Most Enjoyable Games of 2009

Like many sites, we strive to do something a little different than just write a list of “Game of the Year” articles, while still trying to sum up our experiences of gaming across the past year. In that effort, we’ve asked our editors here at Games Are Evil to talk a little bit about their own personal favorite games from the past year. We hope you enjoy it – let us know in the comments below.

Carter: The most fun I had with a game this year was easily Street Figher 4. Capcom did a fantastic job making the game be in high-def and in 3D but still evoke the look of the classic games. The game controlled well enough even given the 360′s awful controller for fighting games, but what really made this game the most fun for me was the great multiplayer; many a weekend was spent taking on opponents either near or far, thanks to the absolutely incredible job Capcom did on making the game’s netcode work. Lag was practically a non-issue for me, which is a miracle for a fighting game. Sadly, acting like a cocky jerk when you win is not the same to faceless internet opponents as it is compared to actual friends. But still, Street Fighter 4 was a fantastic revival of a franchise that seemed doomed to nostalgia and a centralized hardcore base in recent years of making it accessible to more casual players.

Chris: 2009 was an awesome year for me. I enjoyed games like inFamous, DJ Hero, Demon’s Souls, Assassin’s Creed 2, Uncharted 2 and so many others. I even spent many breakfasts playing the awesomeness that is Flower. Out of all of the superb hits that rocked 2009, the game that still owns my soul is Street Fighter 4. Crazy I know, but I will be enjoying this series until someone either destroys it, or the arthritis in my fingers hinders me from ever playing it again.

I have enjoyed the Street Fighter series since I first laid my hands on Street Fighter 2 for the SNES. I have played every Street Fighter since. I will even admit that Street Fighet EX was the first game I owned on the PS2. As much as it pains me, I will still shell out hard earned slave dollars for Super Street Fighter 4.

I still play SF4 today. I still find Seth to be a horrible cheating bastard. The new art style is very pleasing to me. The best part about Street Fighter 4 is that it feels so much like what I remember playing on the SNES. The controls were rock solid, the sounds brought back a lot of nostalgia, and the characters were enjoyable. Yes, I did spend my loot and bought the costume packs. It is just that enjoyable to me. Fans of the series really owe it to themselves to jump on this, or Super Street Fighter 4, and take it for a round or twenty.

Rob: I’ve gotta say, to be my pick, a game’s gonna have to be something I pick up and play even now, in December of 2009. I’m not a huge fan of disposable gaming, especially since I don’t think of $60 as a disposable amount of money. A game is going to have to strike me as amazing on day one, and continue to strike me as amazingly fun on day 365. So, I made a little list of some of the games that came out this year on consoles, and sorted them out.

Games I Enjoyed: Flower, inFamous, Rock Band: Beatles, Guitar Hero 5, Dragons Age: Origins, Borderlands, Demon’s Souls, and Little King’s Story.
Games I Wish I’d Played: Brutal Legend, Assassin’s Creed II, and Arkham Asylum, New Super Mario Bros Wii, Uncharted 2
Games I Played But Was Ultimately Disappointed In: Fallout 3, Red Faction: Guerilla, Ghostbusters, Prince of Persia

Overall, I’m going to have to pick Rock Band: The Beatles as the most enjoyable game I’ve played this year. It’s still consistently interesting to me, especially as the albums are released. Learning one musician’s style, such as Ringo or Paul, has been enlightening and engaging. I find great joy in learning how subtle Ringo’s drum beats are and how he complements the song with just the right set of riffs from his admittedly small vocabulary. Singing along with the melodies harmonies that inspired me as a young musician challenges and encourages me to get even better as an older musician. And there was no other game this year that brought people together to play video games more than RockBand: The Beatles did. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.

Blake: For me, 2009 was a year of change and unexpected outcomes on so many level. For that reason, it seemed appropriate that the game I found myself coming back to was not a “big name” boxed product like Halo or Call of Duty, but rather something that was more “high concept” and emotionally evocative, the PSN hit, Flower. Time and time again, Flower provided my soul with the solace that I needed when times were difficult, while showing a way to tell an amazingly rich story, without ever uttering a word.

Even the most casual of observers can look at the game and realize that it is drop-dead gorgeous. The combination of vibrantly colored petals against a backdrop of blue sky and green grass has a naturally calming effect. Even the worst parts of a day at the office will melt away as you weightlessly float from flower to flower, coaxing masses of blooming bulbs to come to life.

Another very refreshing aspect of the game is its intuitive control scheme. Gone are the days of having to be concerned with two different thumbsticks and a vast array of buttons. The controls are instead as straightforward as the breeze itself. In order to drive the wind, players press any face button on the PS3 controller. With the wind propelling the flight of the petals, tilting, turning, and twisting the sixaxis flawlessly navigates the vastly varying environments.

The PlayStation Network is very fortunate to have a game like Flower. Never has there been a more pure expression of soothing joy, available in an interactive form. Players will be hooked in from the first moment, and left breathless by every new innovation that the game introduces. Flower not only gets my highest recommendation, but it is a value that everyone can afford. You owe it to yourself to take Flower for a spin, it will change the way you look at games forever.

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