Gaming memories of 2008

December 26, 10:09 AMTampa Video Game ExaminerTom Hall

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Tampa Video Game Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

I truly hope you all had a wonderful holiday.  I did, and one of the things I was thinking about during that time is what a great year this has been for gaming.  This was probably one of the best I can remember.  All of that goodness sure makes a man thankful.  With that in mind, here are the things in the gaming world I'm most thankful for this year:

Netflix on my Xbox 360!
Finally!  Now with the ability to stream movies off of your Netflix account onto your Xbox 360, I am getting closer and closer to never having to leave my room.  This is a great feature and whoever came up with this idea deserves a lofty raise and a handshake.

Guitar Hero: Metallica
The announcement of this game either means that Activision can read my thoughts or that they have finally wised up.  Possibly most exciting is the new "Expert Plus" mode for the drums which will allow you the use of 2 pedals simultaneously!

Super Smash Brothers Brawl
This was purely one of the most fun games I have ever played.  The endless supply of characters, arenas, and weapons made it all too easy to get lost for hours at a time with your friends.  The inclusion of a story mode was another great and welcomed addition that gave you incentive to keep playing even if your friends were busy.

Gears of War 2
Its games like this one that force me into my bunker not to be seen for weeks and months at a time.  Great graphics, great gameplay, great story; what else do I have to say?  Oh, yes, executions!  Add in the swear inducing horde mode and you have one of the best games of the year.

Fallout 3
Remember Oblivion?  Remember how awesome it was and before you knew it, you were well over 40 hours of playing time?  Imagine someone took that formula and improved upon it and put it in a cooler setting.  Now you have Fallout 3, another Game of the Year candidate.  From the good/evil character decisions to the weapon and item creation to the amazing combat system, this game is solid from top to bottom.

Grand Theft Auto 4
The best GTA to date, GTA4 pulled you in to an enormous city that was actually alive and bustling!  You could stand on a corner if you so chose and just watch people live.  I watched a traffic accident complete with EMS response.  The story was compelling, the characters were memorable and I don't think anyone played this game without exclaiming' "holy crap!"

Rock Band 2
Its always hard for me to choose between Rock Band and Guitar Hero, but I'm giving the nod to Rock Band this time.  The best part about this game is that they didn't try to do anything "revolutionary" and wind up ruining a great game.  They knew they had gold already and just made a few tweaks.  A ton of new songs and the addition of a "No Fail" mode, which by the way I recently used at a party and it made the experience far more enjoyable for everyone, there is almost no reason not to own Rock Band 2. 

There you have it, my thankful list this year.  There are a bunch of games that I am also thankful for like Ninja Gaiden 2, LittleBigPlanet, Madden 09, and Prince of Persia but just not as thankful as I am for these wonderful items above.  Year after year, developers push the envelope and we benefit from it.  2009 is already shaping up to be an incredible year so it is with great excitement that I wait and watch and see if next year I can say "this was a good year to be a gamer".