The thread's still movin, eh?
Anyway, in my earlier post I sort of generalized games by their origin (Japanese vs western), as it is a main factor in the Wii being my favorite console, because the HD consoles are dominated by western devs. I should probably explain in detail why I mostly prefer games from Japan (for single player experiences). From what I've seen, the main differences are in music, story, and art.
The music in Japanese games tend to make their presence known. Hell, some games are practically defined by their music (lots of NES/SNES stuff). Often there's music playing at all times, whether it's the main menu screen, or during gameplay. I tend to like it this way. The western games I've played tend to either have subtle music that sort of blends into the background (WRPG's), or more commonly, don't have any music during the gameplay at all. For example, while I haven't played it, Shadow Complex looks a hell of a lot like a 2D Metroid, but it seems there's no music during the gameplay. I'm not saying western games don't have good music - I love the Halo theme, and there's some awesome Gears themes in particular - but it usually just isn't there during the gameplay.
The stories in Japanese games tend to be linear. JRPG's in particular seem to often be criticized for this, though to be honest, I'm fine with a linear story. Even if it potentially means less replay value, it's easier to fully flesh out a single story, rather than multiple stories for a game. I've played many western games which put heavy emphasis on choice, allowing the player to change himself, or the story, depending on his actions. While it sounds great in theory, it has never quite worked out well for me. The result is all the storylines end up feeling "empty," somehow. I suppose I need to give more of these games a try (Warren Spector has me interested).
Lastly, the art. This one is pretty obvious: Japan tends to go for cartoony stuff, while the west sticks to the more realistic look. Now, I don't necessarily think anime > 3D, but I do enjoy an art style (or environment) that feels out of this world. It's why I love cel-shading, so I think Wind Waker looks (and will age better) than Twilight Princess. The setting can make all the difference - see Assassin's Creed, Uncharted, and especially Mirror's Edge. Even Gears of War, a game criticized for being too "brown," is a style that appeals to me. Its ridiculously heavy, macho characters adds to the feeling that the Gears world is brutal as hell, nothing like our Earth. Examples of stuff I don't like are Resistance, GTA4, Half-Life, Fallout 3, etc.
Hrm, ended up writing too much. Anyway, I'm mainly generalizing here, of course, so there are exceptions. For example, Blizzard is easily one of my favorite developers, and they fit in the "Japanese" category for all the above - memorable music playing at all times, linear stories, and a cartoony art style. I guess those are some reasons why I love them so much.
