I only started this blog in September 2004 but it is time to look back at an entire decade worth of gaming, which has seen many, many games and quite a few systems as well. In this first of two articles we look back at some stuff that didn't inspire me, that pissed me off to no end or just didn't quite live up to expectations. These are MY PERSONAL 10 Most Disappointing Games of the Decade. There is no order to this list, just 10 games that disappointed me somehow. Here we go a decade of disappointment.

ESPN NHL Hockey (2K4) - SEGA/Visual Concepts/Kush Games, PS2, 2003
After becoming a massive fan of NHL 2K3 I had immense expectations for 2K4, but the transition from Treyarch to Kush was just too rough and the game was full of bugs, gltichy gameplay and is easily the lowest point of NHL2k series and and still remains the only videogame that I have ever broken.

Super Mario Sunshine - Nintendo, GameCube, 2002
Super Mario Sunshine was just not of the same quality that Mario games usually have and since it was the first game in the main "Super Mario" series in 6 years it had a ton to live up to. To top it off quite a few of the shine goals are insanely frustrating and the camera is one of the most horrible ever and needs your constant attention.

Black - EA/Criterion, PS2, 2006
I love Criterion, mostly because of the amazing Burnout series so when they announced that they where making a First Person Shooter I was pretty psyched about it. The more I saw of the game the more excited I got. What we got... a decent FPS with an absurd amount of bullet sponge enemies and explosions, topped off with some of the most amazing graphics on the PS2. No multiplayer and a wonky story... This is one of those "I wanted to like it" type of games.

StarFox Assault - Nintendo/Namco, GameCube, 2005
After StarFox Adventures took StarFox in a new direction I was pretty excited to see that StarFox Assault was bringing it back to the shooter roots when it was announced. Turns out while maybe 35% of the game is dedicated to the amazing Arwing shooting action, the other 65% is dedicated to clunky on-foot and Landmaster Tank missions. There are some cool homages to StarFox 64 but other than that this is a clunky average game and never lived up to the legacy of the amazing StarFox 64.

Perfect Dark Zero - Microsoft/Rare, Xbox 360, 2005
After picking up the N64 original for $4 dollars, when I grabbed my 360 in 2006 I was excited to try the prequel. The thing I loved the most about the original is the games multiplayer mode, while it doesn't have dual-stick control and the graphics chug quite a bit the ways that you manipulate the different rules are akin to Halo 3 and the tons of options that you have in that game. In PDZ the multiplayer feels like an afterthought and the single player doesn't feel that great. To top it off I really hate the look of the art in the game.

StarFox Command - Nintendo/Namco, DS, 2006
When Nintendo first showed off Star Fox Command it was called StarFox DS and the graphics had a StarFox 64 look to them. "Oh, Boy! " I thought. "They are making a game just like StarFox 64 for the DS!" Much to my chagrin the game turned out to be half strategy game, half timed arcade shooter. I found myself either failing to protect my objective in the strategy mode or running out time in the shooting sections, both of which cause Game Overs... I only spent maybe 2 hours playing this game when it came out in 2006 and haven't played it since.

The Legend of Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass - Nintendo, DS, 2007
There is one thing and one thing alone that make Phantom Hourglass the worst game in the Zelda series... the Temple of the Ocean King. You have to repeat this dungeon many times to get parts of map and the location to the next major dungeon. Add in the fact that its timed, has forced stealth sections and you have one of the most annoying levels ever put in a videogame.

Tony Hawk's Proving Ground - Activision/Neversoft, Xbox 360, 2007
After Tony Hawk's Project 8 seemed to get the Tony Hawk series back in the right direction Proving Ground appeared to be taking it one step further. In reality it was taking it to its lowest ratings in years and features some terrible design decisions like taking a photo of your skater while you are trying to skate are in the "what where they thinking" territory. The final nail in the coffin of one of the most successful videogame series of the decade.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl - Nintendo/Hal, Wii, 2008
After the big hit that was Super Smash Bros. Melee on the GameCube, Nintendo looked to continue to satisfy all Nintendo fans by adding even more Nintendo related objects, characters and levels to the game... then adding two iconic videogame characters from outside the world of Nintendo in Solid Snake and holy crap... Sonic The Hedgehog! Sonic could finally battle it out one on one with Mario as an adult that grew up in the Nintendo vs. Sega era of gaming this blew my mind. Too bad Nintendo just made the exact same game again... oh, except with a sucky platformer mode and the jerks made Sonic the last character to unlock in the whole game.

FarCry 2 - Ubisoft, Xbox 360, 2008
This is probably one of the few games on this list that I wasn't super excited for before it arrived, but that doesn't stop it from being completely disappointing. The game has plenty of cool ideas but is hampered by all the bad ideas. Annoying respawning guards, bullet sponge enemies, clunky health system and the bad save system on the console versions (PC has a much needed quick save option) make for a game that you want to keep playing because there is a promise of much cooler stuff, but the problematic features just keep kicking you in the balls over and over until you can't stand playing.

So there you have it 10 games that disappointed me over these last 10 years. Tomorrow I will have my Top 10 of 2009 and you can see my favorites of 2009 all in one place. Then on Thursday we celebrate my 10 favorites of the decade. It's going to be a great week here on Now Loading so stay logged! Loading Complete!

Pros:
- Decent Shooting Action

Cons:
- Cover mechanic awkward/disorienting
- Not many gadgets / not very James Bond-y
- Objectives and Paths not always clear

Quantum of Solace is a very poor step back after 2003's Everything or Nothing or even 2005's From Russia With Love, returning James Bond to first person is not really the direction for him. But here we are again, back behind the gun of Bond in Quantum of Solace. Bond uses his smarts and cunning to get him out most situations and in most of the films does not just have endless shootouts with guards, QoS tries to simulate this in a FPS by allowing you to snap to objects for a third person cover mechanic. From the 3rd person view it is easier to see patrolling guards or security cameras and helps protect you from getting shot during gun battles. The problem with this is that the transition from 1st person to 3rd and back is far to disorienting, you'll never be sure which direction you'll be facing once you get back to your FP view. This also happens when you use a melee attack and leads to alerting guards and getting turned around.

What QoS also lacks is game just does not have that Bond feel, there are very few gadgets, you have a door hacking tool and that is it. Q must have been taking a day off because there are no interesting tools to work with here, just shoot everyone and get to the end of the level. Finally I found it was not always clear as to which direction I was supposed to head in some of the levels, it's a linear path, but I found I'd run in to quite a few dead-ends before I was able to find the one path to actually take and this makes areas of the game that are timed pretty frustrating.

Probably the only good thing I can say about Quantum of Solace is that it has some decent shooting, it uses the Call of Duty 4 engine so it felt pretty familiar and accurate to shoot the enemies. Everything else is just alright and the game is more about Casino Royale than QoS, though both stories are pretty quickly glazed over. Lastly the game is only about 6 hours long or so. It just falls short of anything, even some of the PS2 PS2 FPS Bond games are better than this. Don't bother.

Pros:
- Excellent cover mechanic
- Decent little story

Cons:
- Combat: only 3 enemies, only 3 weapon types
- Combat: Poor AI
- Combat: Bad On-Rails levels
- Combat: Poor Sound Design
- Short: 4 -5 hours

Terminator Salvation is a game that tugs at my heart-strings... A part of me really likes the game, it has this sort of innocence about it, a simplicity that I like as if it's not its fault and I want to pat its head... but then I realize that it is just trying to make me feel sorry for it and that it barely has any redeeming qualities and that makes me angry. Okay enough strange metaphor and more down and dirty facts, the thing that kills Terminator Salvation is its "Meh" combat system. First off there is only three different types of weapons, a shotgun, two machine guns and various explosive weapons (RPG, Grenades, Pipebombs) and there are three different types of enemies, the flying AeroStats are weak to the Shotgun, the T-7-T Spider Walkers are weak to the machine guns in their weak-point on their backs and the T-600s are weak to the explosives. It makes for some very basic simple and repetitive gameplay, shotgun the fliers, take cover and flank the walkers and bomb the hell out of the T-600s repeat for the whole game.

The combat would be considerably more interesting if it wasn't for the fact that the AI is programed to only stay within a small area (usually inside the circle of cover points surrounding them) and rare deviate from there. It surely doesn't give you the impression that SkyNet is anything special or frightening. When not fighting on foot, you are forced to fight on the backs of trucks, trains and buggys on various mounted weapons, these are the levels that really hurt the game. They don't control well as your cross-hair has a funny drift that always carries it too far, add that on to moving vehicles and moving enemies and you can hardly hit a thing. This wouldn't be as big a problem if you could just spray continuously, but your shooting is limited by a over-heat meter and if it fills up YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO SHOOT UNTIL IT COMPLETELY EMPTIES, leaving you completely helpless to the enemies who do not have to deal with such limitations. These levels are the most difficult in the game, for all the wrong reasons.

Finally the thing that really kills the combat is that the sound design doesn't do anything to build tension or excitement. The guns sound feeble and the music never really kicks in when it should making the fights lack intensity. The only lucky thing is, is that you'll only be doing all this for barely 5 hours, so its over quickly.

As for the good side of things, the game features an excellent cover mechanic. When in cover you can hold the movement stick forwards and move a white dot towards a segmented arch over you character, each segment that lights up is a different cover point and all you have to do is pick the next one by clicking the A button. It's really fluid and the animations are pretty amazing to watch as Connor rolls, slides and vaults his way from object to object. Lastly, I actually enjoyed the little story for what it was, a little adventure to save a group of stranded resistance fighters from deep behind enemy lines as people realize the man that John Connor is destined to become; It's a simple plot that works well to push the game forward and the voice acting isn't half bad either.

If you can find this game for $20 or less then I recommend giving it a try, but you will find a game that has some kind of charm, is fun to play at times, but overall it feels hollow and short. It's too bad, because I think that Terminator Salvation could have been pretty good.

I'll be back on Tuesday with My Most Disappointing of the Decade, that's right games that should have been great but didn't live up to my own personal hype or judgment. I'll see you then, I've got a decade worth of games to sift through. Skinjob! Loading Complete!

It has been quite a year, lots of great games came out and that was even when many of them got pushed back to this year of 2010. In this annual post I usually breakdown everything I couldn't cover because I was in the middle of the 2009 Wrap Ups, so that is mostly what I am going to do. On the Agenda: Holiday Games, Upcoming Features and Closing Out. Ready? 2010 is gonna be different, let's do this!

Holiday Games
I got quite a few games for Christmas and a few after the fact so I am going to quickly run down the stuff I got. All the games I got on the 25th were gifts that I hand selected, all of which where $20 or less so that is why I ended up with so many. Also since I buy most of the TOP titles on my own it didn't leave that much for me to go with, so a lot of these games are games that I wouldn't / shouldn't probably buy myself, but still wanted to try anyways. I'll have bigger impressions of these games as I play them and complete them, but for now this will be mostly a list of the games I got with a small blurb if I have played them.

12.25.2009
Quantum of Solace (360) - I have since finished this game and I will have my finished article for it on Sunday so I'll leave it for then.

Shaun White Snowboarding (360) - The fun of this game is more about freeriding then it is about structured progression as the events don't really have an impact which makes the game kind of boring.

Sonic Unleashed (360) - Haven't played it yet, though it's sure to be hilariously bad or maybe there is some fun to be had?

Terminator Salvation (360) - Part of me actually kind of likes this game, but it just has too many weaknesses to be any more than good, but I am near the end so I will talk more about this one in a Finished Article

TimeShift (360) - Time controlling premise equals awesome, shooting action equals unsatisfying, which so far equals not so good game.

Tomb Raider Underworld (360) - Haven't played this yet.

12.26.2009
Big Bang Mini (DS) - I saw this on GameSpot's best game that no one played list and grabbed it for $10, it is a pretty neat little shooter.

Away: Shuffle Dungeon - A dungeon hacker with a dungeon that is split across the top and bottom screen and one of those screen shuffles every little while. Haven't played enough to say.

12.31.2009
Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena (360) - I just got this as the my traditional yearly New Year's Eve game, it's something I have been doing since 2001. Since I just got it a couple of days ago I haven't played it yet, but I did play the Demo and wasn't too impressed, but I am more interested in trying Escape From Butcher Bay than Dark Athena.

Upcoming Features
I have a few things planned for the next couple of weeks. First I am going to do a set of trio of articles My Top 10 Most Disappointing of the Decade, My Top 10 of 2009 and My Top 10 Best of the Decade which will arrive Tuesday and Thursday next week. I was planning for Alpha's Picks to make a return this month, but with amount of games that I got for the holidays and Mass Effect 2 hitting at the end of the month I'm not sure that there will be time, but I will see how things go over the next week or two. Finally I plan to have finished articles for all if not most of the games that I mentioned. So there is a bunch coming up.

Closing Out
So that about does it for The Last Remnants of 2009, I'll have three articles for you next week and as well as TBD finished articles. Thanks for reading, I promise that 2010 is going to be better than 2009. Loading Complete!

PLEASE READ FIRST: Now Loading's Best and Worst of 2009 is based on ONLY titles that I have played extensively for systems that I own. That is why this year there is no PS3 category / Games in these nominees. Thanks for understanding and enjoy the Winners!
I've gathered up 14 categories for all the games I've played in 2009 to compete in; from the coveted 2009 Game of the Year, to best character(s), to best game mechanic, to terrible load times, to most disappointing, they are all here. Today I will be revealing the winners and explaining all the categories. Obviously the games come in 2 flavors: Best and Worst, first we'll take a look at the worst categories and then of course the best ones. Note: There are no Best PS3 because I do not own that system at this time, therefor played no games on them.

2009 WORST AWARDS WINNERS – INTRO
These games are given the lousy descriptor of worst. Now please keep in mind not all these games are bad, some of these games are even really great, but sometimes there are just things that don't work out. Things like bad design choices, bad product placement, underwhelming features or just flat out horrible games. Also some of these games have received these awards due to my negligence or just because I didn't end up liking them. Also take note that some of these categories are more "for fun" than others.

Word of Mouth Award
This award is given to the game which has received good scores or good word of mouth, but when I ended up buying it, it was either not my s.tyle or I just didn't like what I played. This award is open to all games purchased in 2009.


Worst Splurge Buy
There are times when you have money burning a hole in your pocket and you just have to spend it. It could be on a bad game, a game that isn't right for you or even a game you don't need, but that money has to go before your pants catch fire. These are the games that I bought in 2009 that wished I hadn't seen during that particular day, if you know what I mean.


Play or Not to Play?
These nominees have the dubious distinction of being titles that I bought in 2009, but never got into, never even played or played for only a really short time. This seems to happen far too often for me.


Patience Is a Virtua (Longest Game Wait Time Award)
Loading times... Wait times... Ever since games began to use optical disc technology this has be a common fact of gaming. There might also be a few game mechanics that make you wait. These are the worst culprits of this from titles released in 2009.


Worst Game Mechanic
You need good ideas to make a good game... But while some ideas sound good on paper, these particular ideas should have stayed on the paper, then got tossed into the fire. What I am saying is that these mechanics actually made their respective games less enjoyable. These are the worst game mechanics of the 2009 released titles.


Most Disappointing of 2009
Since I don't intentionally play bad games, this award goes to the game that just didn't meet whatever expectations that I had for it. Whether if that was because of poor gameplay, because it was a rehash or just because I couldn't get in to it like I hoped I would. This is award is only open to games published in 2009.


2009 BEST AWARDS WINNERS – INTRO
These games are given the title of best in their c.lass, there is nothing better than these games or aspects of these games. You can't go wrong with any of them; in fact you should play them all. What makes them great you ask? All you have to is just play them; it should be readily apparent right away.

You Got A License For That? (Best Licensed Game)
This award is given out to the best Licensed game that I played this year, this excludes sports licenses and keep in mind "best" in this category can be quite subjective. Open to ONLY 2009 released Titles


Best Game Mechanic
Awarded to those game design ideas that REALLY worked out. These ideas worked to perfection and added just that much more to their respective games. This category is open to ONLY 2009 releases.


Best Nintendo DS
This title is awarded to the best Nintendo DS game that I purchased in 2009.


Best Nintendo Wii
This is the award that goes to the best 2009 published Wii game.


Best Xbox 360
This is the award that goes to the best 2009 published Xbox 360 game.


Best Surprise in 2009
This award is given to a game purchased in 2009 (any year published) that surprised me that it was so good or turned out that was even better than I thought it was going to be.


Best Character in 2009
This award goes to my personal favorite hero/heroine or main character(s) from any game I played in the year of 2009.


Game of the Year 2009
This is the big one, the Game of the Year. Of course it goes to my PERSONAL FAVORITE game that I played that was published in the calendar year of 2009, not necessarily the best overall.


Those are the winners for my 2009 Awards, I hope you enjoyed my selections feel free to make your own list if you don't agree with mine. Now that 2010 is here I will have my usual "The Last Remnants of" post on Saturday and after that I have a bunch more content in mind. The Year of 2009 = Loading Complete!

PLEASE READ FIRST: Now Loading's Best and Worst of 2009 is based on ONLY titles that I have played extensively for systems that I own. That is why this year there is no PS3 category / Games in these nominees. Thanks for understanding and enjoy the Nominees!
I've gathered up 14 categories for all the games I've played in 2009 to compete in; from the coveted 2009 Game of the Year, to best character(s), to best game mechanic, to terrible load times, to most disappointing, they are all here. Today I will be revealing the nominees and explaining all the categories. Obviously the games come in 2 flavors: Best and Worst, first we'll take a look at the worst categories and then of course the best ones. Each category features a few nominees, of which one will come out with the award. Note: There are no Best PS3 because I do not own that system at this time, therefor played no games on them.

2009 WORST AWARDS NOMINEES – INTRO
These games are given the lousy descriptor of worst. Now please keep in mind not all these games are bad, some of these games are even really great, but sometimes there are just things that don't work out. Things like bad design choices, bad product placement, underwhelming features or just flat out horrible games. Also some of these games have received these awards due to my negligence or just because I didn't end up liking them. Also take note that some of these categories are more "for fun" than others.

Word of Mouth Award
This award is given to the game which has received good scores or good word of mouth, but when I ended up buying it, it was either not my s.tyle or I just didn't like what I played. This award is open to all games purchased in 2009.

Now the Nominees:
Dragon Age Origins (X360, 2009)
The worst thing about the 360 version of Dragon Age Origins is that I don't think you should ever attempt to play this game on the consoles, it just doesn't feel right.

Prototype (X360, 2009)
Prototype appears to be a sharp title, but is actually a really sketchy game that just does not do anything exceptionally well and just feels kind of plain.

Brutal Legend (X360, 2009)
I'm sorry Tim Schafer, I just don't like your games my friend. What seemed set to be a hack and slash adventure is actually a simple RTS in disguise! I won't stand for trickery!

Worst Splurge Buy
There are times when you have money burning a hole in your pocket and you just have to spend it. It could be on a bad game, a game that isn't right for you or even a game you don't need, but that money has to go before your pants catch fire. These are the games that I bought in 2009 that wished I hadn't seen during that particular day, if you know what I mean.

Now the Nominees:
Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom (X360, 2008.)
$15 dollars not well spent... KUF: Circle of Doom is one of the most boring games that I have ever played. The cure for insomnia.

Project Sylpheed (X360, 2007)
Another $15 down the drain. This could have been cool, but overly complicated controls make for a game that is TOO hardcore for its own good or to be any fun.

Bionic Commando (X360, 2009)
I have a game that I picked up with no intention of ever playing it: Final Fantasy XI Online, but Bionic Commando pissed me off so much it beats even that out.

Play or Not to Play?
These nominees have the dubious distinction of being titles that I bought in 2009, but never got into, never even played or played for only a really short time. This seems to happen far too often for me.

Now The Nominees:
Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom (X360, 2008.)
I spent maybe a scant few hours with KuF: Circle of Doom before I realized that it was one of the most boring games I have ever played and stopped playing it.

Brutal Legend (X360, 2009)
I spent less than 5 hours playing Brutal Legend before it started to show its true RTS self and instantly I was turned off; haven't played it since.

Prototype (X360, 2009)
I played Prototype for maybe a few hours before I began to become bored with the unbalanced missions and the blurry graphics.

Patience Is a Virtua (Longest Game Wait Time Award)
Loading times... Wait times... Ever since games began to use optical disc technology this has be a common fact of gaming. There might also be a few game mechanics that make you wait. These are the worst culprits of this from titles released in 2009.

Now the Nominees
Forza Motorsport 3's Loading Times
I'm psyched up to race, but have to wait probably 30 or more seconds without a loading bar for the track to load up... inexcusable!

Zelda: Spirit Tracks' Train Travel
Traveling by boat was boring... traveling by train is even worse... The game tries to keep you on your toes by having things attack you, but you are still waiting for your slow-ass train to reach its destination.

Borderland's Loading Times
I don't have patients for any loading time longer than maybe 15 seconds even in one of my faves of the year... though improved a bit in an update the loading times between areas can still last upwards of 25 - 30 seconds.

Worst Game Mechanic
You need good ideas to make a good game... But while some ideas sound good on paper, these particular ideas should have stayed on the paper, then got tossed into the fire. What I am saying is that these mechanics actually made their respective games less enjoyable. These are the worst game mechanics of the 2009 released titles.

Now the Nominees:
Brutal Legends' RTS Elements
I don't like RTS games, but these mechanics really don't add anything to Brutal Legend, it would have been just fine as a cookie-cutter hack and slash adventure game.

Resident Evil 5's Inventory System
Only 9 slots per character, you can't shuffle items in your menu unless you trade them back and forth and pain in the ass real time trading.

Ghostbusters: The Videogame (360)'s Knock Down Attacks and Unbalanced Normal Difficulty
A majority of attacks in this game knock your character ragdolling for about 5 seconds at a time, your Ghostbuster teammates are always on their ass calling for help and on Normal things go from challenging to controller spiking hard without notice.

Most Disappointing of 2009
Since I don't intentionally play bad games, this award goes to the game that just didn't meet whatever expectations that I had for it. Whether if that was because of poor gameplay, because it was a rehash or just because I couldn't get in to it like I hoped I would. This is award is only open to games published in 2009.

Now the Nominees:
Bionic Commando (X360, 2009)
The development house GRIN is gone because of games like the sub-par Bionic Commado, sadly this is their best title. Unfortunately, crappy level design, pea-shooter weaponry and terrible story/characters make BC a failure.

Brutal Legend (X360, 2009)
Brutal Legend was the game this year that I wasn't expecting all that much from but it still somehow really let me down. I really had high hopes that I might like this Tim Schafer game; concept, yes, game, nope.

F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin (X360, 2009)
I wasn't expecting too much from FEAR 2, but the game did nothing but disappoint, when you start referring to game as "stupid FEAR 2" then you know you are annoyed. It could have been good, but it uses the same 2 or 3 scare tactics over and over (flickering lights, lots of blood, red blurred screen flashes) and plays so generically that it is a let down.

2009 BEST AWARDS NOMINEES – INTRO
These games are given the title of best in their c.lass, there is nothing better than these games or aspects of these games. You can't go wrong with any of them; in fact you should play them all. What makes them great you ask? All you have to is just play them; it should be readily apparent right away.

You Got A License For That? (Best Licensed Game)
This award is given out to the best Licensed game that I played this year, this excludes sports licenses and keep in mind "best" in this category can be quite subjective. Open to ONLY 2009 released Titles

Now the Nominees:
Batman: Arkham Asylum (360, 2009)
Batman: AA came out of nowhere and surprised us all. It also happens to be a licensed product... finally a Batman game that makes you feel like a night stalking criminal stopping badass.

50 Cent: Blood on the Sand (360, 2009)
While Blood on the Sand is not the greatest game ever made it has a certain charm to it that brings it to a whole other level... add in some actually fun gameplay and you have a fun title.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (360, 2009)
A game based on a movie that is actually more enjoyable than the actual movie it is based on... the world is ending. Fun and brutally violent hack and slash action is the game's shining feature.

Ghostbusters: The Videogame (360 and Wii, 2009)
Two Ghostbusters videogames that are worth your time. As a Ghostbusters fan it is nice finally have some gameplay reminiscent of the action from the c.lassic movies.

Best Game Mechanic
Awarded to those game design ideas that REALLY worked out. These ideas worked to perfection and added just that much more to their respective games. This category is open to ONLY 2009 releases.

Now the Nominees:
50 Cent Blood on the Sand's Scoring System
Blood on the Sand might not be the sharpest game in the drawer, but its arcade like scoring system challenges you to chain kills, get up close and personal and go for medals... it keeps the game addicting.

Modern Warfare 2's Care Package Killstreak Reward
If you can manage to get 4 kills in a row without dying you can call in a little helicopter to drop you a little bit of love... these boxes contain ammo or another random kill streak, even some of the harder to obtain ones... It will make you wish all gift boxes contained AC-130s!

Forza Motorsport 3's Rewind Race Feature
Imagine being on lap 24 of 25 lap race... on the last corner you enter way too fast and wreck, the car just behind you takes the lead... that's okay, just hit the back button a time or two and make sure not make the same mistake again. A frustration saver!

Best Nintendo DS
This title is awarded to the best Nintendo DS game that I purchased in 2009.

Now the Nominees:
Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen
This is a great remake of the original Famicom and NES c.lassic. I enjoyed 40 hours of the game before I got distracted, but I know this is a great game that I will get back to.

Master of the Monster Lair
I never even heard of this title before I grabbed it for $10, but the great dungeon building aspect makes for a different and fun take on the typical dungeon hack.

Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure
While the puzzle element sometimes seems like it gets in the way, the platforming action is solid and the puzzle elements are tied in pretty well. Besides an old English gentleman can turn in to a giant robot by having tea time.

Best Nintendo Wii
This is the award that goes to the best 2009 published Wii game.

Now the Nominees:
Klonoa
Klonoa is a charming, though very easy, platformer. But it is fun to play, has a great lead character and even has a pretty elaborate story for the type of game that it is.

Ghostbusters: The Videogame
The Wii version of Ghostbusters is easier to enjoy on the normal difficulty and I love the cartoony look that is reminiscent of the old 80's Real Ghostbusters cartoon. The motion controls actually work well and add to the game.

Metroid Prime Trilogy
This is an odd one to have as a nominee, but it is just that good a collection. Nintendo doesn't make a habit of releasing collections of its games, especially games as great as the first two Prime games.

Best Xbox 360
This is the award that goes to the best 2009 published Xbox 360 game.

Now the Nominees:
Borderlands
I love playing Borderlands, the loot is a driving force that I can't resist, I have to keep playing to see what kind of crazy Rare that I can find. Playing solo is a bit simple, but as a multiplayer experience the action gets intense and working with your party will be your key to success; it's almost different a game.

Batman: Arkham Asylum
Batman: AA is one of the bigger surprise greats this year. The great combat system, the way the game makes you think and feel like Batman and the great voice acting make for a stellar title.

Modern Warfare 2
While It might seem like an obvious choice, Modern Warfare 2 is only on this list because of one single element, the Multiplayer action... The single player is merely okay, it has some great action but the story is weak compared to CoD4.

Best Surprise in 2009
This award is given to a game purchased in 2009 (any year published) that surprised me that it was so good or turned out that was even better than I thought it was going to be.

Now the Nominees:
Batman: Arkham Asylum (X360, 2009)
As I have said many time during this article, Batman: AA is a big surprise, it came out of the blue and blew me away. I really felt like I was playing as Batman and that is biggest credit you can give to a superhero game.

Master of the Monster Lair (DS, 2008 )
Again as I have said before I never even heard of MotML before I grabbed it from a bargain bin. But the interesting premise and fun, but simple gameplay surprised and hooked me.

50 Cent: Blood on the Sand (X360, 2009)
It's a game where 50 Cent chases after a jewel encrusted human skull in the middle east, fights off attack helicopters, hits big-ass ramps and more... who would have thought it'd be actually fun to play?

Best Character in 2009
This award goes to my personal favorite hero/heroine or main character(s) from any game I played in the year of 2009.

Now the Nominees
CL4P-TP "Clap-Trap" (Borderlands, 360, 2009)
Clap Trap is a great little character, he shined in his webisodes and basically is the mascot for Borderlands. Within the game he sort of suffers the same fate as the rest of the characters but still manages to keep you laughing out loud. I mean, come on, check him out, he's dancing!

B-Company (Battlefield: Bad Company, 360, 2008 )
You play as Preston Marlowe, Sarge is the stereotypical only 2 weeks from retirement character, Sweetwater has a crush on the communications lady on the radio and Haggard loves to blow stuff up... they all combine to get in to some silly wartime shenanigans.

Wolverine (X-Men Origins: Wolverine, 360, 2009)
He is the best at what he does, bub. Really for the first time we get to see what Wolverine can really do in the Uncaged Edition videogame and it is gruesomely awesome.

Game of the Year 2009
This is the big one, the Game of the Year. Of course it goes to my PERSONAL FAVORITE game that I played that was published in the calendar year of 2009, not necessarily the best overall.

Now the Nominees:
Borderlands (X360)
Borderlands is a great game for shooter, rpg, multiplayer (Co-Op) and loot fans. There is so much here to enjoy and it only gets better as you add more players to the mix.

Batman: Arkham Asylum (X360)
You play as Batman, you drop down from above and hang dudes from a wire, you scare the crap out of them as you do so. You solve puzzles, get upgrades, while the Joker constantly taunts your every move. It is an amazing experience.

Modern Warfare 2 (X360)
MW2 continues the incredible multiplayer action from CoD4 and adds new customized kill streaks, new weapons, faster gameplay and the removal of Martyrdom and Juggernaut. As a CoD4 fan it is quite the improvement and worth another 2 years of play.

Those are the nominees for my 2009 Awards and on January 1st, 2010 the first post of 2010 I will reveal the winners. Some of the categories may seem pretty obvious, but I think you may be surprised at a few of the winners once they are revealed to you. The 2009 Wrap Ups feature continues in 2010, January 1st with the Winners of my Best and Worst 2009!! Loading Complete!