Tourist Trophy: The Real Riding Simulator Publisher:  Sony Computer Entertainment Developer:  Polyphony Digital

Why It Rocked: Polyphony Digital is the undisputed king of racing simulation. Some folks may not like Gran Turismo's rather unforgiving and perfection-requiring design, but no one can deny its realism. The team has finally taken its mastery and wisdom of four wheels and applied it to two, allowing you to hop atop one of over a hundred different motorcycles. In its first attempt at the vehicle type, Polyphony has nailed the feeling of weight, inertia and power of a motorcycle like no developer before it.

While the main presentation is ripped straight out of Gran Turismo 4, including many of its tracks, the game still feels very fresh as riding a bike is an extremely different experience than driving a car. While we'd still rather sit behind the wheel of a Ferrari at Laguna Seca, Tourist Trophy lets us flick our wrists and feel the wind in our hair as we speed down the asphalt. It might seem like a really niche title, but Tourist Trophy is a great game that any simulation racing fan should be able to appreciate.

Runner-Up:  
World Soccer Winning Eleven 9

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