This was an odd decade of gaming for me as I was beginning to branch out of my Nintendo bubble (plus the occasional PC game) and explore other consoles/genres/games. Trying a little bit of everything. So there are quite a few contenders without having just a few prominent ones standing out like in the 90s or 2010s.
Off the top of my head:
Gears of War - Was a game changer for me. Was really the first I played of its kind, with its detailed, gritty style, cinematic, gripping campaign, and endlessly fun online gameplay. Just a badass game all around.
Smash Bros Melee - Smash at its best. Just the right level of complexity and content without being bloated or overwhelming, solid, swift mechanics.
Eternal Darkness - Really cool and innovative sanity meter. Love the narrative and the concept of bouncing around between totally different time periods and settings, unified by a singular bloodline and concepts.
Resident Evil 4 - Resident Evil at its best. Perfect blend of action, puzzles, and creepy survival horror, unlike some others in the series which tend to lean too heavily in one direction or the other.
Tales of Symphonia - The most fun I've had playing an RPG since Secret of Mana and Mario RPG. Combat was exciting and the narrative was actually interesting, with a neat twist.
World of Warcraft - Feverishly addictive MMO. Expansive and in-depth, rich with character and atmosphere. I had played Everquest before this for this but Blizzard basically refined and perfected the formula.
Wii Sports - Really felt fresh, pushed boundaries and made gaming feel fresh again with the intuitive control
Fallout 3 - Massive, robust RPG that I couldn't get enough of. Neat retro post-apocalyptic themes and loved the VATS system of aiming.
Guitar Hero 3 - Super fun, was the series at its peak, and strongest soundtrack of any GH I've played
"We hold these truths to be self-evident - all men and women created by the, go-you know.. you know the thing!" - Joe Biden
