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In part two of our 2006 awards, we look at technical achievements, plus we pick the best games on each platform. If you missed part one, be sure to check it out. Part two winners after the jump.

Best Graphics – Gears of War (Xbox 360)
There’s no doubt that Gears of War is the best looking game on any system at the moment, setting the bar for not only console game but PC games as well. It features the best use of the highly popular Unreal Engine 3, showing just how much the software can deliver on the Xbox 360. Lightning, textures, shadows, and animations, all taken to the next level. Runner up: Resistance: Fall of Man (PS3).

Best Sound Effects – Call of Duty 3 (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii)
The Call of Duty series have always had great and realistic audio, and Call of Duty 3 is no exception. Everything from voice acting to explosions and various weapons firing, are all top notch. Coupled with the great visuals, CoD 3 is one of the most realistic WW2 shooters to date. Runner up: Battlefield 2142 (PC).

Best Multiplayer – Wii Sports (Wii)
Although Wii Sports doesn’t support online multiplayer, it managed to get virtually everyone, young as old, to play a round of Tennis or Golf. The simplicity of the game made it easy to pick for everyone, and while there are no fancy graphics or advanced features, it’s one of those games that can be played by anyone at any time. Runner up: Gears of War.

Best new hardware – DS Lite
The Nintendo DS started off fairly slow, side by side with the PSP. But when the new, smaller, lighter and brighter DS Lite was introduced, sales exploded. Millions have been sold in 2006, consistently ranking the handheld at the top spot all over the world. Runner up: Nintendo Wii.

Best Xbox 360 – Gears of War
The third award for Gears of War this year. Having already picked up best shooter and best graphics, there’s little doubt this technically groundbreaking title wouldn’t deserve to be awarded best Xbox 360 game of 2006. It has already sold sold 2 million copies, and is the most played game on Xbox Live, finally knocking Halo 2 off the top spot. Runner up: Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter.

Best Wii – Zelda Twilight Princess
There is no doubt that Nintendo’s “killer-app” for the Wii launch was Zelda Twilight Princess. The game was a bestseller in the US and Europe, while the Japanese sales could have been better. While it was a port from a GameCube version, the graphics were still crisp and brought back that Zelda atmosphere that sort of disappeared after Ocarina of Time. Runner up: Wii Sports.

Best PS3 – Resistance: Fall of Man
Resistance: Fall of Man went up against Gears of War, and while it may have lost that battle, it certainly is the best game on the PS3 at the moment. It had a compelling story, stunning visuals and most importantly, a great online multiplayer mode that made it possible for up to 40 players to compete online at the same time. It’s a shame that the current lack of PS3 consoles means that only few have played the game. Runner up: Ridge Racer 7.

Best PC – Company of Heroes
Compared to console games, 2006 wasn’t a great year for the PC games. However, one did stand out from the rest, the real time strategy game Company of Heroes. The new title was one of the best RTS games for a long time, and was certainly technologically superior. Rich and detailed visuals and great physics made this a very accurate and realistic WW2 RTS game with a compelling storyline. Runner up: Medieval 2: Total War.

Best DS – New Super Mario Bros.
Best PSP – Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
Best PC Flash game – Fl0w

Game of the year – Zelda Twilight Princess (Wii)
As one may expect, it’s tough finding the ultimate best game released this year. The Game of The Year award goes to The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess on the Wii. Many waited for Twilight Princess for years, and to everyone’s relief, the game didn’t disappoint at all. The Wii controls were intuitive and spot on, and graphics, gameplay, and story were all top-notch. It was a game that continued the Zelda spirit and once again showed how fun action adventure games can be. It gets our recognition as the best game of 2006, and we’re sure it will remain the best Wii game for quite a time to come. Runner up: Gears of War.

Biggest winners:
Zelda Twilight Princess (3)
Gears of War (3)
Company of Heroes (2)