It is safe to say 2004 got hit with a severe case of "sequelitis." The symptoms of said affliction were easily seen on the shelves of video game retailers everywhere.

That being said, the deluge of franchise follow-ups offered more interesting and endearing moments than say, a Super Bowl halftime show.

Speaking of trainwrecks, boys and girls who wanted to rock were in for some disappointment during the summer with Lollapalooza getting the big kibosh put on it.

However, there were still numerous opportunities to bang your head or raise your fist to the power of metal.

So, looking back at the year, I came up with a short list of some of the least-worst (I use that term since I am a pessimist) endeavors of 2004.

# Game of the year: "Halo 2" (Microsoft, Rated "M"). Deciding the title that had the most impact was difficult, given the strength of rival hot title "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas." But in the final analysis, "Halo 2" wins out by piling on the double-fisted goodness and a seamless online multiplayer mode.

(For those wondering, GTA: SA is still worth a good long look).

# Best new video game title: "Killzone" (Sony Computer Entertainment, Rated "M"). Take gritty, striking visuals, serve it up with smart enemy artificial intelligence and a solid online, multiplayer component and you have a solid start to a new franchise. Some edges require polish, such as jittery frame-rate issues, but expect to see them resolved by the series’ next iteration (if there is one).

# Best reason to pick up comic books again: Writer Joss Whedon and artist John Cassaday on "Astonishing X-Men" (Marvel Comics). Joss Whedon didn’t let the end of "Buffy: The Vampire Slayer," and the abrupt conclusions of "Angel" and "Firefly" extinguish his creative spark. Instead, his team-up with in-demand artist John Cassaday reinvigorated the comic book industry. Following up Grant Morrison’s brilliant character deconstruction during his "New X-Men" run, Whedon frames the team as superheroes starting over, complete with new costumes and big surprises. The dialogue flows smoothly from witty to sarcastic to deadly serious. Whedon and Cassaday’s first six-issue story arc is now available in trade paperback "Astonishing X-Men Vol. 1: Gifted."

# Best reason to buy something again: (tie) Nine Inch Nails, "The Downward Spiral" (Nothing/Interscope Records) and RevCo, "Beers Steers & Queers" (RykoDisc). The former is a challenging excursion into the bleak, remixed and remastered to become the new demo for your high-end home audio system. The latter is an insane "fraternity house on acid" recorded onto disc from Al Jourgensen, now-former member Paul Barker and an assorted gaggle of miscreants. If anyone asks why you’re blasting such cacaphony, be sure to refer to track 10’s chorus: "We just wanted to get down."

# Best example of a woman who can actually rock: Auf Der Maur (Capitol). While people busted Ashlee Simpson for pretending to rock and Lindsey Lohan for whining about celebrity to an abortive attempt at rock, Melissa Auf Der Maur actually did rock with confidence and intelligence. Listen to the blistering opener "Lightning is my Girl" and you’ll know you’re in for a ride.

# Best gig I had to recover from the next day while at work: Helmet at the Grog Shop in Cleveland Heights. Although Helmet’s "Size Matters" has met mixed reviews, mainstay guitarist and vocalist Page Hamilton proved he still has the goods in the live setting, turning an evening at the Grog Shop into a thrashed-out affair. In the course of one live set, Helmet gave the people what they wanted in spades: no-frills, mechanically precise, punch-you-in-the-face rock; the type of rock that many other outfits wish they had the cognitive capacity to pull off but fail miserably anyways.

That does it for my 2004 short list. Feel free to send yours my way, and tune in next time for "the most worst of" 2004.