2006 was a great year for video games. While years that see new home consoles are successes, this year in particular proved that video games are becoming mainstream faster than you may realize. While a lot of it has to do with the Wii, a system vying for the position of “console anyone can play,” the fact that a huge entertainment company like Sony is showcasing their new format of media on PlayStation 3 says something. Now that officially every mainstream game has been released in 2006, here are the 20 best games of the year:

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20. Viva Pinata – For a game developed primarily for children, Viva Pinata is deceitfully-deep in terms of gameplay. The best part is, the game conforms to your level of playing style by letting you take your time or rush forward. Thus, young gamers can slowly figure out puzzles and be challenged while veteran gamers are rushed with floods of new piñatas eating each other and fighting. Still, the main audience is still children, and it remains to be seen how many kids actually own the pricey Xbox 360.

19. Tekken: Dark Resurrection – Fighting perfection on a handheld. 19 stages, new modes, multiplayer gameplay, and over 30 characters all packed into a small UMD disc. One of those characters is the fan favorite Armor King, who has been AWOL for a few games in the series. This is a must-have for any fighting fan with a PSP.

18. Tetris DS – The return of the classic game that starting so many gaming trends and careers that it deserves its own article. Tetris DS offers the classic puzzler and tons of extra modes inspired by it. Add in support for eight player Tetris games, and you have a great game for any DS owner.

17. Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror – Did anyone see this coming? What was thought to be a simple port for the PSP became its best action game of the year. The sheer success of this title gives hope that the franchise will continue to battle with Metal Gear Solid and Splinter Cell for stealth-action king. For gamers, competition like this can only be a good thing.

16. New Super Mario Bros. – The title makes it sound like the publishers ran out of ideas, but New Super Mario Bros. took everything that made the original NES classic great and built upon it to offer newcomers a taste of what it was like to play Mario for the first time. A fantastic title that can’t be missed by anyone with a DS.

15. Resistance: Fall of Man – What can you say about this title, other than people are buying the PS3 just to play it? Given that the PS3 is a $600 system based off high definition technology, which has yet to be widely adapted, that’s saying more than enough.

14. Madden 07 (Wii) – While all the other consoles offered Madden 07, the Wii version simply blows them out of the water. While you have some innovations and nice graphics on the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, they can’t hold a candle to what you can do in the Wii game. Actually being able to throw passes and stiff-arm opponents makes this the version to play at parties.

13. Wii Sports – On this list solely for the fact that it gives you every reason to be excited about the Wii’s future as a gaming console. Anyone can pick up this title and play a fun sport, and those who have played the real-life counterparts can excel effortlessly. While a few dads out there can figure out the complex controls of Madden and play a game with their son, every parent can bowl against their kids in Wii Sports.

12. Okami – Although it was pushed back multiple times and apparently on the verge of getting termed as vaporware, Okami surged onto the scene in September and never looked back. Featuring a graphic style never seen before and may never be duplicated, Okami is a fantastic adventure of the PS2. Unfortunately, Capcom closed down the developing studio - but Okami is a great swan song.

11. Bully – Once again, Rockstar enjoys free publicity from out-of-touch lawmakers who believe video games are destroying young minds. Once again, Rockstar releases something that not only lives up to the hype but blows it out of the water. Bully is a complete, entertaining title that captures private school life with such ferocity that it begs to be played.

10. Trauma Center: Second Opinion – The term “Wiimake” was created for this title, but Trauma Center rose above the Nintendo DS version it was based upon and offered a complete experience that really offers at how the innovative Wii controls can put you “inside” a video game. With a new storyline and missions, it’s no slouch in new content either.

9. Final Fantasy XII – When the battle system was previewed, fans were trolling the message boards, registering their complaints with Square Enix for dislodging the classic combat system that made the franchise so, well, classic. Then the game came out, and you can almost hear the silence. Final Fantasy XII takes a while to get into, but once you break into the main storyline of the game, you will be hard-pressed to find a better screenplay in today’s movies.

8. Dead Rising – Capcom’s game about a mall full of zombies is the title actions fans wanted from Capcom’s other zombie franchise, Resident Evil. In Dead Rising, you are given a camera, some weapons, and tens of thousands of zombies inside a mall. Have fun!

7. Guitar Hero II – Guitar Hero returns after only a year, and it still offers tons of new content. Not only can you practice specific portions of each song before trying to conquer them in the main game mode, but you can also play “Trogdor” of Homestar Runner fame. You can also now play co-op with another player, with one of you playing the usual lead guitar and the other doing rhythm or bass chord – which in some cases can be just as hard.

6. Company of Heroes – Relic, the team behind Warhammer 40,000, brings their fantastic real-time strategy know-how to World War II. While the system requirements are high, this realistic title will pull any strategist into its grasp for the entire storyline. After that, there’s the addicting multiplayer to wade through.

5. Half-Life 2 – A game that could easily have been in the top three, if it weren’t for one crippling decision. While Half-Life 2 is a great shooter that should be enjoyed by anyone with a machine that can handle the superb graphics, it requires an online connection to play. After a lengthy install, you must set yourself up with a Steam account that will track you down to make sure you aren’t pirating a copy. It bothered me that I had just spent about $50 for the CDs, and I was still treated like a criminal.

4. Rainbow Six: Vegas – Ever since the debacle that was Lockdown, the Tom Clancy series has come back with a vengeance, thanks to GRAW and Vegas. Rainbow Six: Vegas, is a fantastic mash-up of action and strategy, something that should appeal to the fans of the original games without being too hard to pick up for casual gamers. The multiplayer can be a disappointment, especially the co-op, but overall this is a great shooter to pick up.

3. Gears of War – While I personally don’t get what all the fuss is about, it’s hard to deny the fact that Gears of War was incredibly successful in 2006. Just about everyone who owned a 360 picked up this game. The online multiplayer could use some work, but the co-op is a blast to play through at least once.

2. Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion – A dedicated role-play gamer could play this game on the Xbox 360 or PC for over 300 hours and never tire of the content. Bethesda created such a huge, engrossing world that it was hard to concentrate of the main storyline. If you saw a cave, you had better believe you can go inside it and – more than likely – find an adventure to partake in, whether it was a vampire clan’s living space or the hideout of a wanted bandit. This was the first game in which I got lost in a virtual forest. Good thing Oblivion has a map function.

1. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess – The newest Zelda carried the launch of a new system (Wii) while giving a sweet goodbye to its predecessor (GameCube). If there was one thing wrong I had to say about the game, it would be that I might be too easy for some gamers. With that said, it’s so engrossing and nostalgically-accurate when it comes to the venerable series that it’s hard not to love this game. Some folks may say the graphics are rudimentary but last time I checked the purpose of a video game was to play, not to watch. While both versions are great, the extra controls on the Wii allow you to use Link’s bow, shield, sword and myriad of other tools on a whole new level. Twilight Princess just barely falls out of the top 10 games of all-time, making it an easy choice for the best game of 2006.