Top 10 Games of 2008 That I Didn’t Play

As each year goes by, it feels like the number of good games released over those 12 months just keeps rising. This year was no different. I would argue that it saw a bigger increase than previous years largely because of the influx of quality casual and indie games. I think nearly every gamer missed out on a game they planned to get because they didn’t have the time, or saw yet another awesome game and just didn’t have the resources to cop it. I was definitely a victim. I’m closing out the year with empty pockets, plenty of great games, and a stupid-long list of games I really wanted to play and didn’t.

This is the top 10 games from that list:

10. Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Conspiracy

Why I wanted it: It was a movie-licensed game that didn’t suck. Bonus: I actually liked the movies.

Why I didn’t play it: It just barely missed the must-buy list. It got some decent reviews, but something about buying a game where the title includes a full name that isn’t Tom Clancy or Sid Meier made my stomach turn.

9. de Blob

Why I wanted it: Who can resist a fun platformer where the plot centers on putting a smack-down on conformity? Not to mention, their marketing blitz blind-sided me a couple of times in the backfield.

Why I didn’t play it: I must confess–I have been neglecting my Wii. I won’t let myself buy another Wii game until I finish “Zelda: Twilight Princess” and “Metriod Prime 3: Corruption.”

8. Soulcalibur IV

Why I wanted it: “Soulcalibur” has made a healthy impression on me with every game since the original was released for Dreamcast. Ivy’s Snake Sword and Maxi’s Nunchucks (I am a huge Michelangelo of TMNT fan) sealed the deal pretty much every time. A little hint of Star Wars doesn’t hurt either.

Why I didn’t play it: Lately I just haven’t had the urge to play fighting games. Seems like those Street-Fighter-II-Turbo-at-birthday-parties-and-sleepovers glory days have faded. Plus, fighting games just aren’t the same when your opponent isn’t in the room with you.

7. Dead Space

Why I wanted it: I always wanted to be trapped on a dark space station with limited ammo and vicious creatures, who would love to rip my body into nice happy meat chunks…

Why I didn’t play it: WHAT!?!?! I am not scared to play this game…

6. Ninja Gaiden II

Why I wanted it: Ninja + Speed + Buckets of Blood = Fun

Why I didn’t play it: This is the first (but not last) game on this list that I am truly puzzled about. I think I just didn’t have 60 bucks to shell out when it was released. [Continue Reading]

Another Soul Calibur IV Update

As if this game needs any more good news to bring even higher into the gun range of hype fire.  About every month within this year received some new news about Soul Calibur IV. 

The first big news about the game was the inclusion of Darth Vader, which made an obvious hit with Star Wars fans but then users started speculating about including Yoda.  Though the idea of the lower statured Jedi Master seemed like a mixed bag idea, Namco deceided to include him anyways … but only on the 360.  Vader stayed on the PS3 though, but hey, you never know, there are things called downloadable updates (I hear cash opportunity there for Namco though).

To date, some 5 new characters have been added, and Namco has even decided to start including Anime type characters in the game. If you’re world can’t be rocked any harder, you can check out Ota desho’s Omakase translation from the recent manga strip created for the game here.  If you have the time to translate the entire Japenese series, check out the full strip here.  Don’t worry, this was strictly made for new comers to the series but I doubt it will see the light of day over here through anything other than fan subs.  So before this post turns into a massive college paper, here’s a list of what you can expect so far:

• Darth Vader
• Darth Vaders’ Apprentice
• Yoda
• All previous standard modes in the series
• Tower of Lost Souls Mode
• Active Matching Battle Mode
• All previous characters
• Possible tag type mode for Story Mode
• Create a character mode (20 editable parts per character)
• Rumored to have 50 slots for create a character mode
• Museum Mode (with Bio/relationship charts)
• Kratos is not included but would have been nice
• Last but not least … Online Lag Battles

Sorry Kratos, maybe in Soul Olympus you’ll get a call from Namco’s agents.

Unleash the Force in Soul Calibur 4!

As if Yoda and Vader wasn’t a big enough surprise for the series, now players have a new apprentice joining the battle. The new Star Wars Force Unleashed star is now a playable: bringing something fierce to the fight. With 3 characters from the Star Wars universe in this game, fans will soon demand that Namco go ahead and develop a Star Wars fighting game. I can guarantee that they will most likely be used more than the other players and fans of the Star Wars series will probably get the game just for them. It’s sad that the Soul Calibur series had lost it’s touch after part 2 and now they have to use this gimmick to bring it back.

OMG Moment 2 – Vader Enters the Tournament of Souls

The only thing more amazing looking [and sounding] that XBLA’s Omega 5 is the announcement from Namco that Darth Vader will be joining the cast in Soul Calibur IV. Okay okay. I know what you’re thinking – “this doesn’t make sense but yes I think its phat and Fighting games don’t have a solid story to begin with.” Some of us think its a despearate push but really Ain’t This Cool News? Namco must have moved some serious CREAM to get rights to put this bad boy in there classic brawler. Yoda snuck into Vader’s time dimension thingamagiggy and made it to. “Brave I am.” The only other problem is the light saber itself. Since SC 2 and 3, multiple weapons became available so perhaps each character will get the Lightsaber version. Cool. For the Star Wars geekz though, they would know, like myself, that there is an item that Lightsabers can’t cut – obsidian.

[Continue Reading]