God Hand

God Hand did two things this year.  It showed that an excellent, fun game could be had for a budget price, and it updated the classic brawler formula, using customizable combos and a neat right-stick dodge maneuver to recapture the magic of pummeling punks by the dozen. 

Plus, its snarky sense of humor, bawdy characters, and a caffeinated soundtrack round out one of the more absurdly enjoyable games in recent memory.  Amid the joy of suplexing a bad guy in a purple gorilla suit you may just forget that the studio of geniuses that made the game is now gone forever.

LocoRoco

The most recent graduate from the Katamari Damacy School of Quirky Japanese Games, LocoRoco was far from a straight A student, but still one of our favorites. With a ridiculous plot, lava lamp graphics, sweet music and infectious personality, you can't help but like this game, and we can't help but give it an award.

Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime

Usually a booger is only worth a few precious seconds of a GR editor’s day.  When that booger can drive a tank, it’s worth hours.  Combining bright, colorful graphics from the Dragon Quest series, tons of depth, and those awesome tank fights, this one didn’t fit well into any other category, but it’s still worth a pick for your DS.

Viva Pinata

Here is concrete proof: mix Pokémon and Animal Crossing, and you'll never have free time again. Viva Pinata is simple and friendly enough to be played by a child, but deep enough to be enjoyed by adults. Fast-paced developments keep you hustling as you court and raise your favorite animals in a verdant garden of gaming eden. And to think some people beat these poor animals with sticks.

Tekken: Dark Resurrection

Using a fusion of techniques from Tekkens 3 and 5, this wee brawler has a hell of a Kung-Fu grip. With tiny loading times, a plethora of worthwhile modes and super-tight gameplay, Dark Resurrection reminds us it’s not about the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog. We gladly throw it a bone.