There was some question over whether or not this would even make the list this year, but once I got it the result was never going to be in doubt. I’ve said it before and I’m sure I’ll say it again: there’s nothing like a new Zelda.

Admittedly Twilight Princess doesn’t really do anything new to those who’ve played one of the three previous 3D Zeldas, but why mess with a winning formula? It’s ultimately the same classic game with nicer graphics (considering the hardware, at least), a good story, and a nice long quest to work through. If they can deliver a new Zelda every few years with only those tweaks, I’ll be very happy.

But what this game did for me more than anything is that it validated the Wii controller as being usable for more than minigames. This couldn’t be further away from a minigame and yet I find it hard to imagine playing the GameCube version of this game. Some things, I thought, don’t work as well as others (the fishing, for example), while some such as drawing a sword and aiming work seamlessly and intuitively, which is what Nintendo seem to be aiming for with the Wii as a whole.

So, out of the many games to come out in 2006, Zelda gets the nod from me. When the only area that I can really think of any room for improvement is in the graphics, it’s clear that they’ve made something great.

Happy new year, everyone!