2004

Possibly the greatest game ever made.

All of the SoulCalibur games are wonderful, but this one is my favourite. Blew my mind back in 08' with its breathtaking visuals and hugely enjoyable character creation-suite.

Still unmatched in terms of spectacle, variety and sheer amount of content - a vicious and competitively rewarding experience.

As far as pure platforming goes, the original Crash-trilogy has yet to be surpassed, with this one being the absolute cream of the crop. Some of the best level-design I've ever seen.

Through some magnificent twist of fate this second installment in the Castlevania GameBoy-trilogy managed to not only be the best one of the bunch, but perhaps even the highlight of the whole franchise. A masterpiece if ever there was one.

A game with such a monumental impact on the culture that you’d think it impossible for it to live up to the hype, yet it does so with flying colours.

Criminally underrated gem of an RTS, with such distinct playstyles showcased across the three factions that it puts most contemporaries to shame. Also, the soundtrack kicks ass.

An interesting take on the RTS-genre, going for a sort of MMO/Live-service approach with loot-gathering and co-operative play as the primary focus, being way ahead of its time with these features. Unfortunately, it never seemed to find an audience.

Offering perhaps the most joyous and complete gaming experience on the PS5 (and as a free pack-in title no less!), this one deserves a spot among the platforming titans of our time.

If people would broaden their minds enough to accept the stylistic departures of this reboot, perhaps they'd realise that this is one is likely the best of the series.

A defining title of the Xbox Live Arcade-era, filled to bursting with creativity and charm. Countless hours spent with this one, cursing and laughing and having an absolute blast.

Such a fun and unique fighter, positively drizzling with genuine appreciation for the history of schlocky monster-movies. The love and care put into this title remains utterly unrivaled.

Amazingly innovative action/RPG, from back when big-budget fantasy titles in the first person-perspective were quite the anomaly. The freedom this one offers in terms of tailoring the experience to your playstyle makes it endlessly enjoyable to replay.

Endlessly rewarding and absurdly spectacular racer. The fact that there has been no sequel produced in over twenty years is a shame but, considering how well this one holds up, I'm not so sure we really need one.

2006

How is it possible for a game to feel so rigid and yet so immensly satisfying all the same? There’s this overarching stiffness to the controls and the attempt at a cohesive narrative is nothing short of laughable - but, in spite of all that, the core action still outclasses most other shooters of its time.