Spring Break
Top 10 Videogames of 2008
Steve Sylvester
Issue date: 12/11/08 Section: Entertainment
Senior Steve Sylvester is a lifelong gamer. In his free time, he can often be seen enjoying almost any genre of game. He has been known to compete in Dance Dance Revolution tournaments and has made costumes of several video game characters for conventions and Halloween. He sees himself as a gaming snob, refusing to play most sports games, Halo, or any game made from a movie because "they're what's ruining the gaming industry."
10. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)
With a gameplay style that is incredibly easy to pick up and play with almost no instruction (but still gives advanced players lots to improve on), this is one of the greatest fighting games you will ever play. Originally dreamed up by Masahiro Sakurai (the mind who created Kirby) as a fan service, the Super Smash Bros. series features some of your favorite Nintendo characters in fast-paced battles in some familiar settings. With the addition of Sonic the Hedgehog and Solid Snake to the lineup, Super Smash Bros. Brawl is definitely worth picking up.
9. Dead Space (PC, Xbox 360)
If you're easily frightened, this game is not for you. Dead Space stars an engineer named Isaac Clarke (science fiction readers, these names will seem familiar), an engineer stranded on a mining ship that became infected by the Corruption, an alien species that can turn the dead into horrific zombie-like creatures. Zero-G environments, a scramble to get through areas with no oxygen, and constant encounters with monsters--any one of which could easily kill you--will keep your heart racing through to the end.
8. Megaman 9 (PS3, Wii, Xbox 360)
This game was a major blip on the radar of the truly hardcore gamers. Some of you may wonder how a game that looks like it's twenty years old could make it on this list. The Megaman series is an old standby in classic gaming with a working formula. Add the mind-numbing, controller-throwing difficulty this installment offers, and you've got a game well worth the meager ten dollars to download.
7. World of Goo (PC, Wii)
What's that? Indie games on a top ten list?! While a game about building structures out of balls of goo may not sound especially fun, sometimes weird games deserve a chance. (Case in point: think about the original Mario. Seriously. A fat plumber who eats mushrooms to double in size so he can stomp on turtles?) World of Goo requires you use various abilities in order to get goo balls from the beginning of the level to an exit pipe. This requires some creative structural engineering and a little outside-of-the-box thought.
6. Braid (PC, Xbox 360)
As the winner of the "Game Design" award at the 2006 Independent Games Festival, Braid is a true gem. Braid doesn't have the greatest plot or the most advanced 3D graphics, but what it lacks there it makes up with its fantastic new game mechanic. Braid is a platformer in which you can control time and the effects of time on objects and yourself. Fall off a platform? Rewind time! Not all objects in the game are affected by rewinding, which makes for some excellent puzzles. At $15, this game is definitely worth a download.
5. Grand Theft Auto IV (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
It's undeniable: the Grand Theft Auto series has made a greater cultural impact than almost any other video game in history. While I would personally disagree that it's training our children to be murderers, GTA4 contains a massive, realistic city that acts as your playground and an ongoing story with so much depth it can bring a grown man to tears. Give it a try.
4. LittleBigPlanet (PS3)
Since first appearing at the 2007 Game Developers Conference, LittleBigPlanet has been hugely anticipated by gamers, hardcore and casual alike. While LBP is great to play in the regular single-player campaign mode, the real meat of the game lies in its customization. Players can create their own levels, making full use of the robust physics engine of the game, and upload those levels online so others can play them using their own customized Sackboy. This game is nothing but ridiculous fun.
3. Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3)
If you're familiar with the Metal Gear Solid series, you know that it involves fast-paced stealth action, memorable characters, and a gripping plot. The fourth installment in the series is the heart-wrenching conclusion to the story of Solid Snake. With a greater emphasis placed on the weaponry, this game forces you to think on your feet about how to breach enemy strongholds, track targets, defeat bosses, and protect your allies. This is the sole reason many people bought a PS3 to begin with, and with good reason.
2. The World Ends With You (DS)
The only handheld game on the list, TWEWY is an experimental game from Square Enix. Anyone familiar with RPG's will immediately recognize the work of famous character designer Tetsuya Nomura (Final Fantasy 7, Kingdom Hearts). While revealing anything of the plot or setting would be spoiling everything, I'll only say that TWEWY can deliver a unique and fun new battle system, a fantastic story, and a critically acclaimed soundtrack featuring Japanese hip-hop, electronica, and rock. This is a must-buy for DS owners.
1. Fallout 3 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Bethesda, the game company best known for its immersive role playing games such as The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, just released Fallout 3 on October 28. It sets you on Earth, 200 years after a nuclear war devastated the world. You begin by customizing your character based on thousands of possible attribute combinations, then are set free to explore a world so expansive you'll probably never run out of things to do. Along the way are several quests you can complete, allowing you to make "good" or "evil" choices that will determine how the characters in the game see you.
For those of you who are more hardcore gamers, think of this as Oblivion with guns. Fallout 3 was the number one release of 2008 and should be on every gamer's Christmas list.
Also of Note:
Mother 3 Fan Translation: Mother 3 was an insanely fun RPG for Gameboy Advance that came out in Japan only. It starred Lucas, known to American gamers from Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Nintendo never intended to release it in the United States, so some fans came together and translated it themselves. Mother 3 is a fantastic game with a great sense of humor and a moving story. If you're interested in getting the patch, check out the fan translation project website at http://mother3.fobby.net.
Rock Band 2 / Guitar Hero: World Tour: These two games, while they are landmark games of 2008, did not make it into the top ten list. This is because there's really nothing new. Rock Band came out in 2007, and these games are basically the same thing but with new songs. So while they are great games, they don't deserve to be in a list of new games of this year.
10. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)
With a gameplay style that is incredibly easy to pick up and play with almost no instruction (but still gives advanced players lots to improve on), this is one of the greatest fighting games you will ever play. Originally dreamed up by Masahiro Sakurai (the mind who created Kirby) as a fan service, the Super Smash Bros. series features some of your favorite Nintendo characters in fast-paced battles in some familiar settings. With the addition of Sonic the Hedgehog and Solid Snake to the lineup, Super Smash Bros. Brawl is definitely worth picking up.
9. Dead Space (PC, Xbox 360)
If you're easily frightened, this game is not for you. Dead Space stars an engineer named Isaac Clarke (science fiction readers, these names will seem familiar), an engineer stranded on a mining ship that became infected by the Corruption, an alien species that can turn the dead into horrific zombie-like creatures. Zero-G environments, a scramble to get through areas with no oxygen, and constant encounters with monsters--any one of which could easily kill you--will keep your heart racing through to the end.
8. Megaman 9 (PS3, Wii, Xbox 360)
This game was a major blip on the radar of the truly hardcore gamers. Some of you may wonder how a game that looks like it's twenty years old could make it on this list. The Megaman series is an old standby in classic gaming with a working formula. Add the mind-numbing, controller-throwing difficulty this installment offers, and you've got a game well worth the meager ten dollars to download.
7. World of Goo (PC, Wii)
What's that? Indie games on a top ten list?! While a game about building structures out of balls of goo may not sound especially fun, sometimes weird games deserve a chance. (Case in point: think about the original Mario. Seriously. A fat plumber who eats mushrooms to double in size so he can stomp on turtles?) World of Goo requires you use various abilities in order to get goo balls from the beginning of the level to an exit pipe. This requires some creative structural engineering and a little outside-of-the-box thought.
6. Braid (PC, Xbox 360)
As the winner of the "Game Design" award at the 2006 Independent Games Festival, Braid is a true gem. Braid doesn't have the greatest plot or the most advanced 3D graphics, but what it lacks there it makes up with its fantastic new game mechanic. Braid is a platformer in which you can control time and the effects of time on objects and yourself. Fall off a platform? Rewind time! Not all objects in the game are affected by rewinding, which makes for some excellent puzzles. At $15, this game is definitely worth a download.
5. Grand Theft Auto IV (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
It's undeniable: the Grand Theft Auto series has made a greater cultural impact than almost any other video game in history. While I would personally disagree that it's training our children to be murderers, GTA4 contains a massive, realistic city that acts as your playground and an ongoing story with so much depth it can bring a grown man to tears. Give it a try.
4. LittleBigPlanet (PS3)
Since first appearing at the 2007 Game Developers Conference, LittleBigPlanet has been hugely anticipated by gamers, hardcore and casual alike. While LBP is great to play in the regular single-player campaign mode, the real meat of the game lies in its customization. Players can create their own levels, making full use of the robust physics engine of the game, and upload those levels online so others can play them using their own customized Sackboy. This game is nothing but ridiculous fun.
3. Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3)
If you're familiar with the Metal Gear Solid series, you know that it involves fast-paced stealth action, memorable characters, and a gripping plot. The fourth installment in the series is the heart-wrenching conclusion to the story of Solid Snake. With a greater emphasis placed on the weaponry, this game forces you to think on your feet about how to breach enemy strongholds, track targets, defeat bosses, and protect your allies. This is the sole reason many people bought a PS3 to begin with, and with good reason.
2. The World Ends With You (DS)
The only handheld game on the list, TWEWY is an experimental game from Square Enix. Anyone familiar with RPG's will immediately recognize the work of famous character designer Tetsuya Nomura (Final Fantasy 7, Kingdom Hearts). While revealing anything of the plot or setting would be spoiling everything, I'll only say that TWEWY can deliver a unique and fun new battle system, a fantastic story, and a critically acclaimed soundtrack featuring Japanese hip-hop, electronica, and rock. This is a must-buy for DS owners.
1. Fallout 3 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Bethesda, the game company best known for its immersive role playing games such as The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, just released Fallout 3 on October 28. It sets you on Earth, 200 years after a nuclear war devastated the world. You begin by customizing your character based on thousands of possible attribute combinations, then are set free to explore a world so expansive you'll probably never run out of things to do. Along the way are several quests you can complete, allowing you to make "good" or "evil" choices that will determine how the characters in the game see you.
For those of you who are more hardcore gamers, think of this as Oblivion with guns. Fallout 3 was the number one release of 2008 and should be on every gamer's Christmas list.
Also of Note:
Mother 3 Fan Translation: Mother 3 was an insanely fun RPG for Gameboy Advance that came out in Japan only. It starred Lucas, known to American gamers from Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Nintendo never intended to release it in the United States, so some fans came together and translated it themselves. Mother 3 is a fantastic game with a great sense of humor and a moving story. If you're interested in getting the patch, check out the fan translation project website at http://mother3.fobby.net.
Rock Band 2 / Guitar Hero: World Tour: These two games, while they are landmark games of 2008, did not make it into the top ten list. This is because there's really nothing new. Rock Band came out in 2007, and these games are basically the same thing but with new songs. So while they are great games, they don't deserve to be in a list of new games of this year.
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