As the decade winds down a lot of people have started discussing the “Greatest Game of the Decade” We even have a thread in our forums here. I’m going to attempt to do that. I could make an argument for a dozen different games in that respect. In fact that led me to do this instead. I’m taking a look back at the decade and picking one game out for each year. Now I’m not necessarily picking the best game from each year. I’m looking at the quality, impact and innovation and picking one game out as Game of the Year. I’m also going to highlight another game that could have been in the top spot as well as one game that I did not play. For the game I didn’t play, I obviously don’t have any firsthand experience with the game but I will give my perception of the game, how it was received, as well as why I didn’t play it. So without further ado, here we go!

(This is Part 1: 2000-2004. I'll hit you with Part 2: 2005-2009 later this week)

2000
Game of the Year: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2

Perhaps one of the best games of all time, it also signifies the peak of the skateboarding genre. It helped introduce the world to a slew of extreme sports games, some good, some bad. It also helped launch the seemingly endless line of Tony Hawk games, which have, sadly, only gone downhill (pardon the pun) since this version. While this is a genre that is not as popular now it was a huge part of gaming for many years.

Honorable Mention: The Sims

Heralded as perhaps the best Sim-something game, this title became the best selling PC game of all time. While the mundane parts of life like showering and watching TV don't seem like entertaining stuff, somehow this game made it all interesting to play. Like other Sim games before it, it also reached a large demographic, becoming a favorite of everyone from teenage boys to moms. It also perfected the art of having way too many expansions only to leave out key features in the sequel so it could do it all over again.

Greatest Game I Didn't Play: Deus Ex

One of the earliest mixtures of RPG and FPS that I can recall, it also innovated by having a lot of player choice involved in the story. It seems to hold a lot of favor with the PC crowd, with it being considered one of the best PC games of all time. Its age and my dislike for its "sequel" have kept me from picking this game up now.

2001
Game of the Year: Grand Theft Auto 3

While it had "3" in the title, for many gamers this is the first time they had ever heard of Grand Theft Auto. While it had two sequels (primarily PC games although ports did make appearances on consoles) this was a very different game in gameplay, storytelling, and design. As the game that essentially invented the "sandbox" genre it was also a stunning achievement in just 3D design. The world created was huge for the time, especially considering there were no loading screens to move throughout the world. Designs from this game have been copied ever since it's release.

Honorable Mention: Halo

Halo showed how console games could compete with PCs at the FPS game. Goldeneye did a lot of good things to help move FPSs forward but what Halo greatly improved on was by introducing amazing control scheme and showing off the wonders of dual analog sticks. Of course it is also the game that spawned one of the titans in today's gaming industry.

Greatest Game I Didn't Play: Ico

The game portrayed a great idea in having the mood and atmosphere play a huge part in what a person takes away from the game. I know many who hold this game in very high regard. Sadly it is a difficult game to come across which has basically stopped me from going back to it.

2002
Game of the Year: Splinter Cell

While not the first stealth game I ever played (Thief says hello) it did introduce many gamers not just to the genre but also the kind of things that we could expect for the future of games. What it did with light and shadows always amazed me and it was a precursor to some fantastic uses of light and darkness in many games to come.

Honorable Mention: Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind

I still don't think there has ever been a world in a game that is so large and so interesting. There are so many quests, so many factions, and so much history in this game. It still amazes me to this day. While the largest affect was on Bethesda's own Oblivion and Fallout 3, it showed how epic of a world we could see in video games. I could spend hours just wandering the land, getting into small confrontations, exploring dwarven ruins, and finding random quests to go on, all without ever having to touch the main story. Oh and by the way, the main story is excellent in my opinion.

Greatest Game I Didn't Play: Metroid Prime

Nintendo took a risk with Metroid. They re-launched a classic game with a totally different perspective and play style and it turned out great. It has spawned several sequels (recently re-released on the Wii) and became one of Gamecube's few shining beacons. It may also be the systems best game not named "Zelda". The only reason I missed this game is that I gave up on the Gamecube and sold it before the game came out.

2003
Game of the Year: Knights of the Old Republic

This is another game that I believe to be one of the greatest of all time. While good Star Wars games do exist (Dark Forces, Tie Fighter) this was taking it into a new genre and a whole new time period than we were used to. One of the best "Western" RPGs, it had an excellent mish-mash of pseudo turn-based combat that wasn't too deep but was a lot of fun to watch and control. It also contained one of the best stories in a game ever and presented it in an excellent way with its unique dialogue. It also helped spawn the now popular mechanic between good and bad deeds. I still believe that this game gives you the ability to be the most evil character in all of video games.

Honorable Mention: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

This was another attempt at a re-launch of a classic game, this time done with a similar design but brought into the world of 3D. The platforming was excellent, the characterization of the Prince was at its best and the mechanic of reversing time to solve puzzles and in platforming has yet to be outdone. The only qualm I have against the game is that its combat does not match the excellence of everything else.

Greatest Game I Didn't Play: Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

While originally off-putting with its notable "kiddy" style and cell-shaded graphics, it holds it's own in the pantheon of Zelda games. Sadly the announcement of this game after seeing that awesome "mature" trailer spoiled me so much on the Gamecube that I sold it and therefore never got a chance to play this supposedly excellent game.

2004
Game of the Year: World of Warcraft

While technically this should sit in the “Game I Didn't Play" section I have to acknowledge it here. I don't have to have played it to see the massive effect that WoW has had on gaming in general. Millions of people play this game every day, even five years later. It has brought about a surge in MMOs coming out but still none have been able to match the pull of WoW. It is plainly a world-wide sensation that has yet to cease.

Honorable Mention: Halo 2

This would easily make GOTY if it weren't for WoW. What Halo 2 did for the gaming industry is perhaps the most prominent in console gaming today. Hand-in-hand with Xbox Live it revolutionized the idea of multiplayer gaming and created a genre of it's own on consoles. Its matchmaking, which was essentially mimicked in Halo 3, has yet to be surpassed by any console game, even games that have attempted to copy it. It also greatly expanded the universe from the original, showing an epic story and world that was crafted out of Halo’s humble beginnings. It did leave many gamers hanging (pun intended) with it’s ending though.

Greatest Game I Didn't Play: Half-Life 2

Considered by many the best game of the decade, or perhaps of all time, Half-Life 2 is a pinnacle of first person shooters. How I missed it, I'm not sure. I guess it came out in the time I was playing console games and by the time it was released on consoles I think I had moved back to PC gaming. I must have just missed it. Now that I do own the Orange Box it is on the top of my list of games to play.