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GOTY 2002: Retrospective

Kinda like 2001, it's worth bearing in mind I was a kid when I played these, Some of these are going to be games that were universally considered to be terrible except for everybody who was about 12 years old at the time. So that's me, back then, really.

GOTY 2001
GOTY 2002
GOTY 2003
GOTY 2004
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Showing 1-10 of 10 items

The Getaway

1. The Getaway

Played on: PS2 Maybe it's British pride or maybe it's the gritty tone. Maybe it's the ridiculously unwieldy driving or perhaps it was the (at the time innovative) lack of a healthbar, with automatic healing mechanics. I don't know what it is, but all things considered, I fucking love this game.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

2. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

Played on: PS2 What is it that you remember about Vice City? If you said anything other than the music, then you and I love this game for entirely different reasons. Sure the now almost stereotypical carnage and sandbox style of gameplay was entertaining but there was something about cruising around just listening to the radio that no other game has ever managed to make feel so right.

Ratchet & Clank

3. Ratchet & Clank

Played on: PS2 The goofy humour of Ratchet & Clank is what set it apart from other shooter/platformers at the time. I'm the guy who will always hold out hope that Sony will eventually take a step back, quit milking this franchise and get back to some dumb, goofy fun. Also, Quark is , always has been and always will be the best part about R&C.

Medal of Honor: Frontline

4. Medal of Honor: Frontline

Played on: PS2 Frontline's opening mission was as much an education about WWII for my friends and I as Saving Private Ryan or...well, history class, I guess. We were just at the right age where it was fascinating and there was always some weird disparity about one of the single most colossal clusterfucks of Allied strategy being the first easy level in a war game.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

5. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Played on: PS2 I'm a LotR geek. I also like games where you slash at things. Make sense?

Tekken 4

6. Tekken 4

Played on: PS2 I don't know if I ever loved Tekken 4. I know I loved Tekken 3. Did I play Tekken 4 because it was great, or was I just feeling a very young example of nostalgia for the previous game? I don't know but I remember Tekken 4 being at least pretty OK.

Stuntman

7. Stuntman

Played on: PS2 You play as a Stuntman. You stunt it all up, yo. This was fun when it wasn't frustrating. Or was that just me.

Spider-Man: The Movie

8. Spider-Man: The Movie

Played on: PS2 I fucking loved Spider-Man when I was 11. Still do, kinda. Not enough to put up with bad games anymore, but I was young once. Also, that font, bro! THAT FONT!

007: Nightfire

9. 007: Nightfire

Played on: PS2 Goddamn, 2002 was the year of me buying shit just because I was a geek and only playing games on the PS2. I like James Bond. This was not an especially good James Bond game. But I really like James Bond.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

10. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Played on: PS2 I was 12 years old when Harry Potter fever was in full swing. I was a dark haired, green eyed 12 year old, who would have cut a lightning scar into my own face if you told me it would get me to Hogwarts. So yeah, I played this game. And I fucking loved it too.