Game Informer Names Top 10 Games for 2004 Holiday Season

Gaming Central, MINNEAPOLIS, Nov. 23 - Game Informer, North America's largest paid circulation games publication, today announced its picks for the best games of the 2004 holiday season in its latest Game Informer Top 10 list.

"This holiday season, publishers are pulling out all the stops with some of their biggest and best titles," said Game Informer Editor-in-Chief Andy McNamara. "The real winner this holiday season is the gamer. Halo 2 tops the list, but each title offers a solid gaming experience that promises to thrill and entertain gamers of all kinds and should not be missed."

Game Informer Top 10 Games for Holiday 2004:

1. Halo 2; Publisher/Developer: Microsoft/Bungie; Platform: Xbox; ESRB Rating: M for Mature (17+); An incredible science fiction story combines with frantic online multiplayer to make this one of the finest console video games of all time. Don't even consider missing it.

2. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas; Publisher/Developer: Rockstar/Rockstar North; Platform: PS2; ESRB Rating: M for Mature (17+); A truly massive 3D world lets you explore the fictional west coast state of San Andreas. Indulge in all those criminal tendencies you'd never try in real life - a must have for adult PS2 owners.

3. Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal; Publisher/Developer: Sony Computer Entertainment/Insomniac Games; Platform: PS2; ESRB Rating: T for Teen (13+); Classic 3D platforming perfected. The cartoony sci-fi story is filled with hours of hilarious fun. When you're done, online multiplayer lets you continue the adventure. This third installment is the best yet.

4. Tony Hawk's Underground 2; Publisher/Developer: Activision/Neversoft; Platform: GameCube, PS2, Xbox; ESRB Rating: T for Teen (13+); The skateboarding legend returns with two games in one! Play through Classic Mode to perfect your tricks, or become a skating legend in the Story Mode.

5. Half-Life 2; Publisher/Developer: Vivendi Universal Games/Valve; Platform: PC; ESRB Rating: M for Mature (17+); At long last, the classic PC title receives a stellar sequel. One of the best looking games ever, and it just happens to be one of the most fun as well.

6. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater; Publisher/Developer: Konami/Konami; Platform: PS2; ESRB Rating: M for Mature (17+); The godfather of stealth/action games returns. Mind-blowing story, great characters, and unexpected plot twists abound. Truly thrilling.

7. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes; Publisher/Developer: Nintendo/Retro Studios; Platform: GameCube; ESRB Rating: T for Teen (13+); One of the greatest game series in history receives a new entry in this challenging masterpiece from Nintendo. First-person exploration has never been better.

8. Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords; Publisher/Developer: LucasArts/Obsidian Entertainment; Platform: Xbox; ESRB Rating: T for Teen (13+); Star Wars fans can rejoice in another RPG masterpiece. Choose the dark side of the Force to crush your enemies, or wield a lightsaber in defense of the Jedi Order. The choice is yours in this enormous, world- spanning adventure.

9. Burnout 3: Takedown; Publisher/Developer: EA Games/Criterion; Platform: Xbox; ESRB Rating: T for Teen (13+); Drive like a maniac and don't look back as you live life in the fast lane. Race the streets at impossible, breakneck speeds, or cause as much damage as possible in Crash Mode.

10. World of Warcraft; Publisher/Developer: Vivendi Universal Games/Blizzard Entertainment; Platform: PC; ESRB Rating: T for Teen (13+); Join with thousands of online players in this massively multiplayer online world as you build your character from nobody to hero. Artistically beautiful, phenomenally deep, and intensely enjoyable - don't expect to leave your house for a few months.

About Game Informer

Game Informer Magazine was founded in 1991 as The Final Word On Computer & Video Games. Today Game Informer has achieved more circulation growth more rapidly than any games magazine in history to become North America's largest paid circulation games publication, nearly 200 percent larger in total paid circulation than its closest competitor.