Extreme Gamer - Game of The Year Awards 2009 (1/4)

GOTY09

• Welcome, to the Extreme Gamer - Game of the Year Awards 2009. Another fabulous year has passed, and once again gamers have been blessed with another great year of videogames. What started off a little slow, turned into a fantastic year filled with AAA titles, unforeseen hits, and record breaking releases. Things are certainly picking up as the consoles mature in their development cycle. Nintendo is starting to embrace the idea of having more Mature content on its consoles. Sony has continued its support of Home, along with producing some excellent first-party games, and Microsoft keeps ticking along with regular updates to the Xbox 360's infrastructure, along with more continued support for Xbox Live. Gaming has never been better, and it is great to see the game companies as passionate about their games, as the gamers. Before we kick off this years Game of the Year Awards, I would like to thank all our readers, and contributors who have visited the site over the years. It's been another successful year, and the future looks even brighter. Now for the first evelope, please.

	Action Racing Platform Strategy	Sports Fighting Role Playing Shooter	Puzzle Party/Music



	• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves \| Publisher: SCEA \| Developer: Naughty Dog Everyone expected Naughty Dogs Uncharted sequel to be good, but I don't think anyone expected it to be this good! Coming off its surprising debut on the Playstation 3, Uncharted 2 doesn't just pick up where the last game left off, as inspires to be the biggest action-packed game we have ever played. Among Thieves is truly unlike any other character driven action game with more than an ample dose of intrigue, drama, and big-action sequences. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is what action gaming is all about, making it the clear choice for 'Best Action Game of 2009'.
	Runner-Up: Assassin's Creed II (Ubisoft/ Ubisoft Montreal) Honorable Mentions: Batman: Arkham Asylum, inFAMOUS, GTA:Chinatown Wars, Prototype, Brutal Legend GOTY08: Grand Theft Auto IV GOTY07: Assassin's Creed GOTY06: Dead Rising [Read the Full Review]



	• Forza Motorsport 3 \| Publisher: Microsoft \| Developer: Turn 10 It’s not surprising the Forza Motorsport 3 would snag our racing game of the year award for the third time. Since the series has debuted in 2005, it has made considerable leaps forward, and Forza Motorsport 3 is proof of this. Forza 3 is an unparalleled racing experience that will be remembered as one of the hottest racing games for its time. The only logical competition is Gran Turismo, and luckily for Turn 10, Polyphony Digital has been taking their sweet time developing their highly anticipated follow-up. Until, Gran Turismo rolls out of the garage the hands down best racing game of the year, and quite possibly all time.
	Runner-Up: Dirt 2 (Codemasters) Honorable Mentions: Need For Speed: Shift, Motorstorm: Arctic Edge, TrailsHD GOTY08: Burnout: Paradise GOTY07: Project Gotham Racing 4 GOTY06: Test Drive Unlimited [Read the Full Review]



	• Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time \| Publisher: SCEA \| Developer: Insomniac Games The 'Best Platform Game of the Year' winner could be viewed as a minor upset, as Sony's dynamic duo, Ratchet & Clank steal one from Nintendo’s own duo, Mario & Luigi. Well, it is not really stolen as A Crack in Time shows us why the Ratchet series has been so amazing for so long, and rather than just update their standard formula of run and jump, A Crack in Time innovates with new game mechanics, and a fabulous storyline, that finally puts an ending on the long running Future series. What Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time also accomplishes is much more important than a yearly award, it shows us that the platforming genre isn’t something from the past, and it can still be the backbone for some impressive gaming experiences!
	Runner-Up: New Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo) Honorable Mentions: LocoRoco 2, Little Big Planet (psp), 'Splosion Man GOTY08: Little Big Planet GOTY07: Super Mario Galaxy GOTY06: LocoRoco [Read the Full Review]



	• Halo Wars \| Publisher: Microsoft \| Developer: Ensemble Studios The strategy genre was not as hot in 2009 as previous years. However, one title was. This game is none other than Halo Wars from Ensemble Studios. Ensemble did an overwhelming job creating a real-time strategy game that was actually playable with a controller. Even more impressive than making a RTS work a home console is creating an alternative Halo game that didn't involve running and gunning in the first-perspective. Halo Wars is a triumph, and another win for the real-time strategy guru's, Ensemble Games.
	Runner-Up: Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days (NIS America/Nippon Ichi) Honorable Mentions: Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon, Patapon 2, Defense Grid GOTY08: Civilization: Revolution [Read the Full Review]



	• MLB 09: The Show \| Publisher: SCEA \| Developer: SCEA In seems like a long since we’ve had such a competitive year in sports gaming. Like the nature of sports themselves, game developers have all gone out of their way to make theier game, the next evolution in their series. The one series that stands as the most improved, and impressive is MLB 09: The Show. MLB 09: The Show refines its formula, and creates one of the best baseball experiences you can get-- besides picking up a ball and bat. Now that the spotlight is on, it will be interesting to see what the longest running Major League Baseball game does next.
	Runner-Up: FIFA 10 (EA Sports/EA Canada) Honorable Mentions: NHL 10, NBA Live 10, NBA 2K10, Fight Night: Round 4, Madden NFL 10 GOTY08: NHL 09 GOTY07: Skate GOTY06: Tony Hawk: Project 8 [Read the Full Review]



	• Street Fighter IV \| Publisher: Capcom \| Developer: Capcom This years 'Fighting Game of the Year Award' shouldn't come as much of a surprise because Capcom released their anticipated follow up, Street Fighter. Street Fighter IV is a modern take on their classic formula and nothing more. Sure, the graphics are prettier, and the combat is a flashier, but Capcom didn’t mess with the roots, and the roots are exactly what make Street fighter outstanding.
	Runner-Up: BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger (Aksys Games/ARC System Works) Honorable Mentions: Tekken 6, WWE SVR2010, Marvel vs. Capcom 2, UFC 2009 Undisputed GOTY08: Soul Calibur IV GOTY07: Virtua Fighter 5 GOTY06: Tekken: Dark Resurrection



	• Dragon Age: Origins \| Publisher: Electronc Arts \| Developer: Bioware Dragon Age: Origins marks the third 'Role-playing Game of the Year' win for Bioware at Extreme Gamer. Bioware are experts at crafting great stories around solid gameplay, and they prove this once again with Dragon Age: Origins. Dragon Age, the spiritual successor to Baulder’s Gate is a throwback to the good old days when role-playing games didn’t need to be incorporated with other genres to be effective at storytelling. Dragon Age: Origins might not be the flashiest game on our Game of the Year listing, but it is one on of the most rewarding games you will play all year.
	Runner-Up: Borderlands (2K Games/Gearbox) Honorable Mentions: Demon's Souls, Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks. MagnaCarta 2, Star Ocen: The Last Hope GOTY08: Fallout 3 GOTY07: Mass Effect GOTY06: Elderscrolls: Oblivion [Read the Full Review]



	• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 \| Publisher: Activision \| Developer: Infinity Ward I’m sure most of you figured this one out before you even scrolled down the page. No game made gaming history in 2009 like our 'Shooter of the Year', Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Infinity Ward's Modern Warfare 2 is the hottest videogame property of 2009, proving once again that Call of Duty doesn’t have to be based on shooting Nazi’s and surviving the second World War. Modern Warfare 2 is a solid, flushed out game that keeps the action fast, and the player guessing. In another year filled with great shooters, Modern Warfare 2 easily frags them down.
	Runner-Up: Halo: ODST (Microsoft/Bungie) Honorable Mentions: Killzone 2, F.E.A.R. 2, Dead Space: Extraction, Left 4 Dead 2, Resistance: Retribution GOTY08: Gears of War 2 GOTY07: Bioshock GOTY06: Gears of War [Read the Full Review]



	• Scribblenauts \| Publisher: WB Interactive \| Developer: 5th Cell One of the most interesting games of 2009 was 5th Cell's Scribblenauts. Flirting with the idea "Write anything, Solve Anything", gamers had only the imaginations call on to tackle the games many puzzling levels. Scribblenauts wasn't the perfect game. However, for its first time out, it impressed us enough to earn the "Best Puzzle Game of 2009" award.
	Runner-Up: Puzzle Quest: Galactrix (D3 Publisher/Infinite Interactive) Honorable Mentions: Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box, Flock, Peggle Deluxe GOTY08: World of Goo GOTY07: Portal GOTY06: Lumines II [Read the Full Review]



	• The Beatles: Rock Band \| Publisher: MTV Games, Electronic Arts \| Developer: Harmonix Your plastic instruments had a treat in 2009, as Harmonix and MTV Games worked hard to introduce the legendary music of the Beatles to the world of Rock Band. The Beatles: Rock Band is a well crafted game that follows the Beatles throughout their career, from the modest setting of the Cavern Club, to their famous "Let It Be" rooftop performance. Beyond the music of the Beatles, Harmonix filled the game with a lot of timeless extras, as they brought a new visual life to each song. The Beatles: Rock Band is a must for any music fan who has ever sang along with one of the Beatles songs.
	Runner-Up: Guitar Hero 5 (Activision/Neversoft) Honorable Mentions: Band Hero, Guitar Hero: Metallica, DJ Hero, Buzz: Quiz World GOTY08: Singstar GOTY07: Rock Band [Read the Full Review]