Rodent Awards 2006 – Big Night Out!

Way of the Rodent's antidote to the false pomp and made-up ceremony of the 'big one' will be held downstairs in a London boozer on the 25th of January and you're all invited - awards will be won, reputations will be made and heroes will be born.

Oh! It's the Original Spirit of Videogaming!

On THURSDAY the 25th of January, The Royal George in that-there-London will play host to the first ever Rodent Game Awards - in a tiny downstairs room we shall be awarding the inaugural, and generally overlooked 'WotR Stars'. Forget your BAFTAs - this is proper videogaming spirit: having a laugh and loving the best of gaming in 2006.

A full list of Awards Categories and Nominees can be found below and at http://www.wayoftherodent.com/features/RodentAwards2006.htm - highlights include: 'Best Polygon in a Supporting Wall', 'Best Game Level', 'Best Difficult Moment in a Videogame to Explain to the Missus' and of course - the Rodent short list for 'Game of the Year'.

Nominations include Black for 'Best Explosions', DEFCON for 'Best Involuntary Yelp' and Mercury Meltdown for 'Best Game Featuring WotR in the Credits'.

Although the venue is small and the event ridiculously low-key: we'd like to make an open invitation to any of you lot who fancy coming down and picking up your awards or to drink away your disappointments. Hangers-on also welcome. Book your tickets here: http://rodent.eventwax.com/rodent-game-awards-night (hurry - limited availability).

Oh and if any of you nice PR or Marketing types fancy aligning yourself with one of the last independent and free-spirited voices in gaming please talk to us about sponsorship, especially if that's likely to run to sponsorship of the bar.

www.WayoftheRodent.com - you lucky people!

Award Categories and Nominations for 2006 in full:

Game of the year 2006

New Super Mario Brothers (DS)

Ridge Racer 6 (360)

Black (PS2/Xbox)

Guitar Hero I/II (PS2)

Loco Roco (PSP)

Zelda: Twiglett Princess (Wii)

Gameplay: Best game level

Tivliz Asylum - Black

First Planet - Loco Roco

The Fenix Estate - Gears of War

Freebird - Guitar Hero II

Gameplay: Most Completed Game

Guitar Hero I

Loco Roco

Ridge Racer 6

Polarium (GBA version)

Gameplay: Most difficult moment in a videogame to explain to the missus

Dead Rising - Gay Cowboy Outfit

Xbox Live - Playing RR at 5AM across continents

We Love Katamari - Rolling around and that

Loco Roco - All of it

Gameplay: Best first day with a game

Guitar Hero

Dead Rising

Black

FIFA 2007 (360 version)

Gameplay: Best involuntary yelp

Black - Ending level three

Gears of War - Stumpy blood, blood

DEFCON - Oops! Sorry New York!

Loco Roco - All of it

Technical Achievement: Bestest Explosions

Black

Shadow of the Colossus

Chromehounds

Neon Wars

Technical Achievement: Most convincing virtual actor/actress

Alyx (HL2 Episode 1)

Marcus Fenix (Gears of War)

Makoto (Enchanted Arms)

Agent47 (Hitman: Blood Money)

Technical Achievement: Best polygon in a supporting wall

Big chunk of random road - PGR3

Big fucking Rocks - Gears of War

Weak-spot Indicator - Shadow of the Colossus

The space between the ball and the headers' head - FIFA2007 (360 version)

Best game for making you miss your bus stop

Elite Beat Agents

New Super Mario Bros

Every Extend Extra

Loco Roco

Best unexpectedly-good shoehorned license or existing IP

Mario Hoops 3 on 3

FIFA 2007 (360 version)

Lego Star Wars II (all versions except the awful unfinished DS and PC ones)

Marvel Ultimate Alliance

Best game to play with your mates

Guitar Hero II

Rayman Raving Rabbids (Wii version)

Ridge Racer 6

GoW

The 'Ooh, can I have a go please' award for most inclusive game

Wii Sports

42 All Time Classics

Guitar Hero I

Singstar Rocks

Best game with Rodent Magazine in the credits

Mercury Meltdown

Rodent Readers Award

Voting in progress - results TBA

Notes for Editors

An average 70,000 unique readers visit www.wayoftherodent.com every month to take a little dram of the original spirit of videogaming

More than 100,000 readers downloaded our smash-hit Paper Arcade cut-out and stick arcade cabinet models

Rodent is well-established as the first stop for thirty-something chaps spending serious money on their dirty little gaming habit

The magazine launched in the autumn of 2003 and is published monthly

Rodent features contributions from a global team of 80 writers

Out at the beginning of every month at www.wayoftherodent.com Fresh, Fresh, Fresh!

All content is available for syndication

For further information

Please contact Publisher Richard Hammond - Email: richard@smart-circle.com Telephone: 07971 600 936