G4tv.com & X-Play Staffers' Top 5 Games of 2009: Part Five

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Posted December 18, 2009 - By Andrew Pfister

It turned out to be quite the interesting year, didn't it? Even though a batch of games got pushed back to next year, 2009 still had a pretty impressive roster of titles. The obvious ones we've already covered, but we wanted to break down our favorites from the year on a more personal level. All this week we'll be featuring G4tv.com and X-Play staffers' picks from 2009 -- whether they were the best games we've played, the most interesting, or the most under-the-radar, these are the ones that stuck with us the most.

Click here for our proper Best of 2009 awards.

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Tim Jennings – Gamertag’s Totally Taggable Games 2009 Edition

2009 has been one of my favorite years in gaming, not only because there were so many great games to choose from but also because the titles I got into the most were ones that completely caught me off guard. Case in point…Borderlands.

1. Borderlands

Borderlands

Hands down my favorite game of the year and the best part is I didn’t expect to like this one. The setting, the characters, and the weapons OH SWEET ZEUS’ BEARD THE WEAPONS!!! Rarely do I mourn finishing a game, but when I finally run out of things to do in Borderlands I’ll probably dress in black for a month.

2. Street Fighter IV

Street Fighter IV

Top-notch animation and character design coupled with a current take on the 2D action we’ve all come to love from Street Fighter made this one of my favorite games of '09. You can’t beat the feeling of handing scores of Kens and Akumas their asses online with E Honda…even if that means 13% of the people you play against think you’re “Unsporting.” Douche bags.

3. Spider (iPhone)

Spider

In my mind the iPhone really established itself as a viable gaming platform this year thanks in part to games like Spider. It’s simple, but thoroughly creative: Spin webs, catch bugs. That’s it. Sure, the whole “solve the mystery” element the game touted was a bit ehhhhh but this one definitely “caught me in its web”…right? See what I did there?

4. Shadow Complex

Shadow Complex

Here’s another one that totally caught me off guard. How this game managed to stay off my radar until it came out is beyond me, but the day it was released I was on it like an ironic mustache on a hipster. How awesome were the mech-enemies in this game? I’ll answer that: They were really awesome. This was the side-scrolling shooter I always dreamed of. Not only is it great to see that as a genre side-scrolling isn’t dead, but that there are still new and cool innovations to explore when it comes to this type of gameplay.

5. Space Ace/Dragon’s Lair (iPhone)

Space Ace & Dragon's Lair iPhone

Sure, this is partially a nostalgia pick but c’mon, both these game look great. The classic Don Bluth animation holds up and I have to say both these titles function better from a technical standpoint on the iPhone than they ever did in the arcade. Yes, at its core it’s still a “push the right button at the right time game,” but that’s a pretty great format for something you’re probably playing on the go.

Eric Eckstein -- Undead and Loving It

Was excited by the mass amount of zombie-themed games, yet sad that there wasn't a single zombie RTS!

1. Left 4 Dead 2

Left 4 Dead 2

Improving on an already stellar game is always a challenge, but Valve rallied and delivered a sequel that clearly surpasses the original Left 4 Dead. Melee weapons, creepier special Infected and amped-up locales make Left 4 Dead 2 stand out, but it's the careful attention to refining the cooperative play that makes it a keeper. I'm bound to be playing all year long...until Left 4 Dead 3 comes out next November. Kidding!

2. Plants vs. Zombies

Plants vs. Zombies

I'm a sucker for tower defense games, so when the creators of Peggle set their sights on creating one, I immediately took notice especially since it featured my favorite shamblers. And what a surprise, it was incredibly addictive, cute and terrifying. Plus, it's got the catchiest zombie friendly music since Michael Jackson's "Thriller."

3. Resident Evil 5

Resident Evil 5

Yeah, they're not technically zombies, but c'mon, the "residents" in Resident Evil 5 are close enough. They lumber toward you, they try to bite you and if you pop 'em in the head, they usually go down with one shot. Whether you're staring down a horde of baddies or your partner's surrounded and running on empty, RE5 was always tense, just the way survival games should be.

4. Zombie Apocalypse

Zombie Apocalypse

You really can't go wrong with this zombified Smash TV send-up, which pits you and four friends against all sorts of zany undead. It's repetitive, sure, but there's something satisfying about wasting 1,000 zombies with flamethrowers and chainsaws in under five minutes or better yet, luring them into jet engines or crematoriums.

5. I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MB1ES!!!1

I Made a Game With Zombies

Indie games are often a gamble, and while I've played quite a few that are real crowd pleasers, most end up being esoteric to the point of unplayable or clever but with a depressing commentary on society. And then there's I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MB1ES!!!1, which is just ridiculous fun with a ludicrous theme song and best of all, it only costs a buck.

Stephen Johnson

1. The Beatles: Rock Band

The Beatles: Rock Band

This is the game I’ve been waiting for and dreaming of since I first played Guitar Hero in 2005. Probably the most heartwarming game I’ve ever played. The Beatles: Rock Band might be the crowning achievement of Western Civilization itself.

2. Assassin’s Creed II

Assassin's Creed II

There’s just so much stuff in Assassin’s Creed II, it’s almost daunting. The level of detail, the variety of tasks, the number of characters, the lovingly rendered details, the balletic violence, the complex, history-spanning plotline…ACII is positively fecund, like the Renaissance itself. You can literally get lost in this beautiful game.

3. Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood

Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood

I know this Western-themed FPS doesn’t have the rabid fan base of something like Modern Warfare 2, but in terms of sheer fun, the single-player game was a million times more satisfying to me than MW2.

4. A Boy and His Blob

A Boy & His Blob

The Wii doesn’t get enough love, and this simple platformer has a strange, effortless emotional resonance that is too rare in gaming. I (Heart) Blob.

5. Bejeweled Blitz

Bejeweled Blitz

Ha ha! Just kidding!

Tags: Nintendo DS, PC Gaming, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Videogames, Wii, Xbox 360

Comments

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Displaying 1–9 of 9

bigboi21

Bejeweled Blitz!!!

Other than that, most of the games up here are some of my favorites. ACII, Plants vs. Zombies, Shadow Complex, Borderlands (eh kinda)...all great titles. Good lists G4 Staff.

Posted: December 19, 2009 11:30 AM | Reply | Report

+2 thumbs up thumbs down

0 Replies
heavenscloud001

Beatles Rock Band FTW!!! lol

Posted: December 18, 2009 9:18 PM | Reply | Report

+1 thumbs up thumbs down

0 Replies
bartholomew99

I didn't see an Uncharted 2 up there. Losers. The L4D2 somewhat saves these lists.

Posted: December 18, 2009 8:07 PM | Reply | Report

-1 thumbs up thumbs down

0 Replies
wolfman01

A boy and his blob was originally for the NES. (fun fact) ; )

Posted: December 18, 2009 2:44 PM | Reply | Report

+1 thumbs up thumbs down

0 Replies
Matt731

if hes kidding, then y isnt there a replacement #5?

Posted: December 18, 2009 1:45 PM | Reply | Report

+2 thumbs up thumbs down

0 Replies
ihitterdal

THANK YOU for the choice of the best XBLIG out there. The more people who play that, the better.

Posted: December 18, 2009 1:39 PM | Reply | Report

+3 thumbs up thumbs down

0 Replies
elsmooth

To me there are two types of people who play Borderlands, those who play the game right and those who can't get past the fact that this game is not Modern Warfare. Those who get by the fact that this isn't an ordinary shooter have a hell of a fun time. Spending 8 hours killing a level 10 badass? Try not shooting at him with a level 2 rifle n00b.

Posted: December 18, 2009 12:59 PM | Reply | Report

+1 thumbs up thumbs down

3 Replies
Mr_Paisley

I have been looking in-depth throughout the article to find some kind of "zombies" theme that SOMEHOW justifies Resident Evil 5 making the list. Maybe it's a "biggest let downs of 2009" list? Wait no, the other games are awesome -_- "G4 uses Confusion. It's super effective on Paisley's!"

Posted: December 18, 2009 10:32 AM | Reply | Report

0 thumbs up thumbs down

2 Replies
Kendei

Why does everyone keep stroking Borderlands' wang? I really didn't like it that much. I rarely do not finish a game unless I feel it's just horrible, and to me, there was nothing fun about shooting the same enemy for eight hours with the same guy that had a different skin.

Posted: December 18, 2009 10:21 AM | Reply | Report

-5 thumbs up thumbs down

3 Replies