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Top Ten Overall

 
GameSpot is pleased to bring you its first list of the top 10 video games of the year, culminating in the game that earned our single highest honor. For the sixth year in a row, we've doled out genre awards to the most deserving games in the different categories. But this year, we've also carefully compiled and ordered the following list of the year's top games. These games are not necessarily arranged in terms of the rating they earned in our reviews--they are arranged in terms of their overall impact, their overall success, and their overall achievement. These are the top games of the year, the games we will remember years from now. Now, without further ado, let's begin the countdown:

10. Super Smash Bros. Melee

 
 Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
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Super Smash Bros. Melee may quite possibly be the best party game to be released this year. The GameCube has brought us fast and furious, four-player fighting in the same addictive style as the N64 version, but with the addition of a number of classic Nintendo characters, and absolutely stunning graphics. In fact, when you consider the sheer amount of play modes, secrets, and extras packed into Melee, you may just find that you simply don't have enough time to witness everything the game has to offer. Super Smash Bros. Melee is simply a huge game that, while best enjoyed in the company of others, will also keep the lone, die-hard fan busy for a good, long while.

Super Smash Bros. has always been about extremely fast-paced multiplayer fighting, and Melee is no different. It's an experience that's at its best in the company of other humans. It's easily among the most inventive fighting games released in recent years, 2D or otherwise, and its accessible nature can often hide the reasonable bit of depth its fighting system offers. Taking a close look at the wonderful new, high resolution Mario character model stirs feelings of anticipation for the bright future of Nintendo, which perfectly balances the blissful nostalgia felt when listening to classic themes from the company's past, leaping across 2D platforms, and bashing friends with your favorite characters from video gaming's first family. Those who are familiar with Nintendo's long and illustrious history will no doubt enjoy the game much more than the casual passerby. Judged on its own merits, though, Nintendo's spastic tribute to itself stands quite strong as one of the most engaging multiplayer games available for any console platform.
 
 

9. Twisted Metal: Black

 
 Publisher: SCEA
Developer: Incog Inc.
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Twisted Metal: Black was announced at a Sony-run press in September of 2000. At the time, senior designer and director David Jaffe declared that it would be a complete departure from the original series, and would be a much more dark and mature game. This much is obvious as soon as the game is started: the dark atmosphere and evil look is apparent from first few notes of the Rolling Stones' "Paint it Black" as the swirling camera sweeps through carnage and explosions to the title screen. The game boasts very strong art direction throughout. Each vehicle and driver demonstrates the amount of attention that was paid to character design, and the level design was clearly well conceived and implemented almost flawlessly. From the downpour of rain in the junkyard level, to the landing of a large ship in Prison Passage, it's obvious that the designers weren't content just making another Twisted Metal game. The game exceeded in action as well, with great control and interesting stories, along with a number of multiplayer modes which included a four-player split screen battle that could maintain high framerates, a detail that many developers are still struggling with.

At the time of the game's release on June 19th, the PlayStation 2 was still lacking the number of solid, standout titles that gamers were looking for. Twisted Metal: Black was among the first of these to be released for the system. Not only was the game one of the first great titles for the PS2, it was also one of the year's best. Even after six months of what some are calling the biggest year in gaming history, Twisted Metal: Black still holds up as one of the best games available on the PS2 or any other system.



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