Last year we had a really crappy system for our GotY posts, but this year we almost seem *gasp* professional! Which I think is really cool.
So let’s go and look at all of the posts! Read on and check all the links!
So instead of choosing one winner in each category and a runner-up or two, we went for 5 winners in each category. This makes the lists a lot more varied and makes sure there’s something for everyone on there. The only exception is the Games of the Year, where we only chose 3.
The Save Points! Game of the Year awards 2009: Best Soundtracks
The Save Points! Game of the Year awards 2009: Best Single Player
The Save Points! Game of the Year awards 2009: Best Multiplayer
The Save Points! Game of the Year awards 2009: Best PSP Games
The Save Points! Game of the Year awards 2009: Best DS Games
The Save Points! Game of the Year awards 2009: Best Downloadable Games
The Save Points! Game of the Year awards 2009: Best Multi-Platform Games
The Save Points! Game of the Year awards 2009: Best Wii Exclusives
The Save Points! Game of the Year awards 2009: Best Xbox 360 Exclusives
The Save Points! Game of the Year awards 2009: Best Playstation 3 Exclusives
The Save Points! Game of the Year awards 2009: Biggest Surprises
The Save Points! Game of the Year awards 2009: Biggest Disappointments
The Save Points! Game of the Year awards 2009: Games of the Year
So that’s it! Thank you everyone for tuning in and seeing what we thought were the best games of the year! And thank you everyone on the team for your input which made this list a lot better than if I had done it all myself 
Cheers to another great year on the way!
]]>So what won the best games of the year? Read on and see our 3 winners!
Uncharted 2: Amongst Thieves
Uncharted 2 is a game that most never want to see end. With a cast more alive than anything else seen this generation and more set pieces than most blockbuster movies, Uncharted 2 feels more like something you’d see from Hollywood than in a video game. Beautifully rendered graphics, impressively-designed shootouts and some of the best platforming seen Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, Uncharted 2 is undoubtedly one of the best games this year. (thank you Wintrale for the text here)
Borderlands
Borderlands took on Diablo’s gameplay style, and made it work perfectly in the first-person viewpoint. With fun multiplayer, tons of loot to find (using an item-generation system similar to Diablo 2′s), making the gameplay take precedence over everything else instead of shoving a crappy story in your face, a bunch of great quests, and overall really fun gameplay, this was one of the more unique and fun experiences this year, and this is why it’s amongst the best games of the year.
Demon’s Souls
This has fun gameplay, some cool leveling systems, and most importantly it’s REALLY HARD without being totally cheap about it like most “hard” games in recent years. Add in the greatly implemented online features that are directly into the multiplayer, and the ability to help/get help from your friends, and being able to invade other peoples’ games and you’ve got a pretty fun game.
Read and see what surprised us this year! As per our other GotY posts, we have 5 things on here as well.
Batman Arkham Asylum actually being good
Yeah, I was surprised too. The demo made it seem pretty good, and the game looked great in screenshots and videos. But that kind of hype and such made me look at the game reluctantly, expecting the worse. But when I actually played it… Wow, I was honestly surprised. Not only is it a good licensed game, it’s also a good comic book game. Holy shit!
Team Ninja teaming up with Nintendo for a new Metroid
That was definitely unexpected. A new Metroid isn’t too unexpected considering the series has been gaining in popularity again, but the fact that Nintendo got Team Ninja to work on it? Now that’s a shocker. Will it be any good? Will Team Ninja actually respect Samus as a character? That remains to be seen, but there’s no question that this is one of the big surprises this year.
Golden Sun DS announced
This has been teased and rumored so many times before no one expected it to actually come out one day. But it was actually officially announced. No joke!
Lufia 2 remake on DS announced
Now THAT seriously came out of nowhere. Lufia, a series that only has a cult following, and one much smaller than games like Earthbound at that, is getting its best game in the series completely reworked? New gameplay action-RPG, slightly re-written story, new look, 3D graphics, Â re-designed characters… I’m definitely excited, but I have to throw a few WTFs out there just because of how strange it is for this to have been announced at all. Now let’s just hope for a US release.
Duke Nukem Forever cancelled
I wanted to put this as a disappointment really, but it’s actually a surprise. Why? Because not TOO long before being cancelled, we had some new gameplay footage(the first in around 8 years I think) from a random web show in an interview with the team leaders, a ton of screenshots, and actual information about the game. That’s crazy! Cancelling the game when it’s actually close to completion for once instead of getting engine changes or just generally not showing any sign of progress. How did it happen? The leader of 3D Realms asked for a measly 6 million dollars from the publisher, and didn’t get it (despite the 3D realms owner already having spent over 20 millions dollars of his own money in the project), so he couldn’t finalize the game. So the team was laid off and the game canned. Actually, just READ THIS article by Wired. And here I thought DNF would really be in development forever. Sad.
What did we think were the best PS3 exclusives?
Continue reading to find what our 5 winners are!
Demon’s Souls
This game is hard. But it’s also very fun and rewarding.The flawless integration of online functionalities to the single player just makes it that much better. Great gameplay, not too bad visuals, awesome difficulty that doesn’t feel cheap. This game was a big surprise to me, and everyone who played it.
inFamous
InFamous is one of those games that had a lot going for it, and accomplished most of the hype it had. Great free-running gameplay, nice visuals, combat was fun, lots of powers to play around with, and 2 distinct skill sets depending on your actions. I find that the morality system could be just a bit better, since there’s no reward for staying on the gray line between good and evil, but that might just be in the sequel, whenever that will come out.
Uncharted 2: Amongst Thieves
Uncharted 2 arguably pushes the PS3 in many more ways than anything else. With lush, vibrant greenery, beautifully rendered forgotten temples and derelict cities, the PS3 brings life to these amazing locales with ease. The lack of loading screens during gameplay and the lack of an install just go further to prove that what’s in the package is possibly the best the PS3 has to offer yet. (Thank you Wintrale for the text here)
Cross Edge
Yeah, this is a list partly made by me, so it has to have this weird choice no one agrees with, right? Cross Edge was riddled with problems. Lag, slow loading time even after the 5GB install, SD graphics and spotty voice acting at times. It was obviously made for PS2 and not optimized for the PS3. Yet, despite all those problems, it’s really fun and addictive. A great fighting system, a pretty interesting story, the power to make any team you want with a huge selection of characters, lots of customizing and various leveling systems. Anyone who wants a good RPG and can look past the few technical problems (you know, caring more about actual gameplay instead of caring about fluff) will find a really fun game here.
Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time
Ratchet & Clank games are always high-quality. And this is definitely not an exception. Near Pixar-quality cinematics, great visuals, great humor, great gameplay and controls, interesting puzzles, and fun upgrade systems make this game really fun. And as the final game in the series(or so says the developer) it ties up all the loose ends well enough.
Read on and see what 5 games won!
Forza Motorsport 3
A great racing simulator, for sure. Lots of cool cars, nice tracks, great controls, it’s accessible to both newbies to the genre as well as veterans with adjustable difficulty and assists, tons of tuning and upgrade options, and it’s overall just really fun to play.
Halo Wars
This was an attempt to bring a genre that usually doesn’t work on consoles to consoles, and make it work. Did they succeed? Well, it had really good controls, and made it a lot easier to play that other console RTS games I’ve played. There’s still a long way to go, but this is a few good steps in the right direction. Add to this a good story with some nice cinematics, good visuals, fun gameplay and you have a pretty fun game.
Halo 3: ODST
A new Halo game. Announced as an expansion for Halo 3, eventually becomeing its own game. It has a completely new campaign mode with great atmosphere (though a bit short), a new character other than Master Chief to control which changes up the gameplay, and a completely new multiplayer mode. To justify the WAY too high price tag, you also get the Halo 3 multiplayer with all the DLC on a second disc, just in case you don’t have it already, which is nice.
Splosion Man
Yeah, the Xbox 360 didn’t get many good retail exclusives, so we have to go with downloadable games. Splosion Man is a really fun 1-button platformer which feels a bit like a puzzler in addition to a platformer. Fast-paced gameplay, great level design, great visual and sound design, and you’ve got yourself a great game, at a great price too.
Shadow Complex
With the lack of 2D Metroid games, this is a welcome addition to the Xbox family. Despite being a downloadable game, it’s definitely one of the best games to come on the 360 this year. Great gameplay, lots of exploration and things to find, cool boss fights, and the metroid style just works great. And it’s only $15, what a deal!
But the good games it did get were pretty nice.
Read on and see our 5 winners!
New Super Mario Brothers Wii
A new Mario 2D platformer, which is pretty much a tribute to Super Mario Bros 3 and Super Mario World… Is there anything bad to say about this? Not really. And the addition of a chaotic and incredibly fun 4-player mode just seals the deal. This is THE game to have this year on Wii.
Punch-Out!
I love Punch-Out!!. The simple gameplay might make it seem a bit meh, but make no mistake, learning every characters’ tactics and patterns and finding the way to beat them as fast as possible is really fun. Here the character selection is a bit weak, but the addition of upgraded versions of each character with new patterns and attacks definitely makes up for it. Â The same fun gameplay as before, and it still doesn’t get old.
Muramasa: The Demon Blade
This Metroidvania-style side-scrolling action RPG is one of the more unique games this year. Geaturing fast-paced gameplay, fun combat, lots of things to find and explore, multiple endings and 2 fun stories, this is a game Wii owners shouldn’t pass up on.
The House of the Dead: Overkill
This is the on-rail shooter in its best form. Â It’s simple, replayable, and fun as hell. The humor is just way over-the-top and hilarious (especially the scene before the final boss), the visual and story-telling style being remeniscent of 70s grindhouse films, the gameplay is fast and furious, there’s some replay value with the various difficulties, gun upgrades and things to find in each level, this is one of the really fun games this year.
Contra ReBirth
I did mention before that Contra is awesome, right? Well, it still is. A great sequel to a great series, and at a low low price to boot.
But that still produces lots of quite good titles, that anyone can play since they’re on more than one console.
So what were the best multi-console releases of 2009?
Read on and see our 5 winners!
Batman: Arkham Asylum
The best comic book hero game to come out in a very long time. Undoubtedly one of the best ever, if not THE best. And the best Batman game yet(though very closely followed by the NES classic). Great graphics, good story, great voice acting from the Batman TAS cast, great atmosphere, great stealth gameplay, varied environments and surprisingly fun combat considering the simple controls. The only deception here is the boss fights, none of which are really memorable. But the rest of the experience is splendid.
Borderlands
Really good FPS mechanics, fun RPG elements, 4 classes that are customizable and unique, and tons of loot. The loot works similar to the Diablo 2 system, with a bunch of different “basic” equipment, to which randomized attributes are added to make it unique. Guns will usually work differently depending on all the different stats it gets. Add to this a solid multilayer mode and satisfactory single-player gameplay, and you have a great and fun game. People who just like games with tons of loot will fall in love with this, and people looking for an interesting FPS/RPG hybrid will most likely have lots of fun with this.
BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger
It’s a new fighting game by the guys who made Guilty Gear. I shouldn’t need to say more. 12 completely unique characters with great movesets, each with a unique gimmick(making them different from any other character in any other game) and interesting movesets. With a great combo system, incredible visuals and a great soundtrack, BlazBlue is by far the best fighting game to come out this year, easily surpassing SFIV and Tekken 6 and whatever else might have come out that I forgot. Add to this lagless online when you don’t have friends to play with and you’re in for a great experience. The only problem? We know that buy 2-3 years there’s gonna be a few million revisions of this game instead of proper sequels, just like Guilty Gear X2.
Ghostbusters: The Video Game
A strange choice, sure, but I think this definitely deserves a mention. A revival of one of the greatest series of the 80s, with spot-on voice acting from the original actors and a story written by the original writers, and it’s actually fun to play? Color me surprised. This is proof that licensed titles can be great. A good storyline that follows up the films well, good visuals reminiscent of the old Ghostbusters movies, nice atmosphere all around, great voice acting and fun gameplay that actually makes you feel like you’re a Ghostbuster.
Dragon Age Origins
Dragon Age: Origins is one of those games where story, characters, music, and game play take the center stage instead of the often pushed graphical envelope. It is a prime example of not only what makes a great western role-playing game, but what makes a great role-playing game overall. It also is a great example of how to implement the player choice in not only the plot, but also the game play. This allows for those in the “core/hardcore†category to coexist with the “casual†crowd in a genre that usually is difficult to get into for many people. (thank you Josh for the text)
So we pretty much HAVE to have a category for the best downloadable games. To be precise, this will only include games that are downloadable only. Any game that has a retail release in addition to its downloadable release(like Borderlands) does not count.
So what are the best downloadable games of 2009? Read on for the 5 winners!
Plants vs. Zombies
A casual game in a game of the year awards? That’s weird… Well, this game has a special quality where it can appeal to both “hardcore” and casual gamers. The more experienced gamers will breeze through the main game, but the extra unlockable modes will be a major challenge even to the best gamers. The game uses a really original Tower Defense gameplay. Instead of defending just one path while putting towers next to the path and having enemies walk to the end, you have 5 paths to protect, and you put plants directly in their way to stop them. It looks great, it plays great, and is a must at only $10.
Contra Rebirth
Contra is tough. Contra is awesome. They don’t need to do much to make a great Contra game. Just take the basic gameplay, give a few cool weapons (not forgetting the spreader of course), a few cool levels, and voilà , instant great game. This offers a big challenge with multiple difficulty levels, fun bosses and a few unlockables. At $10, any “hardcore” gamer who owns a Wii would be an idiot not to buy it.
Shadow Complex
You’ve got some Metroid in my Xbox 360. And it’s awesome. The game literally plays like a new-school Super Metroid. Solid gameplay, multiple weapons, a bunch of upgrades reminiscent of Metroid. I’d say a slight bit more linear than Super Metroid, but there’s still some exploration to be had. Doesn’t have much of a story, but games don’t need stories. Any old-school gamers with $15 to spare should check this out.
‘Splosion Man
Proof that games can still be done with just 1 button in mind. Instead of impossible to learn controls, ‘Splosion Man is a game that gives you a d-pad and a button to explode your fun-looking character. Other than the fact that the game is 3D, this looks just like something we could have seen in the SNES era. Great visual design, hilarious animations, hilarious sounds, great difficulty with a nice learning curve and great 1-button gameplay… Is there anything wrong with this game? No, not really. It’s $10, and worth every penny.
Excitebike World Rally
I love Excitebike. Really simplistic, but really fun nonetheless. Perfecting your time in each track requires lots of practice and precision control. Well, the Wii sequel is just as good as the NES version. If not a bit better, with slightly smoother controls and a few new gameplay elements. $10 is a really good price for a huge update on one of the most cherished NES titles.
This year was a pretty good year for the DS, with a lot of fun and unique games. If you have a DS, there’s no possible way there wasn’t a game that interested you in the year. Making a list of the best games is no easy task but we tried to narrow it down to 5 great games anyone with a DS should check out.
So read on and see our 5 winners for best DS games of the year!
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
The Zelda series almost always had top-notch games. This one is no exception. While not perfect, mostly because of the touch screen controls and the train, it’s still a solid title, with very interesting puzzle and fun gameplay. And having Zelda herself actually playing a role is a great idea, and it works pretty well. Now if only it didn’t contribute to screwing up the already cryptic Zelda Timeline…
Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes
This game is one of the most unique experiences of the year. It combines a few unlikely game genres(“Match 3″, puzzle, turn-based strategy, RPG) and makes it into a game that’s really fun to play, with surprisingly varied gameplay. Add in a fun story with some pretty cool characters, and there’s not much not to like about this game.
Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story
The third in the series, and probably the best in the series. Taking on the trademark Mario & Luigi gameplay and adding Bowser to the mix is great, adding variety to gameplay since parts you can play with Bowser are totally different from parts with the Mario Brothers, even when you pass through the same areas with both. Lots of side-quests and fun mini-games, in addition to a fun story, there’s nothing really wrong with this game.
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
Frankly, GTA hasn’t been the same since it transitionned to 3D. Not bad games, of course, but they lost that wacky feeling the series used to have. So, to me, Chinatown Wars was a return to form. Back with the interesting bird’s-eye view, 2D gameplay, great controls, with the story and characters taking a backseat to the action, and the characters themselves not being taking completely seriously makes this one of the more interesting GTA experiences in years.
Retro Game Challenge
This might sound like an oddball choice… but that’s just because it is. This game takes on a relatively original idea of having to go through “challenges” in various “oldschool” games to advance to the next games. Most of the time those are pretty easy, but that’s not what I cared about here. What I like is that the games within RGC are all new. Some take ideas from actual oldschool classics(some are pretty much rip-offs), some are actually quite original. This is a must-play for any retro gamer, and a must play for anyone else to see just what games were like back in the day, and the media surrounding them (you get magazines in the game all the time with reviews of the games you’re playing, tricks and cheats, stuff like that). This is a great experience for any gamer. It’s a shame XSeed won’t be localizing the second game in the series.
Combined with the release of the PSP Go and not that many new interesting releases, the PSP, as always, didn’t have an incredible year. But that’s not to say it didn’t get anything good at all.
The following games are all games that should at least be checked out for Sony’s handheld.
Read and see our 5 winners this year!
Half-Minute Hero
This game takes on one of the most unique concepts of the year: Take a few game genres, though mainly RPGs, parody them, and then make you finish each level in a super-fast time. The game includes 4 completely different modes of play, and 2 variations on the 30 second RPG mode, offering lots of variety and a surprising amount of gameplay time. In addition to the gorgeous 16-bit visuals and hilarious(and actually interesting) story, it’s a must for PSP owners.
Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman! What Did I Do to Deserve This?
This is like the perfect arcade classic that never existed. Here your job is to build dungeons, summoning an army of monster, and preserving the dungeon’s “ecosystem”, and protect the Overlord from being captured by the good guys. The game takes no more than 20 minutes to complete… that is if you’re able to complete it at all. It has pretty brutal difficulty, especially when you’re not a complete master of the game. The ability to make up your own strategies makes this game a must-try.
Dissidia Final Fantasy
This is pretty much the recipe to greatness. Take a few characters from 11 incredibly popular games, and make them fight using an original fighting game system. The concept alone sold this game. Add in fun intertwining stories for each character, great music, nice visuals, each character being unique, a fun battle system, some customization… and what’s not to like really?
Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero?
People who whine that games aren’t hard anymore NEED to try out Prinny. On the hardest difficulty of course(easy mode is a bit too easy). Incredibly strict jumping mechanics right out of the original Ghosts n’ Goblins, tough enemies, dying in one hit, really hard boss battles requiring to totally master their patterns. This is the recipe of a hard game done right. Some might think the 1000 lives you start the game with is a bit much(you can’t get any extra lives by the way), but when they realize going through one level can take you a few hundred lives, they’ll change their opinion right away. Though it’s actually a lot more lenient than a game like Ghosts n’ Goblins, it’s stll one tough cookie. Add in great replayability, with each playthrough being different, fun DLC, and lots of extra things to find and you have a great game in your hands.
Undead Knights
Undead Knights is a unique addition to the zombie franchise in that you take the role of a character killed amidst a conspiracy, given the power to turn the living into your rather grisly looking undead slaves. Using this makeshift army, you’re given the power to crush those who stand in the way of your revenge. With an interesting plot, an incredibly well-written script, multiple difficulty levels, multiple playable characters, an upgrade system for each of the playable characters and even unlockable titles, this is a game built for replayability – making it one of the best games on the Playstation Portable this year. (thank you Wintrale for the text)