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GAF Games of the Year 2010 - Voting Thread - VOTING CONCLUDED

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As if the deluge of "_____ of the Year" threads weren't enough indication... it's time for the official voting for GAF Games of the Year 2010!

Last year's three-point system worked really well, but this year we're going to try a bit of a hybrid between the tiered model and the straight top ten. But I promise, it's really simple.
The main difference? You're not allocating points from a pool this time. Instead, you're just going to list 1-10 games, and rank them. Here are the official rules:

* 2010 VOTING RULES *
  1. List up to 10 games, in order from 1 to 10.
  2. If possible, please follow the format below, though it is no longer necessary to be absolutely perfect about it.
  3. When possible, you should copy+paste your games from the nominations list in post #2 (see "Game Selection" below).
  4. You may list Honorable Mentions if you wish to. These must be delineated by a "x." in your balloy.
  5. You may add descriptions for each game to your list (these may be used in the results thread).
  6. Non-consecutively numbered entries will not be counted.
  7. Multiple votes for the same title will disqualify your entire ballot.
  8. Each user may only vote once, but may edit as often as they would like until the deadline.
  9. If you want to talk about another poster's list, quote it. Any unquoted ballots (those outside a quote block) will overwrite your own previous vote.
  10. Voting will run from the time of this post until the start of January 9th at midnight, PST.


Voting Format
UPDATE: Your ballots no longer have to strictly follow the ballot format below. However, I would encourage you to do so for readability purposes. But if you have already listed your ballot, and you used hyphens instead of semicolons, or roman numerals, that is okay and will still be picked up by the parser. The rules above still apply, however, in that non-consecutively numbered entries will not be counted.

That said, to be counted, your honorable mentions must be listed as such:
x. Game Title
x. Game Title 2
...etc.

We are counting honorable mentions this year (for fun) so if you want yours to be counted, they need to be numbered with the 'x.'

-----------------

This year, Cheesemeister has helpfully written a script that will help us count votes.
The easiest way is to simply copy the ballot below and edit it as appropriate.

Sample Ballot
1. Game A ; Your thoughts on Game A.
2. Game B ; Your thoughts on Game B.
3. Game C ; Your thoughts on Game C.
4. Game D ; Your thoughts on Game D.
5. Game E ; Your thoughts on Game E.
6. Game F ; Your thoughts on Game F.
7. Game G ; Your thoughts on Game G.
8. Game H ; Your thoughts on Game H.
9. Game I ; Your thoughts on Game I.
10. Game J ; Your thoughts on Game J.
x. Game K ; Your thoughts on Honorable Mention Game K.
x. Game L ; Your thoughts on Honorable Mention Game L.

I will be selecting descriptions from users and using them in the results thread, so make them good!

Updated ballot rules
Again, I recommend following the structure of the ballot, but as of now, as long as you use the numbered system (1., 2., 3., x., etc) and use full game titles (no abbreviations) then your votes will be counted. Semicolons and use of arabic numerals is no longer required. Thanks for the update, Cheesemeister!


Game Selection
There have been various requests for a list of the year's games, in order to aid in composing your lists. This year, post #2 in this thread includes a list of the year's nominated games. Games will be added to the list as they are nominated, so go ahead and vote for it even if you don't see your game in the list.

It is helpful, though no longer required, for you to copy your nominated games from the Games List in Post #2. If you do copy+paste, great, it will help keep things consistent for the parser. And who knows, you might notice a game in the list that you had forgotten and will want to include.

If you are listing a title that has not already been listed, follow these rules:
  • No abbreviations - write "Call of Duty: Black Ops" and not "CODBLOPS" or "BLOPS".
  • No Roman numerals - write "Final Fantasy 13" and not "Final Fantasy XIII" or "FF XIII". You are now allowed to use Roman numerals if you wish.


Scoring
After a lively discussion of the suggested rules for this year, I've made some changes. Obviously nothing will make everyone happy, but this is the format for this year. We are maintaining the tiered format of last year, but each position in the list will receive a specific amount of points. Listing fewer titles will not reduce the amount of points received by any of your listed titles.

1. Game A ; 4 points
2. Game B ; 3 points
3. Game C ; 3 points
4. Game D ; 2 points
5. Game E ; 2 points
6. Game F ; 2 points
7. Game G ; 1 point
8. Game H ; 1 point
9. Game I ; 1 point
10. Game J ; 1 point
x. Game K ; 0 points
x. Game L ; 0 points

Honorable mentions will not receive points, but they will be tracked, assuming you list them appropriately.


Additional Notes and Clarifications
  • Since this is the first year trying to parse the lists, I will still be going through the thread frequently to ensure compatibility and make sure votes are counted appropriately.
  • Do not post any box arts, screenshots, etc. in your posts.
  • There will not be a running tally of the votes.
  • As in previous years, games will qualify for the various new awards and lists introduced last year.


What Games Count?
  • New games released to your region this year (can be retail only or downloadable).
  • Voting for imported titles is allowed. If you list an import game, please mention which country you are from. Otherwise I will assume you didn't read the rules and the vote will not count.
  • Remakes and significant visible upgrades count too.
  • Revisions released for the first time on a console or handheld this year (must be a retail version and not downloadable).
  • Ports that amount to "ROM dumps", i.e., ports with no additional content or significant changes, are not allowed.
  • New expansion packs to MMOs and other games count, but not the original game unless it too was released in your region this year.
  • Asked about games that are allowed: Minecraft, Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge.
  • Asked about games that are not allowed: Super Mario All-Stars, God of War Collection, Sly Cooper Collection


And that's it! Happy voting, everyone! :D
 
2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa
3D Dot Game Heroes
999: 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors
Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth
After Burner Climax
Age of Zombies
Akai Katana
A Kappa's Trail
Alan Wake
Aliens vs. Predator
Alien Swarm
Alpha Protocol
Amnesia: The Dark Descent
And Yet It Moves
Angry Birds
Another Century's Episode: R
Apache: Air Assault
APB: All Points Bulletin
Apple Jack
Arcania: Gothic 4
Arc Rise Fantasia
Arma 2: Operation Arrowhead
Army of Two: The 40th Day
A Shadow's Tale
Assassin's Creed 2
Assassin's Creed Brotherhood
Atelier Rorona: Alchemist of Arland
Auditorium
Aura-Aura Climber
Back to the Future: The Game
Batman: The Brave and the Bold – The Videogame
Battlefield: Bad Company 2
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam
Bayonetta
Bejeweled 3
BioShock 2
Bit.Trip Fate
Bit.Trip Runner
BlazBlue: Continuum Shift
Blood Bowl: Legendary Edition
Blood Drive
Blur
Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition
Call of Duty: Black Ops
Carcassonne
Castlevania: Harmony of Despair
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
Cave Story
Chime
City of Heroes: Going Rogue
Civilization 5
Cladun: This is an RPG
Coconut Dodge
Comic Jumper: The Adventures of Captain Smiley
Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight
Costume Quest
Crackdown 2
Crimzon Clover
Crystal War
Cubixx
Cut the Rope
Dance Central
Dance Masters
Dante's Inferno
Darksiders
Darkstar
Dark Void
Dark Void Zero
Deadly Premonition
Dead Nation
Dead Rising 2
Dead Rising 2: Case Zero
Dead to Rights: Retribution
Deathsmiles
DeathSpank: Thongs of Virtue
Def Jam Rapstar
Demon's Souls
Desktop Dungeons
Digital: A Love Story
Dinner Date
Din's Curse
Disgaea Infinite
Divinity 2: Dragon Knight Saga
DJ Hero 2
DJ Max Portable 3
Dodonpachi Resurrection
Donkey Kong Country Returns
Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening
Dragon Quest 9: Sentinels of the Starry Skies
Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce
EA Sports MMA
Enslaved: Odyssey to the West
Epic Mickey
Espgaluda 2: Black Label
Etrian Odyssey 3: The Drowned City
Europa Universalis 3: Divine Wind
F1 2010
Fable 3
Fallout: New Vegas
FIFA 11
Final Fantasy 11: Scars of Abyssea
Final Fantasy 13
Final Fantasy 14
Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light
Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage
FlingSmash
Flotilla: Orbital Battleship Maneuvers
Fluidity
Football Manager 2011
Fractal
Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon
Frogatto & Friends
Frozen Synapse
Fruit Ninja
Game Dev Story
Geometry Wars: Touch
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
Glory of Heracles
God of War 3
God of War: Ghost of Sparta
Goldeneye 007
Golden Sun: Dark Dawn
Golden Tee 2011
Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City
Gran Turismo 5
Green Day: Rock Band
Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock
Hacker Evolution
Half-Minute Hero
Halo: Reach
Hatsune Miku Project Diva 2nd
Hearts of Iron 3: Semper Fi
Heavy Rain
Helsing's Fire
Hero Core
Heroes of Newerth
Hexyz Force
HoopWorld
Hot Shots Tennis: Get a Grip
Hydrophobia
Hydro Thunder Hurricane
Hypership Out of Control
Ikkitousen: Xross Impact
Inazuma 11 3
Infinite Space
Infinity Blade
Iron Roses
Ivy the Kiwi?
James Bond 007: Blood Stone
Joe Danger
Just Cause 2
Just Dance 2
Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days
Ketsui: Kizuna Jigoku Tachi Extra
Kinect Adventures
Kinect Sports
Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep
King of Fighters 2002: Unlimited Match
Kirby's Epic Yarn
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light
Last Window: The Secret of Cape West
Lego Harry Potter: Years 1–4
Lego Universe
Limbo
Loopop Cube: Loop * Salad Portable: Matatabi
Lost Planet 2
Madden NFL 11
Mafia 2
MAG
Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom
Major League Baseball 2K10
Making History 2: The War of the World
Mario Sports Mix
Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem
Mass Effect 2
Medal of Honor
Mega Man 10
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
Metro 2033
Metroid: Other M
Michael Jackson: The Experience
Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes
Minecraft
MLB 10: The Show
Modern Conflict
Mod Nation Racers
Monday Night Combat
Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge
Monster Dash
Monster Hunter 3: Tri
Monster Hunter Portable 3rd
Monsters (Probably) Stole My Princess
MotoGP 09/10
Mount & Blade: Warband
Napoleon: Total War
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2
NBA 2K11
NBA Jam
NCAA Football 11
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit
Nelson Tethers: Puzzle Agent
NHL 11
Nier
Ni no Kuni: The Jet Black Mage
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle
Okamiden
Pac-Man Championship Edition DX
Patchwork Heroes
Perfect Dark
Persona 3 Portable
Phantasy Star Portable 2
Photo Dojo
Picross 3D
Pinball FX 2
Pokemon Black/White
Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver
Pop Island: Paperfield
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands
Pro Evolution Soccer 2011
Professor Layton and the Unwound Future
Puzzle Quest 2
Quantum Theory
Rage: Mutant Bash TV
Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale
Record of Agarest War
Red Dead Redemption
Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare
Red Steel 2
Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition
Resonance of Fate
Rock Band 3
Runaway: A Twist of Fate
R.U.S.E.
Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love
Sam and Max: The Devil's Playhouse
Samurai Warriors 3
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game
Sega Racing Classic
Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes
Senko no Ronde: Dis-United Order
Shank
Shantae: Risky's Revenge
Shatter
Shaun White Skateboarding
Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey
Shiren the Wanderer
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
Silent Hunter 5: Battle of the Atlantic
Sin and Punishment 2: Star Successor
Singularity
Skate 3
Sleep is Death (Geisterfahrer)
Snoopy Flying Ace
Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing
Sonic Colors
Sonic the Hedgehog 4
Space Invaders Infinity Gene
Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions
Split Second: Velocity
Sports Champions
Spotto!
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat
StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty
Star Ocean: The Last Hope International
Starship Defense
Star Trek Online
Start the Party
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2
Super Crate Box
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Super Meat Boy
Super Monkey Ball: Step & Roll
Super Scribblenauts
Super Street Fighter 4
Supreme Commander 2
Tales of Monkey Island
Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars
Terminator Salvation
The Eye of Judgment: Legends
The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom
The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom
The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces
The Whispered World
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11
Toki Tori
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction
Tomena Sanner
Tony Hawk: Shred
Touhou 12.8 The Great Fairy Wars
Toy Soldiers
Trajectile
Transformers: War for Cybertron
Transformice
Trauma Team
Trinity Universe
Tron: Evolution
Tron: Evolution - Battle Grids
Tumble
Two Worlds 2
UFC Undisputed 2010
Umineko no Naku Koro ni – Chiru
Valkyria Chronicles 2
Vanquish
Vector Tower Defense
Victoria 2
Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown
VVVVVV
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 2 – Chaos Rising
WarioWare D.I.Y.
White Knight Chronicles
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm
Worms Reloaded
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011
Xenoblade
X-Scape
Yakuza 3
Yakuza 4
Ys Seven
Ys: The Oath in Felghana
Zangeki no Reginleiv
Zen Bound 2
Z.H.P.: Unlosing Ranger vs. Darkdeath Evilman
 

Amir0x

Banned
1. Super Meat Boy ; The purest expression of platforming that exists. Has the best level design, best controls and the best physics/feel of any platformer in the last two decades
2. Super Mario Galaxy 2 ; Mario Galaxy was already one of the greatest games ever made. The sequel took off the training wheels and pushed the concept to its greatest possible point. Any person who loves pure 3D platforming is in bliss.
3. Vanquish ; Fuck incredible third person action shooter which was regrettably doomed to financial failure. It's a thin hope that they at least find a way to adopt the control scheme/gameplay concept into some other more successful franchise in the future, since rocket boosting into a blast of a shot to the face is unparalleled fun. Bullet ballet.
4. Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light ; Before this year I held literal regard for the downloadable services. I mean, they had some quaint games but they were generally always feature deprived and meant lowering some standards or making a "well, it only costs X dollars" allowance. This year, with Super Meat Boy and Lara Croft, no such allowance is necessary. Both games contain as much content as $60 games, and both games feature better gameplay than most. Remarkable.
5. Gran Turismo 5 ; I was expecting this to be my #1 for the year. It has the greatest car physics engine in gaming history, by a long shot. It has a metric ton of really appealing content. It's just held back from true masterpiece status by a list of small but ultimately cumulatively large problems.
6. Mass Effect 2 ; Dropping more of its RPG pretenses, it's still a thrilling adrenaline rush from start to finish with some individually well written characters. Which is more than can be said of most RPGs, anyway.
7. Amnesia: The Dark Descent ; Survival horror. True survival horror.
8. Sin & Punishment 2: Star Successor ; One of those rare times when the wiimote actually helped a game instead of hurting it. Fantastically pure gaming experience.
9. Minecraft ; I was skeptical but finally purchased it recently. Hours later and like eighty caves dug later, I am hooked.
10. Assassin's Creed Brotherhood ; It still remains immensely fun to lose yourself in the time period.
 

DaBuddaDa

Member
1. Mass Effect 2
2. Limbo
3. Battlefield: Bad Company 2
4. Donkey Kong Country Returns
5. Monday Night Combat
6. Assassin's Creed Brotherhood
7. Bayonetta
8. Pac-Man Championship Edition DX
9. Enslaved: Odyssey to the West
10. MLB 10: The Show
 

Diebuster

Member
1. Nier
2. Bayonetta
3. Amnesia: The Dark Descent
4. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
5. Persona 3 Portable
6. Gran Turismo 5
7. DJ Max Portable 3
8. Vanquish
9. Final Fantasy 13
10. Mass Effect 2
 

FStop7

Banned
1. Red Dead Redemption
2. Mass Effect 2
3. Assassin's Creed Brotherhood
4. StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty
5. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit
6. Pac-Man Championship Edition DX
7. Gran Turismo 5
8. Limbo
9. Battlefield: Bad Company 2
10. Bayonetta
 

StuBurns

Banned
It's been an interesting year for games, underwhelming in quantity, but there really were some exceptional titles. Five feels like the right number of entries to me, so I'll do that.


1. Vanquish ; My GotY, I have a preference towards shorter games (Flower, Braid and Portal being my previous GotYs). Most people complain games are too short this generation, I still think they're a tad too long. Vanquish was a perfectly length, I never got bored, never felt like it was retreading, although there are reused enemies. I only played a small bit of Infinite Space and I didn't care for it, and MadWorld wasn't very good, but this year for me was the year Japan really made a fighting come back to mattering in the industry.

Mikami solidified the blueprint for this whole generation of action games with RE4, and he came back to the genre to own all the pitiful attempts everyone else has made. Schooling the massively overrated Gears series for example. It's a shame he is unlikely to direct the sequel if there is to be one. But he is involved with Shadows of the Damned which certainly seems to take after RE4.

Unlike Bayonetta, I also love the visual direction of this game, and the cutscene work was exceptional. Just a concise, wonderful game. Unlike the rest of this list, I have no issues with Vanquish at all.

2. Halo: Reach ; Reach has a special place in my heart this year, it was my friend Dan who introduced me to Halo back in school, the first time I played it, I played it thru co-op with him. Since then we'd mentioned intending to play a Halo together in co-op for the first time, Reach was the first time we actually got around to doing it. I've only played it thru twice, and haven't touched the online which I hear has been the source of plenty of disappointment, however I only played it for the campaign, and for me it completely delivered. This is the best console shooter I've ever played, no question. The lack of Flood is wonderful too.

A lot of people are confident the new Halo studio will live up to the franchise, I don't see any chance of that happening. And I have no interest in an MMO, which seemingly Bungie's next game is, so this is probably the end of Halo for me, and what an ending it was.

3. Bayonetta ; Another 'best of', Bayonetta dethroned NGB as the best character action game I've played. I don't care for the art direction, I appreciate the dada decision, but it's horrible to look at. There are levels that are just appalling too, the motorbike and the missile come to mind (only the missile part of that level, that boss fight after is the peak of the game). Little irritating things like Angel Attack after every chapter, horrible film strip cutscenes and having to go to a separate place to shop are just really needless padding that breaks up the fun. They reuse bosses in the cheapest manner as well. But all of that is mostly insignificant when it comes to the gameplay. It's just the most fun game in it's genre, and certainly has the most entertaining enemies. I also enjoyed the writing in terms of the Bayonetta prose especially. I just really wish it was a point to point experience with none of the bullshit, hopefully now they've got all the Sega shit out of their system, the potential Bayo 2 will be near perfect.

I think it's safe to assume Bayo 2 is coming in the near future, I think if they're a bit more restrained with their wackiness, but retain the excellence, it could be a masterpiece. I hope they make the PS3 SKU internally too, because although Bayo 1 is playable on PS3, it is really an unacceptable disparity between the two versions.

4. Red Dead Redemption
; Bully is probably my favorite of Rockstar's 'sandbox' games, but if RDR wasn't better, it's a masterful second place. It's a slower burn than the others for me, at first horse riding is horrible, but when it all clicked together, it blew me away. The game creates that sense of wanderlust I love so much with certain games. The feeling of really going on a journey. It also had really excellent writing (prose as appose to scenario), and an unusual use of a four act structure. I hated the ultimate conclusion, it was enough to stop me playing the post-game content for the most part. And I have no intention of playing the zombie stuff either. But overall, I was incredibly impressed with this game's ability to create a world I wanted to spend so much time in despite it's glaring issues.

5. Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City
; I loved GTA4, I know GAF isn't so keen, but ultimately the game world and mechanics were a greater achievement than the game itself, and understandably Rockstar wanted to reuse those very costly assets, I'm glad they did. Most people seem to prefer Gay Tony, but I enjoyed the bikers a lot more. Neither were as good as GTA4 at it's peak (three leaf clover) but as alluded to earlier, I appreciate the brevity.


Other Highlights:

GoW: Ghost of Sparta, because it's on PSP no one gives a shit, but it was an excellent game, far far better than GoW3, hopefully it and CoO will receive HD ports to PS3 next year to open them up to a more attentive audience. KH:BBS also hit PSP this year which was by far the best in that series, and possibly a hint at what is to come in FFVersusXIII.

I also want to mention that this is the first year I saw the potential for iPhone games really meaning something. PokerSmash for iPhone I've played an insane amount, and GameDevStory is also awesome, I never expected much from iPhone gaming, and indeed, I don't think it's given much, but people are starting to do really incredible things with the form and that's been nice to see I think. The best of the bunch so far for me is Fruit Ninja, it's a near perfect product to device combination, a really wonderful game.


Lowlights:

My biggest disappointment this year was Peace Walker, which was terrible. There are aspects of the first four mainline entries that I think are genius, and poor, but they're all as a whole excellent games. PW isn't even a good game.

FFXIII, I do like it, I think it's maybe the best battle system in the series, and for the most part I love the art. However the first twenty four hours are basically a preamble, I don't think that's acceptable at all. They made this wonderful complex combat system, and they aimed the game at children so they were forced to teach it so slowly that anyone could play it. I think we'll see FFXIII-2 announced next month, and it will be what FFXIII should have been. Another thing FFXIII really taught me was I always wanted larger budgets, I thought DQ9 going to DS was a horrible decision (ultimately, I still think that actually), but what this game really communicated was, if the budget is that high, the risk has to be very small, it bares a watered down experience, much like in film.
 

Busaiku

Member
1. Super Mario Galaxy 2 ; The most perfect game I've played. It was just an absolute blast to go through. There was just so much creativity and fun packed into the game.
2. Sin & Punishment Star Successor ; A wonderful shooter that offered a great experience. The levels were spastic and the bosses were difficult, but it was so fun going through them.
3. Professor Layton and the Unwound Future ; A great end to the initial trilogy. The puzzles felt more engaging than the previous games and the twists were just as great too.
4. Tatsunoko vs Capcom Ultimate All Stars ; A colorful fighter with a diverse cast that really brought in the craziness factor. The elements from Guilty Gear certainly helped it succeed as well.
5. Kirby's Epic Yarn ; A delightful platforming experience. It was easy, but fun, and offers some great replay value. The charm from the game is just outstanding.
6. Pac-Man Championship Edition DX ; An excellent throwback to a great franchise. The new elements helped it to stand up in today's market, and it was just such a blast.
7. Ys Seven ; A great action RPG that was pretty simple. Its simplicity was its strength though, and it served to allow me to delve deeper into the experience.
8. Vanquish ; The adrenaline-packed nature of the game really caught me by surprise. I expected that frenetic action given the initial trailer, and it really lived up to it.
9. Donkey Kong Country Returns ; A nice throwback to the classic Donkey Kong Country series, with plenty of new elements that serve to distinguish itself from the rest of the bunch.
10. Super Meat Boy ; This is pure platforming at its finest. This is another simple game, that prides itself in being such. Easy for anyone to get into, but a difficult monster to fully master.
x. Ivy The Kiwi? ; A game that was just packed with so much charm. It isn't the most groundbreaking system, but it's very fun and easy to delve into. Levels were short, but there were plenty, with multiple layers in each of course.
x. Picross 3D ; Another pure and simple gameplay type of game. There were tons of puzzles and all of them were so engaging. It really made me think on most of them too.

Is this update okay?
I wasn't too sure about the honorable mention format.
 
1. Shantae: Risky's Revenge <= Buy this game at all costs!
2. Phantasy Star Portable 2
3. Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition
4. BlazBlue: Continuum Shift
5. Ikkitousen: Xross Impact
6. Batman: The Brave & The Bold
7. Ys Seven
8. Ys: The Oath in Felghana
9. Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce
10. Nier
 
Oh shit, such a good year for games. Too bad I played barely anything.

1. Super Mario Galaxy 2
2. VVVVVV
3. Super Meat Boy
4. Pac-Man Championship Edition DX
5. Just Cause 2
 

DaBuddaDa

Member
5 of the first 9 people posting their lists have done it incorrectly and/or didn't read the instructions. Great job, guys.
 

WJD

Member
1. Red Dead Redemption
2. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
3. Halo: Reach
4. Mass Effect 2
5. Alan Wake
6. Angry Birds
7. Battlefield: Bad Company 2
8. Football Manager 2011
9. FIFA 11
 

Trevelyon

Member
1.) Bayonetta
2.) Vanquish
3.) Gran Turismo 5
4.) Mass Effect 2
5.) Red Dead Redemption
6.) Heavy Rain
7.) God of War 3
8.) Final Fantasy 13
9.) Yakuza 3
10.) NIER
 
1. Just Cause 2 ; remember all those cool toy cars, trucks, tanks, and jets you had growing up? Now take them and cause digital havoc in the best sandbox world ever conceived.
2. Red Dead Redemption ; will go down in gaming history as the only Western that got it right.
3. Super Mario Galaxy 2 ; Basically the perfect Mario platforming game. Nothing else comes close.
4. Fallout: New Vegas ; despite the bugs, this is some of the most in-depth ROLE-PLAYING you'll ever do in a game. Nearly unlimited ways to play and solve quests.


edited, fixed errors.
 

StuBurns

Banned
DaBuddaDa said:
5 of the first 9 people posting their lists have done it incorrectly and/or didn't read the instructions. Great job, guys.
GTA Episodes might not be in the second post, but it is acceptable, or it at least should be.
 

jett

D-Member
1. Super Mario Galaxy 2 ; a virtual expansion pack to the first game still turns out to be one of the best games ever made.
2. Donkey Kong Country Returns ; best Donkey Kong game ever made.
3. Assassin's Creed Brotherhood ; the AC formula perfected...although another one of these would be a bit too much.
4. God of War 3 ; like ACB, it's the ultimate expression of GOW gameplay, even if it's lacking in a few other areas.
5. Kirby's Epic Yarn ; an epically charming and surprisingly relaxing game, beautiful animation.
6. Pac-Man Championship Edition DX ; eating 30 ghosts in a row is fucking orgasmic.
7. Mass Effect 2 ; worlds(lolz) better than ME1 for me, ditched all the shit that didn't work and improved where it truly needed.
8. Super Meat Boy ; sweet hard as fuck platforming action, it just feels right.
9. VVVVVV ; retro-influenced gravity-defying sweet-sounding indie platforming greatness.
10. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow ; it took a while for this one to grow on me, it's a very decent reboot of the series and it differentiates itself enough from similar franchises.






(is it ok to bold?)
 

Lucius86

Banned
1. Mass Effect 2
2. F1 2010 ; PLEASE NOTE THIS IS NOT ON THE LIST!
3. Assassin's Creed Brotherhood
4. Halo: Reach
5. God of War 3
 

Atomski

Member
1. Super Mario Galaxy 2
2. Super Meat Boy
3. Limbo
4. Battlefield: Bad Company 2
5. Minecraft
6. Mass Effect 2
7. Bioshock 2
8. Alan Wake
9. Dragon Quest 9: Sentinels of the Starry Skies
10. Red Dead Redemption
 
1. Red Dead Redemption
2. Bayonetta
3. Mass Effect 2
4. Super Mario Galaxy 2
5. Super Meat Boy
6. Pac-Man Championship Edition DX
7. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit
8. StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty
9. Halo: Reach
10. Alan Wake
 

Dabanton

Member
1. Red Dead Redemption ; My GOTY hands down. Epic and a joy to play it all seems so long ago arriving at the station after that superb opening sequence that set the game up perfectly and then your set loose to explore this beautiful world you know when a R* game has you when you no longer have to look at the map you 'just know' where everything is like Marston we come here as a stranger and slowly learned the lay of the land. No other experience this year will get near hunting and tracking beasts including the genuinely frightening cougar.

2. Bayonetta ; An action game boiled down to something many games lack nowadays a reason to actually learn moves. Bayonetta came equipped with a dizzying array of moves and counters and forms but they all made sense and once learned just made the game even more fun. An absolutely OTT storyline and stunning design for just about everything and you have an astounding package. Oh and the replayability is through the roof just like the old days when games didn't have multiplayer modes to fall back on.

3. Game Dev Story ; So simple and yet so deadly i've had this game for a few weeks and already i'm deeply in love with it anyone who says iPod gaming is not on par with 'dedicated' handhelds needs to have this shoved in their face.

4. Kinect Sports ; 'Magic' that's the only way i can describe the first time i turned this on and started playing it makes the Kinect experience more than worth it

5. Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City ; With a city with this much love and affection poured in would have be a crime had it only be used once and so R* added two wildly different views to life in Liberty City and to their credit both worked well. The scuzzy rainy mood of The Lost and Dammed with it's downcast ending giving way to the bright lights of The Ballad Of Gay Tony which offered a suitable closer to the IV era. Both offered their own takes on GTA gameplay. Base jumping from helicopters and buildings with parachutes with the added physics was more than worth waiting for. Add in an overlooked Multiplayer component which offered one of the best racing games of the year 16 player races around the city were completely crazy and you have a company at the top of their powers.

6. Dance Central ; From my first viewing at E3 it looked like a Kinect 'Killer App' and it cemented my determination to get one on launch. How do you describe this? Again like Kinect Sports it's just fun. It's been a mega hit at the parties i've held over the last few weeks and 100% a dance is magnificent. All round presentation is awesome and it's the best controlled Kinect game with it's ace menu system.

7. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 ; A mix of frustration and elation this game has been my preferred FPS this year. When you have a team in sync you are unstoppable and no other FPS game this year comes close to having a copter flying overhead and blowing the walls out where you thought you were safety hidden also the game rewards teamwork something that other FPS lack giving into the 'lone wolf player' syndrome.

8. Halo: Reach ; A massive return to form ODST was a straightening of Halo for me short and enjoyable. But this felt like the true follow up to Halo. Whereas 2 and 3 felt compromised, this felt new and epic once again. Still can't believe some of the battles and scenarios this game threw at me and no game does Co-Op like Halo especially on legendary with 4 players, it is godly.

9. Super Meat Boy ; Watching this it looks like a complete clusterfuck but playing it? Almost perfection. I don't know how long they worked on the controls but they are near perfect seriously. It feels tight and dying is your fault. Always.

10. Angry Birds ; Another argument for investing in an iPhone or more sensibly an iPod Touch. Simplistic and like Game Dev Story addictive but this lets you out quicker with fast games that like Super Meat Boy get you quickly back into the main game should you fail and you will lots.
 

DR2K

Banned
1. Super Street Fighter 4
2. Bayonetta
3. Heavy Rain
4. Enslaved
5. Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 2
6. Nier
7. Vanquish
8. Sonic Colors
9. Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth
10. Tatsunoko vs Capcom
 

FStop7

Banned
StuBurns said:
GTA Episodes might not be in the second post, but it is acceptable, or it at least should be.

I think he was referring to this part -

* PLEASE COPY+PASTE FROM THE GAMES LIST TO FORM YOUR BALLOT. *

You used "GTA" rather than copying from the list, which is important to do for vote counting purposes.

edit - well now it's gone. It WAS on the list as "Grand Theft Auto: Episdes from Liberty City" a minute ago. :(
 

StuBurns

Banned
FStop7 said:
I think he was referring to this part -

* PLEASE COPY+PASTE FROM THE GAMES LIST TO FORM YOUR BALLOT. *

You used "GTA" rather than copying from the list, which is important to do for vote counting purposes.
It's not on the list. But you're right, I'll change it.
 

ZAnimus

Member
1. Mass Effect 2
2. Halo: Reach
3. Bayonetta
4. Alan Wake
5. Demon's Souls (PAL)
6. Assassin's Creed Brotherhood
7. Pac-Man Championship Edition DX
8. Split Second: Velocity
9. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
10. Heavy Rain
 

gibration

Member
1. Red Dead Redemption
2. God of War 3
3. Super Street Fighter 4
4. Mass Effect 2
5. Call of Duty: Black Ops
6. Gran Turismo 5
7. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
8. Halo: Reach
9. Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars
10. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game
 

Yasser

Member
1. Bayonetta
2. Red Dead Redemption
3. Alpha Protocol
4. Mass Effect 2
5. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 2 – Chaos Rising
6. Vanquish
7. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
8. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey
9. StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty
10. Battlefield: Bad Company 2

honourable mentions to Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City and S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat
 

Holtz

Member
1. Red Dead Redemption
2. God of War 3
3. Bayonetta
4. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
5. Final Fantasy 13
6. Yakuza 3
7. Gran Turismo 5
8. God of War: Ghost of Sparta
9. Assassin's Creed Brotherhood
10. Vanquish
 

MYE

Member
1. Super Mario Galaxy 2

2. Donkey Kong Country Returns
3. Demon's Souls (I'm from PALand)
4. Red Dead Redemption
5. StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty
6. Silent Hill Shattered Memories (I'm from PALand)
7. God of War 3
8. Goldeneye 007
9. Tatsunoko vs Capcom Ultimate All Stars
10. Disney Epic Mickey
 
1. Fallout: New Vegas
2. Super Mario Galaxy 2
3. Vanquish
4. Mass Effect 2
5. Alpha Protocol
6. Just Cause 2
7. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat
8. Nier
9. Ys Seven
10. Mafia 2
 

Cartman86

Banned
1. Red Dead Redemption
2. Mass Effect 2
3. Limbo
4. Pac-Man Championship Edition DX
5. Sam and Max: The Devil's Playhouse
6. Heavy Rain
7. God of War 3
8. Dead Rising 2: Case Zero
9. Assassin's Creed Brotherhood
10. Call of Duty: Black Ops
x. Rock Band 3
x. Bioshock 2
x. Enslaved: Odyssey to the West
x. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty
x. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
x. Vanquish

I'm gonna feel so bad once I finally get around to Peace Walker and love it as much as I do the rest of the MGS series.
 
1. Minecraft
2. Fallout: New Vegas
3. Super Meat Boy
4. Gran Turismo 5
5. Red Dead Redemption
6. Just Cause 2
7. Star Craft 2: Wings of Liberty
8. Bad Company 2
9. NBA2k11
10. Call of Duty: Black Ops
 

Adam J.

Member
1. Pac Man CE DX
2. Super Meat Boy
3. Bayonetta
4. Super Crate Box
5. Limbo
6. Donkey Kong Country Returns
7. Sin & Punishment: Star Successor
8. Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light
9. Super Mario Galaxy 2
10. Red Dead Redemption
 

Durante

Member
1. Nier; What can I say, the mix of gameplay elements combined with the music and story just resonated extremely well with me.
2. Alpha Protocol; Like Deus Ex with better dialog.
3. Atelier Rorona: Alchemist of Arland; Gust does not disappoint.
4. 999: 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors; Some horrible dialog, but a puzzle game with puzzles that actually make sense is always a joy. And the story is awesome crazy and crazy awesome.
5. Mass Effect 2; It wasn't much of an RPG but it still gripped me.
6. Umineko no Naku Koro ni - Chiru; It has an official thread so it should count as a game. Got me more excited than most things on this list so it would be a shame not to include it.
7. Touhou 12.8 The great Fairy Wars; Delicious danmaku with a twist.
8. Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light; My favourite co-op game this year.
9. Sin & Punishment 2: Star Successor; Oh wow.
10. Starcraft II; Not as good as it should have been, but still a very polished and mechanically sound game.

I can understand umineko and touhou, but how come Atelier Rorona isn't even on the nominations list?

Sadly not worthy of this list: Valkyria Chronicles 2 and FF13. Both not bad games, but rather disappointing entries in their respective franchises.

Not yet played: New Vegas.

Edit:
Had to move 999 up.
 
1. Mass Effect 2
2. Assassin's Creed Brotherhood
3. Red Dead Redemption
4. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
5. Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep
6. God of War 3
7. FIFA 11
8. Resonance of Fate
9. Donkey Kong Country Returns
10. Final Fantasy 13
 
disappeared said:
timetokill, I don't think I even played 10 games from 2010 this year, so I hope my 4-entry list is alright.

Yep, you can list anywhere from 1 to 10 games, so 4 is perfectly fine. I would ask that you add in a colon after Fallout to make it "Fallout: New Vegas" in accordance with the games list, though. Everything else looks perfect.
 

oblo

Member
1. Yakuza 3
2. Resonance of Fate
3. Gran Turismo 5
4. Pokemon SoulSilver
5. Bayonetta
6. Super Mario Galaxy 2
7. Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes
8. Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2
9. Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4
10. Samurai Warriors 3

Best download: Joe Danger
Best not-really-a-game: Heavy Rain
Worst game that I still loved: Nier

Some great titles (like RDR, Vanquish, DKCR, S&P2, Demon's Souls (2010 release in Europe), Tatsunoko, SSIV, NMH2, Continuum Shift, ...) that have been released this year and that I do own are missing in my list because I decided to only include games that I actually played a lot of hours in 2010, I hope I get around to the others at some point in 2011.
 
1. Super Mario Galaxy 2
2. StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty
3. Donkey Kong Country Returns
4. Bayonetta
5. Super Meat Boy
6. Pac-Man Championship Edition DX
7. Amnesia: The Dark Descent
8. Minecraft
9. Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light
10. Super Street Fighter 4
 

Idioteque

Member
1.Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
2.Gran Turismo 5
3.Super Mario Galaxy 2
4.Heavy Rain
5.FIFA 11
6.Donkey Kong Country Returns
7.Sins & Punishment: Star Successor
8.Halo Reach
9.Splinter Cell: Conviction
10.Enslaved: Odyssey to the West
 
timetokill said:
Yep, you can list anywhere from 1 to 10 games, so 4 is perfectly fine. I would ask that you add in a colon after Fallout to make it "Fallout: New Vegas" in accordance with the games list, though. Everything else looks perfect.

done and done!
 
Durante said:
I can understand umineko and touhou, but how come Atelier Rorona isn't even on the nominations list?

It's on the list now.

You guys are welcome to list titles not on the nominations list. I'll add them as I see them nominated. Just try to follow the game naming conventions is all :)
 
1. Monster Hunter 3: Tri
2. Dragon Quest 9: Sentinels of the Starry Skies
3. Super Mario Galaxy 2
4. Resonance of Fate
5. Bayonetta
6. Vanquish
7. Donkey Kong Country Returns
8. Battlefield: Bad Company 2
9. Nier
10. Minecraft
 
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