The Gaming in 2009 Post

I am trying to cut back on rampant video game spending now that I am living with Sarah and have to pretend to be a grown up. Having your girlfriend living in a other state or country was a wonderful excuse for pumping lots of money and time into my game collection. That said I will always be a die-hard gamer, and there are definitely some titles coming out this year that I just can’t wait for. Here’s a brief look at some of the titles on the top of my list for 2009:

Ghostbusters

This game has been a long time coming and has gone through enough cancellations and turnovers that I had given up hope that it would ever see the light of day. Essentially taking the role as the 3rd Ghostbusters movie the game will star the likenesses and voices of the entire original cast from Billy Murray all the way down to the guy who played the Mayor. The level of detail and brand appreciation going into this title is impressive, especially for a longtime fan like me. I anticipate ho-hum controls and irritating technical issues, but all things considered it’s the little 10 year-old inside of me that wins out, and has me counting down the days until I can strap on a proton-pack.

NHL 3-on-3 Hockey

Sports games don’t vary much year in, year out. Pretty much all they do is add some new feature that makes the game more realistic. This interesting little arcade download is coming out next month on the 360 and looks to be a lot of fun and a step in the right direction. As the title would suggest you get to play 3 on 3 arcade style hockey with the over the top and unrealistic controls and exaggerated characters. While most die hard hockey fans would scoff a the idea of playing a bobble-head-look-alike players and not being able to field a whole team, I am really excited about this training wheels version that look to have more of an emphasis on fun, not realism.

Banjo-Tooie XBLA

Banjo-Kazooie on the N64 is my favorite game of all time, hands down. It’s sequel, Banjo-Tooie never blew me away. Probably because of the amount of hype I built up for the title as a kid waiting for it to come out. With Kazooie getting a November release last year as an arcade download, it was only a matter of time before Tooie arrived. This port features widescreen HD graphics, achievements and the fully realized integration of Stop-n-Swop, the Banjo-Kazooie to Tooie connection that never worked out on the Nintendo 64. While the game never took the top spot away from the original, this sequel is still very much welcome and eagerly anticipated in my collection.

Street Fighter IV

Street Fighter games are a mixed bag for me. I really like playing them, and enjoy the arcadey feel of the fighter as a whole. My only issue comes along when I get my butt handed to me by a guy who as 50 different combos memorized and can play the game in his sleep for the amount of time he has sunk into mastering every character. I just want to punch some people and enjoy some pretty graphics, and it looks like IV is going to let me do just that. I have no doubt there will be the super-hardcore out there, but I think I’ll be able to keep my distance and still have a good time with this latest entry in the franchise. Plus thee is a luchadore character. Sold.

Resident Evil 5

Resident Evil 5 is going to be a really kick ass game. Take RE4, a terrific survival horror game- and up the ante in every way whilst still keeping the game play the same and you really cant go wrong. The graphics look really impressive and the added co-op mode will make this a great one for online play with friends. Hopefully the achievements aren’t too ridiculous because I think this will be the next title I choose to knuckle down and shoot for the fully 1000pts with. That is if I ever beat Prince of Persia…

Batman: Arkham Asylum

Arkham Asylum is a dream game to both comic and video game fans. Play as Batman in the twistedly appealing asylum where all of the his enemies are locked away, fighting your way through themed levels as you try to lockdown the escapees and get out with your life. The Dark Knight’s brooding dark tones have come through and have been accentuated in the art direction, and gritty, demented versions of classic Batman foes are sure to little themed levels and pose some fantastic boss fights. I really can’t wait for this title. Unless they royally screw it up, I can see this being my game of the year.

Also one the list of highly anticipated titles are Final Fantasy XIII (and Vs. XIII), Assassins Creed 2 and Uncharted 2. All of which will have me picking them up the day they hit shelves. Unfortunately its looking like they wont make it in time for 09.