Best RPG - Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion While there were a number of great role-playing games across multiple platforms in 2006 (Okami, Final Fantasy XII, Final Fantasy III, Rocket Slime, Neverwinter Nights 2 and Titan Quest to name a few), it is Bethesda Softworks' fourth chapter in the popular Elder Scrolls series that rises above the rest. We've honored this epic and open ended role-playing game elsewhere in our 2006 awards, but it would truly be a travesty to not recognize it where what it matters the most. Oblivion builds up the beautiful lands of Cyrodil and then tears it down with a series of calamities and events that shake this noble region to its very core. The leader of this land is murdered and with his bloodline seemingly ending, all hell breaks loose. And it is the very moment that you emerge from the sewers a free man that the adventure opens up beyond all expectations, letting you decide whether to rush to the next stage in the main plot or meander the countryside exploring this vast and beautiful land. It is this vast open ended gameplay and the game's wonderfully crafted and visually stunning world that makes it the best role-playing game of 2006. - James Fudge, Editor in Chief, GameShark.

Best Strategy Game: Company of Heroes With Company of Heroes, Relic managed to take a tired genre, World War II RTS, and spin it into something new and exciting. There simply isn’t much to complain about: graphics, gameplay, interface, AI, campaign design, and astounding sound effects, Company of Heroes covered it all and is not only the best strategy game of the year, it might very well be the best strategy game of the decade. - William Abner, GameShark Contributor.

Best Action Game - Dead Rising With all this talk about Gears of War, it's pretty easy to lose sight of some of 2006’s other great games. One of those great games that deserves some extra accolades is Capcom's Dead Rising, a truly revolutionary action game that mixes horror survival, action and a unique role-playing game system that focuses less on inventory and more on surviving several days in a mall complex plagued by thousands of zombies. Dead Rising looks pretty shallow on the surface, but as you peel away its layers it's actually a pretty deep and challenging experience. Beyond the chainsaw massacre action, buckets of blood and frantic time-limited navigation of this mall-turned-hellhole, players will have to manage time, choose who to save, and whether or not to pay attention to the main storyline. The game's multiple outcomes lead players to multiple replays and the achievements are more than just badges of honor on your Xbox Live scoreboard (some unlock unique weapons and costumes). Dead Rising is action with purpose, freeform and beautiful, and that is why it's GameShark's pick for the best action game of 2006. - James Fudge, Editor in Chief, GameShark.

Best Online Game - Battlefield 2142 For 2006 it was a toss-up between Gears of War and Battlefield 2142 - but ultimately we're going to have to hand it to Battlefield 2142. Gears of War, for all of it's perks, is limited to only a number of relatively small maps with the same (if addictive) gameplay styles. Battlefield 2142 however offers some truly gigantic maps and a bit more variety to the gameplay, and the unlockables also add a cool sense of progression. Once you get a good game rolling with your favorite squad of players (assuming the auto-team-switch on most servers doesn't ruin your plans) nothing quite beats this game. DICE's future leaning team-based action game for the PC had some stiff competition this year, but ultimately rises above thd rest as the best online game in town. Dave VanDyk, GameShark Contributor.

Best Sports Game: NBA 2K7 360 In what was a rather bland year for sports gaming, 2K’s NBA 2K7 on the 360 upped the ante with amazing visuals, tight controls, team personalities, personalized shooting animations, stellar gameplay, and stingy AI as well as top flight online support. Toss in a robust franchise mode and you have the best NBA basketball game to hit the scene in a long while. - William Abner, GameShark Contributor.

Best Racing Title - Test Drive Unlimited Welcome to the Oahu of your dreams. Free to roam around and do as you please without the fear of Dog the Bounty Hunter coming to your door, Atari's online /offline racer lets you jump into one of over a hundred cars and joyride any of Oahu's roadways. Through the Cities and scenic back roads you can joyride to your hearts content. Of course you can hop into a number of street races, against the AI or another player on Xbox Live - not to mention tons of missions to keep you busy on this game for a very long time. TDU lets you create your own tracks and there's also plenty of customization to go around. Toss in character customization that’s far better than most RPG's, clothing, paint schemes and a bit of tuning and you get one of this most unique racing games in 2006. - Robert Martell, GameShark Contributor.

Alternative Sports - Wii Sports Outside of football, sports games are not very big sellers in the videogame world. That has changed dramatically with the release of Wii Sports. Although it’s “just a pack in” in North America, it is truly one of the most innovative games made. Yes there have been many “active” plug and play games, but Wii Sports is easily the most fun. The game attracts all demographics, young kids, senior citizens and of course the most important demographic at my house, my wife. My wife has never understood my “hobby/work” until now. If Nintendo can even get my wife to play videogame golf and bowling then they are surely deserving of this award. - Dan Clarke, GameShark Contributor.