Welcome to my top ten of the noughties, where I, Xander will take you on a guided tour down memory lane from the start of the millennium, right through to the year when I joined UFO Gamers, signed up to Twitter, nearly beat the world record for most Ferreo Rocher eaten in a minute and used a chapstick for the first time.

And so, without further ado may I present to you, my top ten games of the noughties. That's definately what we're calling them, right? 

10. GTA III (2001)

I was never really a fan of the Grand Theft Auto series to begin with, and I don't suppose I'd be classified as the game's number one hardcore fan now, but I do remember watching my dear papa play GTA III in our living room on Thursday evenings way back when, and I absolutley loved it. I of course would play as well, and being naive and fairly innocent at the time, I wasn't one hundred percent aware of the gangster underworld setting, or the strong drug and sexual references. But I've always been a sucker for open world settings, and I suppose this was my first experience being able to do anything and go anywhere. I'd always been a fan of the Ridge Racer series, but GTA III allowed time for exploration and I must admit the tanks were always good fun!

 

09. Sonic Heroes (2004)

I was very lucky to come across this game on the Playstation 2. A friend of ours once gave it to me because he said it was 'too fast' and apparently he couldn't cope with it, so I wasn't going to turn down the oppurtunity to expand my games collection and without further hesitation, I accepted it. When I played it, it was different to the old Sonic platformers I was used to, but the game allowed you to play as different characters and to switch between various abilities (I very rarely played as Sonic, because like my friend said, it was fast!) But I enjoyed the overall gaming experience because it was new to me; I enjoyed the plot and graphics, but the soundtrack was just superb!

08. Crash Twinsanity (2004)

Crash Bandicoot has always been a long-running hero for me. The Crash Bandicoot games were some of the first games I played and if I could, I would have selected Crash Bandicoot 2, because it was terrific, but alas it came out in the nineties so I cannot. Twinsanity however, saw loveable Crash and long-running villian Dr Neo Cortex having to unwillingly pair up in order to save themselves and the world. The game was incredibly light hearted and above all, fun.

07. The Sims (2000)

Ba da ba da, bee brelly, ee ya ba ooh do wey wey rat-a-ta-ta-taaa. The Sims is my all time favourite simulation game! It's cleverly executed and has progressed so much over the last ten years. The Sims, for me was a game of variation; creating a character, building a house and living your sims' lives. I got it for my twelfth birthday, and as I put it into my computer and started to play I noticed they weren't speaking English. I looked at the manual and didn't understand, so I had to take it back to Electronics Boutique and asked for an English version, only to be told the characters speak Simlish! And to think, ten years later I'd actually be learning it! 

06. Fable 2 (2008)

LorD introduced me to Fable 2 on the Xbox 360 early in 2009, and at first I was a little sceptical but after a few hours of gameplay I began to really get into it. I have to say the highlight of the game for me was being able to play and become whoever you wanted to be, be it a malevolent, evil killer, or a harp-playing sweetheart. Although I only ever played the sweetheart; because after all, I've always wanted to be in a videogame (grins), I was able to witness the consequences of taking the bad route down Badsville as LorD's character grew horns and became pretty red in the face. The never-ending aspect as well was a pleasure, as side quests were always avaliable, and the environment too was absolutely beautiful. 

05. Kingdom Hearts II (2005)

Think Final Fantasy, Disney and Tim Burton. Now combine them. That is the sheer awesomness of Kingdom Hearts. Although the introduction to the sequel took almost a day to complete (and it did get tedious), the beauty awaiting me after was spectacular. The game allowed you to flow in and out of many well-known Disney titles such as The Lion King, Sleeping Beauty, Pirates of the Carabean and Lilo and Stitch, whilst also allowing you to play through the game's own unique plot. That's the beauty of Kingdom Hearts; it isn't just one thing, it's many. A splendid RPG, action/adventure and puzzle game with an aray of exciting and familiar characters. An absolute must.

04. Flower (2009)

I figured if I had to choose one game from last year to be in my top ten, Flower would win everytime. UFO's very own hidden treasure is at number four in my favourite games of the last decade. Why? Because it's unlike anything I've ever played before. Making perfect use of the Sixaxis control on the PS3, Flower enabled the player to take control of the wind and to bloom many flowers in order to awaken a darkened and threatening city. With a peaceful and gorgeous soundtrack and a plot to match Flower has to be one of my favourite gaming experiences of all time, let alone my top ten for the noughties.

03. Tomb Raider: Chronicles (2000)

I absolutley loved this game. It's set shortly after The Last Revelation, where some of Lara's friends gather in her humble abode after she is presumed dead in Egypt. As her they remininsce about some of her previous adventures, the game becomes the several stories being told, allowing you to play as Lara in her earlier years, introducing new environments such as Russia, Ireland and Rome. The game was a highlight in the series, because it introduced such diversity. The time taken to complete one story in Chronicles is sadly the time it would take you to play Legend all the way through. The story was cleverly written and the gameplay was very easy to get to grips with, providing the player with new weapons and abilities that would enhance the entertainment. I enjoyed this game very much and after Tomb Raider II, it is my favourite in the series.

 

02. LittleBigPlanet (2008)

Well, well, well, what a diverse, pleasant and original game this was to play. Exciting and unique at every point LittleBigPlanet was my Flower of 2008. Unlike anything I had seen before, the game provided players with many unique story levels as well as hundreds of thousands of custom levels created by users from all over the world. Also enabling the player to create their own levels with a variety of materials, objects, stickers, sounds and traps, even the least creative person in the world would be able to create something unique. Although the online gameplay can, at times, be a little shabby I have to say this game has provided me with a lot of fun. It's a platformer with a twist and narrator Stephen Fry enhances the game's humourous aspects with his delightful British wit.

01. Final Fantasy X (2001)

Quite possibly my favourite game of all time, Final Fantasy X has it all. Spectacular combat, a never-ending story, the ability to customise your characters, mini games, a plot you'll never forget, hundreds of unique characters and a variety of beautiful and enticing landscapes, with a marvellous soundtrack, incredible voice acting and simple gameplay; it's my ultimate game. Adapting the role as Tidus, a young Blitzball player from Zanarkand you are transported to the beautiful world of Spira meeting characters such as Yuna, Lulu, Wakka and Rikku. The limited controls outside of battle made the game so much easier to play, and the turn-based combat allowed time to plan your characters' attacks and defenses. The summoning of Aeons too was something that gave the game another dimension, introducing old summons such as Shiva and Ifrit, but introducing new ones such as the Magus Sisters and Anima. I simply adored this game and I find no faults with it. It's a terrific story told spectacularly.