So, 2009 is almost over and with the exception of our inevitable Christmas additions, we're more or less at the final stretch with our gaming runs for the year, so in my eternal quest to add some discussion to proceedings, relive your year and everything you played, what you thought and what you're hoping to play next year. Also, do not limit it to new titles, this is your year in gaming, not the year.
My list includes (but is not limited to):
Dragon Quest IV - DS version, mind. I was enjoying it until the third character switch. After enduring a week of money grabbing as the weaponsmith, I was just fed up with the hoops the game wanted me to jump, 12 hours of gameplay and no rewarding story elements, too many hours of mandatory sidequests and I couldn't use the awesome weapons I stayed in the casino for. I don't want to finish that dry slice of boredom >=[
The World Ends With You - Game of the Year by far. Hoooooly crap, it is undoubtably and by far the best game I have played in years. For the uninitiated, it was like the guys who made Chain of Memories on GBA were given a touch screen and told to make their own mechanic and storyline and boy did both rock out hardcore. The gameplay is so spacious that you can give the game to five different people and they will all play it a different way (I enjoyed using drag and slash attacks), not to mention it allows you to seamlessly control the difficulty curve depending on how much effort you wish to put in. The characters are endearing, the music is amazing... I actually had to give the game away to someone to prevent myself going crazy with repeat playthroughs and sickening challenges. Now I simply await the inevitable sequel.
Parasite Eve - I have to admit, I was so underwhelmed by this game it makes me want to cry. I was excited to finally possess it, and then I got lost in the Central Park maze and then my game didn't load after the worm boss, so I stopped playing all together. I may come back to it sometime. The battle system makes things too easy in my opinion and the upgrade thing is a bit too difficult to comprehend (and I have raised Dragard's in the past) and it frustrated me that my awesome weapons kept disappearing. The entire thing just felt unpolished.
Lunar: Silver Star Story - Lucky I was able to find a copy of this game and I found the storyline to be quite a delight, worthy of all it's remakes. The cast were endearing and the gameplay was not too bad, though I was spoiled by the sequel and it's refined gameplay. I still think that Lunar 2 is better, but gosh darn Silver Star was fun, though it leaves me wanting a more polished/refined experience. Silver Star Harmony, you may well be the medicine for my ills. All in all, getting through the game retroactively made playing Eternal Blue a more rewarding experience for me and the game appealed to me in a few more ways than it should have. Damned Dark Songstress, she haunts my dreams.
So, yep. I didn't have a good year for new games, mostly stuck to my olds. Replayed Final Fantasy VIII, Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn and a LOT of Sonic.
<I was excited to finally possess it, and then I got lost in the Central Park maze and then my game didn't load after the worm boss>
the park was the worst and most confusing part... after you kill the worm boss you go in circles for a bit and then fight another boss and from there on everything is pretty much clear (no more mazes or difficult scenes) ........................... if you do play the game again, don't get any ideas when you see the final end boss 
and the final boss in parasite eve 2 was just as umm.. you will see. though the games are awsome (it had a movie in japan btw).
okay games i played:
phantasy star 4:
the game is the best rpg of all time, it was amazing and surprisingly addicting even though the graphics were simple. there were a lot of good designed characters and the story worked like magic with the cutscenes being pictures. anyone who played it might remember that it was the first game that had a drunk scene in it. that scene was hillarious.
Sonic Rush:
it was fun but the boss fights were hard and i hate the casino level. but that sky level with the parachute was very clever, felt like the old sonic with fresh new ideas.
sonic the hedgehog Xbox:
it's fun, reminds me of the time i played sonic adventure. the levels were enjoyable and the intros were cool, and is it me or amy looks like a better shade of pink?
Doom3:
i finished it in Hard mode at last <crying> but i will never play it in nightmare mode, that game gave me grey hair.
Tomb Raider anniversary:
based on the original but with better graphics than legend, this game was a masterpiece. although i couldn't unlock any of lara's clothes 
stupid manor puzzles.
star occean the last hope:
this was a mix between xenosaga and phantasy star, the story was strong and the characters were all interesting and had their characters explored wonderfully, but i had a problem with the little girl's "okay?" catch phrase. it gets annoying listening to her. but as long as the battles are fun i have no complaints. oh but the hero is a drama queen >
Zelda hourglass:
the idea of blowing the sand off of the map or the sword fighting bits... it had a lot of cool ideas with the touch screen, i really can't wait for the next DS zelda.
<points at other games> everyone learn from legend of zelda how to use the touch screen.
Gallence:
okay no one laugh, but i love this SNEX old game, every few years i replay it. it's a master piece 
the storyline is about a demon kidnapping the baby of the prince and princess.. so you and your lady pink go put on your armor and go through the many levels to rescue your baby girl... (it can be played 2 player mode, which is funny since the SNEX is one keyboard).
...............................games hopefully next year:
Nights journey of dreams.............. why cant i ever have you 
panzer dragoon ........................... my pleasure and curse
final fantasy crisi core..................... i want it i want it!
star ocean 2 (remake).................... loved it the first time, loved the anime and totally wanna replay it
Ureka (new episodes).................... i need it for selfesteem reasons
Zelda ............................................ always a favorite
Dead space 2................................. i loath and love you
The games I've been playing this year that came out this year.
Batman Arkham Asylum: It wees on Modern Warfare 2 from a great height. Favourite game this year. It just does everything right.
Modern Warfare 2: Ugh. Enjoyable if OTT story mode is instantly headshotted by multiplayer.
Forza 3: Prettier Forza 2 with a terrible version of PGR4's season mode. But it also has a LBP style marketplace thing. So its good.
Tekken 6: Disappointing. Graphically the it doesn't seem a huge leap forward from Tekken 5 DR PS3 and its story mode is replaced by a poor man's streets of rage. But the fighting is awesome.
Peggle: Its awesome.
@$%&***!!! I had a killer long reply typed out...and my connection dies right before I hit post. LAMESAUCE! Hmmm...I guess i'll just post the game and return later with detailed descriptions/testimonies. Btw...great topic idea Craig! I love discussing me some games.
This year:
KoF 95-97[KoF Orochi Saga for Wii]
Muramasa The Demon Blade[Wii]
Armored Core 4[PS3]
SFIV/Blazblue[PS3]
Upcoming Year:
Gran Turismo 5/Prologue/Demo[PS3]
Bayonetta[PS3]
*No More Heroes 2*[Wii]
Shall return throughout my winter break to detail. Lame internet!! Grrr!!!
This year I dipped into quite a few older games. I still enjoyed some newer games also.
Games I regret buying or did not enjoy:
King of Fighters XII- Pretty good fighting game but not nearly worth the $60 I paid for it. There weren't many characters that I liked either.
Tales of Vesperia- Too many annoying characters and repetitive combat. I havn't finished it, but I'm not really compelled to do so right now.
Madworld- It was an alright game, but combat became pretty stale after a few hours of gameplay. I liked the humour thrown in though.
Yakuza- Another case of repetive gameplay, nothing made it enjoyable in the least bit.
Games I really enjoyed:
Crazy Taxi- No story line just straight up fun. This is a game that is as fun to watch as it is to play.
Skies of Arcadia- No annoying characters, old school rpg fun, and a cool story really helped make this a great game. Simply flying around and seeing the world was a great experiance that is like nothing I have ever played.
Panzer Dragoon Orta- A really interesting story with near perfect gameplay sets this above any shooter around. If you have an Xbox then you really need to play this game.
Persona 3- I really enjoyed the story and combat system, had a few characters that I really liked too. It does drag on for quite a while. I had to pull myself together and keep going. I'm still not finished, but I've been playing it quite a bit lately to try and finish soon.
Somewhere in between good and bad:
Modern Warfare 2- Single Player Story, is mediocre at best. Multipleyer is really fun and saves this game from being a very big dissapointment.
Chrono Trigger DS- I really enjoyed it, but not as "epic" as I was anticipating. Overall it was a better then average game.
Bangai O Spirits- Mindless destruction doesn't get any better then this. I think the absence of any real story hurt it pretty bad though. It felt more like lazyness to not have a story.
My game of the year:
Sakura Wars- I've had this weird fixation on this game for about a year. I never felt like playing it for the simple reason that it wasn't in english. I finally decided to get it and use a guide. A great story, diverse set of characters, and unique gameplay (at least to me) set this apart from any game I've played in a long time. A little light on the fighting though.
Games looking forward to next year:
Mass Effect 2
Bayonetta
Tatsunoku vs. Capcom
No more Heroes 2
Sonic and Sega All Stars Racing
Bioshock 2
<Tales of Vesperia- Too many annoying characters and repetitive combat. I havn't finished it, but I'm not really compelled to do so right now>
thank you so much for saying that, i kept on going back to the video game store confuessed whether i should buy it or not, i love the "Tales of..." series but this one looked a little off with the characters being young looking. money is a problem for me so i'm so happy i didn't waste my money on it.
and don't ever mention panzer dragoon orta! > you know i want it, i just can't find it here <crying>.
oh and good call on BioShock2, i'm also looking forward to it next year soon.
This year was the year I finally got into the Monkey Island series, if you hadn't guessed from the avatar! Played all of them this year except Escape, and loved all of it. Played all of Tales except episode 3 with Wes, and I'm going to his house to play episode 5 this weekend.
If there was any disapointments it'll be Scribblenauts. It's so easy to accidentally get the character running towards where you tap, then falling into a pirana infested pool 🙁
Game of hilarity this year was one of my best friend's birthday presents for me. She's a poor university student so she probably just grabbed the nearest cheap game which caught her eye. It was Spiderman 3. Played it a grand total of once, the whole of which was falling over in fits of laughter at the rediculous glitches. Need I say more?
Trudi speed, Escape from monkey island was the best one. if you havent played it go sell your soul till you find it 
i swear it's worth it.
also if your interested in these types of games, you should get the "broken sword" collection CD on the PC, it's as funny as monkey island but with more of a detective storyline.
but the best i ever played was "beneath a steel sky" (it was also an extra in the broken sword special edition collection) it's very old but will make you laugh hard... those were the good old days.
Trudi speed, Escape from monkey island was the best one. if you havent played it go sell your soul till you find it
Escape is the only game from the Monkey Island series I own as well as the only one I've played. It's pretty good, I guess. Even my mum likes it. Anyway, for me, memorable gaming experiences from 2009 include: Street Fighter IV, Tekken 6 and Mario & Sonic At The Winter Olympics. Looking forward to Sonic & Sega All Stars Racing, Super Street Fighter IV and Tatsunoko Vs Capcom in 2010! 
Trudi speed, Escape from monkey island was the best one. if you havent played it go sell your soul till you find it
also if your interested in these types of games, you should get the "broken sword" collection CD on the PC, it's as funny as monkey island but with more of a detective storyline.
but the best i ever played was "beneath a steel sky" (it was also an extra in the broken sword special edition collection) it's very old but will make you laugh hard... those were the good old days.
I've heard from lots of people that Escape is the weakest of the series! I'll probably give it a go, but I think Tales is going to be a very hard game to beat. I absolutely adore it. Btw the favourites list goes 5 -> 2 -> 3 -> 1 😮
Also I'll look into those games, thanks.
opss i made a mistake, sorry dear i meant curse of monkey island, this one
so sorry for the mix up, but escape was good too. but this one was the real impact.
about the other's here is broken sword2 funny scene here
and here's beneath a steel sky here i couldn't find short good scenes though.
beneath a steel sky is very good and has scenes you won't believe they would allow in those days,
like the hero was about to let a crazy plasticsurgeon take one of his ***** off... it's a totally funny game 
Wow, I thought I was the only one who ever played Beneath a Steel Sky. I had it on the Amiga CD32 way back in the day, and that system alone is barely heard about, let alone the games on it (Liberaton was a dang fine one, I do recall). I don't remember the game very well, but I do fondly think of it as a classic point and click game.
Mang. Back in my teens those games were my bread and butter, I played Monkey Island, Broken Sword, Discworld, BaSS, Simon the Sorceror... they were just epic.
Also, Simon the Soceror is mandatory gameplay for Brits. Rimmer does the main character and the script is so quotably hilarious that I may not have played the game in over 12 years, but I can quote it word for word.
Dragon Quest IV - DS version, mind. I was enjoying it until the third character switch. After enduring a week of money grabbing as the weaponsmith, I was just fed up with the hoops the game wanted me to jump, 12 hours of gameplay and no rewarding story elements, too many hours of mandatory sidequests and I couldn't use the awesome weapons I stayed in the casino for. I don't want to finish that dry slice of boredom >=[
Exactly the same story here, and I really want to get into DQ too.
Anyway, for me;
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Loved everything about it EXCEPT the bosses, which all sucked horribly, especially the last with the Joker, which would have been better as a really elaborate final level, losts of stealthing your way to the clown prince and such.
Star Ocean: The First Departure
First game I completed this year, full of fun gameplay, a good sense of humour, endearing characters, and beautifully 32bit graphics. It didn't go into the sci fi elements enough for me though, I still really enjoyed it and look forward to playing through the rest of the series.
Broken Sword & Broken Sword 2
Played through and completed both titles this year, I really enjoyed the stories and puzzles, great characters too, though the DS version of the first lacked voice actors, the new scenes made up for it and was definitely the superior title. Another series I plan to play through.
The Secret of Monkey Island Special Edition
I actually prefer the old pixels to the new art, and the dialogue definitely feels like it was intended to be read rather than spoken at times, but nevertheless the revamp was still very well voiced and had great music. Funniest game of the year, period.
Metal Gear Solid 4
Stunning game, though has too much to say. Chapter 4 was such a joy to play through, and seeing the same camera moment filled me with glee at the nostalgia, and then melancholy as it smashed on the ground from ten years of rust, reminding me it's been just as long since I originally played the game. The ending is also phenominal, not the cutscene, but the end of the final mission, the last walk down a corridoor and the boss battle after that.
Dragon Age: Origins
Still playing through it though the dwarven land of Orzammar has sapped my enthusiasm for the moment, apparently an issue not exclusive to me. It's a wonderful RPG, if you love BioWare games and PC RPGs then I recommend this without hesitation...for PC at least, not idea about the home console versions.
Street Fighter IV
How could I forget this gem. So glad it finally happened, one of the best fighting games this generation has seen, at least until BlazBlue hits the UK anyway. It's not as good as my beloved Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike, but it's still a blast to play, and it's great to have Delta Red Cammy back in action. Here's hoping we get some SFIII characters in Super SFIV, otherwise it'll be matchups we witnessed in SFA3, only with the newest characters (Makoto please!).
That's it for the moment, but with Christmas around the courner, who knows.
Wow, I thought I was the only one who ever played Beneath a Steel Sky. I had it on the Amiga CD32 way back in the day, and that system alone is barely heard about, let alone the games on it (Liberaton was a dang fine one, I do recall). I don't remember the game very well, but I do fondly think of it as a classic point and click game.
Mang. Back in my teens those games were my bread and butter, I played Monkey Island, Broken Sword, Discworld, BaSS, Simon the Sorceror... they were just epic.
Also, Simon the Soceror is mandatory gameplay for Brits. Rimmer does the main character and the script is so quotably hilarious that I may not have played the game in over 12 years, but I can quote it word for word.
wow another dinosaur (just kidding, but yeah i hardly find people who were gamers since little).
don't you just love that robot in beneath a steel sky... he was such a jerk, reminds me of the depressed robot in "guide to the universe" show but a lot rude.
i never played simon the soccerer but i remember it's adds in gamespro... but how can you forget the king back then was Dragon lair when it came out on the 3DO everyone went nuts...either cause it's third game was a fully animated full screen point and click game...or the princess was so sexy, what kinda princess wears a spandex???
oh i miss those legends... they made a new fourth title for broken sword but it's not the same without the 2D animation, CG didn't work for it.
Best games I've played this year are probably Uncharted 2, Batman Arkham Asylum, Left 4 Dead 2 and the belated Tales of Vesperia release. Resident Evil 5 was alright-ish, but goddamn it I want my classic style back.
I loved me some RE5, personally...but then again, I loved Wesker in it more than anything else XD;
Either classic or new style works for me...so long as the plotline and such remains steady!
Not played many new games this year, been finishing off old ones (Spent a good majority of my time getting all the achievements for Infinite Undiscovery). Though I have a pile of unplayed games next to my TV I should get around to starting, anyway...
Tales of Vesperia finally getting a European release may be the highlight of the year. Not as good as Symphonia (then again nothing is, and I don't think anything ever will be), but still carries a good story along and still plenty of fun.
What else? Don't think there are any more new releases I've played, but older games I've played include:
Burnout: Paradise, which I've enjoyed, even though racing games aren't really my thing. Still need to complete it though...
Played Eternal Sonata, which though quite short is still quite a touching RPG, nice soundtrack to boot too. Also played Star Ocean: The Last Hope briefly, and I've enjoyed what little I've played.
Currently investing time in the Final Fantasy remake for GBA, hoping to work my way through all the GBA remakes eventually, considering the only FF game I've played beforehand was FFX, which didn't exactly thrill me.
So yeah, 2009 has mostly been about the RPGs.
Currently investing time in the Final Fantasy remake for GBA, hoping to work my way through all the GBA remakes eventually, considering the only FF game I've played beforehand was FFX, which didn't exactly thrill me.
So yeah, 2009 has mostly been about the RPGs.
there is a GBA and a game boy DS for final fantasy 4 and 6. i suggest you buy the DS ones for better graphics and more intros.
but even the original ones on the GBA were awsome. you seem to have the same taste as me, so i suggest strongly for final fantasy 4 and 6.
as for the tales series, there's "tales of Eternia 1&2" and "tales of the abyss" they were very good games.
King of Fighters '95-'97: Completely missing the KoF series during its golden era...the Orochi Saga was a for sure buy. With each game adding new features and obvious improvements in both gameplay and story the "Orochi Saga" took over my Wii for a few months. Like that was seriously all I played on my Wii for like 2 and a half months. The combat is fierce and the combos are more ridiculous than anything SF has ever dished out. I hate KoF isn't as loved as SF...it's a fantastic series and i'm glad i'm getting to finally see what it has to offer.
SFIV/Blazblue: Sticking to 2D fighters, my and my roommates PS3s have seen nothing but SFIV and BB from Feburary til now even. SFIV is surely one of my most anticipated games ever and this goes with reason. Bringing together an all-star cast of characters and new moves as well as a new insanely cheap boss[still nothing on Orochi from Kof '97], SFIV seems so different from it's predecessors but in all honesty, is more like a hybrid between SSFII Turbo and Third Strike that many people were turned off by the game. Definitely not for everyone, but should be tried if you have never played a 2D fighter. Blazblue...might be my most prized purchase this year. Gameplay is straight ludicrous. As well as the characters[Bang is one of my favorite characters ever...the guy is brillant lol]. Extremely simplified fighting that actually has insane depth as well. Super defensive game, that allows for super offensive gameplay. Looking forward to future installments in this series. Beats out SFIV as favorite fighter of the year for me. Which is saying alot, because once Fei Long was confirmed for SFIV I thought it was going to be my favorite fighter ever.
So here I am again looking forward to next year...each of these games bringing forth a sequel/expansion. BB: Continuum Shift brings two new characters, new moves, and a contiuation of the storyline. SSFIV brings more playable characters, new moves, more story, rebalancing and bonus stages[as well as new playable stages]. Adon and Guy in SSFIV gives it the edge right now though...that sounds familiar. xP
This year in gaming for me was a comparatively slow one...
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon - Though I've yet to finish it, this game was a little hit and miss for me. I attribute this mostly to having played Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn right before it, though. Those two titles in the series spoiled me with the benefits of support conversations, weapon forging, bonus points, and saving between turns. Naturally, when none of that was included in Shadow Dragon, it was like playing a more austere variant of the basic premise. Still, the old formula works every bit as well as it ever has, and that's quite satisfying. Occasionally there are times of extreme frustration because of the way the game stacks the odds against the player (mandatory character sacrifice, invincible bosses zeroing in on units), but it remains overall the quintessentially enjoyable Fire Emblem.
Chrono Trigger DS - Another game I've yet to finish. I bought this mostly because the Internet collectively seemed to have been consumed by rapture at the thought of a DS port of this apparently legendary title. There are some moments I can appreciate as delightful, and the quirky little elements of the story amuse me. Sometimes I fear I'm really just getting by, nevertheless, since I refuse to level grind and some bosses seem to be especially cruel. The particulars of the battle system are an interesting twist to me, but that's probably the most unique about it to me.
Klonoa: Door to Phantomile - Once again, haven't finished it. Nevertheless, I think this has to be my favourite game of the year. Having grown up when I did, I'm partial to platforming video games. The more I progressed through the game, the more I felt myself thinking that the manner in which it handled the third dimension was precisely what Sonic Unleashed was lacking. The camera was always spot-on, the controls were tight enough to make it work, the physics were never wanting for suitability, and the game had a distinct amount of charm. Granted, it's mostly marketed as a children's game, so the difficulty is far from steep, but I can't say that difficulty necessarily equates to anything other than the likelihood of me getting irritated.
Fire Emblem: Sword of Flame - Hey, a game I did finish for a change. The first Fire Emblem for the international community, released on the Game Boy Advance, I borrowed this from a friend who was interested in trading me Path of Radiance for it for a time. Again, Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn spoiled me in several regards; most alarming to me was the lack of automatic class change. Despite things like that and an extremely patronising tutorial, I liked the game. It, perhaps, wasn't as thoroughly enjoyable as other titles in the series I've played, but I hold the vexatious characters of the story accountable for this (if ever you believed there was a whiny lord in the series, Eliwood is it). It's a decent game as far as the series goes.
Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal - Huzzah, a non-Nintendo title. What is par for the course, however, is that I've yet to finish it, though I'm close. I've been playing this game on and off for maybe a year and a half, since it belongs to a friend. In retrospect, I can say I enjoy this game greatly. It's everything that a StarFox game truly ought to be (hint hint, Nintendo). I have had my frustrations with it at times, sometimes because I was too blithely ignorant of what I was supposed to be doing. However, the sheer depth of the game is astounding. In addition to being primarily a third-person shooter, it has 2D platforming segments, entertaining mini-games, and flight sim elements. Customisation and fetch quest fans are also covered with a sizeable variety of things to configure and seek. There is enough to please practically everyone, and the hilarious story ensures that it's never boring between missions. Also, the Black Hole gun is easily the most useful invention in history.
Ristar - So one day I was possessed by a mad spirit that insisted I was going to unlock it on my friend's Sonic Mega Collection. After a long night of relentlessly opening other games, I finally got it. Though I've only progressed as far as Planet Sonata, ye gods, is this thing ever delightfully charming! It is what Sonic Team did best back when they were at the top of their game. This being Yuji Uekawa's first foray into the business, it's amazing what he did. Further laudations go to Tomoko Sasaki, Naofumi Hataya, and Masafumi Ogata for creatively pushing the Mega Drive to its audio limits (especially in the first level of Sonata). This game occasionally features some mind-bendingly frustrating bosses (I'm looking at you, freaky Freon boss) but it's so well-presented and creative that it's hard to stay mad at the game. Oh, Sonic Team's halcyon days.
Everything else I've played has been nothing new. Mostly hosting a lot of Mario Kart Wii fests in my room and appreciating the power of blue shells, oh yes.
Armored Core 4 - Finally own this game. I'll never forget that day I saw a trailer/gameplay footage of this game. Huge departure from the PS2 AC series I grew so fondly of, with its mulitple boosters, stabilizers, lack of overheating, tens of thousands of Armor Points, etc. It was as close to Gundam Wing as any previous AC title ever dreamed of being. Insane creations, of course, always a big selling factor. The introduction of Primal Armor/Kojima Particles added a new dimension to the Armored Core series. Stabilizers not only have performance[balance mostly] attributes but add an aesthetic flair to your Next unit. AC4 is basically the AC2 of the AC series in my opinion. First one to a next gen console, that boasts in various areas, but obviously lacking with tons of room of improvement. Assuming they ever make an AC5...it'll hopefully by the AC3 eqivalent[one of the best, IMO].
Muramasa: The Demon Blade - Vanillaware; thank you so much for this masterpiece. A gem on the Nintendo Wii console. A definitive Action RPG in my eyes. With not only fantastic gameplay, but a great setting. Feudal Japan...with demons and evil spirits. 
It's wonderful! Leveling up and creating swords is so rewarding too. Storylines offering different endings based on the swords you have eqipped and the option of two different players to choose from; Kisuke, a samurai warrior out looking to reclaim his memory[yes...I know...it's so overused] and Momohime, a sweet, compassionate young girl possessed by the evil spirit of a samurai master. Honestly, if you own a Wii and are looking for something new and refreshing, Muramasa is your pick.
Magic Knight Rayearth - Sega Saturn
This was the Saturn version made by Reiko Kodama of Phantasy Star/Skies of Arcadia fame. I've never been a fan of Clamp anime, but this game sold me on its gorgeous 32-bit sprites and fun Zelda style gameplay. The game avoids backtracking which is typical of this type of game, so it keeps the game moving along without losing pace, at the expense of it being a rather short ride.
GTAIV - Xbox 360
Many sad lonely nights i drove through Liberty Cities blood stained streets, looking for love in the wrong places. I was playing this around new years a lot, so i like to think it carried me into the new year. Actually i was pretty depressed at the time, but hanging with my pals Brucie and Packie, going to strip clubs and shooting darts really helped me get by. Thank you my friends.
Persona 4 - PS2
Did one of the better games to come out late in the PS2's life just get a sequel?
Yup.
Sin and Punishment 2 - Wii
As far as sequels to games i never so much as heard of go, this one is the runner up (Metal Gear Solid was the first. Who ever heard of that game before it came out on PSX?). In fact this is my favourite Wii gme to date, Treasure have made one hell of an addictive game that teases you with its never-ending bosses. Just when you think you've beaten the final boss for that stage, the level goes on and then there's like 3 other bosses before you move on to the next stage. The only difficulty modes are: Die often, Die oftener and Why are you still even playing, just DIE!! Well they included an infinite continue which is useful since the levels are pretty long, but if you want to dominate the leaderboards you'll have to try not to die. I honestly only played this because i liked the boxart. Oh and did i mention there's a hoverboard? Oh yes!
Tatsunoko VS Capcom - Wii
The other Wii game that saved the console from the cupboard of doom.I dont play fighters much, but this one caught my eye because it reminded me of when Marvel VS Capcom first came out and how colorful and fast it looked. This game is good for casual gamers since it limits things to three buttons and one button for assists. Even though i was interested more in some of the Tatsunoko characters, i found myself playing Chun-Li a lot.
Call of Duty series - Xbox 360
I always play these games on Live, I never get tired of them. These games pretty much dominated the first quarter of the year for me until i stopped paying my Live fees. Here's how i rate them: COD2 is my favourite, i like the smaller teams and slower pace better than the later games. COD3 is the GTA of COD games, it's like a big playground you can muck around in, but there's not so much emphasis on team work. COD4 is the COD game on viagra, its fast and intense and you will die often. 5 i havent had for long so i cant comment, but i havent found a gun i like yet.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King - WiiWare
I always imagined being King would be like that Eddie Murphy film Coming to America, but this game says otherwise. It's an addicitive city building game that you wish had more to it. Being a Wiiware game it is pretty short, i would like to see this made into a full game someday, as there is a lot there to like. The sequel My Life as a Dark Lord is a somewhat interesting twist, but a completely different game and not quite as good as this.
Phantasy Star - Master System/Wii Virtual Console
PSO was actually my first Phantasy Star game, because as a kid, crap like Bubsy the bobcat appealed to me more than rpgs ever could. But as time has gone on i became interested, i've tried playing it on emulators over the years, but i cant get into games if i dont have a control pad in my hands. Now that i could play it on Wii with a control pad, i decided it was time to finish this game for real, old school style. No GamesFAQ, no prisoners, no surrender. I mapped out the dungeons with paper and pencil, and it was actually pretty fun. But besides that, i was always interested in the original. I like it for a few reasons: 1. the mix of sci-fi meets a fantasy LotR type world is intriguing. On the one hand there's mythical creatures and skeleton warriors like any fantasy story, and then you have robots and spaceships. 2. Alis is a great character, with a prime motivation of revenge. For a game where the main characters dont really talk much, this idea of revenge pretty much carries the whole game. Most of the quests you go on, collecting laconian armor and everything you do leading up to that is because you are gearing up for your revenge on Lassic. 3. the 3D dungeons are actually the best part, mapping them out old school style is perfect for a game like this which mixes sci-fi with fantasy. I've been playing PS2 recently, and the 2D dungeons are just boring and plain in comparison. Why they never stuck with the 3D dungeons for all the incarnations is just sad, because it just fits this series perfectly.
Ecco The Dolphin: Defender of the Future - PS2
There was another thread which pretty much summed up what i thought about this game. I was impressed by the swimimng controls and the puzzles, and the design for some of the levels are beautiful even by todays standards, which is impressive for a Dreamcast title.This is my game of the year; nuff said true believers.
From what I remember of this year,
Lost Odyssey- loved this game to death. had that good ol ff feel to it and music/story were beautifully done. I await a sequel hopefully one day or something from Mistwalker. 
Chrono Cross- good solid game. had some stuff i really liked.
Resident Evil 5- solid game, not as amazing as a lot of people hoped, but it was fun nevertheless. I played with a friend though, so that helped a lot since the AI Sheva sucks badly. Plus the multiplayer deathmatches were fun as hell.
Heavenly Sword- amazing game that was wayyyy tooo short.
God of War/ God of War 2- replayed GOW and finally played 2, both are great
Call of Duty WaW- single player was pretty sweet, but where this game shines is Nazi Zombie mode and I'm still playing it to this day.
Left4Dead- awesome game with adrenaline rush action.
Dragon Age- simply amazing game by the great Bioware. Can see myself playing this game for weeks to come.
Thats what I can think of this moment, and the games I'm looking forward to are in my profile.
Games i'm anticipating -
Bayonetta: Hideki Kamiya is back and out to prove why Capcom shouldn't have taken over the DMC franchise. 😛 Bayonetta was an oddball game for me. I totally thought it was going to be a mech game from looking at the title a few years ago when someone here posted a topic about SEGA and P*. I was blown away at first glance. This woman is hot as heck! And can kick butt too. Straight up action. Doesn't stop, won't stop. I highly recommend everyone try out the demo. And if you're not used to action games[NG, GoW, DMC] worry not...this is the first one ive ever tried and totally fell in love with it. Can't wait for the actual release in a little under 3 weeks.
Gran Turismo 5 - Ummm...1000 cars! What?! *passes out* PD just went straight up buckwild with this game. Considering it has been in production longer than the original GT[over 5 years now] this game has A TON to prove. Forza's team, Turn 10, really did a fantastic job in their sequel to the Xbox's driving sim. However, GT5 has already released a Prologue version of its game as well as a demo time trial that went live yesterday. The feel of each car is truly unique. The scenery is great, the cockpit view is amazing and the slection of vehicles, just in this Prologue version, is fairly complete. Many people are questioning the real-time damage modeling and possible inclusion of real-time weather effects. I, personally, am pretty psyched for everything PD has hinted at putting into this game. NASCAR and WRC...yea they've got that. Nearly any car you could ever want to drive...is in here[and maybe even some fictional cars...I think...]. BUT...and this is a big BUT, driving sims are fairly...selective in their audiences. GT5 definitely will not be for everyone. If you're used to NFS Shift or Midnight Club...GT5 will be a HUGE change of pace. But if you've got a PS3 why not try the Time Trial, yea?
Fable 2- Picked it up at the beginning of the year from a friend for $30. Definitely got repetitive, with none of the enemies really being able to challenge me. Leveling up became extremely easy when I found you could do co-op, have player 2 unlearn all of their spells and such, then have player 1 take the experience… rinse and repeat. One of my favorite surprises was hearing one of the NPC talk and realizing it was Sheppard from Firefly (Ron Glass).
Assassin's Creed- Paid $10 for this one on Black Friday 2008. I definitely understand people's complaints that the game was repetitive, ie GO HERE, DO 3 SIDE MISSIONS, NOW KILL X PERSON. That said, there was something deeply satisfying when you could kill an archer on the roof, let his body drop to the streets below, and then listen to people start to panic .
Bioshock- We finally got a copy of this game in at my work, so I had to grab it. The atmosphere was like none I had ever seen before. Everything from the music, to the guns and turrets, to the design in the buildings made you feel like you were in the 50/60s. I had previously tried to play the game on PC, but my graphics card isn't quite able to handle it =(.
Prince of Persia- Definitely represents my first case of "WE DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO FINISH THE GAME, SO WE WILL ADD THE TRUE ENDING ON LATER AS DLC". The game it self was okay but extremely repetitive. Very few enemies made it mostly about jumping around. That said, I did like the story over all, voice actors were okay, and the graphics were beautiful.
Mirror's Edge- Too many gunfights, not enough free running. Would have preferred a mode where I could just run around on the rooftops of the city.
Halo Wars- I only borrowed this from my work, and I'm pretty glad I did. I only bothered to play on easy, and found it …gasp… easy. Nothing too special about this game, just a RTS with a Halo shell.
Fallout 3- By far the game I poured the most hours into this past year. I have almost 200 hours on my one save. Downloaded all 5 DLCs. This was the first and so far the only game I have gotten 100% of the gamerscore on. Sure the game had some pretty bad glitches (I had to uninstall one of the DLCs to play through another one…), but that still didn't take away from my enjoyment of the game. Great characters and an awesome, engaging story. The sound track took you back to the 40s/50s world and fear of nuclear holocaust. The title track, "I Don't Want To Set the World on Fire" gained a new, creepy meaning as you walked through the ruins of the DC Capitol. I'm really looking forward to Fallout New Vegas.
Plants Vs Zombies- PopCap strikes again, with an addicting take on the defense tower game.
Watchmen: The End is Nigh Parts 1&2- Um… the box art is pretty cool? I think that's the only positive thing I can say about this one. An extremely slow, clunky beat'em up. Glad I didn't spend $40 on the downloadable versions and instead purchased the retail disk.
Overlord 1 & 2- Supposedly Pikmin like. Played #1 first but didn't get into it that much. Tried #2 and hated it even more. Decided to go back to 1 and try to play through it, but I just didn't have it in me. I tried to like it, honest!
Oblivion- After playing Fallout 3, I though I would also love Oblivion… Honestly it would have been better if I played Oblivion first. It just seemed so much less polished than Fallout. I played about 5 hours worth before quitting.
Batman Arkham Asylum- Definitely my biggest surprise of the year. I bought it after hearing all the gaming websites heap praise on it… It also helped that ToysRUs had it with a $30 gc the first day. This game reminded me why I loved Batman Animated so much . Conroy and Hamill are IMO the best Batman Joker pair. I really enjoyed the stealth aspect of the game. I also loved all the interview tapes and the bios.
Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box- Fun puzzles, beautiful animation and a bizarre story make the Layton games awesome, and Diabolical Box is no exception.
Halo 3 ODST- Borrowed it from my buddy while I had the Pig Death. It was fun but short. My favorite part was the Firefly crew taking on characters in the game . <3 Nathan Fillion.
Brutal Legend- Probably my biggest disappointment of the year. Awesome story, killer soundtrack, great voice acting… It just couldn't decide what genre it wanted to be. I downloaded the demo and was at all of the action adventure hacking and slashing… When I got the retail copy, I was shocked to find it was much more of a RTS game, with extremely poor controls.
Scribblenauts- Spent about a half hour playing on the title screen… although after that the game wasn't as fun. It really suffers from the unreliable stylus controls… LET ME USE THE DAMNED D-PAD!
Mario & Luigi 3- I didn't play much of the first two, but this one seemed pretty fun… Not much to say about it.
Borderlands- My current 'Fallout 3'. I'm working through my second walkthrough right now. The game is really awesome, especially how the difficulty rises as you level up. I figured enemies the second time through would be easy, but they are definitely NOT. I plan to 100% gamerscore this game… Once Pach and I can find time to play it.
Assassin's Creed II- A sequel that out does the original on all accounts. Ezio is freaking awesome. Can't wait for the DLC that restore the 2 missing memory segments.
NSMB Wii- Haven't played more than an hours worth of the game, but it is really awesome. I had fun even when I was playing with 3 unskilled cousins . Return of the Koopa Kids is awesome.
Zelda Spirit Tracks- I'm on the 4th temple… and I'm really disappointed in this one. Too much time is spent riding on the boring train. I like the story, but the game play suffers from the developers ignoring the D-pad.
Game of the Year for me was definitely Fallout 3. Very closely followed by Batman.
Excited for:
Bioshock 2
NMH2
Red Steel 2
new Prince of Persia
L4D2 (I own it, just haven't thrown it in the system yet)
Ace Attorney Investigations
Mario Galaxy 2
Arkham Assylum 2
