"Archive Footage"

2009 was a busy year for me. I had just started a new job, I launched WingDamage with my bro and suckered a few friends into writing for us. A ton of amazing games came out. Here I present to you my personal favorites. This is my top ten, and it doesn’t quite line up with the majority of other people’s that I have found online. That’s just fine with me.

Some releases, while I liked what I played, I just didn’t have enough time to get a good enough impressions to rank them one way or the other. That said, I give you my top ten games of the year.

#10 Borderlands (PC, Xbox 360, PS3)

While I do enjoy the occasional FPS, it is not always my genre of choice. A good co-op mode is usually required to really get me interested. Borderlands does a great job of mixing fun FPS gameplay with RPG elements and looting to create a very addictive experience. Better yet, it’s meant to be played with up to three of your friends.

#9 Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story (DS)

Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story is a great way to kill time on your DS. The plot is super goofy and the dialogue is hilarious. Timing is everything for both the attacks and for your defense. This keeps the battles fresh throughout the entire experience. It is any easy recommendation for all ages. Best of all, it’s an RPG that actually works well in short bursts.

#8 inFamous (PS3) [Full Review]

Most open world games have a bad habit of making me lose interest after a few hours. inFamous does several things very well. The free roaming works really well and is always fun. There is just enough of an assist to your climbing that it never feels like they are taking the controls away from you, but you also don’t get frustrated from being a pixel off from any given jump. That combined with the ever increasing lightning powers and a fun, though simple, good/evil mechanic really sucked me in to the game’s world.

#7 DJ Hero (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PS2) [Full Review]

When I first saw footage of DJ Hero, I had no idea what was going on. The concepts involved in scratching and mixing songs live are way above my level of musical understanding. Much to my surprise, they were able to boil it all down into a game that is fun and engaging with a soundtrack that has made its way into my regular rotation. The price is a sticking point for some people. but since the game hasn’t had the huge commercial success of it’s guitar based counterparts, I recommend picking this one up at a sale near you.

#6 Torchlight (PC)

The combination of a fun art style that mixes fantasy and steampunk with addictive hack-and-slash gameplay was all it took to get me hooked on Torchlight. People who have been waiting for something in the Diablo style that makes some improvements on the genre need look no further. Inventory management has been streamlined. Your pet’s ability to run back to town and sell all your unneeded junk keeps you in the action. The fact that they opened Torchlight up to the modding community almost immediately also speaks to the games longevity. Not only do you get a great self-contained experience, but thanks to other fans, you get one that is ever expanding.

#5 Punch-Out!! (Wii) [Full Review]

If you were to look at a list of my top games of all time, the original Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! would rank very high. I am very happy to say that Punch-Out!! on the Wii lived up to all of my expectations. Long time fans will have no problem blasting through the first part of the game, which plays almost exactly like the original. Fortunately, that is only the beginning. In Title Defense Mode, they have taken our favorite old school characters and completely switched up their move sets, while still staying faithful to the characters and the gameplay, making for a hugely challenging, arcade style experience.

#4 Machinarium (PC) [Full Review]

Some games have so much personality that you know you will remember and return to them years down the road. Machinarium is one of those games for me. The art style has such an interesting, sketchy, storybook feel to it and the characters really come to life. There is no dialogue in the game, yet through animations alone you get a full sense of the story. While some point and click adventure games will reach a point where you click around the screen in frustration, Machinarium did a great job of cluing you in to what you needed to do. If you ever get stuck, the games built-in hint system works amazingly well, telling you what needs to be done without giving everything away. For a small game that you can finish in around five hours, Machinarium‘s charm will stick with your long after you finish it.

#3 New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii) [Full Review]

Somehow Nintendo was able to craft a game that is amazingly fun to play both in single player and with up to four players. The most impressive part about that is they are the same levels. New Super Mario Bros. Wii is the kind of game that you can bring out with your friends and family of any skill level and have a great time just goofing around in. The mechanics that require you to be cooperative, while at the same time allow you to be competative, go a long way towards the longevity of the title. If you have a Wii, you should have this game.

#2 Street Fighter IV (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

Another franchise that successfully managed to return to its roots and come back with a fantastic experience; Street Fighter IV delivered for both casual and hardcore fans. The character designs were taken one step further towards looking like a cartoon, which lends itself well to the way over the top fighting action of the franchise. The combination of new and classic moves really helped keep every character feeling fresh and unique. Gone are the days of pallet swapped characters. They even managed to make Dan a viable character. The addition of new move types even helped balance the game for newcomers just learning how to throw down on the mean streets of the World Tournament.

#1 Dragon Age: Origins (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)

I originally was not following Dragon Age: Origins because I thought it looked a little too much like the film versions of Lord of the Rings. Boy was I wrong. This game has earned it’s place as my Game of the Year. Bioware brought their classic gameplay ideas from their old PC days and mixed them with the versatility of modern gameplay mechanics, a good story, and fun characters to bring an RPG masterpiece back to the PC. All complaints I have heard about the game seem to involve the console editions, so I highly recommend the PC version if you can run it. The way you move around in battles and control the action flows perfectly. I was also impressed with how the good/bad meter of other Bioware games was replaced with a party member specific meter of how well that character liked you. Your actions and conversation effect both those in your party and the world around you. With six distinct origin stories and the upcoming two years worth of DLC on an already expansive game universe, Dragon Age: Origins is a title I will be playing for a good long while.

On a very special thirty-third episode of “Barrel Roll! A Video Game Podcast”, we see nearly all of the WingDamage crew stepping up for the podcast. Dave, Luke, and Nate join the regular hosts to talk about what they’ve been playing in our appropriately titled “Whatcha Been Playing?” segment.

All those present that have had a chance to play Batman: Arkham Asylum agree that it is fantastic. Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story is carrying the torch of the series extremely well, and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2… is also talked about.

The news gives us a chance to talk about which Flight of the Conchords songs we’d like to see on Rock Band. We also discuss the infamous Sega Fishing Controller and related games that Jonah is obsessed with tracking down. This is brought on because of the recent leak regarding the possibility of Dreamcast games on the PS3 download store.

In “Let’s Play Together”, Jesse and Jonah talk about Capcom’s new Wii brawler, Spyborgs. You can actually win a copy of that from us right now. Speaking of giveaways, the winner of our PAX Pack #2 is picked and PAX Pack #3 is announced.

Then we talk about stuff in “Let’s Talk About Stuff”. The stuff we talk about this week is the fantastic new album from The Protomen, “ACT II – The Father of Death” (Check out Jesse’s review). We got permission from the band to play a few clips, but you should really just go buy the album. You’ll be glad you did.

We even manage to squeeze in a quick “Movie Time” where we discuss how horrible Mortal Kombat: Annihilation was.

All this and other off-topic wackiness on episode 33 of Barrel Roll.

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Outro Music – “Fortuna (Star Fox)” by The OneUps

The Protomen – “ACT II – The Father of Death“