2007 was considerably more dry for games than I'd anticipated, though this actually worked out in my favor: I was able to get both a PSP and a Wii, and even managed to complete my PS1 library in the meantime.It also had the added benefit of building up more excitement for the Wii, which seems to get another awesome-looking title slated for a 2008 release every time I turn around.

Regardless, while most of my money this year went toward older games (as both cartridges and Virtual Console downloads), there were still enough goodies to bang out an LP award ceremony.So without further rambling, let's get into what you came here for.

Best Game Released Last Year That I played This Year Award: Final Fantasy XII

Started playing this one in 2006, didn't end up finishing it until about halfway through 2007.It's a surprisingly long game with a lot of dungeons and some pretty creative puzzles, and if you toss in the huge myriad of sidequests I'm willing to bet the game's length can easily reach 150 hours.It also has a pretty damn well written plot, though I must confess my disappointment in one of the main villains being another lame "appear-out-of-nowhere" character as in most of the previous titles.

Regardless, it avoided a lot of the annoying pitfalls of previous games (grossly overpowered attacks like Lionheart and KOTR, puzzles explained out to the point where they may as well not be there, etc), and it managed to keep me playing for nearly 6 months, so I deem it a success.So congrats, Square Enix.Please don't release XIII with Advent Children battles.

2007's Best RPG Award: Rogue Galaxy

What a great game.So much so that I even went back to my "10 RPGs I Liked in the 6th Generation" list and smashed it into the #3 1/2 position (a number given so it wouldn't squeeze some games off the list, heh).

Anyway, Rogue Galaxy is a fine combination of both old-styled dungeon diving gameplay and a great combat system that takes place entirely in real time.You'll block and backflip out of the way of attacks, and even pick up and throw objects and monsters around.But most importantly, it's not a game you can just powerlevel in for a few hours and then blaze through - money is pretty scarce (especially in the early stages of the game), and level-ups and armor gives only minimal benefits, so a few solid hits can fell your character.For this reason, it's important to master the dodge and block mechanics early, as well as use discretion - if you're caught in a tough spot (like being cornered by a large group of giants), it's often a better idea to run away than try to fight.Staying to duke it out will probably take a huge toll on your expensive healing items, assuming you survive at all.

Another perk is the game's surprisingly intelligent party AI; they're actually pretty competent most of the time, unlike some games (witness the first Kingdom Hearts title - Donald was in a near-constant state of "dead" every time I played), and they'll actually ask for confirmation before they go blowing all of your items or spending MP on spells.You'll still have to go under the command menu from time to time to get them to stop doing dumb things (like running repeatedly into a bosses' electrical barrier);still, I'm surprised these things weren't implemented into action-RPGs sooner.

It also has a couple other neat features, most notably its clever skill-learning system (similar to Final Fantasy XII's License Board, though based on acquiring items rather than points) and a plethora of sidequests ranging from a bug-battling minigame to a factory-building sidequests where you can create new items (which are then sold in shops).

So yes, it's fun, challenging and there's over 100 hours of gameplay with all the sidequests factored in.It's also just recently hit the bargain bins at Best Buy for the asking price of a mere $10.A total steal for one of the best RPGs on the platform.

Only Game Released on the Wii Award: Super Mario Galaxy

Another fine 3D outing for the Mario series, the most notable feature here being the Wiimote-based bonus stages and the creative physics throughout the game.In each stage you'll encounter all sorts of weird gravity phenomena - walking up sheer walls, leaping (and slingshotting) between tiny planets, each with their own gravitational fields, and even cruising through rooms where the gravity pulls swaps back and forth frequently, which you must utilize to avoid obstacles (think Gravity Man's stage in Mega Man 5).Even better, there are almost no "dull" goals in the game - the tedious Blue Coin hunting of Sunshine is a thing of the past.

So while the Wii's first year was rather slow, it managed to pull off a victory in the end with a unique and enjoyable 3D Mario title.I'm definitely looking forward to 2008's releases; with No More Heroes, Dragon Quest Swords and Super Smash Bros. Brawl all slated for a February release, this is looking to be the Wii's defining year.

Runner-up: NiGHTS: Journey into Dreams
(and maybe Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles, but I haven't played it yet)

Only Game Released on the PSP Award: Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles

The ol' shovelware system, featuring lots of PSX and PS2 games you probably own already and a few older games that you probably don't.Case in point, Dracula X Chronicles is a 3D remake of Dracula X: Rondo of Blood, which was formerly only released on the PC Engine Super CD in Japan (and in a severely stripped down SNES version in America).It features all the challenge you've come to expect from Castlevania, as well as adding in multiple game paths and a new "item crash" system where you can spend more Hearts to get more powerful effects from your secondary weapons.

More notable, however, are the unlockable features within the game.Finding hidden items allows you to unlock more playable characters, unplayable characters (which let you access new areas), tracks for the sound test, and, most impressively, full versions of both the original PC Engine version of Rondo of Blood AND the PSX version of Symphony of the Night.Either of those in themselves would be worth the asking price, but the fact that you get everything here for only $30 makes this arguably the best game on the platform.

Runner-up: Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness

Consistently Addictive Award: Picross DS

A monstriously addictive little puzzle game based around filling in the squares on a grid to create a picture.I guess I'm just a huge fan of logic puzzles or something, because this one constantly occupied my DS for almost seven solid months; hell, I'm just now starting to catch up on Phoenix Wright 3, Contra 4 and Phantom Hourglass since I finally cleared out this beast.Way to rule most of my gaming time with a budget title, Nintendo.

Redemption of a Series Award: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3

Bringing Shin Megami Tensei back from the abismal entry that was Digital Dogshit Saga, Persona 3 is not only a unique spin on the Persona series, but RPGs in general.Rather than a single linear quest, the game is divided up by days set over the course of a whole school year; by day everything seems to be normal (and your actions determine how your stats increase), but in the middle of each night the "Dark Hour" occurs, turning most of the human populace into coffins and letting demons roam freely through the city.At this time the school also becomes a tower called "Tartarus", a randomly generated dungeon where most of the game's action takes place.

I haven't played a great deal of the game yet, but its unique premise and the series' trademark challenge have kept it pretty engrossing so far.This is definitely a title no RPG fan should miss.

Destined to be Ignored Award: Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness

Much like last year's award in this category, this year's winner was overshadowed by a conveniently timed Square Enix release (in this case, the PSP port of Final Fantasy Tactics).I'm starting to wonder if there's a conspiracy or something.

Anyway, it's unfortunate that FFT overshadowed this one, as Disgaea: AOD is by far the better remake.Not only are there more sidequests, there's even an entirely new story mode (roughly equal in length to the original) and an added two-player competitive mode so you and your power-leveling buddies can set your multiple-Rebirthed, Level 9999 monstrosities against each other in combat.Fans of tactical RPGs should definitely give this one a chance.

Worst Trend of the Year Award: PSP Not-Exclusives

I'm not completely certain this hasn't been going on longer, but nevertheless, I see a lot of well-faring PSP games getting ported over to the PS2.What's up with that?Sony is effectively ruining incentive to shell out for their own handheld!Notable examples include Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, Vice City Stories, Syphon Filter and Lumines - all of them are on PS2 now.Is the PSP really doing that badly?