G4TV

With Black Friday lingering and just a small handful of games left in 2009, it’s high time to take a refresher course in some of this year’s biggest and best reviews. I’ve broken down most of our most illustrious verdicts, platform by platform, to pick out some samplings of read (and watch) worthy material. On Tuesday, I focused on handheld and PC highlights from 2009. Yesterday, I lasered in on the best multiplatform and downloadable games. And, because you need something to do either before eating turkey or before camping out in the freezing cold for a $200 game console and free games (I've been watching those Black Friday specials too, y'know), today brings the best reviews across platform exclusives. Also, please feel free to send me links of awesome Flip cam videos of people fighting over sale items.

Put on your reading glasses; without further ado, here’s the grand finale of G4’s The Reviews of 2009...In Review!

PlayStation 3

The days of Lair and Haze are long behind the PlayStation 3. The PS3 has seen a strong year of console exclusives in 2009, including a visually gorgeous first-person shooter, a masterfully-crafted open world encounter, and the maturation of a rugged explorer. Oh, and some Japanese game where you die a lot. Here’s a sampling of some of PS3 titles from this year: 

Killzone 2 - 5/5

“Do you like shooters?  Do you hate things with red eyes?  Have you posted in forums every day for the past month about how Killzone 2 was forged on the peak of Mount Olympus by the hand of Zeus himself?  If your answer to any of these questions is even remotely affirmative, we suggest you play this game.”

inFamous - 5/5

“Open-world sandbox games have a depressing tendency to stick to the mundane. For all the over-the-top violence and mayhem of games like Grand Theft Auto and Saints Row, you’re still just a guy or girl with a gun. Outside of the occasional licensed game, few sandboxers dare to tackle the idea of superpowers, and those that have tend to be disappointments, with the notable exception of Crackdown. It’s time to expand that exceptions list by one, thanks to Sucker Punch’s exceptional inFamous.”

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves - 5/5

“Uncharted 2 delivers on what so many other games just promise:  Immersion. Lost not just in a world but in a collective fantasy of the impossible made viable. That 8-year-old me in the movie theater sat yearning for the adult world to be as filled with adventure, discovery and importance as what I saw on screen. Well-situated in my 30s, content with good health and a paycheck, I pine nostalgically for when life still held that pre-adolescent potential. For the hours I played Uncharted 2, those two selves were bridged in a wonderful equanimity, a digital compromise.”

Demon’s Souls - 4/5

“In general, this isn’t an adventure for the faint of heart. You’ll do your share of grinding to build a character before it’s over, and suffer plenty of heart-breaking deaths. Demon’s Souls has its rewards as well, though – beautiful sights, exciting battles, tons of replayability. They’re more than worth the challenge.”

Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time - 5/5

“Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time is a remarkable achievement that makes the case for the series’ longevity and determined adherence to form.  The game’s basics work so well and the improvements and changes are brought in to take advantage of one of the most solid gameplay foundations available.”

Xbox 360

Although Microsoft has worked to shed the Xbox 360’s image as a shooter console, 2009 was largely a year of blowing s*** up, Forza Motorsport 3 being an exception to the rule. Whether it was the sticky bombs of The Ballad of Gay Tony or the intense action of Halo 3: ODST, there was no shortage of explosive exclusives on the console. Not that Viva Pinata’s not fun or anything.

Grand Theft Auto: The Lost and Damned - 5/5

“Now that you’ve heard everything that awaits you in The Lost and Damned, there should be no doubt that it’s worth every last penny of its $20 price tag (and in fact, could have been sold for a lot more, given the amount of content that is here). The 8-10 hour story mode alone would be worth a crisp Jackson, but the fact that it comes packaged with new rides, new music, new forms of entertainment, new side missions and a handful of new multiplayer modes is simply outrageous for that price.”

Halo 3: ODST - 5/5

“Is Halo 3: ODST an overpriced expansion or is it Bungie's “Call of Duty Killer,” as many gamers have presumed? It's neither...One of the gents at Bungie mentioned to me that ODST was initially a much smaller affair.  But as the game progressed, the campaign became more than just a bunch of shootouts in New Mombasa; it became a story that stood on its own. Once the confusion subsides and gamers sit down with a controller, they’ll see that ODST is indisputably one of the year’s finest shooters.”

Forza Motorsport 3 - 5/5

“If you are a car lover or sim fan, you owe it to yourself to go out and get Forza Motorsport 3. The entire package drips with polish and the physics-based gameplay is solid across all game modes. This title transcends a pure gaming experience to become something of a virtual driving tool. Forza 3 is a deep simulation experience and it’s the best racer available on any platform right now.”

Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony - 5/5

“At this point, there’s a good chance that you know if you’re in the target audience for The Ballad of Gay Tony. If you wrote off Grand Theft Auto IV before finishing “Three Leaf Clover,” there’s a chance that you might overlook Rockstar North’s final effort in the Liberty City story arc. And that would be a shame. Although I found The Lost & Damned to be a more unsavory experience than GTA4, Gay Tony fires on all cylinders and delivers both solid storytelling and the same sort of over-the-top mayhem found in the best moments of GTA: San Andreas. It’s arguably the finest episodic content found in a console game this year.”

Wii

Arguably the only thing more annoying that a store shelf full of derivative rip-offs of Wii Sports and Wii Fit is a pack of people saying “there’s nothing to play on the Wii.” 2009 gave gamers a variety of opportunities to play some unique experiences that still can't be replicated anywhere else, and an unexpected trifecta of three great survival horror shooters on the platform. There was no shortage of solid games; arguably, the shortage was in gamers willing to play them.

MadWorld - 4/5

“Far from a perfect game, MadWorld is perhaps the answer to gamers’ pleas for a hardcore title to arrive on the Wii. You’ll be able to clean up the city in a little under seven hours without breaking a sweat – but it’s seven hours of pure bloody mayhem that you won’t find in most twenty-hour games. If you don’t need a parent’s permission to buy this game, strap on your chainsaw arm and prepare to have a bloody good time.”

House of the Dead: Overkill - 4/5

“House of the Dead: Overkill does exactly what it sets out to do. It’s addicting and accessible to gamers of all abilities, though not all age groups. Beginners will be able to make it through the game, but those with a competitive edge will strive to achieve ‘Goregasm’ (a point multiplier you earn for hitting the targets consecutively), as well as, earning high scores... If you want a game with rewarding, blood gushing headshots, the HOTD arcade feeling at home and a Wii game that doesn’t try to be cute or even remotely family friendly, this is a good one to pick up.”

Excitebots: Trick Racing - 4/5

“If you can find a way to get past its cotton candy exterior, Excitebots offers a frantic and fun ride for even the most novice riders. This little racer is practically packed to the exhaust pipe with mini-games, items to collect, and even a poker puzzle game for players out there that still hunger for something different. Play for more than a couple of hours and you’ll find that the game quickly wears on you, however, with repetitive environments and mini-games. Put your pride aside and give the game a spin. Excitebots may just be that gateway game you’ve been looking for to get the whole family into gaming.”

Punch-Out!! - 4/5

“Punch-Out!! is a brutal yet incredibly satisfying stroll down memory lane. The cartoonish presentation and character designs are slick and vibrant, and the controls (minus the balance board) stay faithful to the ease and responsiveness of the original. Of course, the thing that NES fans will appreciate the most is the fact that even though the game is basically a remake, it still packs an unrelenting punch, and it could very easily scar an entirely new generation of kids for years to come. Well done Nintendo. Well done.”

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2010 - 5/5

“Videogames based on golf have often been viewed as, to mangle a phrase, a good walk through a virtual world spoiled. Connecting with your virtual golfers has often been as hard for gamers as understanding the sport itself. With Tiger Woods PGA Tour moving to the Wii, EA has tried to make the connection by replicating the golfing action through the Wiimote. Good presentation and a lofty cast of golfers can only take you so far when the controls are not up to par. But this is the year everything changes with the introduction of the Wii Motion Plus, a device aiming to put the swing back into golf.”

Boom Blox Bash Party - 5/5

“It’s no secret that we here at X-Play loved Boom Blox.  It was a refreshing destructo-puzzler that actually made good use of the Wii Remote.  Initially, upon hearing about Boom Blox Bash Party we were a bit concerned that EA wouldn’t have enough new stuff to put in the game… or that Spielberg would suddenly want to turn all the bomb Blox into walkie-talkies or something.   Happily, our fears were unfounded.”

Little King’s Story - 4/5

“It’s easy to dismiss Little King’s Story as another kiddie game for Wii. The cute box art, saccharine character design and adorable name are enough for most enthusiast gamers to give this title a pass. That would be a monumental mistake. After you get past the cutesy (but well done) trappings, the game offers a brilliant experience, combining real-time strategy, role playing, kingdom building, and disarmingly witty dialogue. You know that saying about not judging a book by its cover? Little King’s Story shows that it applies to games too.”

Wii Sports Resort - 5/5

“Wii Sports was a proof-of-concept that turned into a phenomenon, propelling the Wii up the sales charts, heralding the new future of videogames, opening up the industry to a brand new audience, and further such hyperbole. And while its successor, Wii Sports Resort, can't possibly make the same initial impact, it's significant in another way: it completely renders the revolutionary Wii Sports obsolete.”

Dead Space: Extraction - 4/5

“Dead Space: Extraction is a perfect example of what can happen when a developer approaches the Wii in the right way and maximizes the console’s capabilities to fit with the game’s style and design. Everything from the “shaky-cam” presentation to the brilliant remote implementation keeps you thoroughly engaged and immersed every second of the game. It’s quite an accomplishment, and one that will grab hold of you and not let go of you until the end credits roll.”

Wii Fit Plus - 4/5

“Wii Fit has undergone a bit of a cosmetic makeover and emerged as Wii Fit Plus, a more robust collection of mini-games utilizing the Wii Balance Board. Wii Fit Plus will not magically make you skinny; however, its offerings are fun enough to get your lazy butt up off the couch.”

New Super Mario Bros. Wii - 4/5

“It’s good to know some things never change. Mario jumps. He lands on platforms and enemies. Occasionally, he throws fireballs.   If you’ve been playing with Mario since the days of blowing on your cartridge, then New Super Mario Bros. Wii will feel just like throwing on a Members Only jacket. The game retains every part of what made the original great -- solid platforming, the need for precise timing, and just enough whimsy to make falling down the same pit for the tenth time hurt a little bit less. While the idea of hitting a series of jumps or waiting for the perfect moment might not be everyone’s cup of tea, there are still enough of us out there who remember the joys of the original Super Mario Bros.”

A Boy and His Blob - 4/5

“If you are the kind of gamer who thinks bloodshed, explosions and bullets are necessary to enjoy a game, Blob isn't the title for you, but if you like a challenging puzzles, beautiful, stylish graphics and a touch of wistfulness in your gaming, you'll find a lot to love in A Boy and His Blob.”

Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles - 4/5

“Let's just get this out of the way right up front: fans of the Resident Evil series who have spent anxious hours guiding Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield through Raccoon City and beyond will find lots to love about The Darkside Chronicles. And if you have a Wii and an insatiable desire to splatter zombie skulls like Pollack paintings, this game should be on your wish list without question. Its only flaws are the limits of its genre and hardware, and even then, it's still the best game of its kind ever made.”