"WingDamage writer by day, Little Mac by night."

The first full year of WingDamage is officially over. Though we all played a lot of games, we’re also enthusiasts with full-time jobs outside of the site. While there’s just not enough time in the day to play every game that comes out, we do our best. Below is a list of my personal picks of the games I felt where a cut above the rest. Expect to see the picks of our other writers soon after. And don’t worry, you’ll probably agree with their picks more than mine anyway.

#10 Retro Game Challenge (DS) [Full Review]

As you might have guessed after seeing our “Friday Old Games” article series, we like our retro games here on WingDamage. Retro Game Challenge was made specifically for people like me whose favorite genres still include 2D platformers and SHMUPs. The zany plot about Japanese comedian, Shinya Arino, transporting you back to the eighties and forcing you to play fake Famicom games is not only wonderfully absurd, but a great way to take advantage of my feelings of nostalgia.

While the achievement-style challenges you complete in each of the 8bit games are fun, my favorite part is that each game is unlockable for free play. Essentially, what I really bought is a bunch of never-before-released NES games; a fact I am more than satisfied with. It saddens me that the sequel will probably never make it out of Japan.

#9 DJ Hero (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii) [Full Review]

The first night I brought home DJ Hero, I played for over four hours straight, having not gotten home until the late hours of the evening, on a work-night. I did not do this intentionally, but as they say, “Time flies when you’re having fun.” The satisfaction I felt while playing DJ Hero is something I haven’t felt since I first played Dance Dance Revolution.

In a stagnant and saturated genre, DJ Hero felt fresh. The input requires much more than a series of colorful button presses (though it uses those, too) and the soundtrack is made entirely from never-before-heard mashups of popular music from various decades mixed by legendary DJs. While it might not sell as well as Rock Band or Guitar Hero, I think it’s exactly the breath of fresh air the rhythm genre needed.

#8 Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 (Wii) [Full Review]

I’ve never been into sports, but I’ve been a fan of golf videogames since Golf on the NES and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10, while using the Wii Motion+ attachment, is the best golf videogame I’ve ever played. This is the game that makes me eagerly anticipate future WM+ enabled titles. The three different control settings make it easy for people of all skill levels to play together and the advanced control scheme is incredibly satisfying once you’re ready to take it on. There’s a ridiculous number of courses to play and tons of customization. I can’t imagine the next iteration doing anything this game didn’t already do well enough.

#7 Muramasa: The Demon Blade (Wii) [Full Review]

Muramasa: The Demon Blade is absolutely stunning to look at. It’s not just a pretty face, either. The game manages to achieve an insane combat style that’s more “ninja-like” than anything I’ve ever seen on a 2D plane. On top of that, it featured a “Metroidvania Light” map structure, giant bosses, multiple playable characters, RPG elements, and a vast quantity of swords (each with their own stats and special attack) to collect. I can’t wait to see what Vanillaware cooks up next.

#6 Batman: Arkham Asylum (Xbox 360, PS3, PC) [Full Review]

Batman: Arkham Asylum, while not perfect, is a great game. Rocksteady did an excellent job of making you feel like you’re every bit as fear inspiring and every bit as vulnerable as Batman should be. You can take on huge unarmed groups, but once they have guns it’s time to be a stealthy predator. The pacing is great, there are tons of secrets to find, and the voice cast reprising their roles from Batman: The Animated Series is fantastic. It manages to not just be “good for a licensed game”, it’s one the best games of the year.

#5 Assassin’s Creed II (Xbox 360, PS3)

I’m not usually a fan of open-world games, but Assassin’s Creed II is a lot of fun. Each of the game’s cities are huge and climbing around all the buildings is so satisfying that I found I hardly used the “fast travel” system. The game is full of detail from the hustle and bustle of the cities lively inhabitants to the viewpoints, codex pages, glyphs, feathers, and any number of other important things scattered throughout Italy for you to find.

#4 Punch-Out!! (Wii) [Full Review]

Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! is the very first videogame I ever remember playing. When I heard they were making a new one, I flipped out with excitement. This game did not disappoint me one bit. It is 100% pure, unrestrained fun. Nothing in this game gets in the way of that. It is simplicity at its best.

The cartoony art style is fantastic and fits the game like a glove. Every boxer is extremely expressive and full of life. The controls are tighter than ever and the new “Title Defense Mode” doubles the length of the otherwise short experience without feeling like cheap padding. It may be “old school”, but Punch-Out!! doesn’t feel any less relevant to me now than it did back then.

#3 Street Fighter IV (Xbox 360, PS3)

2009 was the “comeback” year for fighting games. A ton of great fighters came out, but Street Fighter IV trumps them all. With a huge cast of fan-favorites as well as new characters, I’ve been able to enjoy some pretty lengthy multiplayer sessions. Capcom struck the perfect balance between old and new with the move-sets. Focus attacks, specials, supers, and ultras allow for a very deep fighting experience while still managing to not feel too intimidating (a problem I had with the critically acclaimed BlazBlue). Street Fighter IV is my new favorite fighting game and I eagerly await the next iteration.

#2 New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii) [Full Review]

New Super Mario Bros. Wii is so incredibly fun that I went back and forth numerous times on whether or not it was my number one game. Ultimately, it landed in my number two spot, and I hope it also lands in every Wii owner’s home. While the themed worlds may feel cliche, the actual level design is incredibly imaginative. Playing alone is as satisfying as Mario games of old and playing with friends is an entirely new, ridiculously enjoyable experience.

#1 aka GOTY… Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3) [Full Review]

This game has already been called “Game of the Year” by a large number of media outlets. You know why? Because it’s incredible. Uncharted 2 is one of the most entertaining media experiences out there. It’s full of a cast of likable characters that are better acted and more believable than many you’ve seen on the big screen. The pacing is so good you’ll want to play it in one sitting (but you won’t because it actually takes a decent chunk of time to complete).

The single-player would have been more than enough to blow me away, but the multiplayer is the icing on the already delicious cake. Rather than feeling tacked on, it’s very fun in both versus and co-op and gives me more excuses to revisit the game. This is the kind of game you can feel comfortable recommending people buy the system for.

Tags: Assassin's Creed 2, Batman: Arkham Asylum, DJ Hero, Game of the Year 2009, GOTY 2009, Muramasa: The Demon Blade, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Punch-Out!, Retro Game Challenge, Street Fighter IV, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10, Uncharted 2

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 7th, 2010 at 5:00 am and is filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.