It's list time!

I'm probably alone in this, since there's tons of more dedicated gamers out there, but I am genuinely non-snarkily curious how much money those games set you back. Also, where did you find the time to play ten games (I assume to completion)? I think I have around 15 games on my PS2 in total.

Edit: I am stupid, that is the website's list.

There are rental services available.

It's not really that difficult to play ten games over the course of an entire year.

Also, nice to see the love for Chinatown Wars there. It's really a shame that game was such a poor seller, because it's one of the best games in the entire franchise.

Hmm. I still need to finish Bowser's Inside Story.

Any list with Halo ODST on it is automatically rendered useless.

I see Scribblenauts made it on Time's list. I wonder if they played the game for any real length of time.

The "Casual/Hardcore" thing with Nintendo is really a two way street. It's hard to say who abandoned whom first, but it's not really one side or the other. Maybe if gamers quit "forgiving" Nintendo every time they repackage Mario or Link there'd be more incentive for that company to try.

......

And Brad's dead on about the two way street. The PS3 and XBox had lured away most of the hardcore audience by the time the Wii rolled around, and Nintendo had enough soccer mom Wii Fit dollars rolling in to not care. It should've been a mutual split, but because whiny gamer entitlement is a neverending wheel, you sitll hear the occasional uproar that there's nothing for hardcore gamers to play on a system that long since stopped being for them.

Justin - Wii apologist.

Also Mad World kinda sucked.

MW2 is fun, but the notion that it has something "intelligent to say about military conflicts" shit the bed after I jumped a quarter-mile SSX canyon on my snowmobile and did an Air-to-Fakie. This is G.I. Joe.

Dumb lists, etc.

That AP list is actually pretty good.

Arkham Asylum and Borderlands have to be the most pleasant surprises for me in a long time. I was so super down on B:AA due to the art style, and the fact that DC's forays into making video games out of their big characters just all seemed to be terrible. But when it came out, I was really amazed and it quickly became one of my favorites. If not for Dragon Age, it probably would have been my pick for game of the year.

It wasn't great, but there was enough there that would've made it a decent seller with that typical "hardcore" audience had it been on PS3/360, and there was a 3-4 month period where several retailers had it for less than the price of a Triple-A XBox Live/PSN title. And still, no dice. That's kind of pathetic.

Had it been on the PS3/360, nobody would have given a shit, because it would be just another retardedly bloody game with little else going for it. The whole selling point WAS that it was on the Wii, and that's a big reason "Hardcore" gamers have abandoned it, because too many people are willing to forgive mediocre games just because it's on the Wii and has blood in it and holy shit that's nuts! It's a lowered standard that people just willingly accept, so why SHOULD Nintendo make any effort, exactly?

Since I haven't played Uncharted II and AC II after sort of despising both original games, I can't judge whether or not it's a great list that well. inFamous was pretty good. Mario and Ratchet just aren't on my radar.

My list would look different, although it would probably still contain Dragon Age and Batman: AA. And it would probably have Empire: Total War, and then everyone would look at me funny.

The Ratchet and Clank games are still hideously overrated. Not bad, per se, but I'm always so very puzzled when they show up on Best of Anything lists.

hahaha we'd call you a nerd and pants you Trevor

My list would definitely include Dragon Age, Borderlands, Batman, and Forza 3, probably Beatles : Rock Band and Chinatown Wars as well.

Special mention for extra disappointment would of course go to Brutal Legend.

Actually, Plants vs. Zombies would probably be jockeying for the top five in mine, as well. Because holy shit, that game.

By the way, I'm noticing a disturbing lack of Beatles Rock Band on these lists.

Yeah, Plants vs. Zombies is the best.

Peggle Dual Shot would probably make my list. Insanely replayable.

>:[

You thought WRONG

I actually just got Medieval II for $4.99 from Steam yesterday. I really want to love the series, but it may just be too advanced for me.

Speaking of strategy though, kind of a dark horse that would probably sit at like 11 or 12 for me, Demigod. Really, really great take on the DOTA gametype with some really killer characters to play as.

There's definitely a steeper learning curve from Rome into Empire, but the single player campaigns (especially in Empire) do a decent job holding your hand. Empire's essentially a history-based Civilization game with a great battle system.

Since you're managing tech trees and building towns, it also introduces a ton of detail. If you're not into tinkering, it might not be that fun.

Yeah, I haven't played the new Ratchet & Clank but the last 3 I played were so boring that I don't know why I would. The only thing I enjoy in the games anymore are the arena sections and even those are getting tedious at this point.

ETA: I hope Red Faction gets some attention as well. It's not #1 but it's in the top 10 I think.

1) Borderlands

I don’t think I’ve had this much fun with a game in a long, long time. Just loads of fun and lots of imagination on display. The DLC alone is probably better than a lot of standalone games. As a single player experience the game is fantastic, but in co-op, with a decent team, the game I amazing.

2) Dragon Age Origins

I hate generic fantasy, and yet the quality of the writing and voice acting in this game had me utterly enthralled. Few games have made me really mull my decisions, and made me want to bring different characters along to see how they reacted.

3) The Ballad of Gay Tony

I <3 GTA4 but I found TLaD was hurt by being, tonally, more of the same. It was grim and gritty and never really felt all that different from GTA4. Gay Tony seems to be the game in which Rockstar really went all out, combining a ‘lighter’ story with funner characters and some of the best structured missions in the entire game.

4) Red Faction Guerrilla

Who new the sequel to two average FPSes would turn out to be so fun. Volition earned themselves a spot as one of my favourite developer by making both Saints Row 2 and this game. The single player whilst not offering much in the way of mission structure was a joy to play due to how the destructive aspect of the game allowed you to approach objective from different angles. Multiplayer however was a blast. Battling in, around and on top of two gigantic skyscrapers one team trying to destroy them, one team frantically fixing them, created some of my favourite gaming moments of 09. Eric and Nate and Polyon and Ryoken will testify to how inanely fun this game could get.

5) Plants vs. Zombies

I hate Zombies, but the sheer warmth and joy of this game almost justifies their existence. Cute, funny, and surprisingly indepth I’m still playing the game after completing it months ago

Demon's Souls is the best game of any genre I've played this year.

Here's a list from IGN AU.
http://au.games.ign.com/articles/104/1049762p1.html
10. Killzone 2
9. Brutal Legend
8. Street Fighter IV
7. Trials HD
6. Shadow Complex
5. Batman Arkham Asylum
4. GTA IV : Ballad of Gay Tony
3. New Super Mario Bros Wii
2. Modern Warfare 2
1. Uncharted 2.

The ones in bold are the ones I've played. I'd probably keep them in that order, though I'd bump Killzone 2 higher than Brutal Legend. (And yeah, I stand by BL being a good 8/10 game :P)

I don't think I've played many more titles than that this year. There's a whole bunch I wopuld like to pick up:inFamous, Street Fighter 4, Borderlands, Asassains Creed II, NSMB - Wii, Zelda Spirit Tracks, Demon Souls and Bayonetta (early next year)

Also... Dragon Age might be a good/great game on PC, but the PS3 port is crap IMO.

Never having played the PS2 games, I thought the first PS3 game was fantastic. Only later did I realise how similar the games have been. So they are repeating a formula, but it's mostly a good formula.


I didn't play Beatles RB. I did enjoy the Metallica GH game. The track list could have been better (especially compared to Brutal Legend) but it got me back into plastic guitar heaven for a little while.

Spot on. I'm really surprised to be saying this as I had no expectations for the game whatsoever but Red Faction is my favourite multiplayer game this year, narrowly followed by Borderlands.

Probably due to the average jaded games journalist growing tired of the plastic instrument genre. Expect to see either way less of them next year or Activision losing a shitload of money by putting out software/peripherals that no one wants.

After some deliberation, here's my top ten for the year:

1. Dragon Age : Origins - Nothing else really comes close for me. I love this genre, and this is an almost perfect example of it. It incorporates enough of the new Bioware and enough of the old Bioware to be amazing.

2. Batman : Arkham Asylum - I still have some complaints with the visual designs of this one, but overall this was a fantastic game. The huge amounts of entertaining Batman trivia you can find was a nice touch.

3. Left 4 Dead 2 - The Jockey is the best thing ever. Ellis is the second best thing ever.

4. Street Fighter 4 - CANNON DRILL CANNON DRILL CANNON DRILL CANNON DRILL

5. Forza Motorsport 3 - I loved Forza 2, but this improves on it in every conceivable way. Looks better, and more importantly plays better, than almost any other sim-racer that I've played. Feels so much better than the loosey goosey take a turn at ten miles an hour or die approach of Gran Turismo.

6. Plants vs. Zombies - Probably the best game PopCap has ever done. Super retardedly addictive, and legitimately hilarious.

7. Borderlands - Another really pleasant surprise, this one sort of flew in under the radar for a lot of people. I'm glad that it's managed to be a really strong seller, as it's fun, and pretty original, and a good sense of humor goes a long way.

8. BlazBlue : Calamity Trigger - I haven't played this one as much as I should have, but it's a blast. I normally shy away from the really ridiculous (and really Japanese) fighters, but there's enough innovation and complexity and outright ludicrous insanity in this one to let me overlook the fact that it's so very, very, very Japanese.

9. Beatles Rock Band - This combined with the new remasters pretty much made me really appreciate the Beatles. Better late than never, I guess.

10. Shadow Complex/'Splosion Man (Tie) - Both incredibly fun downloadable titles, couldn't really decide between the two.

All the love poured on Borderlands has convinced me to pick it up. I had previously dismissed it as a multiplayer-centric affair. Luckily you can pick it up for pretty cheap at the moment.

Out of the few games I've played this year I'd single out Arkham Asylum and Uncharted 2 as the two games I've had the most fun with. Assassin's Creed 2 is probably the most pleasant surprise this year, as it's a much more enjoyable and polished affair than its predecessor.

Borderlands is a good multiplayer game, but it has a perfectly capable single player element as well.

Yeah, it actually plays very differently in single player vs. multiplayer.

My picks:

1) Dragon Age Origins: Best gaming experience of the year, hands down. a perfectly crafted world and story for the player to shape through his actions.
2) Batman: Arkham Asylum: Proof that you can make justice to a license and still make a great game, something comic book games have never been able to balance.
3) Borderlands: Some people call this the Shooter RPG; I call it an addiction; it has style and humor in spades.
4) BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger: Gorgeous, crazy as hell and just a blast to play; also glad to see a fighting game go and try something new to make an entertaining "Story mode"
5) L4D2: Best multiplayer game of the year, hands down.
6) Tales of Monkey Island: Telltale cements itself as the king of adventure games.
7) Secret of Monkey Island Special Edition: exactly what a remake of a classic should be.
8) Devil Survivor: The DS can handle mature, complex rpg's, who knew.
9) Tie: Prinny: CIRBTH?/Trials HD (Live): Return to the days of merciless difficulty.
10) Tie: Shadow Complex/Splosion man: Brad stole the words from my mouth.

Disappointment of the Year: Brutal Legend
Could had been great, but instead its was just good enough for one play through; a great, funny story and fantastically realized gameworld got the shaft because of shifty gameplay.

Didn't play all that many games this year but what the hell...

1. Uncharted 2: Didn't like the first one much, this one does nearly the same thing and yet completely blew me away.
2. Batman Arkham Asylum: This has pretty much been in everyone's top three, so yeah, whatever, it's awesome.
3. New Super Mario Bros. Wii: While I do think the Wii is the disappointment overall, this is probably the second or third time I've said that a single game warrants the purchase of a Wii. Oddly enough, another one of those games was a Mario game. Weird.
4. Street Fighter IV: So fast, so fun, so good-lookin'. Guaranteed that 1 out of 5 matches will end with someone screaming "OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!"
5. Modern Warfare 2: Single player ain't that great as usual, but multiplayer is consuming my existence right now.
6. Punch-Out!!: Wii controls blow. That said, this exact game could have come out on the Nintendo 64 a decade ago. And that's a good thing: Nintendo managed to give us the exact winning formula with tons of wonderful nods to the original game. I just realized this description could have been applied to NSMB Wii.
7. NHL 10: So addicting. I pretty much made the jump from NHL 94 to this. Tons of shit to learn and many games that left me screaming at the top of my lungs, but I can still triple deke your goalie and bury one on the top shelf. Custom soundtracks are a big plus too. Hearing Genesis' "Misunderstanding" after the penalty whistle is blown never gets old.
8. GTA: Chinatown Wars: So apparently porting a PS2 GTA to a handheld doesn't work all that well. This works.
9. Flower: While it is a game about fucking flowers, THERE'S INDIVIDUAL BLADES OF GRASS HOLY SHIT.
10. Ghostbusters: Reason 1: It's Ghostbusters, dammit. Reason 2: I didn't play a lot of games this year. Despite its problems, this game put a big dopey grin on my face from start to finish. That has to be worth something.

Disappointments...
-Halo 3 ODST. This should have been 20 bucks. Campaign is underrated though, mostly because there's no fucking Flood.
-Scribblenauts: Got old real fast.
-Shadow Complex: Love the shit out of Metroid. Cannot get into this one though. The controls aren't as fluid as I want them to be and there just wasn't enough variety to keep me interested.
-Killzone 2/Playstation Network: Disappointing in that Killzone 2 should have been on Xbox 360 where there's an actual community with actual headsets that aren't a bitch to calibrate (yes, I realize Sony published this). This game more or less told me that I shouldn't waste my time with MAG.
-Ghostbusters: While this is on my top ten list, the cinematics are downright embarrassing. While Aykroyd and Hudson in particular give damn good performances, everything just feels static. Game's animators aren't exactly Ivan Reitman... they don't know much about comic timing, framing, or body language. This is something that's been plaguing video games for a while and developers really need to step it up.

I don't understand how you 'calibrate' your headset. You sync it and play. Or if bluetooth doesn't work you buy a USB headset or the official Sony one. Not a big deal.

Killzone's problem isn't the community, it's the game. I had plenty of great matches on Resistance, Resistance 2, and Uncharted 2. And guys play a ton of WaW/MW1/MW2 with no problem.

I appreciate the help with the Bluetooth bullshit on the PS3 thread and it does seem clear as day now, plenty of tech-literate people I know with PS3s still continue to bitch about what a pain in the ass it can be to sync it properly. It's an interface issue.

I suppose my real problem with the headsets on PS3 is that there wasn't a SKU that had one packed in like the main 360 SKU always had. That results in less players having headsets which may be seen as a good thing by some, but ultimately it weakens the community. And that's a problem Sony's always had with online... you never feel like you're online.

Maybe it's more personal for me... while I do have friends with PS3s, I have more with 360s and that's the place to be for online gaming. There's a reason people pay $50 a year for Xbox Live. As of now, my PS3 is relegated to Blurays and the one or two exclusives that come out every year. As for Killzone, my point was that I liked the multiplayer component, the problem was the community. I'd rather be playing this with my buddies on Live. Again, that's more of a personal issue I have with the game.

Back on topic... awesome rereleases of 2009: Marvel vs Capcom 2, God of War Collection
Shit rerelease of 2009: Turtles in Time. How do you fuck this game up?

Yeah, I always have the same question. I'm playing DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS and it's taken me two weeks to get towards the end. That's about 40 hours of game time, and I feel really bad about it - and then I go online and see people who have finished the game 3 or 4 or more times. People gotta have a TON of free time.

Protip: It actually isn't that good by today's standards to begin with. Very few of those old brawlers really stand the test of time.

You're right, they really don't... Double Dragon is more or less unplayable nowadays. However there was something about that game between the graphics and the awesome music that always made it appealing. The gameplay's practically the same in the rerelease, but something got lost in translation. Aside from Castle Crashers, it's still the best beat-em-up out there.