My Favorite Video Games of 2009
I originally wrote this list to take part in GiantBomb’s users picks for 2009.
This was a lot of fun to think about. But I had to go with Retro Game Challenge as #1 because of the way the game made me feel when I played it. It’s also why I added Treasure World at #9 to this list. Sometimes a game just scratches an itch that another player can never appreciate. In making this list, I knew I had made the right choices because I just wanted to go and play these games again.
So here we go…
1. Retro Game Challenge
Although I pretty much agree with GiantBomb’s Jeff Gerstmann’s take on games, this is one where I really disagreed with him and I think it may be a matter of how you play this game. I played XSeed’s Retro Game Challenge over several months, savoring the nostalgia of the game collection, and enjoyed every minute of it. (DS)
2. Shadow Complex
This one, despite the hype (or maybe because of it) surprised me the most. I just didn’t expect Chair’s Shadow Complex to be as good as it was. My pick for best Downloadable. (XBLA)
3. Osmos
Play This Game! There were a lot of really good indie games this year, some arguably deeper with better gameplay, but Hemisphere Games Osmos really has something that kept me playing, even though it was past 3:00 am. (Mac/PC)
4. Batman: Arkham Asylum
This is my pick for the best game for the Xbox. I’m not a big fan of giving best game nods to sequels, especially sequels that are basically the same game with polish. MW2 is great, but I’ve played it. Rocksteady’s Batman: Arkham Asylum was something new. (Xbox360/PS3)
5. Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure
Tea and Robot Suits… more games should have these. It was also nice to see EA put real marketing bucks and support behind this very indie concept. Henry Hatsworth gets hard though, real hard. (DS)
6. Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor
Tiger Style’s Spider is a very, very good game. I played a lot of iPhone games (and enjoyed a few of them) but this one limits its mechanics to what the iPhone does best - swipe - and doesn’t try to do more. Best iPhone game of the year. (iPhone)
7. The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
Ummm… it’s a Zelda game. C’mon. Nintendo is more than a company, its a force of nature. Just go with the flow… (DS)
8. Torchlight
Okay, yeah, Runic Games’ Torchlight is my Diablo fix, but its a whole hella lot of fun. (PC)
9. Treasure World
I’ve included Aspyr’s Treasure World because someone had to add it to their top ten. Actually, it is a neat idea, they just should have been more prepared with a better online community to support this game. I spent a lot of time with this game and really liked what they did. Sadly it looks as if Aspyr has already turned its back on the game. I couldn’t find it on the Aspyr website. (DS)
10. Brütal Legend
DoubleFine’s Brutal Legend had a lot of issues, but damn, it was still better than most console games launched this year. Here’s hoping for a “Brutal Legend: Director’s Cut” that polishes the jagged edges on this thing. (Xbox360/PS3)
But it doesn’t end here…
OTHER AWARDS
BEST INDIE GAME I LEARNED ABOUT TOO LATE TO INCLUDE ON THIS LIST:
Saira (PC)
2K Marin’s Steve Gaynor named Nifflas’ Saira his favorite game of the year on a recent Brainy Gamer podcast, and never hearing about it, I immediately went and started playing it. It only took me a few minutes to understand the appeal.
BEST GAME ON XBOX LIVE’S INDIE ARCADE:
Pixel (XBLA)
Arkedo/Pastagames’ Pixel was the first XBL indie title that I did not hesitate to hit the “upgrade to full version” button when the demo’s time ran out. It’s a simple, straightforward platformer, but with a certain style and polish that you rarely find on the indie side Xbox Live.
GAME THAT SHOULD PROBABLY REPLACE BRUTAL LEGEND ON THIS LIST:
Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes (DS)
I received Capybara Games’ Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes as a Christmas gift and have yet to play it, but the reviews and comments I have read on the interwebs suggest that I will play this pretty obsessively once I get around to it in 2010.
2009 PS3 GAME THAT MAKES ME WANT TO GO BUY A PS3:
Demon Souls (PS3)
You probably thought I would choose Uncharted 2. Although I am envious of PS3 owners over that one, it doesn’t make me want to go buy a second console. Atlus’ Demon’s Souls does.
and finally…
THE 2008 VIDEO GAME THAT I PLAYED FAR TOO MUCH OF IN 2009
Tie! Fallout 3 (Xbox360/PS3) & Soul Bubbles (DS)
Bethesda’s Fallout 3 absorbed me for days in 2009 — its immersive environment ensnared me like no other game since Valve’s Half-Life 2. It’s violent, it’s scary, but, in my mind, it equals or surpasses any cinematic experience you might wish to compare it to. Its co-winner, Mekensleep’s Soul Bubbles, is the polar opposite of Fallout 3. I stumbled across this slow-paced, mellow, contemplative puzzler late this year after discovering it on someone else’s GOTY list for 2008. Both of these would be contenders for GOTY if they came out this year. Fallout 3 would win, though.
