Top 10 Most Disappointing Games of 2008

With the awful Spike TV VGA concluded, us gamers are now able to reflect back on a rather interesting year for video games. Long awaited sequels like “Gears of War 2” curb-stomped their way into our homes, and the shareholders at Rockstar celebrated the release of “Grand Theft Auto 4.” But, much like any kid who waited months for that special toy on their birthday only to be disappointed once they got it, gamers also follow the same path.

So, here is the Top 10 Most Disappointing Games of 2008. The rules are quite simple: any game that I, Marky X, was personally hyped about, and then it didn’t meet my standards will be on here. This means games like “Crysis,” “Far Cry 2,” “Dead Space,” “Metal Gear Solid 4,” and “Tomb Raider” won’t be on this list, because I didn’t care about them in the first place.

10 – Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix

I won’t give a history lesson on this game, as I’m sure if you’re reading this, you know about the franchise’s impact on not only the arcade scene but organized gaming competitions as well.

When Capcom announced a “Street Fighter” “HD Remix” with online play, balance changes, and easier controls, I couldn’t wait. I really enjoyed the concept and character designs of the “Street Fighter,” but couldn’t really get into it because controls were such a pain in the ass.

That wasn’t the case. The game is still unbalanced, as Ryu and Ken are grossly overused, but now the ex-banned Akuma breaks into the scene as the third most used character in the game. Controls are still horrid, especially with some of the charge characters being harder than it was on the SNES D-pad days. At least the netcode is pretty damn good and the artwork is sharp, despite the creative anatomy by Udon.

9 – Mario Kart Wii

When the Wii version was announced with the Wheel and online play, I couldn’t wait. I have a MOMO Steering Wheel, and it does add to the experience of any racing game, and playing “Mario Kart” against people around the world was something I’ve dreamed about since the SNES days.

Unfortunately, what I got was a game that had way too many players on the track with stupidly overpowered and overused weapons. Even the pointless drifting is still here, but instead of waggling the stick left and right, while giving the player the illusion of “skill”, all you have to do is hold down a button. The tracks are overcrowded with 12 players, making it nearly impossible to get the items if you’re at the back of the pack. Speaking of tracks, where’s the variety and innovation? Most of them are just simple GC or SNES remakes. And finally, the blue shell.

8 – Super Smash Bros. Brawl

I’ve never been a big follower of the “Smash Bros.” franchise. I didn’t own a Gamecube so I never got a chance to play ”Melee,” and the amount of minutes I spent on the Nintendo 64 debut could be counted on one hand. I don’t know why, but I was never really that hyped about it.

Then came “Brawl,” which not only supported online play, but allowed me to play as Sonic. Finally, a game where two favorite childhood mascots of mine can finally beat the shit out of each other, and I can do it online.

Instead what I got was a game that had perhaps one of the worst netcodes in my so-called gaming “career.” This is a game which only dealt with four people, yet suffered from nearly unplayable matches most of the time (Mario Kart handled 12 just fine). Even if I did find a lagless match, everyone would choose Ike or Metaknight since there are such a broken characters. And then if people didn’t choose them, then we’d end up on a crappy stage would be selected where I needed the Hubble Telescope just to see my tiny character.

As for single player campaign, I’ll be brief: crappy enemies, floaty controls, and copy-paste levels. [Continue Reading]