Runner-up: Pro Evolution Soccer 3
Konami's soccer giant is back for another season and it just seems to be getting better and better. The graphics have improved a great deal and the legendary gameplay makes up the title's core, but this year's outing continues to be let down by poor sound and presentation. It's the best representation of football so far, but Konami need to keep it polished to avoid being outdone by the ever-improving FIFA.
Runner-up: Amplitude
Sony's sequel to the bemani game Frequency is one of the coolest games you'll ever come across, filled with the latest music, flowing colour and smooth graphics. The simple game mechanic makes the game both addictive and highly enjoyable, and this gets even better in multiplayer, online or offline. It's not a game you'd notice in the shop or go out looking for, but once discovered, it will take pride of place in your collection. Full of Sony's trademark style, this is one game you should pick up straight away.
Third Place: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Prince of Persia has everything you could want in a game: jaw-dropping visuals, stunning level design, a gripping story, likable characters and airtight gameplay. Ubi Soft has done wonders upgrading the old-school 2D Prince of Persia gameplay for the current generation, but without discarding the core elements that made past titles in the series so enjoyable. If there’s something bad to be said about Prince of Persia, it’s that the game can be completed a bit too quickly, but that certainly doesn’t take much away from the game’s overall excellence.
Second Place: WWE Smackdown! Here Comes The Pain
THQ's Smackdown! games have always been good ever since their debut on PSone. This year's installment is just what all sequels should be - a perfect balance of new and old elements. The graphics accurately portray the violent soap opera, with superb motion-captured animations and detailed player models. The series' strongest point - its gameplay - returns better than ever with a limb-specific damage system and even more flexibility in the ring.
The create-a-wrestler mode returns, the most comprehensive character creation feature in any game, ever. The seasons are also now far better, with a less linear progression through your career as a superstar. This, along with the multiplayer and wealth of unlockables, makes the lifespan immense. You might dismiss Here Comes The Pain purely because it's a wrestling game, but look beyond this and you'll find one of the best fighting games out there.
First Place: EyeToy: Play
It's great to have a game that's different from the rest and it's even better when that game excels in what it does. Sony's innovative EyeToy is just that, a shining light amongst all the unimaginative titles that fill the shop shelves. The EyeToy slices through social boundaries, the fun and accessible gameplay directed not through a controller, but your body's movement.
The included USB camera is the game's key. It sits on top of your TV, watching your every move. When baloons, ninjas or pointers appear onscreen, you simply move your arms, legs or whatever other limbs you have spare to control the game. The concept is so simple, yet so brilliant. Anyone can play it, from little Timmy to Grandma and Grandpa. Multiplayer is a unique and enthralling experience and one you're not likely to forget.
Sony's EyeToy: Play doesn't deserve this award just because it's a good game; it deserves it because it makes gaming so accessible and fun. Videogames has always had a 'geeky' stereotype and a few games have been gradually dismembering this preconception. The EyeToy does more though; it smashes it apart completely. Sony's gem is a glimpse of the future, a great game that excels in everything it does. Buy it.
On to the GameCube...
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