I don’t think I need to remind anyone that a lot of great games came out in 2007. The Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii had all been out for some time and developers were finally creating some games that would forever be attached to the legacy of these timeless systems. No matter what your system of choice was, some incredible exclusives were releases for all three of them and pretty early into the life of these consoles too! You probably already read Jerry’s list and we may have a couple in common for our favorites of 2007 but there’s definitely some different games on here as well. Without further delay, let’s go!
7) Alien Hominid HD
I’m really good at video games. From my timing (Thanks Mario!) to my years and years of practice, I’m a force to be reckoned with. However I’m not even going to try to lie to you all and tell you I’ve beaten Alien Hominid HD. I haven’t but I still love it. I’ve gotten pretty far into it over the years but my patience always runs out eventually or I start to feel like I suck at games and so I need to stop playing. I am going to beat it someday because I know I’ll constantly keep jumping back into it to replay it. The best part about this game is that I had no context for it. I later learned it saw a release on the previous generation of consoles but I unfortunately hadn’t had the pleasure of checking it out back then. For me I had just gotten an Xbox 360 Elite because my Xbox 360 Pro Model had some issues. My grandma bought Best Buy’s warranty though and so I walked in there to exchange it but they were all out of Pro models, so they handed me an Elite. I later learned it was actually my TV was having issues but oh well! My grandma felt bad that my Xbox 360 had issues and that I had to exchange it so she bought me some Microsoft Points. If my memory is correct then I believe it was 4000 points, or for those of you that prefer to have conversations about real money instead fake Microsoft Soft fun points it was $50 USD. I already had quite a handful of games so I wasn’t quite sure what to get. I ended up scrolling around on Xbox’s store before finally deciding to grab a digital copy of Halo: Combat Evolved. I was going to let the rest of the points just sit in my account until later but then I saw the bright colors and neat graphics of Alien Hominid HD. I looked it up and saw it was from The Behemoth. I couldn’t say no to purchasing it. It was only ten bucks, looked fun, and the description said it was difficult. For those of you who don’t know, Alien Hominid HD is a sidescroller beat ’em up that has crazy weapons, difficult enemies, and incredibly difficult boss fights. In terms of difficulty I’d put it up there with Mega Man but the gameplay is much more akin to Turtles in Time …but again, much harder! I booted it up and died constantly but I couldn’t stop trying again. That’s the mark of a good game right there. The story is wild and zany. The enemies are tricky and the graphics are just pure fun. This is not only on my list of my top seven games of 2007, but it’s something I find myself starting up every year for a few hours of fun and frustration.
6) Switchball
I love games where timing and movement are a key element in the gameplay. After all, I grew up on platformers and old school shooters so it only makes sense I’d want to continue honing those skills and showing off to my Wife. I may not be good at a lot of things in life but timing and hand-eye coordination are definitely things I’m good with! I remember when this came out. My brothers were trying to tell me not to get it because it was just a game where you move a ball around. That’s all I needed to hear though. These worlds vary in their environments and are highly imaginative and the physics engine helps you rather than hinders you. That’s right, you aren’t able to blame the controls or the game for any mistakes you make because of how great it controls. It’s so much fun. You’re able to change the marble into different kinds of material, like steel, to aide you in different areas and challenges. It’s just such a comforting game with the warm music and perfect difficulty. It was only ten bucks and ten years later I’m still booting it up every once in a while to experience it again.
5) Halo 3
I love the Halo series. It’s one of the reasons Xbox is my console of choice, well other than Nintendo. See we always buy PlayStation but since there are already so many exclusives we’re attached to, Xbox is the first non-Nintendo console we pick up. Halo is pretty much a guaranteed release and it’s normally pretty close to the new console’s release as well so for fans of the franchise it’s a no-brainer to get an Xbox console right at launch. Halo 3 may have come two years after the console’s release by my brothers and I were fine with that. We were still playing Halo 2 almost constantly. The campaign was always fun but the matchmaking was simply incredible. I have so many memories of my brothers and I just dumping hours and hours into Halo 2 matchmaking and Halo 3 is no different. This game consumed hundreds of hours of our time and that was just in 2007. We continued to play the hell out of this until Halo 4 came out. We liked Halo Reach but the multiplayer in Halo 3 was definitely our preference. Team Doubles was our game of choice but free for all type matches were always fun as well. My brother and I were unstoppable in Team Doubles. This game still gets a lot of play between my brother and I despite us living hundreds of miles apart now. I know it will be a franchise we play together even when we’re old and gray–and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
4) Mass Effect
Ahhh … Mass Effect hits me a flood of memories. I was in high school when this came out. I shrugged off responsibilities, homework, and even missed school sometimes just to play more of this game. On the weekends I used to knock out my chores in a few hours at like 7 AM so I could play Mass Effect from 10 AM to 10 PM. I completed the campaign almost one hundred percent at least ten times that year and yes, my playthroughs were at least 45 hours or more. I loved this game. It hasn’t aged as well as I would have hoped and my preferred experience for this game now is the interactive comic from Dark Horse Comics and even that’s just to reminisce and remember my time with this game. It also of course helps set up my playthrough of Mass Effect 2, which is my favorite in the series now. Few games come close to reaching the heights that this game did in my imagination. Flying around to different planets, talking to my teammates, and saving the universe had never been done on that level or scale. I’m a huge fan of BioWare’s previous work on Knights of the Old Republic and would love a remake of that in the vein of Mass Effect. This game is incredible but my memories of it and the nostalgia I’m filled with when I boot up the soundtrack on YouTube will forever eclipse the game now. It’s still a good game but when I played this at release, it changed my life and showed what new things were possible in video games with our new technology.
3) Super Mario Galaxy
I love Nintendo and almost everything they do. They may not be perfect but they have the imagination and love for games that I’ve always had in my heart. They may be a big company but they genuinely love video games and it shows with everything they release and Super Mario Galaxy is a great example of this. It reinvented Mario while also injecting things that the series had been doing for year. I love Super Mario 64 but for me this is the definitive 3D Mario experience. It has the linearity of the 2D games but also has the lite exploration nature of Super Mario 64. You’re able to roam around and take the worlds in but it isn’t overwhelming. On top of that, it’s big enough where it’s an absolute thrill running around and exploring but it’s small enough where Nintendo was able to add detail in every little spot of the worlds. The gameplay is absolutely solid and a delight each and every time I play it. The motion controls are perfect without being intrusive and the little co-op mode is a lot of fun when you’re enjoying some game time with a spouse, friend, sibling, or kid. You can trade the controller back and forth but the second player is engaged just enough because they’re able to point stuff out, grab stars for you, and jam out to the delicious soundtrack of this gem of a game. This game is remarkable and the only thing it’s missing is a high definition remake that would be perfect on the Nintendo Switch. I will always love this game and try to replay it at least once a year.
2) Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition
Resident Evil 4 is one of my favorite games and while Capcom has released on almost everything imaginable my favorite version will always be on the Nintendo Wii. I’d played it and loved it on the GameCube but the Wii version soaked up more hours than the blood spilled in my many playthroughs. I must have replayed this to completion at least once every two weeks in 2007. The motion controls are perfect and don’t distract at all. For those somehow unfamiliar with this perfect game, you play as Leon and are tasked with rescuing the president’s daughter. She didn’t have top clearance or a clothing line but instead was kidnapped by a cult who seeks world domination. Their goal is to take over America and use its vast influence to take over the world. Leon arrives on the island and the running and gunning begins. The survival horror elements are still here but in much smaller doses. There’s much more action and adventure this time around but the fun factor is out of control. The only flaw this game has is that it helped push the series in the direction of Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil 6, which for longtime fans were too much of a departure to the heart of the series. Thankfully we have Resident Evil Revelations and Resident Evil 7 that are here to push the series where it belongs. If you haven’t played this game then go buy it! It’s like $15-20 USD used and of course works on both the Wii and Wii U.
1) BioShock
Man, where do I even begin? This is one of my favorite games of all time. I love this game and everything about it. The political commentary helps create a world that feels as real as the water leaking all over the city and the characters feel just as real and lifelike. The main story is incredible but the audio diaries scattered everywhere that tell the stories of people all over the city help tell an almost more incredible and personal story. The combat is addictive and difficult. This game will forever be one of my favorite games. I replay it at least once a year and own it on PC, Xbox 360, PS3, and am about to buy it on Xbox One as well. I think I’d die if this was ever released on the Nintendo Switch but I’ll keep tweeting at 2K and Nintendo with the hopes that it will help. The world of Rapture is filled with as much wonder as it is horrifying and if you haven’t had the pleasure of experiencing it, I’d highly recommend it. If you’d rather just jump in and experience it with spoiler-free commentary then check out my full playthrough let’s play of it on our YouTube channel!
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