Diablo II, Majora's Mask, and FFIX now all tied after the polls have already closed.

I demand a recount! ;P

I'm starting to see a pattern here - FF fans will vote for every FF, Zelda fans vote for every Zelda game, Mario fans will vote for every Mario game....
Can we infuse a little bit of objectivity, instead of voting for personal favourites?

Now I remember what was missing from the year 2000.  People demanding a recount.  You aren't from Florida are you?

Don't forget the pattern of PC games only get significant votes for sequels ;)

I agree that is definitely happening (and its a problem), but lest we forget that FFIX and Majora's Mask are, in their own rights, some of the most highly-acclaimed games of all time and neither actually won this year

Diablo II for sure for me. This game i've spent soooo much time playing. The music, the atmosphere, the gameplay, the story, the loot system being literally PERFECT. You played a lot and then one day you just kept finding new secrets like the Uber part. It shaped the way H&S would be made later on. D3 was such a cash grab and had no soul that even with the updates and expansions i hate that game with a passion. Still haven't played DII ressurected but i def will and D4 is also looking like a step in the right direction after II.

I would say Majora is runner up and Paper Mario third.

I don't know, I guess I view things a bit differently - if there is a game that was really good AND did something new and different, that is for me clear winner that year, no matter if it's my personal favourite or not (the very reason I haven't voted for so many games that are very dear to me, Deus Ex from this year being example). If there are no games like that in particular year, then yes, I will consider incremental sequels or formula refinements. Of course, trying to be completely objective is fool's errand, so everyone is at least somewhat subjective.

How is it wrong to vote based on your gaming preferences? What 'objective' measure should we use instead of just voting for the one we like the best from that year? Plus, I think you've got it a bit backwards. People aren't voting for Mario, Zelda, or FF games because they like a franchise, they like those franchises because they love those games. As proof, check the vote totals for Zelda 2. If your theory held true, that should've had a commanding lead.

Well, I'd say that the big majority of my votes went to games that are not my favourites from each particular year. As I said, trying to be completely objective is a fool's errand, nobody really is, and depending on the personal exposure to amount of games and platforms it can really skew one's view on the matter, but one can try.

Perfect Dark is probably my favorite, though Medal of Honor: Underground, Jet Set Radio and Spyro: Year of the Dragon are all up there.