We’re almost to the last six games, but since they’re not in any particular order it doesn’t really matter anyway. I mean… “OMG, I can’t wait to see what’s going to be number one!111!!1″
12. Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise (360)
Developed by: Rare / Published by: Microsoft Game Studios
Most Addictive
Visual Excellence
The first Viva Piñata was a guilty pleasure of many unsuspecting gamers, and Trouble in Paradise adds more of those adorable, candy-filled creatures to collect, mate, and beat into submission with garden tools. Quite honestly, the game hasn’t improved much, and most of the flaws of the first VP are largely intact for the sequel, but inbreeding piñatas is just so infuriatingly addictive it’s impossible to resist.
11. Tales of Vesperia (360)
Developed by: Tales Studios / Published by: Namco Bandai
Game of the Year
Visual Excellence
Best RPG
Best Writing
Best New Character: Rita
Tales of Vesperia—like most JRPGs—gets off to a rocky start, with one too many pastel-colored villains and wacky supporting characters to take seriously. Once the main party begins to come together, however, Tales of Vesperia quickly becomes the most memorable ensembles since (insert your favorite Final Fantasy game here). The flashy cel-shaded visuals and fighting game-esque battles add up to one of the best JRPGs ever made. No wonder this is the game that finally brought the 360 off of life support in Japan.
10. Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3)
Developed by: Kojima Productions / Published by: Konami
Game of the Year
Visual Excellence
Excellence in Sound Design
Best Writing
The PlayStation 3’s magnum opus may have already come and gone, thanks to Hideo Kojima. Even a mere two years into the console’s lifespan, Konami has created a visual masterpiece that Sony itself struggles to match. The franchise’s convoluted plot and Hollywood-worthy cutscenes are all accounted for, but the stealth gameplay takes a backseat to the more James Bond run-and-gun approach. While fans may be sad to see Old Snake off after all this time, he really couldn’t have asked for a better final act.
9. Final Fantasy IV (DS)
Developed by: Matrix Software / Published by: Square Enix
Visual Excellence (DS)
Best Remake
Matrix’s DS remakes are the handheld equivalent to Final Fantasy VII on the PlayStation 3, except they actually exist. Improved visuals and enhanced gameplay are all the reason fans and newcomers alike need to go back and play some of the most memorable RPGs ever made. We can only hope Square has a greater commitment to their remakes than Capcom had with Resident Evil, as we can’t be the only ones waiting for a shiny new Final Fantasy VI.
8. FFVII: Crisis Core (PSP)
Developed and Published by: Square Enix
Visual Excellence (PSP)
Best FFVII Game Since FFVII
Dirge of Cerebrus. Advent Children. Before Crisis. Square has definitely not been coy about tapping the most renowned JRPG of all time to line their pockets, yet the results have certainly been mixed. Crisis Core is far and away the best spin-off product to come out of their greedy initiative. If the somber tale of Zack, Sephiroth, Cloud, and Aerith has one outstanding flaw, it’s that there simply isn’t enough of it.
7. Midnight Club: Los Angeles (360, PS3)
Developed by: Rockstar San Diego / Published by: Rockstar Games
Best Racing
Visual Excellence
Old-School Difficulty
Rockstar San Diego’s technical mastery over the RAGE engine is extremely impressive and puts its application in GTA IV to shame. Even while flying down Sunset Blvd. at breakneck speeds, it’s impossible not to recognize the immense craftmanship put into this game. While many lesser players and reviewers criticized MC:LA for its high difficulty level, it actually reminds of the NES days, when games weren’t so worried about ending up in a bargain bin due to being too hard. Because of it, the game is one of the most rewarding challenges in the genre, and manages to do so without any spiky blue shells.
January 29th, 2009 at 8:01 pm
Some solid entries here
January 29th, 2009 at 10:01 pm
Okay, TOTALLY considering a DS for games like Chrono Trigger and FFIV, damnit!
January 30th, 2009 at 6:28 pm
So many awesome games! I know the public is mixed on MGS, but at the very least the graphics were lightyears away from anything we’ll be seeing on the PS3 for a looong time. Until the next Kojima game, that is…
January 30th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
FF7:CC and FF6 are the only good things to come from Square recently, those are in fact the only reason I haven’t ended my long term love affair with Square.
Also Viva Pinata is like crack to me.
January 31st, 2009 at 7:51 am
Midnight Club is awesome. I love it. And after the patch, it’s really not that hard. At all. Great game. Vesperia is one hell of a good RPG. I would recommend it to anyone. Best suprise game of the year.
January 31st, 2009 at 7:18 pm
I think you mean FFIV “Pheonix”, but Last Remnant and Infinite Undiscovery were also welcome additions to my RPG library, despite their shortcomings.
January 31st, 2009 at 8:44 pm
I liked Infinite Undiscovery too, but not as much as Tales of Vesperia. These are all great games though, and even though I’m not very far into Midnight Club I can see what you’re saying William. I appreciate a tougher game from time to time, but just not too often! I’m fragile!
February 1st, 2009 at 4:57 pm
I’m a recovering Viva Pinata addict. It was almost as bad as my WoW addiction at one point.
I love that game.
February 6th, 2009 at 11:20 am
Tougher games are okay once in a while as long as they don’t cheat! There’s a BIG different between cheap and challenging.
February 6th, 2009 at 7:05 pm
Midnight Club just makes me smile 1) because it’s SO dang impressive to look at, and 2) because it keeps kicking my $%!
February 9th, 2009 at 3:56 am
Looking back, I still can’t believe how little fanfare TiP received. I thought it was a DLC pack for crying out loud. I’m guessing it didn’t sell too well, which is sad, because the first title was the best thing Rare did for a long, long time.
Tales of Vesperia is one of the best JRPG’s ever made huh? It seemed a lot like other Tales games, which is to say is better than most of the ho-hum JRPG titles released this gen, but I have to admit that it didn’t really grab me. Maybe I didn’t give it a fair shake, but Japanese devs need to understand that games should be fun right off the bat, not 8 hours in. It’s like they forget what a ‘game’ is.
Known quantities as they are, both FF and MGS delivered this year. Haven’t had the chance to play the remake of FFIV, but man, I freaking love that game. Blew my fragile little mind when I was a kid. FFV and FFVI DS remakes = guaranteed.
February 9th, 2009 at 4:33 am
Garudoh, I literally just wrote a similar sentiment about how games that take 10 hours to “get good” are kind of missing the whole point of video games in the first place.
And yes, this applies to Tales of Vesperia. If not for a friend urging me to soldier on, I would have quit multiple times throughout the beginning of the game. Once I stuck it out, the game really does get better, then good, then great. The majority of the game is very enjoyable, it just takes a bit of faith and motivation to push past the troubled start.
As for Trouble in Paradise, in many ways it basically was an expansion pack (perhaps one of the reasons it retailed at a discounted price). I think next time they need to fix all the issues with the previous games, and add more than just penguins and sand, and slap a number on that bitch so everyone knows what they’re getting into.