Well, 2007 is almost over, and I think we can all agree that it was an awesome twelve months for gaming. Over the next week, we’ll be taking a look back at the year that was, so stay tuned. For now, continue reading to find out what we played during December — not to mention how crazy Benny is — and be sure to let us know what kept you busy, as well.

Michael Tucker:

I made my rounds with several good games this month. I started off with indie RPG Last Scenario, which I’ve been chipping away at for months. Then, I moved on to the fantastic Aquaria, and you all know how I feel about that game. I also finally got around to trying Pyschonauts thanks to the ability to download classic Xbox games on the 360. Now I know what Mitch is talking about. It’s one of the funniest, well scripted, and flat out enjoyable games I’ve ever played.

On the subject of great, poor selling games, I wrapped up December with some Beyond Good and Evil. There’s just a quality to that game that makes it beautiful in an indescribably transcendent way. Jade’s one of the coolest, most self-empowered protagonists ever seen. I got so lost in the experience that it only took me two sessions to make it through the game with everything accomplished, and it didn’t feel one second too short. Game developers could learn a thing or two from this gem’s pacing, and I hope it one day gets the sequel it deserves. Overall, December’s been a good month of gaming for me.

Jody:

I have still been playing Assassin’s Creed. Put Super Mario Galaxy on hold for a while, but I’ll get back to it soon. I did find my DS lite charger (finally!), so I have been playing some DS material, namely The Simpsons Game and Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings. The Simpsons Game is actually a pretty fun sidescroller. If you’re a Simpsons fan, it’s worth playing just for the voice acting (of which there is a surprising amount), but for some reason it is a lot quieter than all my other DS games. I have to wear headphones to hear anything. I also traded some games to Shaun for a Super Nintendo, so I will soon be rocking my way through Illusion of Gaia and A Link to the Past. Man, I love video games.

Shaun (aka Megashaun):

December’s been a manic gaming month, but overall, the games I played most have been Guitar Hero 3 and, surprisingly, Kane & Lynch: Dead Men. Though the latter suffers from some serious playability problems, the story is entertaining enough to keep me entertained. Additionally, the co-op mode makes it about a million times more playable, as your teammate is now NOT an idiot. On the Nintendo front, I’ve been spending my nights blasting through aliens in Contra 4 and practicing combos in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, both on the DS.

Edgar:

This is the first month I can say I didn’t play Guild Wars (at all). Instead, I played a lot of 360. Got the latest XBLA title, Arkadian Warriors, which is basically a Diablo-style dungeon crawler. It’s tons of fun to play online with a friend (only 2P support). I also played Assassins Creed, which I borrowed from a friend. It’s the most beautiful game I’ve ever played, but I got bored after two of the main assassinations… it’s so repetitive.

On the Wii, I got back into Super Mario Galaxy and Medal of Honor: Heroes 2. Also, this month was the first time I tried MoH:H2 online. Let me say I was surprised; there were tons of games to join, no lag in 32 player deathmatches, and it was tons of fun to play with the Zapper.

Evan (aka rbelmont):

I actually have been playing less games in Decemberthan I normally would. I went to California earlier in the month and bought Dragon Quest: Rocket Slime for the trip. It’s such a great game, and I recommend it to anyone with a DS. I also played Picross DS on the trip, which is one of the few games that I continually try and beat my old “highscores” in. And last, my friend and I finally finished The Warriors on PS2. It’s a great beat-em-up with on of the best fighting systems in gaming.

Benny:

Oh boy, here we go again. My recent gift of a PS3 (and the gift to myself of various PS3 games) has done nothing but added to my glut of gaming troubles. I honestly don’t remember a time when I had this many games to play that I actually planned on finishing because they were all worthy of it.

I’m actively playing: Super Mario Galaxy. Although I ran through the first 60 stars to see the (fantastic) ending, the next 60 are going to be like a fine wine. Mainly because they’re a bit harder than the first. Mass Effect has also got me in its grasp. BioWare has done it again… and screw you guys, I happen to love the combat (for the record I’m fully Biotic-driven). Guitar Heroes 1-3 are also randomly knocking around in my rotation. My fave song are spread throughout the series, and it’s a damn shame there isn’t a way to arrange all the songs I like on one system/game/guitar. I just got a PS3 (today), and I can tell that both Ratchet and Clank and Uncharted are going to be actively played as well. On top of that, I looked around the PlayStation store and was surprised to find the quality was a bit higher than what XBLA has given me. Both Everyday Shooter and Super StarDust HD are utterly fantastic. flOw is also pretty damn great just to veg out with.

Waiting in the wings/unfinished/casual Titles I’m “playing”: On the PS3 front, MotorStorm isn’t giving me the best first impressions… so it may be taking a back burner position if it doesn’t get my interest soon. I’ve got so many stories incomplete in my head I’m unsure whether I want to start FolkLore and add to them. Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga is great for some casual co-op, and I started Tomb Raider Anniversary: Wii Edition, but it has to be put on the back burner for some better games. Same goes for Mercury Meltdown: Revolution. The Wii Zapper is solely on aggression-relief duty, with Ghost Squad and Link’s Crossbow Training fighting for that coveted position. Medal of Honor: Heroes 2 is great (surprisingly so in Arcade Mode), but the fact that it’s another WWII shooter means it can wait until after the big boys are played with. I’ve still got Overlord and MySims floating around from the summer… god knows when I’ll get to them. Oh, and how can I forget the portable front… where Jeanne D’Arc, Luminous Arc, Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings, Zelda DS, My Word Coach, and OutRun 2006 are all possibilities for my portable gaming needs.

You know, when I actually type it out it’s a wonder I can pay rent and eat food. Maybe I’m sleepwalking and robbing banks at night… In any case, I’m going to have to put a serious hold on my videogame spending. That’s an insane amount of games to have “pending,” and I may have forgotten some. Wowza.

:Edit: How could I forget… I finished Half Life 2, but the rest of the Orange Box awaits me… and Fire Emblem is on hold until I can pay attention to it.

I’m sick. Like I have a disease. Jesus.

GK (aka Gongonzabar Farbin):

I recently decided to start playing Twilight Princess again. However, after picking it up after months of no TP love, I felt lost and confused in figuring out what it was I was actually supposed to do. So I erased my old file and started anew! Super Mario Galaxy also dips into my Wii every now and then, while the free Geometry Wars clone, Grid Wars 2, occupies my time on my laptop.

Rumas:

First things first: Benny wins. I will never, ever reach his level of hardcore-ity.

December was busy, but it was a nice month. I spent most of it out and about in the cold Korean weather — which I love — but I also found the time to kick back at home and play some games.

My most-played games of the month were Zack & Wiki and Super Mario Bros 3 on the VC. I love the former as much as ever, but I must admit that the difficulty is ramping up to the point that it’s testing my patience. Maybe I’m just not smart enough :?

As far as SMB3 goes, this is the first time I’ve played the game in earnest for years, and I think I’m having more fun with it this time around than ever before. What a masterpiece. Also, the Wiimote is downright wonderful for NES games, as is the save state feature. Now I don’t have to start from the beginning each time :)

Finally, I’m still working on Super Paper Mario, and loving it the whole way through. I know a lot of folks were disappointed in the game, but not me. The mini-games in the arcade are a fantastic bonus, too.