to start another debate I was highly suprised at how much fun I had playing Lumines. I expected it to be a tetris like game maybe help pass a few hours but going on three months I have not been able to put this game down I definetly got my money worth.

KOTOR1--The best game Ive played in years.

Kingdom Under Fire. For a second there I almost didn't think that the Xbox could bring a game out with any personality.

Physconauts

Eternal Darkness.

When I first read about it I figured it would just be a Resident Evil rip off.

It ended up being one of the most creative and fun games I've ever played.

Psi-Ops -- Amazingly fun gameplay mechanics, at least for a while.

Wario Ware, Inc. -- Appears : A very simple brief diversion. Acually : Video crack

God Of War -- The people who make mindless car cobat games produce a solid, beautiful masterpiece.

Katamri Damci -- enough said.

Two games, Resident Evil 4 and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Both games suprised me for the same reason, I'd gotten burned out on the previous games and so I wasn't expecting much from the most recent installments.

With RE4, the gameplay had been sufficiently changed from the previous games in order to be interesting to me again. With GTA:SA, the gameplay was still more or less the same, but the main quest was more entertaining. With GTAIII, I enjoyed the sandbox, but I got bored quickly with the main quest. With Vice City, I also got bored with the main quest, but now the sandbox aspect was getting boring as well. With San Andreas though, I hardly played in the sandbox at all and instead just focused on the main quest, and I really enjoyed. Both games are now probably my #1 & #2 games of the year.

Lego Star Wars for PS2. Great gameplay, great co-op, and it is one of the very few titles where I am trying to unlock all of the extras (Go Kit Fisto! Give 'em hell, R4!). Love Star Wars and Star Wars games, but just didn't see this one coming ...

Fuzion Frenzy for the XBOX- You would think a game full of mini games would not be fun, but myself and a bunch of friends STILL play this game together.

Psi-Ops...who knew using psychic powers to pick up bad guys and exploding heads would be so fun.

'Nuff said. Best. Game. Ever.

Another vote for KOTOR I. I was not big into RPG's at all. The last one I played all the way through was Phantasy Star on the Sega Master System!!

But, since I'm a big SW fan I thought I'd give it a whirl....an what a great ride it was!! I can't recall the last game that compelled me to come home and play it everyday unitl I finished it.

Final Fantasy IX. Yes I'm five years late but after VII and VIII can you blame me for ignoring all my friends urging me to play it? The graphics are still bad (albeit probably some of the best on the original Playstation as far as 3D goes) but the return to gameplay that doesn't assume to person behind the controller is a drooling vegetable more than makes up for any other shortfall the game could have. Fortunately, my other major gripe about VII and VIII was rectified here as well as the entire cast of characters are extremely likable. Whereas VII and VIII had some of the worst, most unlikable pre-teen brats ever put into a video game, IX's characters return to the more playful nature of older Final Fantasy games, while still maintaining a depth to showcase emotion.

Beyond Good & Evil
X-Men Legends (I didn't really think I would like it)

Beyond Good & Evil was a GREAT surprise.

I completely agree with this. I didn't even play this game until about 6 months after I bought it. Once I started, I couldn't put it down.

Another one would be FF:X2. I have no idea what the story was about, but this game has the best fight engine of any of the recent RPG's. I love how it went back to the old job system. While playing it I couldn't have cared less about what was going on with the story. I just wanted to play it to fight.

Man, I want to try it just for this.. but.. but.. I feel dirty just THINKING about it.

Another vote for Wario ware. Great surprise.

I'm telling you, it's worth it. Like I said, don't ask me about the story...I have no idea what was going on. It's mission based, so you don't have to pay attention to the story if you don't want to. I really think it had the best battle system of any FF game to date.

Beyond Good and Evil. Still one of my favorite games of the last few years.

I'd have to say Beyond Good and Evil and Psychonauts.

Funny that our opinions are almost 180 degrees on this. But then I was playing Phantasy Star, Sword of Vermillion etc. back in the 16bit days, didn't see the earlier FF games till later. They don't really have that magic for me.

PGR2. PGR1 had a learning curve like the Cliffs of Insanity, would remove your entire kudos stash if you brushed a wall (seriously unfair and annoying) and a middling choice of tracks and cars.

The newer one is much fairer, has a much smoother learning curve (it's certainly no less difficult on Platinum), excellent cars (Delfino Feroce )and, in addition to a number of fabulous tracks, THE ENTIRE FRIGGEN NURBURGRING.

Best. Racing. Game. Ever. I still play it two years later.

I'd have to say Second Sight (also a psychiv power game)surprised me. I played it first and thought it was a blast.

Psi-ops was more fun in the using powers department, but SS definitely had a stronger storyline.

My nominations: Pikmin. I got this for christmas and it was the last game open and played with. Once I finally sat down with it I was hooked.

Beyond Good & Evil: Wow. Just wow.

Klonoa 2 was easily the biggest pleasant surprise for me. I played through that game three or four times, and I regret trading that game in everytime I'm sitting around with nothing to do. I need to track down a copy of that sometime.

Eternal Darkness was another one that I really need to get my hands on again. I've actually looked for a copy of it and have had no luck at all finding one either new or used. What a great game.