We take a look back at how video games fared for the whole year of 2005: the good, the bad and the downright ugly!

Aaron Gray

Handheld Consoles
Nokia N-Gage
Pathway To Glory: Ikusa Islands
The RedLynx team achieved yet another winner with the sequel to its amazing instalment of Pathway To Glory. Following the tried and tested formula of the first game, Pathway To Glory: Ikusa Islands (PTG: II) is an exclusive title on the N-Gage with more immersive gameplay and incredible graphics that pushes the game deck capabilities to its limit. From single player campaigns to head-on battles with players via Bluetooth or GPRS, PTG: II is an excellent turn-based war game never before experienced on a mobile phone.

Sony PlayStation Portable
Ridge Racer
Namco’s Ridge Racer had been given a makeover on the PSP; allowing players to use nitro boost for the first time across all game consoles. The graphics are gorgeous and the sense of speed can be relived through the Replay option after you’ve completed the laps in a racing round. The music is loud and catchy and the revving of the car engines is realistic. The good news: Reiko Nagase is back at the helm to flag off the cars once again!

Nintendo DS
Castlevania: Dawn Of Sorrow
The Castlevania series have been Konami’s best-known side-scrolling game after its Contra series. The immortal battle between good and evil goes on in Castlevania: Dawn Of Sorrow, the sequel to Aria Of Sorrow. Set in the present time, Soma Cruz continues the quest to rid the world from Dracula and his devilish creatures, sealing them off with powerful sorcery at the appropriate moment when players are cued to draw magical symbols on the DS’s touchscreen. The all-important RPG elements as well as the ability to steal souls off enemies to be used as weapons or support against the dark forces are back in this game.

Home Consoles
Sony PlayStation 2
God Of War
It took two years to make, delayed because the production team wanted to make it as close as possible to the vision they had in mind for players to experience. The time and effort has not gone to waste; God Of War boasts stylish visuals, memorable battles and a stunning collection of Hollywood-worthy soundtracks. As Kratos, you have been requested by the Greek gods to kill Ares, the God Of War, to atone for your various and grave misdeeds. The journey leads you from the stormy Aegean Sea to the breath-taking city of Athens, and to the unforgiving deserts where the Temple of Pandora lies strapped to the back of a Titan...

Microsoft Xbox
Peter Jackson’s King Kong: The Official Game
King Kong is easily the best movie-to-game adaptation in recent times, thanks to Peter Jackson in giving Ubisoft the all-green to access the entire material used for the movie. But it takes more than just having a full arsenal in the ammunition warehouse. The Ubisoft team possesses the right criteria that Jackson looked for in producing the King Kong game. The end result is a game that immerses players entirely in the vast jungles of Skull Island. You get to control Jack Driscoll as well as the King itself – the former stresses survival with spears and the occasional guns, while the latter emphasises on the beastly power of a gigantic gorilla against other dangerous inhabitants of the impervious Skull Island.

Nintendo GameCube
Resident Evil 4
Capcom’s Resident Evil franchise rears its ugly head once more with Resident Evil 4. And things are getting ugly: the President’s daughter has been kidnapped, and as Leon Kennedy, you’re sent on a search and rescue mission. After arriving in the village the girl was last seen in, you’re immediately confronted by unfriendly villagers. This shouldn’t be too big a problem, other than the fact that all of them are trying to decapitate you in one way or another. Resident Evil 4 is fast-paced; there are no zombies shuffling up to you in a slow, deliberate way. The game is pure horror as you run and fight for your life from these murderous residents, all the while trying to rescue a fair maiden in distress and solve the mystery that surrounds the deadly village.