Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
| Release Date: 10/13/2009 | Publisher: SCEA |
| ESRB Rating: Teen | Developer: Naughty Dog |
| Genre: Action |
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is the story of Nathan Drake, a fortune-hunter with a shady reputation and an even shadier past. He’s lured back into the treacherous world of thieves and mercenary treasure-seekers in developer Naughty Dog’s sequel to the PS3 hit Uncharted. The game is nothing short of a masterpiece. It is an adventure akin to a summer Hollywood blockbuster and is probably the best looking video game to ever grace a console. This is the absolute must-have game for the Playstation 3. In it, players will embark on a journey that will push Nathan Drake to his physical, emotional and intellectual limits to discover the real truth behind the lost fleet of Marco Polo and the legendary Himalayan valley of Shangri La. Fans of the Indiana Jones series who were “disappointed” by the last movie can rejoice. A new hero has arrived.
New Super Mario Bros Wii
For gamers and family members alike — this game is simply fun!
| Release Date: 11/15/2009 | Publisher: Nintendo |
| ESRB Rating: Everyone | Developer: Nintendo |
| Genre: Action |
New Super Mario Bros. is a throwback to the style of the original Super Mario Bros. and allows four players to play the game together. It adapts the classic side-scrolling, 2D, running and jumping action for a new audience, and adds support for four players simultaneously. Will you work together with your friends, lending a helping hand and questing to save the Princess together? Or will you work against them, stealing their power-ups and tossing them into bottomless pits? Whichever way you play, it’s going to be tons of good fun this holiday. The Wii game is designed to bring yet another type of family entertainment into living rooms and engage groups of friends in fast-paced Super Mario Bros. fun. The undeniable stand-out hit of the season, New Super Mario Bros. Wii should be stuffed in everyone’s stockings before the end of the year.
Assassin’s Creed 2
| Release Date: 11/17/2009 | Publisher: Ubisoft |
| ESRB Rating: Mature | Developer: Ubisoft Montreal |
| Genre: Action |
Ubisoft’s second entry in the Assassin’s Creed series transports the action to Italy. The sequel has more weapons, prettier locales, and a whole lot ways to kill. You assume the role of Ezio Auditore as he leaps and sneaks across Florence, Venice, and other gorgeous Italian cities to take out his targets. Being a master assassin was pretty cool the first time around, but this game blows it out of the water as the new hero can swim, wield dual blades, and change clothing to blend in with the locals. All this and the fact that Leonardo Da Vinci builds your weapons, Dante Alighieri was your great grandfather, and Lorenzo DeMedici is counting on you to save his ass. Oh, and by the way, you’re really in the future. Historical fiction/sci-fi has never been so much fun. So much fun in fact that it just might be 2009’s game of the year.
Batman: Arkham Asylum
| Release Date: 08/25/2009 | Publisher: Eidos |
| ESRB Rating: Mature | Developer: Rocksteady |
| Genre: Adventure |
Behold the greatest comic book game of all time. Batman: Arkham Asylum delivers an intense, adult story featuring the Dark Knight and a handful of his greatest villains as the Batman is forced to spend a night in Arkham Asylum when the Joker locks him in. It may have taken twenty years, but finally there’s a game about the World’s Greatest Detective where you get to do actual detective work. And damn is it fun. Haunting production design and eerie tone, Arkham Asylum is all about mood. As Batman you’ll engage dozens of enemies at once in hand-to-hand combat, strike from the shadows to instill fear, and use all sorts of cool gadgets to bring down the bad guys. With two hundred plus Riddler puzzles scattered around Arkham Island, this is an adventure with legs. There is also set of challenge rooms that will put your sneaking and fighting skills to the test. With an original script penned by Emmy Award-winning Batman writer Paul Dini, the game brings the universe of DC Comics’ detective to life. Not to mention Mark Hammil is on top of his game starring as the voice of the Joker. Batman: Arkham Asylum is hands down one of the best games of 2009.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
| Release Date: 11/10/2009 | Publisher: Activision |
| ESRB Rating: Mature | Developer: Infinity Ward |
| Genre: Shooter |
Easily the most anticipated game of the year, Activision’s sequel to Call of Duty 4 boasts an even more robust online experience, an all-new Special Ops mode for two player co-op, and a cinematic single player campaign that makes the latest Bruckheimer movie feel like a McDonald’s PlayPlace. Developer Infinity Ward has once again raised the bar on first-person shooters. If you’re a fan of high octane action, you owe it to yourself to experience this incredible package. You won’t be disappointed. This latest COD installment mixes real-world locations with bombastic set-pieces and continues the guided, thrill-ride experiences of its predecessor while adding even more depth to its multiplayer. True, the game caught quite a bit of flack about its controversial airport level after its release, however, you can choose to skip it and still enjoy the game to its fullest. Modern Warfare 2 is the shooter that every gamer wants this year.
(Written by Nick Creature)
Call of Duty and New Super Mario Bros Wii are awesome!