It’s never an easy task to do a “Best of” list. This year, given the wealth of quality games released, it was an especially difficult task. But, our own Nick Morano felt himself more than up to it and he has come up with an insightful, well reasoned list. See if you agree with him.

Choosing the 10 best games of 2007 is no easy feat. This was an excellent year for gaming, and I think that it shows in not just the quality of games we received, but also the variety of the good games. There are so many games I’d like to choose among a variety of systems, (except Playstation3….you get no love), but there just isn’t enough room for them all. So I tried to pick what I think are the very best games of the year. Here is my list. Hope you like it.

10) Contra 4 (Nintendo DS)

Contra 4 is a modern take on an old school game. This game re-imagines the difficulty and fun factor of the original Contra, while still doing something new and different. In my opinion, this is even better than the original and it has brought back the Contra series for a new generation of gamer to experience. You’ll still pull your hair out at the difficulty, but you’ll love this game.

9) Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (Nintendo DS)

Now most people would probably say that this game belongs higher on this list. That’s true, perhaps it does.  I placed it at #9 for a few reasons, however. First, while it is without a doubt the most innovative Zelda game yet, it still has the same basic plot. It’s slightly skewed enough to seem fresh but it’s still the same. Change is not always a good thing though, so that’s not something I’m griping about. I love Zelda. I own just about every Zelda game. The main reason I dropped this so low is because I haven’t had much play time with it yet. But it is an excellent game, which really shows the potential of the DS both graphically and in terms of gameplay.

EDITOR’S NOTE: I have played fairly far into this game and it has been one of my favorite experiences this past year. The DS controls add a great new dimension to this time honored series and the graphics are truly beautiful for a hand-held game. –Rob

8) Rock Band (Xbox360, Playstation3, Playstation2)

Rock Band is the next big thing. It takes the screaming guitar gameplay of Guitar Hero, and combines it with 3 other instruments. The price tag for the whole set is steep, though it is honestly worth it. This game provides endless fun. The problem though is that, if you have no friends, you won’t get as much joy out of it. The hook for this gameplay is playing with friends and feeling like you are part of an actual band. While you can’t form a band online due to the current lack of a world tour mode, it seems likely this will be possible in the future.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Downloadable content, including FULL ALBUMS, seems to insure a consistently fresh playing experience, and a bright future for this game. –Rob

7) Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions (Sony PSP)

This game is a remake of the original Final Fantasy Tactics for the Playstation. It was a hard game to come across, due to a limited production run of the game. So, this is Square Enix’s attempt to make it available for more gamers who missed it the first time. The combat is superb and has more depth than any other game out there. Story is told through in game text sequences and anime styled cut scenes which look fantastic. This is definitely a must have for any PSP owner, or strategy game afficionado.

6) Persona 3 (Playstation2))

This game is a good example of why the Playstation2 was dominating the game industry for so long. It’s a fantastic game, with nice anime styled visuals, a great story, and an intuitive and unique combat system. Not just that, but this game is quite the hybrid. It successfully combined a Role Playing Game with a high school dating simulation for unique results. Your monsters will get stronger based on how you handle your relationships with the people around you. This is such an interesting concept; it makes you wonder why no one had thought of this concept sooner.

5) Resident Evil 4 (Nintendo Wii)

Resident Evil 4 is one game that has stood the test of time and has never faltered. This game single handedly redefined the survival horror genre for video games. Now, this is an old game. It was originally released for the Gamecube around the end of 2004, beginning of 2005 I believe. Since then, it was re-released on the Playstation2 with extra content that the Gamecube owners never got to see. Well the Wii version remedies that by giving Nintendo owners the most complete version to date by combining the extra modes and content from the other games into this one entry. Not just that, but the control scheme works remarkably well on the Wii. And even though it is fairly dated, this game’s visuals still look impressive. Also, it doesn’t hurt that the price is just right. $30.00 for a brand new game is a lot better than $50.00, especially for a game as good as this. This game is one of the greatest games of all time. And, I don’t think it will ever be bumped from that list.

4) God of War II (Playstation2)

God of War II shows the true potential of the PS2 and gives gamers what they want. Visceral action and an intriguing storyline make up the heart of this game. No PS2 owner should be without it. Playing Kratos as he tries to reclaim his lost God powers is an absolute blast from beginning to end. Get your fill now though, because God of War III is going to be a Playstation3 exclusive . This game will keep you coming back for more over and over again, and it really shows that you don’t need to spend $600 to get the best graphics known to man. God of War II has the best graphics of any PS2 game and then some.

3) Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Multi-platform)

The Call of Duty series has always been deeply rooted in World War 2 history. This time, it’s all about modern day combat. Gamers around the world are eating up its extremely fun and challenging multiplayer component, and that’s where this game shines. Call of Duty 4 is a game that was meant to be played online, even though it does have a robust single player campaign. There is no greater joy then having your pick of around 20 different guns and the variety of perks at your disposal just to kill your opponents. This game changes the way we think of multiplayer First Person Shooters (fps), and has paved the way for the next era of the FPS genre.

2) Bioshock (Xbox 360, PC)

Bioshock is one of the main reasons to own an Xbox360. This game has incredible story-telling, somewhat complex, but fun, combat and gameplay, a unique but fun hacking system, and  a deep upgrade system. This game has only two problems. It’s not as long as I would have liked. Though, that is only a problem because it was so much fun. I wanted to play more of it. Also, the final boss fight and endings aren’t that good. Yet, it still keeps bringing me back to explore the undersea world of Rapture. The graphics are some of the best on the 360 to date. This is one that should not be missed. If you own a 360, you owe it to yourself to purchase this game.

And now folks, we come to the number 1 entry for Best Game of the Year. Not many of you will disagree with this choice. The few of you that do can’t manage to get your hands on the system itself, let alone the game.

And the winner is….

1) Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo Wii)

Mario again takes the title of champion for another year. The Mario games have always been a blast, but not too innovative. They all play essentially the same way. While this is somewhat true for Galaxy, it also means something completely different. On the surface it may seem like it plays like its predecessors, but then you round a corner and now you’re on the bottom of the planet. The game constantly disorients you (which is actually fun) and gives you a fresh Mario experience. Yes it plays similar but at the end of the day,but, if it isn’t broke why fix it? This game also clearly demonstrates the real potential of the Wii’s hardware and the crisp, vibrant graphics the system is really capable of displaying. People thought the Wii was a joke and that the hardware could never have matched anything Sony or Microsoft could come up with. Here’s proof that those people are wrong.

EDITOR’S NOTE: I have seldom had as much fun playing a game as I have with MARIO GALAXY. It is truly an experience not to be missed.– Rob

So there you have it folks, the Best of 2007.