Lists like these are usually pretty boring to me, with an interchangeable collection of games littering most year-end assessments.

I think something most “respectable” publications get wrapped up in is making sure they stick to a generally acknowledged list of innovative releases – which is definitely something to be commended. But honestly, I don’t always care how unique the battle system is in Mass Effect, or how many polygons Crysis is pushing.

I put a lot more stock in how much pure fun I had throughout my gaming year. Yeah, innovation in gameplay and presentation is important. But if some piece of shit cell phone game kept my attention better than a new Warcraft or Zelda, then it deserves a mention. Right?

Like my favorite movies, I want games to push the art form, but it’s okay to admit that the dumb ones still made you smile despite their technical flaws. I mean, Gene Siskel put a Steven Seagal movie on his Top 10 list one year – and that dude knew his shit.

*Disclaimer: I never got to play Contra 4 for the Nintendo DS, which no doubt would have made the list. Sorry Bill and Lance, be sure to punch Red Falcon in the face for me.

Now here are the games:

1. BioShock (Xbox 360)

Siskel’s buddy Roger Ebert claims that video games will never break through the constraints of the medium and be elevated to great art. I’d like to make him sit down and play BioShock. The best compliment I can give this game is that if it was a movie, BioShock would have been my favorite flick of 2007.

There are too many highlights to mention, but the game would have topped the list based on premise alone. The developers took a big risk by putting a first-person shooter in a period setting unlike any other. I mean, who sets a game in an underwater city in the 50’s? Apparently geniuses!

The atmosphere was sketched from the same surreal blueprints that made Dark City and The Shining so unnervingly creepy – paired with set design that blended the creativity and audacity of Jules Verne and Howard Hughes. I’ve never stopped to admire my surroundings in a game like this before. But with BioShock, you want to explore the tiniest details in each room, because you don’t want to miss a thing. Like Aerosmith always told us.

Finally, besides offering the kind of intense and gritty gunplay FPS players crave from the best games in the genre, the story also demands moral choices that reflect on your own survival – rather than simply blowing through rooms of enemies on your way to the finish line. Do you murder innocent children and get a quick boost in abilities, or let them live, and give up the reward? It’s completely up to you.

Personally, after having to kill a Big Daddy – which is like fighting a giant robot Ivan Drago – I made those little assholes pay with their lives. Thank you BioShock, I have never killed children in a video game before.

2. Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)

For a lot of us who grew up in the 80’s, playing through a Mario game is as natural as breathing. Super Mario Galaxy rekindled those instincts, and brought back that classic Nintendo feeling more than any game this decade.

Almost a lost art form, it’s hard to blend innovation and smooth controls like Mario Galaxy does, especially when it stars the industry’s biggest icon. No game gave me that feeling of “just one more level” like Mario Galaxy. I wouldn’t want to have spent those hours doing anything else this past year. Sorry Jessica Alba…maybe I’ll give you another baby in ‘08.

3. Call of Duty 4 (Playstation 3, Xbox 360)

Imagine being able to play through the most intense battle scenes from Saving Private Ryan and Black Hawk Down – with a little Die Hard thrown in to spike the “holy shit” factor.

Call of Duty 4 is like every military fantasy you’ve ever wanted to live out. Remember the best time you had playing toy guns in your neighborhood as a kid? Call of Duty 4 is that day hopped up on Kool-Aid and crack.

For fuck’s sake, you get blasted by nuclear radiation, then crawl around on the ground as you slowly decompose. The horror of modern combat has never felt as visceral as it does in this game – and proved that you can address relevant war themes on a console while still having them be entertaining.

4. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Wii)

Holy shit, somebody finally made a first-person shooter better by adapting it to the nuances of the Wii control scheme – and it’s a Metroid game! I was sold two minutes into this thing. This is the most intelligent and intuitive shooter of the year.

Opening doors, using the grapple beam, and solving puzzles – it all feels smooth and natural, and is as close as any game system has gotten to letting you stick your hand inside the TV and interact with a virtual world.

Finally, Metroid Prime 3 has the hallmark of all great Nintendo titles. It just feels like you’re home when you’re playing it.

5. God of War II (Playstation 2)

In prepping this list I actually forgot that God of War II came out in 2007. The PS2 is seven years old now, and yet the developers still put all their efforts into delivering a game that could almost single-handedly kick the ass of most next-gen libraries. Crazy.

With how awesome the original was, God of War II could only have been a disappointment. Somehow the game was able to stick to the same combat and level progression, but still felt new thanks to some of the most unbelievable set pieces and boss battles of the year. This is how you do a sequel.

6. (tie) Odin Sphere (Playstation 2), Persona 3 (Playstation 2)

These weird Japanese RPG’s had more creativity than all the other games on this list put together. I mean, in Persona 3 one of the special attacks involves putting a gun to your head and shooting yourself – which summons monsters to appear and kick enemy ass. How awesome is that? Why doesn’t this gun exist?

Gaming is such an accepted pastime now, but these discs took me back to the days of being the only one in 6th grade who knew how engaging and creative this media could be. Playing through Odin Sphere and Persona 3 felt like you were a part of a special club, and that doesn’t happen too much anymore. Odin Sphere also has the most beautiful 2D graphics you’ll ever see – like the ultimate digital porn for old school geeks.

7. Medal of Honor: Airborne (Playstation 3, Xbox 360)

This game didn’t get the best reviews, but goddamn it’s fun. I have a definite bias, as killing Nazis is my favorite sport in the world, but you can’t deny the thrill of being able to parachute into any part of a level and take it on however you see fit. The environments and weapons also feel dirty and lived in, which is a nice change of pace from the clean lines and sparkling environments of your typical sci-fi shooter.

It’s also tough as balls, which is a welcome change after breezing through the likes of Halo 3. It makes killing Nazi bastards even sweeter when you have to work for it.

8. Wario Ware Smooth Moves (Wii)

It’s easy to take the Wii control scheme for granted after the initial novelty has worn off, but this game utilized it in ways that I hope other developers will pick up on. Just imagine some of the balance, driving, and body movement controls put in your favorite genres.

Also my favorite party game of the year, I was never as consistently surprised and entertained as I was during the hours I spent on the latest Wario Ware. This is the game I use to show off the Wii to people who have never seen it. And that’s saying a lot.

9. Halo 3 (Xbox 360)

How does such a fantastic gaming experience disappoint as much as it entertains?! When it’s the third entry in a series that has consistently kicked so much first person ass – and this is the best they can do on a new console!

Whatever, Halo 3 gets by on reliability, not innovation. The presentation and polish were some of the best of the year – and the journey never stopped being invigorating. Yet unlike God of War II, I kept feeling like I was playing a last generation game. Which is kind of fucked up.

I kept waiting for Halo 3 to get as good as I knew it could be. Then suddenly you’re at the end, and that’s it. It’s kind of how I felt about Lethal Weapon 3 the first time I saw it. You’re glad you got another ride, but the magic is gone. But then, I’ve always been a big defender of Weapon 3, despite my better judgment.

10. Tanks! (Wii; included with Wii Play)

Wii Play is a pretty awful collection of mini games designed to show off the motion control of the Wii controller. But then it had this awesome tank game tacked on that’s like an updated version of Combat for the Atari 2600. The hours I spent on this retardedly simple concept made me smile almost as much as Halo 3. And that’s some kind of lesson isn’t it?

If the titles on 2008’s list are as fun as Tanks!, it’s going to be an awesome year.

Runners Up:

Assassin’s Creed (Playstation 3, Xbox 360)

Any game that let’s me kill people in new ways is automatically awesome. Not as good as I had hoped, but still solid. Let’s hope the setting keeps jumping forward in time. Maybe a western theme for part 2?!

Mass Effect (Xbox 360)

Completely awesome, but I just can’t get into this style of RPG. It’s like the ultra-smart math rock version of a video game. Come on Radiohead, just jam out like you used to! If Mass Effect played like Phantasy Star II for the Genesis, I’d be all about it.

Rock Band (Playstation 3, Xbox 360)

I debated putting Rock Band in the top ten – but then I have a feeling the sequel will be a lot better. So fuck it. Close, but you’re still just a slightly more interesting Guitar Hero. Also, don’t make me pay $2 to download extra songs, especially when the best thing you’re offering is a cover band version of Rush’s “Limelight.” Bitch, please.