I'd love to see the series get a reboot, but dread it being in 3D. There's far too many 3D platformers already and I can't see the series' charm carrying over. Then again, it worked for Metroid, so who knows. Speaking of which, what has Retro been up to the past couple years? Makes the mind reel...
Got a 2/5 at X-Play. I still really want to play it. The demo at PAX was ace and I've otherwise heard great things. Doesn't hurt that I'm a Zelda fanboy, so the ripoff aspect doesn't turn me off at all.
The future is a strange and scary place...
This was my biggest gripe about Arkham Asylum and MGS4, for different reasons. I could have forgiven Batman's lame final boss if the epilogue was good, but it was extremely abrupt and left me shrugging my shoulders thinking, "that's it?" In comparison, MGS4's epilogue went on way too long (over an hour, I believe), where a much beloved character shows up to quite literally talk himself to death for 20 min. Both games left a sour aftertaste in my mouth, even though they were two o...
I agree with the article. Not because I want my games full of ugly people per se, but because standards of beauty are far more varied than the industry would lead you to believe. I mean I think Bayonetta was supposed to be attractive, but I for one couldn't find her any less so (though the game is still wicked fun). I want my game girls with a little meat on their bones. More scrawny bald dudes wouldn't hurt either. Adds character, methinks.
I really liked these categories. Particularly worst game that everyone played.
Darksiders had terrible marketing. I thought it looked rubbish until I went hands on with the demo. The mechanical Ruin at PAX was awesome, but said little for the game itself. I have yet to play the full game, but if it hadn't come out the same day as Bayonetta, I would've bought it day one.
It may not be for everyone. I can understand some people not liking the train especially. It's slow, but the music was so good that I enjoyed those chill-out moments. It's basically what I wanted Wind Waker to be.
Solid list. There's nothing that strikes me as really out of place even if they wouldn't have been my personal picks. Found it interesting that aside from Uncharted 2, nothing won multiple awards. A great year for gaming, imo.
Brutal Legend sure is a strange beast to win most disappointing and be the runner-up for best new IP. The sad thing is that totally makes sense (even if I think BL is a much better IP that inFamous).
Lego Indy 2 was surprisingly good, but I see your point.
It's funny, but most of my most anticipated games of 09 going into the year were original IPs and most disappointed. While a lot of my fave games this year were sequels, they were such good sequels that really capitalized on the successes of their forebearers, yet distinctly felt like their own games. I borderline hates the first AC, and while AC2 wasn't near the top of my list this year, I still liked it a lot. Uncharted 2 was a major advancement over the first too, in my mind. An origin...
Demon's Souls does tell a story. It's just a very simple one that could only be done as a game. It's short on plot, but high on surmounting near impossible odds. as such it's a near perfect example of a game achieving its narrative through gameplay.
Oh and Zeno Clash is coming soon to XBLA. I'm excited to get retro with 2009 in 2010!
I really wish this list was the other way around. I haven't had a top of the line PC in over a decade, but found consoles easy enough to keep up with for the most part. What I wouldn't give for a console port of Stalker or The Path.
I can agree with most of these principals in theory, though not the specific examples the author sites. Particularly I thought Metroid Prime himself was quite a bit easier than the Omega Pirate, and Meta Ridley unusually easy given how far she is into the game.
I'd also add another category: The final boss must look friggin' cool! My biggest gripe with the final boss of Okami was that even though you got to use all your different powers and it's the most challenging part of the...
I really want to play Bionic Commando just for the ending.
Also, though it's gotten a lot of genuinely good reviews, I can't help but feel Assassin's Creed 2 is so bad it's good. It's fun, but holy god is it stupid. I mean that final boss fight? What were the thinking?
Agreed. Though you and I may be the only ones who like him.
Did that many gamers play ET back in the 80s? Last I heard they had to bury surplus carts of it in a landfill.
What Shoinan said...
I felt bad for the guards. There just minding their own business, pacing back and forth, when BAM, they're stabbed in the back of the neck by an assassin. I guess one could argue they should have known the risk the job would entail, but beyond that, they're just government employees doing their jobs.