of our Platform Awards. Once again, they are:

Dark Cloud 2 (PS2) Publisher: SCEA Developer: Level 5 CHECK LATEST PRICES >> "Dark Cloud 2 could very well be the PlayStation 2's Zelda, and it will appeal to fans of the action RPG genre for a long time to come." - Brad Shoemaker, from GameSpot's Full Review

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GC) Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Nintendo CHECK LATEST PRICES >> "The Wind Waker is a strong achievement in every way, from its stunning graphical presentation to its tight control and interesting story line." - Jeff Gerstmann, from GameSpot's Full Review

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga (GBA) Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Nintendo CHECK LATEST PRICES >> "Mario and Luigi is a fun and engaging spin on the traditional action RPG experience that blends equal doses of impressive technology, innovation, and humor." - Ricardo Torres, from GameSpot's Full Review

Rise of Nations (PC) Publisher: Microsoft Developer: Big Huge Games CHECK LATEST PRICES >> "By combining some of the concepts of Civilization with the general gameplay of Age of Empires, Big Huge Games has created a truly outstanding game." - Elliott Chin, from GameSpot's Full Review

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (XBOX) Publisher: LucasArts Developer: BioWare CHECK LATEST PRICES >> "You don't need to be a fan of Star Wars or of RPGs to appreciate all the impressive qualities of this game--but if you are, all the better." - Greg Kasavin, from GameSpot's Full Review