5 Games From 2006 That Are Still 10/10 Masterpieces 20 Years Later

Published Aug 29, 2026, 11:30 AM EDT Bruno Yonezawa is a Gaming Senior Writer for Screen Rant. He's been practicing professional journalism for over 10 years, and is also a communications specialist. He's played games all his life and turned that passionate hobby into a passionate career, in an industry where he's worked as a writer, editor, analyst, and more. Sign in to your ScreenRant account The mid-2000s were a great period for games, and 2006 featured a nice roster of titles that are still 10/10 masterpieces, even 20 years later. In 2006, the industry saw the release of the Nintendo Wii, a revolutionary console that changed how players interacted with their games. There were several Nintendo Wii masterpiece games released over the years, like Zelda: Twilight Princess, but this wasn’t the only console doing wonders at the time. At that point, the Nintendo DS had already been around for about two years, too, and many of its games were also groundbreaking. Outside of Nintendo, the period also saw the release of the Xbox 360, which was released in late 2005, and 2006 was when the PlayStation 3 arrived for the first time. These consoles housed some of the most incredible games ever made, including The Elder Scrolls 6: Skyrim, though many would still be years away from the consoles’ releases. There were some incredible PlayStation 3 games, as well as outstanding Xbox 360 titles. With all of these new consoles, it was a perfect stage for some unforgettable games, and many of them were released 20 years ago, in 2006. Final Fantasy XII One of the most remarkable games from that year is Final Fantasy XII. Taking on the legacy of the fan-favorite FFX, which introduced voice acting to the franchise, Final Fantasy XII follows the story of Vaan, a prospective sky pirate, Ashe, a princess, Basch, a disgraced knight, Balthier, a sky pirate, Fran, a wise Viera, and Penelo, an old friend of Vaan’s. This story is set in the world of Ivalice, the same setting as Final Fantasy Tactics. What makes Final Fantasy XII so good is how deep and political its main story is. On top of that, the game features real-time combat, which made it the first single-player core entry to deviate from the turn-based system the series had held onto for decades. The game also has a feature called the Gambit System, which was ingenious for party planning. FFXII is easily one of the best PS2-era RPGs, and it’s still fantastic to this day in the form of its remaster, Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age. Guitar Hero 2 Image via RedOctane Of course, one of the most iconic games of that era was Guitar Hero 2, which was also, coincidentally, released back in 2006. Developed by Harmonix and published by both RedOctane and Activision, the game picked up on the success of the original Guitar Hero, released a year earlier, now with even more songs to play. While the first entry featured 30 rock songs to play, the sequel featured over 40 licensed songs to enjoy and try to match. Compared to the original game, Guitar Hero 2 also ran a lot more efficiently, with better input windows, a new type of chord, and even a practice mode to hit some of the hardest songs, like Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd, Jordan by Buckethead, and Psychobilly Freakout by The Reverend Horton Heat. This game, turning 20 in 2026, was a masterpiece at the time and kept friend groups together for hours as they challenged one another to beat each other’s scores, all while enjoying some great tracks. Bully From the creators of Grand Theft Auto, Bully made history with its release in 2006. The 10/10 game by Rockstar is an action-adventure title that puts you in control of Jimmy Hopkins, who just started studying at Bullworth Academy. The thing about Bully is that you’re controlling a character who will do what it takes to end bullying at his school, which leads him to confrontations with other students and faculty members. While applied to a much smaller scale, Bully was an open-world game. Set inside the aforementioned academy, Jimmy could explore and interact with several NPCs, many of which had routines, making it feel very alive – an incredible feat for the time. Of course, there was a whole lot of controversy around Bully when it was released, as it featured violence and sexual content, but overall, it established itself as a fan-favorite Rockstar game. That’s so true that fans are hoping for a Bully remake, 20 years later. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess The final first-party game for the Nintendo GameCube and the biggest launch title for the Nintendo Wii, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, blazed a trail in late 2006. Taking on the darker themes of Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask (in fact, it takes over 100 years since the events of the Nintendo 64 games), Twilight Princess puts players in control of Link, who has to prevent a calamity set to strike Hyrule. In Zelda: Twilight Princess, Link can transform into a wolf, which is a huge part of the gameplay loop. The game has one of the most unforgettable stories in the 40-year-old series. It has a great world and level design, assisted by remarkable art direction, and more. Also, Midna is in the game. While Nintendo has been focusing on the Ocarina of Time remake, fans are making sure the return of Zelda: Twilight Princess is possible via high-quality recomps. Okami I confess that I am a little bit biased, but Okami is arguably the biggest game from 2006. Developed by Clover Studio and published by Capcom for the PlayStation 2, and receiving a port for Wii in 2008, the action-adventure game puts you in control of the Shinto sun goddess, Amaterasu, in the form of a wolf. From the get-go, the art style, inspired by sumi-e paintings, mixed with cel-shading, stands out. This is a gorgeous game. In addition to that, the gameplay makes Okami a fantastic experience. Amaterasu has access to paintbrush techniques, which are gradually unlocked, giving her access to special abilities you need to virtually paint for them to activate. It’s an ingenious mechanic that not only enhances her in combat, but also makes retroactive exploration fantastic. It’s one of the most creative games ever made, even if it is built on the structure taught by Zelda games. Games like these, including Okami and Zelda: Twilight Princess, are some of the many gems from 2006. Released November 19, 2006 ESRB T For Teen due to Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence Developer(s) Nintendo EAD Publisher(s) Nintendo Engine Proprietary Engine Franchise The Legend of Zelda