Your gaming highs and lows of 2006

I thought this might be an appropriate time to do an appraisal of a year in video-gaming now that all the major titles have been released. Quite simply:

What have been your gaming highs and lows of 2006?

My highs: Twilight Princess, Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion, Prey, Gears of War, Viva Pinata, Canis Canem Edit, Nintendo Wii and Nintendo's Marketing Strategy.

My lows: Lack of quality titles released for the PSP and the bickering between Sony and Microsoft.

Highs

Twilight Princess: I say what just about everyone else has already said. This is an amazing game and undoubtedly worth the seemingly infinite wait.

Elder Scrolls 4: A staggering achievement and a game that almost has no end.

Prey: I loved it. This game got me finally hooked into FPS's and enjoying this genre.

Viva Pinata: So lush, so cute, so playable. I hope this is a return to form for Rare.

Canis Canem Edit: From the tabloid reports I was imagining a hate-filled, loathsome and truly violent game. What a fantastic way for a developer to completely prove the sensationalist media totally wrong.

Nintendo Wii: Excellent. I have spent a great deal of time playing this around my friends home and this is better then I personally expected. Good job Nintendo.

Nintendo's Marketing Strategy: A strange one to choose, perhaps, but Nintendo has done many things right this year in my opinion. My father does not like handhelds but both Brain Training and 42 All-Time classics has him totally hooked. It was a clever ploy for Nintendo to reach out and embrace 'gamers' of 'all-ages' because now folks like my pa are more inclined to try out other DS games.

Lows

Lack of quality titles on Sony PSP: I love my PSP and spend many hours playing Lumines, but the only titles I have bought have been remakes of titles I already have. Gitaroo Man Lives, Street Fighter Alpha 3, Power Stone, Gradius... I have these games already (but well worth playing wherever I like). There just haven't been enough quality original games this year.

Bickering between Sony and Microsoft: These two spend too much time boasting about their machines specs and trashing each other. Just... stop. It's boring to read an exec saying how their machine is much better then the other. Nintendo tends to stay quiet and let it slide. Sony and Microsoft spend too much time sniping each other. This effects me personally because I feel I've lost some respect for Sony and Microsoft, while it has increased for Nintendo.

Thats all in my opinion.

What are your gaming highs and lows of 2006?

Highs:
Without a doubt my overall gaming highlight of the year is Gears of War.  The graphics, the gameplay, the audio.  It all combines to create one of the best games I've ever played.

Another fantastic title for the 360 is the Fight Night.  For me it was definately one of the crowning glories in the 360's early days.

GTA: Liberty City stories (PSP).  It could have been horrible, but it was excellent.

Worthy mentions must go to: Saints Row for not quite being the GTA rip-off it could have been; Sam & Max for reminding us why point and clicks are excellent; Tomb Raider for being better than expected not quite a return to form, but damn near it.

Lows:
Dead Rising.  I wanted so much to love the game.  But after the inital awe all that was left was a game not to dissimilar to State of Emergency. EDIT: You deserve to die for even CONSIDERING this game in your lows section. - Spakky