The Rocky Mountain Collegian

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Well, it's the end of the year, the time to look back on what is worth dropping your hard-earned Christmas money on. These 10 games are listed in order of their scientifically calculated awesomeness, its fact. Also, be warned there are no sports games in this list. ESPN games are 20 bucks, and there doesn't appear to be anything wrong with them. That's about the entire extent of my knowledge of them. Without further ado, here is the unarguable list of the best 10 games of 2004.

10. "Prince of Persia: Warrior Within." The Prince is back, and it looks like he had to spend some time in rehab. The sequel to the "Sands of Time" delivers a sold action game. Running up walls like a Saracen raider proves to be as cool as ever, and the revamped combat system is a vast improvement over the original. Just be prepared to suffer the rocking wrath of Godsmack's soundtrack.

9. "X-Men: Legends." OK, this is one ugly game. The lackluster graphics, however, are about the only thing working against the best dungeon crawler of 2004. A team-based battle system rewards combining attacks with and up to three of your friends. A treasure-grabbing system rewards being a greedy bastard with said friends. The end result is a game that entertains for months.

8. "Jak 3." Jak and his smart-mouthed rodent companion Daxter return to the PS2 for the (supposedly) final game in the series. The new focus in this sequel is on the various four-wheelers with which you motor around the desert. They range from an unarmed dune buggy to a massive assault tank. You will need every new vehicle you can get, as this game involves a whole lot of dune hopping joy rides.

7. "Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal." As any redneck with a firecracker will tell you, blowing stuff up is a good time. Such is the premise of the third Ratchet and Clank. You are given many guns, tons of ammo and a whole bunch of targets on which to use them. And the awesome single-player experience is only the start. The intense online experience seals the deal making this the best platformer of 2004. Just be sure to bring a sheep gun and a wrench.

6. "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2." Oh yes, the Force is strong in this one. Once again, you play the role of a Jedi fighting-or joining-the evil Sith. The story is more character-driven, allowing those in your party to become your own super justice team or a squad of ruthless conquerors. Using the Force to "express your displeasure" toward a mouthy townie can range from mind tricking him to go home to his wife and kids or give you all his money and throw himself off a bridge. Needless to say, the more morally casual gamer will have a much better time with this one. Best RPG of 2004.

5. "Ninja Gaiden." There are only three things in life you can count on: death, taxes and ninja games being awesome. Ninja Gaiden is no exception. This is the most watchable game since "Devil May Cry" for the PS2. Your intrepid ninja has the ability to flip off walls, throw ninja stars and kick people in the face all in one fluid motion. The game provides a level of difficulty on par with a one-armed clapping contest. Dying happens often, and it happens quickly. Be prepared to break a controller over this game. If you can master it, however, you are rewarded with the best third-person action game of the year.

4. "Metroid Prime: Echoes." If you hated the original Metroid Prime, chances are you will hate this one just as much. Do not play this game expecting Halo 2 for the GameCube, or you will be setting yourself up for an ugly disappointment. Although the first-person shooter action is a large part of this game, the true triumph of this title is the exploration. Go to new places, scan interesting creatures, shoot missiles into their newly discovered weak points, watch the fascinating effect of the resulting alien goop as it splats onto your visor. If you got one 'Cube game for Christmas, I hope it was this one.

3. "Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater." Metal Gear Solid delivers its signature acid-trip plot and tight stealth action with many great new twists. First and foremost is the hunting system. Relive your favorite "Survivor" moments as you force Snake to eat the rat sandwich you just stabbed. Another great innovation is the new camouflage system. Although you can plow through the Russian jungles in shirtless glory, applying proper camouflage will let you sneak up on and sucker punch even the most well-placed sentry. Finally, another cool addition is healing after taking damage. If you get shot to shreds, you better have a bandage and some disinfectant to fix it.

2. "GTA: San Andreas." "Damn, it feels good to be a gangsta." Well, at least it feels good to experience the hard-knock life of gangbanging OG "CJ." For those of the Caucasian persuasion, this is the closest you can come to being 50 Cent. The epic scope of this three-city game takes you from the streets of gangland Los Santos to casino-littered Las Venturas. The missions never get old. One moment you may be reliving a scene from "Terminator 2," the next doing missions for a mink-fur obsessed pimp named Jizzy B.

1. "Halo 2." Nothing surprising about this one. The sequel to the "killer app" of the Xbox carries on the torch as the must-own game for the system. Xbox Live compatibility means there is always a steady stream of equally skilled opponents available to play. Stingier gamers will find an awesome game smiting their buddies in a quick, four-man, split-screen death match. New improvements include the mighty energy sword, a dedicated melee weapon that is possibly the greatest innovation in the ancient science of stabbery since the light saber. Also, dual wielding weapons lets you double your fun, creating John Woo-like gun play in your death match. One more thing though. The legendary difficulty is the most mind-bogglingly difficult shooter you will ever play. Don't touch it-don't even look at it-unless you are an exceedingly hardcore gamer.

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