And the list continues...

4. Elite Beat Agents -- I loved this game to death when it was released as Ossu! Tatakae! Ouendan! in Japan.  I feared that the US conversion (not just a port, but a re-envisioning) would destroy it, but boy was I wrong.  EBA is actually better than Ouendan, much to my surprise.  This game manages to bring a dumb grin to my face every time I play, and amazingly the bizarre stories are just as good when you can actually read the text.

3. Final Fantasy XII -- No surprise that a Final Fantasy game cracks my top 3.  This is another game with some very odd decisions to me, like the real-time combat and the decision to make AI programming a key gameplay feature.  But in the end it works, as a kind of FFXI solo mode style game.  While I find it the weakest of the PS2 FF games, that's very high bar to be compared to.  The game is gorgeous, with an intricate plot and memorable characters, and has me drooling at the prospect of what the FF series will bring on current-generation hardware.  Oh, and Balthier is probably one of my favorite video game characters, period, based almost solely on his dialogue.

2. Saints Row -- At last, someone manages to capture the core mechanics that make GTA work.  Stilwater may not quite have the personality of Vice City or San Andreas, but it sure has the looks.  The core combat mechanic is quite fun, and Volition found some key ways of actually improving on the formula while being true to the spirit of GTA, and matching it with quality execution.  None of the other so-called GTA "clones" even come close.  It may not be GTA IV, but if Rockstar wants to leave the market open, I'm glad Saints Row is there to step in.

Tomorrow... my #1 game! 

BTW, picked up a copy of Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation today on a tip from QT3.  Very cool anime-mechs meets Fire Emblem style gameplay.  I'm totally digging it, and can't believe I missed it.  The sequel is already out but I'm told the story tightly carries over from 1 to 2, so I'm playing them in order.  You have to have a high tolerance for goofy anime cliches and SD mechs though...