For most people, December is a time to be with your family, enjoy the holidays, watch the snow fall, and say good-bye to the current year. For gamers, there is a much more pressing issue at hand: what will be game of the year?

This is the first year that I’ve had all three next-gen systems, so I’ve covered more ground and given this far more thought than I did last year. Even though I played a lot of games this year, I managed to narrow my short list down to the 6 console games that stood out the most to me.

Persona 3 (PS2)



Without a doubt my favorite game of the year, this Japanese RPG completely blew my mind. Over a hundred hours of gameplay and so many possibilities that you can’t even uncover them all in one play through? Amazing. Combine that with a good battle system, a great story, and unique and original characters, and it’s easy to see why I love this game so much.

Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (PS3)



This one is more recent, and it’s still very fresh in my mind. Even though the story is only 8-10 hours long, it’s great and perfectly paced, and adding anything else may just have ruined it. I knew this game was going to be good, but was blown away by the fact that it was actually the best PS3 game to date.

Rock Band (PS3, 360)



Sorry, Guitar Hero. I love you, but you just haven’t done enough to make the cut this year. Rock Band, on the other hand, has brought people together like no other game in recent history. It’s also a ton of fun to play. Whether you’re trying to master the drums or guitar in a solo career, or taking on a multiplayer world tour, this game guarantees a good time is going to be had.

BioShock (360, PC)



I really thought I was over shooters of any kind. They seem to be a dime a dozen, especially on the Xbox 360, and it just seemed like they had nothing original to offer anymore. Then BioShock came along and completely changed my mind. Finally, a game to remind my why I used to love first-person shooters! Even though I’m aware that there were a few technical glitches, I still feel it fully deserved every perfect ten rating it was awarded. Anything this original and well designed needs to get some recognition.

Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)



What more can I say? It’s a thoroughly entertaining Mario platformer. The Mario games have been delivering fun since the early 1980s, and the series is showing no signs of slowing down. Plus, with so many stars to collect, it’s sure to give Wii owners something to play for a long time.

Portal (360, PS3, PC)



I’m not saying that the rest of the Orange Box isn’t great, but Half-Life 2 already received so many awards when it was originally released that it seems pointless to do it all over again. Portal, on the other hand, totally blew my mind. I’m still trying to finish off the advanced levels, and after playing it through twice, I’m nowhere near tired of it. Who would have thought that a three-hour game could offer such challenging and innovative gameplay? I wasn’t even sure if Portal belonged on this list because it’s only part of the Orange Box, but I realized that I could not leave it off.

That about wraps it up for consoles, but wait! I have handheld systems too. I’ve played my DS Lite nonstop since it came out, but I also picked up a PSP slim recently and have been loving that too. This was an especially strong year for both handheld systems, and I could probably make a list as tall as I am of worthy games, but I managed to narrow it down a bit. Here are my favorite handheld games of 2007.

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (DS)



Finally, a Zelda game for the DS. I’ve been obsessed with this series since childhood, and other than Final Fantasy, there is no franchise I love more. The DS’s touch screen is perfectly incorporated to this fun installment to the popular saga.

Phoenix Wright: Justice For All/Trials and Tribulations (DS)



DS owners in the U.S. were blessed with not one, but two Phoenix Wright games this year. They just keep getting more hilarious and ridiculous, and I really enjoy the courtroom drama that ensues with each case. Now that this series is wrapped up, I can only hope that the upcoming Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney game will be just as enjoyable.

Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles (PSP)



I’m not gonna lie, I mostly bought this for the unlockable PS1 gem Symphony of the Night, and it would have been worth it for that alone. As an added bonus, you also get both the original and remade versions of Rondo of Blood, which was never before released in the U.S. Sounds like a good deal to me.

Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions (PSP)



My progress in this game is going kind of slowly at the moment, but I don’t care. I love the strategy of the tactical battles, and combined with strong storytelling worthy of the Final Fantasy name, it’s a winner, especially since I never owned the game when it originally came out on the PS1.

Those are my top games at the moment, but I could easily go on and on about the best games of 2007. It’s been a great year to be a gamer. 2008, you’ve got a lot of work to do if you want to keep up.