2003 was undoubtedly one of the best years to be a geek. With new goals reached and a plethora of competition developers have once again pushed the envelope of cutting edge graphics and gameplay. MMORPG's have become a commonly used term, cel-shaded graphics were met with skepticism and then warmly embraced, and Rockstar Games once again narrowly evaded being banned in a number of countries for their controversial titles. 2004 will definitely have a difficult time raising the bar once again.
Best Action / Adventure GameMax Payne 2 : The Fall of Max Payne (Rockstar Games)
How can you not like Max? With an improved graphics engine, MP2 wows you with even more flying bullets and realistic objects that obey physics. This is the game that you play for the story. And don't tell us it was too short... not all of us park in front of our machines with a 12 pack of Mountain Dew and double-ply Depends. With its release MP2 has ushered in a very much welcomed sub-genre of "short and sweet" games that focus more on story and less on length.
Best Racing GameMario Kart: Double Dash!! (Nintendo)
Mario Kart has proven time and time again that it is the quintessential choice in "kart" driving games. With a multiplayer experience comparable only to previous incarnations of the series, Double Dash will have you playing for hours on end without even realizing it.
Best Fighting GameSoul Calibur 2(Namco)
In the same way that “Madden” unites the effete yuppie and the coarse homeboy, “Soul Calibur II” transcends demographics. All in all, “Soul Calibur II” takes its place alongside classics such as “Marvel vs. Capcom 2” and “Tekken 3” as a fighter that will provide hours upon hours of shit talking fun.
Best Platform GameJak 2 : Renegade (Naughty Dog)
All in all, Jak 2 is what we would call an adult platformer; it really does shine out from the rest of the cutesy pink fluffy platform games out there. We also take it as another sign that developers are realising that games are not just for the juveniles as it used to be years ago, but for us grown up kids too.
Best First Person Shooter GameDeus Ex 2 : Invisible War (Ion Storm)
The first Deus Ex game wasn't quite easy to put into one single genre with its First Person Shooter feel with RPG elements, or stealth action combined with a compelling story. DX2 has proven that it can continue its predecessor's legacy with a wildly new graphics engine, snazzy new interface, and a gripping story that blurs the line between good and evil.
Best Role Playing GameStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (Bioware)
If you have lost faith in the Star Wars franchise, turn your eyes to the past. This is the good stuff. This is worth spinning the wheels of your imagination. This will restore your childhood desire to walk the path of a Jedi.
Best Sports GameTony Hawk Underground (Neversoft Entertainment)
The Tony Hawk gaming franchise is most certainly alive and well, and for good reason. With five Pro Skater games under its belt, Neversoft continues to deliver a hell of an entertaining and challenging game. In many ways THUG is the most ambitious title since the first installment. Even though there are most definitely a few problems and annoyances, the core elements that make it the leader in extreme sports titles are still there. It’s hard to say where this series will be headed next, but we're willing to bet we definitely have not seen the last of Tony Hawk and crew.
Best Strategy GameDisgaea : Hour of Darkness (Nippon Ichi Software)
Another surprise hit this year, Disgaea was a game that (logically) should have only appealed to the extremely hardcore import base. Instead, it proved to sell far beyond anyone's expectations - with good reason, too. An extremely deep and complex battle system coupled with a fresh and funny story make this game, arguably, the Final Fantasy Tactics killer.
Best Import GameDance Dance Revolution Ultramix (Konami)
Ah, schweet DDR - now with insane 4-player mode! Nerd heaven (sweaty, smelly nerd heaven, to be more specific).
Best Bargain GameGrand Theft Auto: Double Pack (Rockstar Games)
Never has one game development company risen so many eyebrows and angry voices in one year and still made a killing (pardon the pun) at it. Earlier in 2003, rumors milled about on the internet about an XBox version of the highly acclaimed Grand Theft Auto series. Instead of releasing each game separately for a full $50.00, Rockstar and Take-Two have bundled both games into one pack for all of the XBox purists to enjoy.
Best Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing GameStar Wars Galaxies : An Empire Divided (Sony Online Entertainment)
With its rough, shaky, and extremely late launch that is becoming expected for new MMORPGs, the Star Wars Galaxies development team at Sony Online Entertainment listened to their players rolled out patch after consecutive patch. As the game quickly stabilized, small bits of content and rewards were issued for the playerbase. The most recent content patch introduced vehicles, such as the Speederbike and the Landspeeder, and player controlled cities.
Best Playstation 2 GameDisgaea : Hour of Darkness (Nippon Ichi Software)
Also voted best Strategy game by the JIVE Staff, Disgaea : Hours of Darkness continues to wow us with its intricate battle system and quirky storyline.
Best Gamecube GameLegend of Zelda : Wind Waker (Nintendo)
The most often debated new feature in Wind Waker was the obviously new graphics engine. "Cel-Shaded" games is a relatively new technology in games that makes 3D graphics look cartoon or comic book-like. Despite all of the worry by the gaming community, Wind Waker rose above everyone's expectations with its true-to-the-original gameplay. Regardless if you hate cel-shaded games or the Zelda series, Wind Waker has proven that this title is most definitely a must-have.
Best XBox GameStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (Bioware)
This game is the first game since Halo that really is a must-have game - even if you don't own a Xbox. This game pushed systems, and there's good reason. KOTOR combines Star Wars universe with a brilliant RPG architecture. If you own a Xbox and don't own this game, there's something dreadfully wrong.
Best Game Boy Advance GameFinal Fantasy Tactics Advance (Square-Enix)
In an effort to sell more Game Boy Advances, Nintendo pushed this highly anticipated sequel to its handheld market where it dominated its superior gameplay graphics. FFTA is a wonderfully produced game for both Final Fantasy Tactics fans and Game Boy owners alike.
JIVE's 2003 Game of the YearStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (Bioware)
The only game that we could settle on as the most addicting. SW:KOTOR is crowned king by taking not only JIVE's Best RPG and XBox game, but JIVE's Overall 2003 Game of the Year. Kudos to Bioware for such an impressive title. Now time for some of us to play it a third time...
