It’s finally done, dudes and dolls. 2008 is officially in the books, and with the new year we can expect to see more great games. But what did we see in 2008, besides the launch of the hottest up and coming video game website/blog on all the internets? (self-promotion? Hells yes!)

Well, for starters we saw the long-awaited return of Diablo with Diablo III. The hype surrounding Blizzard’s official announcement had been building for weeks in advance, and even in the final hours before the actual unveiling, there was mass hysteria over what the folks at Blizzard had up their sleeve. Hell, you had people on the East Coast staying up until 7am just to be among the first to see the announcement live.

The release of Grand Theft Auto IV was sheer pandemonium and while you and I and the rest of the world was excited to play the game, the media was all but heartbroken when they discovered that there wasn’t much in GTA IV to get up in arms about. But then again, after a sex minigame, how do you follow that up?

But the story that just wouldn’t go away was Electronic Arts v. Take-Two. In a way I am thankful to EA and Take-Two for this, as it kept all the game blogs busy over what was, with the exception of one or two titles, a dry summer. When EA finally threw in the towel, it was kind of sad – as though we saw the end of an era… not really. Most of us were relieved to see that the Evil Empire had been toppled for a change.

Okay, dudes and dolls: we’re done. That’s it. We’ve finished the series. Oh, I thought about going back and doing 1979-1989 and making it truly complete, but unlike George Lucas, I know to just quit while I’m ahead. Either way, if you haven’t seen the older lists, here you go. Thanks for stickin’ with me through this whole thing. It’s been a lot of fun to go back and examine my childhood… I’m never doing it again.

When Project Gotham Racer developer Bizarre Creations decided to go into third-person action, most people immediately wrote the game off. However, as the nine people who bought the game can tell you, Bizarre delivered with a throwback to the classic run-and-gun arcade games of the 1990s with The Club.

The Club does have a central plot throughout the single-player game, but it really holds no bearing. The reason why this game is so much fun is the simplistic points-based gameplay. You get a headshot? You get extra points. You string up 20 kills? You get a 20x multiplier on your score. This combined with the timer that is constantly ticking down created a sense of urgancy to keep moving and keep killing.

If we were doing a proper award cerimony, The Club would easily win our Lager for “Best Game Nobody Played”.

Mario Kart DS was supposed to be the final Mario Kart game featured on these lists, but, um… I was overruled.

Mario Kart Wii maintained the standard set by previous games. The tracks, many of which were throwbacks to earlier Mario Kart titles, were all done wonderfully, the online connectivity was a welcome addition to the franchise (console-side, of course), and the new control option with the Wii motion controls gave players a new way to play.

Even if you didn’t have that ridiculously silly plastic wheel.

Mike loves him some Rock Band 2, and even if you owned the first Rock Band, odds are you were picking up RB2 for nothing more than the vastly improved drum peripheral. Other features that were requested by the fans of the original, such as World Tour mode for the entire band and a “never fail” mode.

Yes, “never fail”. I know, I know. Some of you more experienced Rock Band snobs are scoffing at the notion, but if you’re drunk off your ass at a friend’s house and they decide to bust out the guitars, a “no fail” mode is perfect. No matter how bad your friend (or you) may be, the song will never end prematurely and you all can have your drunken fun.

Also, Pinball Wizard. That is all.

Whether you think it’s the epitome of online multiplayer or just an overpriced Counter-Strike mod, there is no denying that Left 4 Dead is one of the most pure experiences of the past year. Hell, the game was good enough that the developer, Turtle Rock Studios, was bought by Valve during the development cycle.

Left 4 Dead had a fairly fun single-player campaign, but it wasn’t until you got online that you truly felt the tension. Yes, tension. Tension that was brought on, in part, by the never ending hordes of undead swarming you. Of course, the fact that your online life rested in the hands of people you met over the internet – the same people who laugh at 2Girls1Cup – probably stressed a fair number of you out, as well.

The sequel to Resistance: Fall of Man was hyped as being the game that would finally launch the PlayStation 3 into the stratosphere and be heralded as one of the best shooters ever. See what happens when you listen to fanboy hype? Resistance 2 didn’t push too many consoles out the door, but the game itself was most excellent – regardless of what the hardasses at Edge say.

The game continued the story of American Black Ops soldier Nathan Hale in what was being called in commercials, trailers and the press at large as the last day of Hale’s life. I won’t spoil the ending for the people who have yet to play it, but the writing in Resistance 2 was exceptional.

…hell, everything about Resistance 2 was exceptional. That’s why it’s on this list.

Mega Man 9 was the ultimate throwback to everything that used to be good about video games. You see kids, way before you had your bump mapping and shadow effects, we had sprites and a controller with two buttons. And you know what? We liked it! We loved it! It forced developers (or “developer” since most games were created by one guy. Two at most) to be more creative and use something called “ingenuity” to create a new gaming experience.

What Capcom ultimately delivered was eight bits of awesome that still delivered on the simple, yet excellent (not to mention hard as hell), formula that turned Mega Man into a household name.

Grand Theft Auto IV, much like Halo 3, is one of those games that people hate for no other reason than that it’s the “it” thing to do. People who now say that GTA IV was a disappointment are more than likely the same people who allowed themselves to be sucked into the hype from the start.

You see, I (JW) was smart – I waited until the last possible moment before deciding to buy it.

GTA IV maintains the standards for the series. The open world gameplay still hasn’t gotten old, the soundtrack is arguably the best in the series, the talk radio is still funny as hell and people can still hop in for ten minutes solely to kill some cops. However, there was one key difference that set GTA IV up and over the other games in the series: The story.

GTA IV is, without a doubt, one of the best scripts ever seen in a game. Bar none.

Gears of War 2 stuck with the tried and true formula for all sequels: Bigger, Faster, Better. Everything about Gears of War 2 was improved. The controls were tightened, the graphics were overhauled, the story was about a gazillion times better, and the online multiplayer was balanced out so that those dickweeds who used nothing but the chainsaw in Gears would now eat their own face in Gears 2.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots was kind of like an old sitcom that was having a reunion special and the entire original cast was brought back for one more act. What Hideo Kojima and Co. had done with MGS4 can only be described as the ultimate fan service.

Everything about Metal Gear Solid 4 was given painstaking detail. The visuals and overall cinematic-like presentation were jawdropping (even on a standard definition TV, which is what JW reviewed it on), the voice acting was superb, the audio was spot-on… hell, even the plot made sense, and that’s damn near impossible for a Metal Gear game.

They even brought back Psycho Mantis.

For all the different characters that have become bigger than their games (Mario, Master Chief, Lara Croft, etc.), I doubt any of them will have a more appropriate and emotional send off than Solid Snake had. Metal Gear Solid 4 was truly for the fans.

Fallout 3 is, simply put, amazing. I don’t have to say anything else, but if I don’t I’ll get yelled at by S&P, so here goes: The game is gorgeous, the world is alive (ironic wording FTW) with ruined cities dotting the desolate landscape, the main story is engrossing, the side-missions are never a chore (so long as you love to explore), and personally… I just find the idea of exploring the ruins of the National Archive to be awesome.

Many fans of the first two Fallout games expressed their concern over Bethesda treating Fallout 3 as simply “Oblivion with guns”. Their fears were more or less squelched once they played the final product and while it may never be held in the same regard as the first two entries by the most die hard fans, Fallout 3 serves as a damn fine sequel that this franchise desperately needed.

It’s my list, therefore my GotY pick gets #1. You don’t like it, buy me out. I’m a whore for cash.

Worst Game of 2008:
Jumper: Griffin’s Story

Okay, wrap your heads around this one: Jumper: Griffin’s Story is a game based on a book that was based on a movie which itself was based on a book.

How the fuck do you survive that?

The controls were broken, the visuals were hideous, the audio was “meh”, and this in turn translated to horrid sales. Of course, the movie was also a critical bomb and almost nobody bought the game in question – which would explain why the game’s developer, Brash Entertainment, is going out of business.

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