GOONL!NE

It’ll be 4 years in May since we got our first glimpse of the Nintendo Revolution, Xbox 2 and PlayStation 3.

Since the release of the consoles starting back in November 2005, there has been so many great games out for the consoles and we here at GOONL!NE have decided to compile the top 20 best games of this gen so far for games from 2005 – 2009 so far.

So, which one from the PLAYSTATION 3, Xbox 360 and the Nintendo Wii will not only rein as top dog on their platform but also of this gen?

Hit the jump and we’ll dig in.

20 – Valkyria Chronicles (PLAYSTATION 3)

We really should be putting in the best games on this list, the one that is absoutely great. Except, this one is more then deserving of a place in the list. Granted, low on the list and sales haven’t been as great as they should be. That said, Sega have made a fine game in story, gameplay (of real time/JPRG gameplay) and graphics.

We highly recomend getting this game, we dont care how (as long as it’s legal), get this game!

19 – Resistance 2 (PLAYSTATION 3)

For Resistance: Fall of Man, it had a decent single player with 40 player multiplayer. It was alright but it wasnt as big as it could have been. Resistance 2 on the other hand was all that the 1st game was but better and then some.

A giood story, some good graphics and excellent multiplayer with 60 people on 30vs30. Nathan Hale’s epic adventure of the Chimera invading his homeland is simply great. But more recently, we have had a game that outdoes R2 but more on that later.

18 – Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Nintendo Wii)

Its story is lame, whatever story there is, granted.

But Brawl is still a Smash Bros game that is simply amazing. Its a fighting game which is simply outstanding with over 35 characters to fight as and against including Sonic the Hedgehog and Solid Snake from Metal Gear Solid and 41 stages available to play from.

And online play is simply nuts, quite frankly, everything about this game is nuts.

Buy it.

17 – The Orange Box (PLAYSTATION 3/Xbox 360)

If you havent played Half Life 2 before The Orange Box, you can now thanks to it for it’s absoutely great value of 5 games for £40/$60.One of the best FPS saga’s ever in  Half Life 2, Half Life 2: Episode One and Half Life 2: Episode Two plus one of the most innovitive games ever in Portal and a fantastic fun multiplayer in Team Fortress 2.

On their own, these would probably cost first hand £100 but you can probably pick this up cheap for only £25 second hand.

We cant recomend this game enough, go get it.

16 – Rock Band (PLAYSTATION 3/Xbox 360/Nintendo Wii)

Guitar Hero is no longer the great music game it was once was. Activision is milking it to hell thanks to the overwhelming success of the first two games which were developed by Harmonix. Now Harmonix have moved onto better things with their band game, Rock Band.

And with a tracklist which is full of great bands such as The Smashing Pumpkins, Rolling Stones, The Killers and Radiohead plus more from the Rock Band shop as well as a great sequal and another game coming this September based on the greatest band of all time, The Beatles, it shows how far Rock Band has come compared to Guitar Hero.

15 – FIFA 09 (PLAYSTATION 3/Xbox 360/Nintendo Wii)

There wasnt any defining football games this gen till last year. Pro Evolution Soccer was going downhill since its debut this gen with Pro Evolution Soccer 6 on the Xbox 360 while FIFA was starting to find its feet again after a dry patch but alas, they found them with FIFA 09.

A rich football game with plenty to do and with 10v10 Be a Pro online, this has to say something for this year’s Pro Evo game… hopefully.

14 – Project Gotham Racing 4 (Xbox 360)

Forza Motorsport 2 was a good game, full of realism and good gameplay but nothing had more fun to it then the arcade feel of Project Gotham Racing 4.

An expanded list of cars, more cities including Shanghai and dyanmic weather conditions which change as you race but still with the great gameplay of Project Gotham Racing 3 for the Xbox 360, this one is a must for any racing games fan who owns an Xbox 360.

13 – Fable II (Xbox 360)

Simply, when we hear big promises for Peter Molyneux’s games, we get nothing but promises in roses, they dont happen. But with Fable II, there was less of that and more of a game which had a diverse world where anything and mostly everything could revolve around you.

Plus, with a great co-op and more, this is probably one of the finest RPG’s on the Xbox 360.

12 – Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo Wii)

Yes, it had the same old story, Bowser kidnaps Princess Peach and Mario goes to save her thanks to Toad and co.

But there was something charming about the game which felt somehow different compared to Super Mario Sunshine on the GameCube which, while a good game, didnt have.

SMG was simply still a fantastic game to play, you could not ask for any more that was in it, simply one of the Wii’s finest (and thats saying something considering…)

11 – Gears of War 2 (Xbox 360)

Gears of War 1 was simply a good game, cliched but good story and a great multiplayer.

Gears of War 2 expanded on this and made what was a good game into a great game with an improved story (abit the Dom – Maria thing was kinda stupid), a improved multiplayer (somewhat) and a fantastic multiplayer mode in Horde.

We just hope there isnt an anti-climax in Gears 3 comapred to the last two.

10 – Halo 3 (Xbox 360)

Halo 1 redefined first person shooters for the consoles, Halo 2 defined online console games and was the first of its kind while Halo 3… did nothing of the kind compared to the two games before it.

That said, Halo 3 is still a strong first person shooter in it’s own right and finishes the Halo trillogy easily well.

And it’s online is handled absolutely impressively well, in the game on Bungie.net.

It’s one of the 360’s finest hours.

9 – Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (PLAYSTATION 3)

If you didnt enjoy Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, there is something wrong with you.

Uncharted, long before the days of Metal Gear Solid 4, Killzone 2 and Resistance 2, was the best PS3 game at the time and while better games have come out since then for the system, it still ranks as one of the finest PS3 games in gameplay, story and graphics, most especially the latter.

If Uncharted 2: Among Thieves can keep the formula which made Drake’s Fortune a success, there is no reason why that can be a bad thing.

8 – Killzone 2 (PLAYSTATION 3)

Yes, it maybe a bit too soon as the game hasn’t even been out two weeks let alone two months. But we cant help but like Killzone 2… alot.

An epic first person shooter in every sense of the word, an fantastic single player and an online mode which easily rivals that of some games on this list.

Killzone 2 is simply a fantastic game, it really is a must buy, PS3 owner or not.

7 – Fallout 3 (PLAYSTATION 3/Xbox 360)

Simply put, Fallout 3 isnt Oblivion with guns, it’s Fallout 3 as Fallout but with the scale of Oblivion.

Simply a strong fine game all round and one which should be in your gaming libary right away, be that for the PLAYSTATION 3 or Xbox 360.

If you dont, there really is something wrong with you.

6 – Crackdown (Xbox 360)

Simply put, one of the most fun games you’ll ever play. On the surfice, it may look like a GTA clone but Real Time Worlds made this just more then a GTA clone, it perfected it as its own game and made it fun.

Whatever it was to jump from tall buildings into the ocean to collecting them elusive orbs to killing gang members as a super solider, Crackdown was a hell load of fun and if you dont think so, I dear hope to God you play this game soon or so help me, I will come to your house and force you to play it.

Now we need to know if its RTW or Ruffian Games who are making the sequal.

5 – Mass Effect (Xbox 360)

Simply, the finest RPG there is on the Xbox 360.

It’s fantastic story, it’s amazing gameplay and graphics just set it worlds apart from any other RPG like wannabe Too Human (Dyack, you’ll never make an RPG as great as this, get over it)

If you dont have a 360, get it for PC. If you dont have a PC thats able to run it, go and buy a 360 for this game, it is simply outstanding.

4 – Grand Theft Auto IV (PLAYSTATION 3/Xbox 360)

If you look past the hype for the game that it recieved and forget about the previous GTA which werent as serious as this, Grand Theft Auto IV stands out as the series’ finest yet.

Niko’s story isnt a rags to ritches story compared to previous GTA games, it more or less a rags to better rags story (as Rockstar put it during devleopment) and thats what makes this game so unique and special.

And while the story for the Xbox 360 exclusive DLC The Lost and Damned doesnt come close to touching that of Niko’s (although it does a nice job of running parallel to the main story), it adds more to what already is a great game.

You need this game.

3 – LittleBigPlanet (PLAYSTATION 3)

And no matter what, if your feeling down, had a bad day or you just want to play the game, you can almost guarantee a smile on your face with Sackboy. He just makes the game really warm and fuzzy and just wants to grab you and give you a hug.

No, really.

Thats one of the paragraphs I wrote for our review for LittleBigPlanet and it still stands true. Media Molecule’s debut opus is a charming one as well as an innovitive one. LittleBigPlanet’s testament of Play, Create, Share is one that makes this game stand out on its own.

And quite simply, it’s cute charming ways on the way the person creates their levels is what makes this game so unique. Plus, Sackboy, who can almost forget the adorable little thing.

If yoru a PS3 owner who doesnt have this game, get it right away.

2 – BioShock (PLAYSTATION 3/Xbox 360)

What can you say about this game, it’s simply one of the most beautiful games ever. BioShock’s overwhelming sense of story and gameplay just make this game an experience.

Truth be told, when I first played this game, I thought I was gonna hate it, I was more or less expect a horror game amongist the lines of FEAR as such.

That said, it’s still a very tense thriller with great gameplay and some of the finest graphics ever on any console.

When BioShock 2: Sea of Dreams 2 launches this autumn, you better go out and get it if its gonna be like this one.

We hope it is.

1 – Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PLAYSTATION 3)

Every generation, you get at least 2 games that are defined as classics. During the PSX/N64/Saturn days, there was Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy VII as well The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

For the PS2/Xbox/GameCube days, you got 2 games which were head and shoulders above everything else in terms of classics in ICO and Shadow of the Colossus, both of which came on the same platform and same studio, Team ICO for the PS2.

This generation, in the PS3/360/Wii days, you can be guranteed of at least one game that can go down as one of the best of all time and in our books, probably the best of all time: Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.

While Metal Gear Online has abeen great abit dodgy with lag and the controversial Konami ID, it simply has got nothing on Guns of the Patriots. Kojima’s final outing as director of the series brought the curtain down on Solid Snake’s tale of being used by the government, the people around him, The Patriots and even his own family.

Metal Gear Solid 4 brings to a close 20 years worth of conspiracy, heartbreak, terrorism, controversy, even more heartbreak (Otacon, you incest bastard!) and more and it closes it in a epic way that no Hollywood movie can do.

Simply, the finest game this generation.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————

So what do you think, do you agree with our choices, do you disagree? What our your top 20 games of this generation so far?

Let us know below in the comments section.