Its that time of the year in which we look back with googly eyes about the year that has just passed us by.
And 2009 was quite a year for gaming.
First, let's look at the little brothers of gaming.
The PSP has had quite a rough patch... since forever. What can you do, I don't have one, don't know anyone who does, so I honestly don't know what came out this year. Sorry
The DS has had a quite interesting year.
I mean it ended with a brand new Zelda, it started with a semi-new Pokemon and squashed somewhere in-between was an awesome Mario RPG game. It also saw the launch of a 3rd version, the DSi which brings expandable memory, internet browsing and a camera to the console Third party efforts were cozy with such fare as Retro Game Challenge and GTA: Chinatown Wars.
Now we move on to the big 3 of gaming..
Starting with the 360... Staying the course... playing it safe... treading water... whatever you want to use, this was not the year for the 360. I mean it still saw some quality release, but compared to prior years they seemed further apart. Also looking at the release schedule, it offered very little in the way of exclusies with the real noticeables being ODST, Halo Wars and Left 4 Dead 2 if you don't have a PC. There may have been others but the only ones that stuck out to be. Also in terms of sale, it has remained pretty flat.
The PS3 has had a banner year, the best in the console's life. And may have been the console of the year just due to the turnaround and the quality of its software. Starting off with my 2nd favorite game of the year, and one of the best games ever, Uncharted 2. I don't care what anyone says, Uncharted 2 is the best looking console game, bar-none. Not only does it look good, it plays terrifically. It has an awesome main character, and fun and unique set pieces. There are only two glaring issues, which are rather minor in the grand scheme of things. The PS3 also saw the release of a new Ratchet game, Infamous and Demon's Soul. It arguably got the banner Batman title with the exclusion of the Joker stuff. Let's not forget the redesign and the much more affordable price point. Add in built in blu-ray, and you can see why it has had a hell of a year.
Now the most controversial console as always, the Wii has also had a stellar year, if you looked at it. While there were few new additions, with the ability to use SD cards for expanded storage and the debut of Nintendo Week, and the 50 dollar price drop. The quality of software on display was quite remarkable with the banner title being New Super Mario Bros Wii, sure it is one hell of a title, but it is also one hell of a game. Mixing old-school Mario platforming with zany hijinks in multi player, makes for one of the best packages of the year. Speaking of terrific packages, there was the Metroid Prime Trilogy release, which bundled 3 awesome games into one nifty and affordable package, probably the second best deal in gaming behind the Orange Box. Of course 3rd parties were on display as well with such titles as Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, MadWorld, Little King's Story, Klonoa, Okami and A Boy and his Blob. Oh and let's not forget Punch-Out, we can never forget Punch-Out
So now that we have a mini-recap of the year, let's get to the meat of it.
What was your Game of the Year?
What was one game you regretted not having played yet?
What was your downloadable game of the year?
Biggest disappointment of the year?
Most surprising game?
And favorite moment?
Add questions as you like, and if you don't want, don't answer them all.