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Archives for January 2010

FGotY 2009 [Nintendo Wii]

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Now it’s time to get to the Big Three Consoles, starting off with the Wii.

Brock – As much fun as Wii Sports Resort, NSMBWii and Punch Out! were, I’d have to say that my picks for the games I had the most fun with on the Wii this year are a little off the beaten track. I had a stupid grin plastered to my face the entire time I played MadWorld, Muramasa: The Demon Blade, The Munchables, A Boy And His Blob, Little King’s Story and Rabbids Go Home. These games might not have the widespread appeal that the first 3 games I mentioned did but were fantastic nonetheless and had me singing their praises to all who will listen. I’d probably give The Munchables my top pick for FGotY on Wii because it was so reminiscent of the absurdity of Katamari Damacy that I couldn’t stop laughing the entire time I played it.

Nat – It was an off year for the Wii in our household, but some games do come to mind: Excitebots: Trick Racing, Little King’s Story, and Excitebike: World Rally. However, it’s Punch-Out!! that gets my vote for Fun Game of The Year. Nintendo did a fine job of staying true to the games roots, adding some excellent humor, and introducing Mac and his pink jumpsuit to a new generation.

Will – Much like my Nintendo DS, the Wii just doesn’t get a lot of love. I have built up a backlog of games that I really want to get back to, like Twilight Princess, Mario Galaxy and Metroid Prime 3. With that amount of shame hanging over my head, I can’t bring myself to keep up my collection of Wii games. However, I did manage to add two games this year, which I submit as my candidates for FGotY 2009 [Nintendo Wii]: House of the Dead Overkill and Punch-Out!! I am just as surprised as you are that I picked the former title. The game is very self-aware, which attributes to the its silly nature. It also captures the grindhouse movie style very well. It plays as well as one would expect for a Wii on-rails shooter, with some pretty cool things to unlock (like dual-wielding weapons).

Tony – Another year goes by where we only bought a couple Wii games and rented a couple more. The overarching theme this year for me was definitely “Nostalgia Never Disappoints”. We started out earlier this year with Punch-Out!!, which was utterly fantastic and the kids absolutely loved, but ultimately, the New Super Mario Bros. Wii wins out for me. I love games that I can play with my kids, which doesn’t happen too often. My four year-old boy has played a bunch of NSMB on the DS and he was able to grasp the Wii version almost instantly. He loves to play with me, but he is a brutal co-op partner! He doesn’t understand the concept of “waiting up” yet, so I’ve got to stay on my toes or I’ll get squeezed out of the level. I love the new power-ups (the Spring Mario is still my favorite!) and the levels have the perfect mix of old-school Super Mario with enough hidden paths and power-ups to appeal to everyone. We will be playing this game long into 2010.

January Releases

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It’s the new year and what a year it’s going to be for gaming! The excitement starts this month and hopefully the momentum carries us through the year. Let’s get to the list:

Xbox 360 banner

Week of January 4th
Bayonetta– I’m torn on Bayonetta. On one hand, it looks beautiful and wicked stylish. On the other hand, I’ve never gotten into the stylized-action-game like Devil May Cry or God of War. Maybe it’s time to try.
Darksiders– In a month loaded with triple-A titles, I’m worried I’ll never get around to playing this, but I am definitely intrigued.
Divinity II: Ego Draconis– I didn’t even know there was a Divinity I. Anyone have any info on this game?

Week of January 11th
Vancouver 2010 – The Official Video Game of the Olympic Winter Games– Gotta fit this game in somewhere I guess.
Army of Two: The 40th Day– Another one I’ll probably end up passing, but I wonder what I’ll be missing.

Week of January 18th
Dark Void

Week of January 25th
Mass Effect 2– There it is. This should do just fine to tide me over for quite some time. At least until February. I hope it doesn’t take me two years to finish this one.

Wii banner

Week of January 4th
My Fitness Coach 2 Workout and Nutrition

Week of January 11th
The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces
Crazy Chicken Tales
Walk It Out
Sleepover Party– Walk It Out? Sleepover Party? Have you Wii game makers have no shame?

Week of January 18th
Fast Food Panic
Pinball Hall of Fame: The Gottlieb Collection

Week of January 25th
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle
Tatsunoko VS Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars

Nintendo DS banner

Week of January 4th
Fast Food Panic
Learn Chess

Week of January 11th
Daniel X
Sands of Destruction

Week of January 18th
Glory of Heracles– This looks like a solid DS strategy game. Tempting…
Bejeweled Twist– Haven’t you milked us enough already, Pop Cap?
KORG DS-10 Plus

Week of January 25th
Quad Kings
Personal Fitness Women
Legend of Kay

PC banner

Week of January 4th
Divinity II: Ego Draconis

Week of January 11th
The Sims 2: Fun with Pets Collection– Looks like the Sims 2 will not die.
Insecticide
Two Worlds

Week of January 18th
Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Adventure
Dark Void
The Tudors

Week of January 25th
Hotel Giant 2
Mass Effect 2
Alcatraz

PS3 banner

Week of January 4th
Bayonetta– See above.
Darksiders– Ditto.

Week of January 11th
Darksiders
Army of Two: The 40th Day

Week of January 18th
Dark Void

Week of January 25th
MAG

PSP banner

Week of January 11th
Army of Two: The 40th Day

Week of January 18th
Shepherd’s Crossing
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories

Week of January 25th
TNA: Cross The Line
Shadow of Destiny

Not a bad way to start the year off. While I think I’ll be grabbing Mass Effect 2, I’ve got plenty to keep me busy. What are you picking up?

(Note: As always, all Amazon.com links have our affiliate code embedded in them. If you purchase something through our link, we get a little commission. It’s appreciated.)

FGotY 2009 [PC]

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With the portable games behind us, here’s our list for the Fun PC Game of the Year for 2009.

Nat – I never thought I would say this again but I am in love with PC gaming. Another hallmark year with titles such as Dawn of War II, Demigod, Plants vs. Zombies, Empire: Total War, and Torchlight. Valve should be commended for the strides they’ve made in my personal PC gaming renaissance. I don’t like ties, so I need to pick a winner based on hours alone. Borderlands—even with all it’s console conventions, nit-picky faults, and connection difficulty for a co-op title—is my Fun Game of the Year. At fifty hours and counting it fed the loot whoring monster inside me. Torchlight comes in second. A close second. We’re talking a Michael Phelps victory for Borderlands.

Brock – I’ve only recently gotten back into PC gaming to any real extent but I’ll have to give Plants Vs. Zombies my pick for the most fun I’ve had with a PC game this year. I’ve played through it on two different systems, worked through it again with my son and haven’t even scratched the surface of what is available in the bonus/zen garden modes. I’d also give a huge nod to my runner-up, Machinarium, which is a fantastic point-and-click adventure game that oozes charm.

James – I actually only played the game I chose for a short while but I think it deserves to be listed here. Killing Floor is a FPS horror game. Playing this game was reminiscent of Left 4 Dead in the way you needed the help of your teammates and how much fun it was. I only played it for three days but I am considering picking this up, especially because you can get it cheap on Steam. I never thought I would be able to get along without a cross hair to shoot with, but it works!

Will – I’ve always dabbled in PC games, but I have never had a rig capable of running modern games the way they were meant to be played. This means that the majority of my PC collection is made up of older titles (just look at my list of Steam games to see what I mean). Thanks to Steam, I bought Dawn of War II, GTA IV, Borderlands and Torchlight; all of which are up for my FGotY 2009 [PC] award. I gave it to Torchlight because of the loot monger in me (the one that makes me love Borderlands so much). I haven’t put many hours into it yet, but I feel the hopeless addiction setting in. I was initially turned off by the lack of online play, but I got over myself and bought it and am now loving it. Part of me wants to buy a netbook just to see how it runs on one, and to be able to bring the loot hunting with me everywhere I go.

Tony – I, too, am having renewed interest in PC gaming, strictly on the strength of Steam. I wish it had entered in my life earlier, but it came just in time this year. I didn’t play a lot of games, but I’m also picking Torchlight as my FGotY for the PC over Plants vs. Zombies. Not only did Torchlight scratch the loot itch, it also eased me in to using Steam and getting back into the groove of using the tried-and-true keyboard/mouse combo. I still prefer the 360 controller to my mouse and keyboard, but it’s been nice to get to know an old friend.

FGotY 2009 [Playstation Portable]

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Rounding up the Fun Portable Games of the Year for 2009 is the Sony Playstation Portable.

Nat – Half-Minute Hero was the only new PSP title I purchased this year. By default it wins. However, if I had purchased some others I still think this title would have one. It was a blast to play and over and over again. The only problem? It was too short. The 30-second timer mechanic in all the games created a nervous sensation throughout. Think the timer going out in the original Super Mario Bros—only through the entire game. Sony really confused their customers this year with the release of the PSPgo. I did acquire some used games, but I purchase only one title from their online store. they’ve got to compete with retail (and themselves) if they want my to continue purchasing and playing new titles.

Brock – I’d agree with Nat. Half-Minute Hero is probably the most enjoyable new PSP game that I played this year. It’s not the only new PSP title that I played, but easily the most fun. I’d disagree that it’s too short though. [edit by Nat: Click] I’ve put in a substantial amount of time (for a game that is ostensibly broken down into 30 second chunks) and am only just beginning the 4th game mode (Knight30).

FGotY 2009 [Nintendo DS]

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Next up on the Fun Games of the Year 2009 is the Nintendo DS.

Brock – This is a tough one. We’ve had several great games on the DS this year with Nostalgia being my pick for old-school JRPG fun, Rhythm Heaven for silly minigame fun and Retro Game Challenge for just oozing charm and respect for a bygone era. That said, I’ll have to play it safe and go with my current love, The Legend Of Zelda: Spirit Tracks for bringing a huge smile to my face as I toot-toot my way around Hyrule. It polishes the gameplay mechanics of Phantom Hourglass and does away with pretty much everything that was a negative with that title while layering on new items, fantastic music and the awesome fun that is pulling on the emergency brake every time you pull into station.

Jason O – The DS was another late year addition to our house and I think it has exposed that I’m not really much of a portable gamer. Yet the massive library means something has to be there for everyone. For me, the best DS game was Phantasy Star 0. If I were reviewing it on a traditional scale it probably would rate pretty mediocre, but I loved Phantasy Star Online, purchasing it both for the Dreamcast and later the Gamecube. This is essentially Phantasy Star Online for the DS. What really has made the game appeal to me is that it’s a real RPG with just enough Japanese styling to not get in the way but maintain visual appeal. That and the gameplay is essentially Phantasy Star Online right down to the control scheme.

James – Dragonball Z: Attack of the Sayajins: If you ever wanted to play a Final Fantasy game with other characters from a different series like…Dragonball Z then this is your game. I like The Final Fantasy series and having the characters and moves from the Dragonball Z series makes the game all that more enjoyable for me.

Nat – Hearkening all the way back to January, I was introduced to Big Bang Mini. It’s unique style of SHMUP play and catchy music propelled it to the funnest game I played on the DS this year. It’s the only title I know of that is challenging and relaxing. Retro Game Challenge gets props for bringing a huge nostalgic smile to my face.

Will – My Nintendo DS doesn’t get as much attention as I would like to give it, likely due to the fact that I don’t leave the house very often. As a result, the only three games I played that are eligible for the FGotY 2009 [Nintendo DS] are Henry Hatsworth and the Puzzling Adventure, Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars and Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars (The Director’s Cut). I give the award to Henry Hatsworth because of its blend of platforming and puzzle elements. The platforming sections can be pretty brutal, and switching to the puzzle section gives both a much needed break from the action and useful powerups to take on all the enemies you will face.

Tony – I purchased one new DS game this year, Fire Emblem: Dragon Sword. I had liked previous iterations of the Fire Emblem but had my issues with this game. I hope to explore those issues in a future post, but for now I’ll declare Fire Emblem my FGotY for the Nintendo DS by virtue of it being the only one that qualifies.

FGotY 2009 [iPhone]

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We’ll be starting out our list of Fun Games of the Year (hereafter FGotY) with the handheld games. We’ll start with the iPhone. Let’s get right to the list:

Nat – Wow! I spent $22 this year on the App Store and got 15 games. Every one of them was a winner, but I go between eight of the titles a lot. Bookworm, Monster Trucks Nitro, Space Invaders InfinityGene, bitFlip, Spider, Flight Control, Auditorium, and Muppets Animal Drummer suck a lot of my iPod’s battery. Bookworm I spent the most time with, but it’s Space Invaders Infinity Gene that rocked my world with it’s innovative game play, excellent music, simplistic graphics, and it’s retro feel—pre-1980s nostalgia. This little device got more play time than my PSP and DS this year. I see the trend continuing if Nintendo and Sony don’t get on board with the same pricing and open design philosophy for developers.

Brock – I played the “I wish I had an iPhone” game this year. It wasn’t fun, especially after seeing how much fun Nat has had with his cheap yet awesome games. [count me on this one, too – ed.]

Will – Apple’s iPhone OS 3.0 update has pretty much made my iPhone 3G unsuitable for its basic tasks (like phone calls, emails and text messages), so playing games on it can be a challenge. For that reason, I give my FGotY 2009 [iPhone] award to the Zune HD’s Audiosurf Tilt. It plays very much like the PC game’s Mono avatar. I enjoy the very simple controls: tilt the device to the left to go left, and tilt right to go right. All you have to do is avoid the roadblocks and collect as many of the colored blocks as possible. This very simple game is a lot of fun, and whenever I listen to music on my Zune HD, I have a hard time not listening to it through that game.

I Feel So Weak

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I was all ready to take a stance against Microsoft. “No, I will NOT buy another one of your 360s! I already bought two, and had them each replaced twice, only to have them both die!” is what I imagined myself yelling at MS while shaking my fist. After only three days, I caved in and picked one up at Best Buy. Having a $40 coupon and getting Dragon Age: Origins for free helped to ease my bruised ego.

Weekend Gamer

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Welcome to the first Weekend Gamer of 2010! This should be a great weekend for everyone. This afternoon is the Granddaddy of them All, the Rose Bowl with my Ohio State Buckeyes against the Oregon Ducks. Afterwards I’m hoping for a big weekend of gaming. I’ve got three new FPSes: Left 4 Dead 2, Halo 3: ODST and Modern Warfare 2. I’ve had a little time with all three, so I’m not ready to make any judgements of which is the best, but I’m looking forward to playing all three.

I’m also looking forward to kicking off out “Fun Game of the Year” posts for 2009. We’ve got all the bases covered and these posts should be going live soon. We hope you enjoy them and add your own additions to our lists.

So what will you be playing this weekend? What are you looking forward to in 2010?