Welcome to part
two of the Amazees!
Yesterday I gave away the awards for my
favorite movies of the year, and now it is time to tackle the category most of you know a lot better:
videogames!
There is no time for pointless jibber jabber. Let’s get to the awards, shall we?
*applause*
*taking off my shirt*
*audience members throwing rotten fruit and asking me to “put my Goddamn shirt back on!”*
And the winners are ...
________________________________
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PlayStation 3)
True,
Metal Gear Solid 4 was full of a ridiculous amount of cutscenes, but the featured action set pieces (although minimal) were unbelievably epic. Think about the motorcycle chase, the boss fights, the final battle! Every action sequence in the game is beyond phenomenal.
Honorable Mention: Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty (PSN)
Professor Layton and the Curious Village (Nintendo DS)
Part adventure game, part puzzle game,
all amazing.
Honorable Mention: Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney (Nintendo DS)
Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)
Even ignoring the Nintendo fanboy aesthetics,
Smash Bros. is easily one of the most addictive and deepest (yes,
deepest) fighting videogames ever created. I still love playing it even this many months later. Dibs on Ike!
Honorable Mention: Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix (XBLA)
Rock Band 2 (Xbox 360)
Not much changed from the first
Rock Band, but the small stuff that did made this a vastly improved sequel. Although I never know many songs in the
Rock Band collection (a Disney version please!), I still have a blast playing guitar, drums, or “rocking out” on the mic. “Rocking out:” Is that what all the kids are saying nowadays?
Honorable Mention: Lips (Xbox 360)
LittleBigPlanet (PlayStation 3)
After playing and falling in love with
LittleBigPlanet I immediately ranked it as one of my top ten favorite platformers of all time. After playing through it again (and checking out some of the brilliant user-created levels) I ranked it in my top
four.
LittleBigPlanet is phenomenally designed and the most fun game of the year.
Honorable Mention: Mega Man 9 (WiiWare), N+ (XBLA)
World of Goo (WiiWare)
The genre “puzzle game” is starting to blur its lines a little bit. Back in the day it was easy to decide what kind of videogame a puzzle game was: if it looked like
Tetris it was a puzzle game! Now, things are different, with classics like
Portal slipping into this getting-broader-by-the-second genre.
World of Goo, the latest non-traditional puzzler, is an absolute masterpiece, combining some of the most original visuals with some of the most challenging, yet satisfying gameplay I have experienced in years.
Honorable Mention: Boom Blox (Wii)
Advance Wars: Days of Ruin (Nintendo DS)
Although the series got “darker” with this installment, the classic, strategy gameplay remained intact, even getting a little better with the inclusion of new vehicles and tighter map design. I love this series like crazy.
Honorable Mention: Lock’s Quest (Nintendo DS)
Burnout Paradise (Xbox 360)
When I heard that the
Burnout series was changing to open-world gameplay I got a little nervous. The best part about
Burnout is its arcade feel -- adding any sort of realism could only hurt the series. Luckily, I was wrong, as
Burnout Paradise is easily the best in the series.
Honorable Mention: Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
Lost Odyssey (Xbox 360)
I know I have mentioned it a million times in the past, but I adore
Lost Odyssey. It is the first RPG I have played in this new generation that plays like an old school SNES role-playing game with a beautiful, high-def polish. Words cannot express how refreshing and classic
Lost Odyssey feels to me.
Honorable Mention: Fallout 3 (Xbox 360)
Resistance 2 (PlayStation 2)
Resistance 2 is, hands down, the most underrated game of the year. How could a game with extraordinary multiplayer, a strong single-player campaign, and some of the most amazing boss battles ever put in a videogame become so quickly forgotten?
Honorable Mention: Left 4 Dead (Xbox 360)
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PlayStation 3)
Man, how do you even rank the beautiful games that came out this year? Even though many of them had different styles, the ultra realistic and stunning visuals in
Metal Gear Solid 4 stood out the most.
Honorable Mention: Mega Man 9 (WiiWare)
Mega Man 9 (WiiWare)
Mega Man 9 could have had the most discordant soundtrack of all time and it still would probably win just because of my love affair with all things 8-bit MIDI related. Lucky for me (and my ears), the music in
Mega Man 9 is classic, featuring some of the best level tunes in the entire series. Tornado Man stage FTW!
Honorable Mentions: Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii), de Blob (Wii), Bionic Commando: Rearmed (XBLA)
Dead Space (Xbox 360)
Even though I loved all aspects of
Dead Space, I remember being particularly impressed by the creepy and extremely effective sound effects in the game. The sound in
Dead Space is some of the best I have ever heard in a videogame.
Honorable Mention: Galaga Legions (WiiWare)
Lost Odyssey (Xbox 360)
This category was a tough call. While
Metal Gear Solid 4’s stellar voice acting could have easily taken this award, the very fact that Jansen exists gives the edge to
Lost Odyssey. Best character EVER!
Honorable Mention: Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PlayStation 3)
Lost Odyssey (Xbox 360)
Um, the end of Disc One. That is all.
Honorable Mention: Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PlayStation 3)
Braid (XBLA)
I am still trying to wrap my head around what happens at the end of XBLA masterpiece
Braid. Whatever the real meaning is,
Braid’s ending is one of the most thought-provoking and moving videogame endings of all time.
Honorable Mentions: Lost Odyssey (Xbox 360), Castle Crashers (XBLA)
Jansen (
Lost Odyssey)
Jansen is ridiculous. Right when you think he is gay, he has sex with multiple women. Right when you think is he becoming mildly annoying, he says something hilarious. I love Jansen and will always remember him as one of my favorite RPG characters ever.
Honorable Mention: Sackboy (LittleBigPlanet)
Castle Crashers (XBLA)
Remember how much fun it was to play videogames with friends in the same room or standing next to each other in an arcade? Well,
Castle Crashers was the first game to give me that nostalgic feeling in a long, long time. Also, giving your companions timed button press CPR is my favorite new way to revive a downed teammate. Awesome.
Honorable Mention: Left 4 Dead (Xbox 360)
World of Goo (WiiWare)
World of Goo took me my surprise. Before I played it I was worried the Wii controls, combined with the unique gameplay, would render the downloadable game too cumbersome and challenging for my tastes. I was really wrong.
World of Goo is an absolute masterpiece and one of the best puzzle games I have ever played in my entire life.
Honorable Mention: Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)
Lost Odyssey (Xbox 360)
I have talked about this epic, incredibly amazing RPG enough in these awards. Just go play it. Like, right now.
Honorable Mention: Braid (XBLA)
LittleBigPlanet (PlayStation 3)
Ladies in gentlemen, I give you the closet race of the Amazees! As much as I adore (and worship, even)
Metal Gear Solid 4,
LittleBigPlanet takes the cake due to its flawless design and revolutionary level creator. But, man, this one was
close.
Honorable Mention: Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PlayStation 3)
Professor Layton and the Curious Village (Nintendo DS)
The Destructoid editors’ trip to Cancun last year was one of the most fun and enjoyable times in my entire life. I brought
Professor Layton with me and it almost distracted me a couple nights from the epic, topless festivities. That’s how good of a game it is.
Honorable Mention: Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney (Nintendo DS)
World of Goo (WiiWare)
At $15,
World of Goo is the best value of the year. Buy this game for WiiWare as soon as you can. If you already have, play it again! Great games like this don’t come along very often.
Honorable Mentions: Braid (XBLA), Mega Man 9 (WiiWare), Castle Crashers (XBLA)
LittleBigPlanet (PlayStation 3)
After much thought and many internal debates, I finally decided that my favorite videogame of 2008 is
LittleBigPlanet. While
Metal Gear Solid 4 surpassed my wildest dreams of how cinematic a videogame can be,
World of Goo impressed me with its uniqueness, and
Lost Odyssey made me bawl like a little girl on several occasions,
LittleBigPlanet, literally, revolutionized this industry I hold so dear to my heart.
Even without the level creator,
LittleBigPlanet would be one of the best designed platform games of all time. But, wait, that’s not even a fair statement: the level creator is what
LittleBigPlanet is all about! Once you dive into this user-created feature, man, the game becomes one of the most incredible videogame experiences of all time. All of the dreams we as gamers had growing up about designing our own game could finally come true care of the very capable, intuitive hands of
LittleBigPlanet.
What a year for the (supposedly) struggling PlayStation 3!
LittleBigPlanet is an absolute masterpiece and the best videogame of 2008.
Honorable Mention: Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PlayStation 3)
________________________________
Congratulations to
LittleBigPlanet on the big win and to
Lost Odyssey for winning the most Amazees this year with a count of
five!
Until next year, everyone! :)
Oh, and for the curious, here is a list of my Top Ten Videogames of the year:
Top Ten Videogames of 2008
1.
LittleBigPlanet
2.
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
3.
World of Goo
4.
Lost Odyssey
5.
Braid
6.
Mega Man 9
7.
Resistance 2
8.
Castle Crashers
9.
Professor Layton and the Curious Village
10.
Fallout 3
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Good, good. I'm glad to see LO get some lovin'. I just picked the game up myself, yesterday, and I'm enjoying it so far.
No No More Heroes love?
Wooooo Lost Odyssey!!!
@RonBurgandy2010,
I LOVED that game, but it just didn't make the finals, I guess. But, seriously, I adore No More Heroes. :)
Lost Odyssey beats out Fallout 3? Resistance 2 beats out Left 4 Dead? MGS4 beats out anything?
THESE AMAZEES ARE NOT SO AMAZING.
MGS4 vs LBP for game of the year is a really tough call.
I would probably have to choose LBP because of the sheer amounts of laughter/enjoyment from playing the game multiplayer.
I agree with you on every game up there that I've played, which oddly enough is most of them.
Your BEST RACING GAME is a superb choice, as well as your BEST DS GAME and BEST ADVENTURE GAME.
So... I guess you enjoyed Lost Odyssey quite a bit.
I'm surprised Braid didn't win you over as Best Puzzle Game. The puzzles in that game were difficult, but it felt so good to actually get through a few of them.
@007,
I couldn't decide if Braid was actually a puzzle game. That genre stresses me out! :O
HELL YAH PROFESSOR LAYTON :D
Moar lists!!! :D I'm going to finish Lost odessy over the weekend! :D
I sat next to Chad for four hours on a Mexican bus and he played Professor Layton for most of that time. True story.
I can agree with about half of this list, Mr. Concelmo. I like your runner up for best graphics!
The only thing that made me go "whaa?" was the voice acting win for Lost Odyssey. Granted most of it was great, but General Kakanas made me want to pull my brain out with a plunger.
I dunno what super powered PS2 you own Chad, but my Resistance 2 is for PS3. XD
Also, you HAVE to try Tatsunoko vs Capcom. It's easily the best fighter of the year.
Amazing list! Good choice for Mega Man 9, best music of the year!
"bet wii game"?
bet...
BET!?!?!
GREAT AWARDS!
Glad to see Mega Man 9 won something (and runnered up for Best Graphics!!!!!)
Lost Odyssey is truly, like, whoa.
I'm going to buy World of Goo today!
I want to try World of Goo!
Nice list!
glad someone shares almost the same opinion on top honors i have. lbp and mgs4 have had all the eyes at my house fixed to them. i play warhawk, people tell to turn it down. lbp, people tell me they can't hear the other player so it gets turned up. mgs4, people can't say anything because they are hypnotized.
i agree with every game you just listed even if i haven't played have of them.
@Aurion & Half left,
Oops. Let's just pretend you didn't see those ... :O
The list looks pretty good, except for the part where you called Smash Bros. a fighting game. But I guess you had to fit it in somewhere to give it a reward, and giving it "Best Multiplayer-Platformer" wouldn't mean that much.
I think Lost Odyssey's disc one ending should be known by all. I should be able to say "My Grandma dying is almost as sad as the end of disc one" and people should know I'm referring to Lost Odyssey.
Needs more de Blob, The World Ends With You and No More Heroes. Otherwise, awesome job, Chad!
That list was AAAMMMMAAAAZZZZZIIIINNNNGGGG!!!! :-P
No love for Valkyria Chronicles? For shame, sir!
great list simply because it lacks GTAIV
although I wouldn't hold it against you if you gave it an Amazee simply for being most overrated game of the year.
and you have now suckered me into getting Lost Odyssey because of your glowing words. my wife is going to divorce me once i get that Im sure.
AMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAZING list!
no psp love chad??
for shame
Um, the end of Disc One. That is all
SO TRUE <3
I still haven't washed my hand, Chad. It's like, dirty and stuff
Welkstar approves.
"Smash Bros. is easily one of the...deepest fighting videogames ever created."
You obviously did not own a PSP and Patapon, etc. And for best music game, DJ Max Portable!
I'm with DJ on this one, sorry Chad .-.
Amazing list...as usual. LBP is amazing, I don't understand people how knock the platforming or the story levels. What do you think of the MGS level pack?
@EternalDarkwing
There's actually a lot to Smash Bros.'s fighting system. I still can't believe not many people know about dodging, which I always thought was pretty basic.
You had my love and respect up until Game of the Year. I will now deny you ONE PUPPY. I hope it stings.
Oh Chad. I generally agree with 99.9537% of everything you say. Is it too late at my age to still become IRL pals with someone? lol
Fantastic list. It does my heart a profound amount of good to:
1) See Lost Odyssey receive so much love. I really adored that game. The more 2008 lists (from people I actually respect) that I see that include it, the more I hate myself for leaving it out of my own top ten.
2) See Left 4 Dead only achieve honorable mention as Multiplayer game of the year in your book. I'm so tired of having to read about that game.
3) See some love for MGS4 (essentially copy and paste what I said about Lost Odyssey here).
4) See Dead Space's sound design get props.
You and Collette never cease to amaze me with actual sensible choices and meaningful things to say about our favorite artform. I hope to be wowed by your incites some more in 2009.
(I'm aware that I'm laying it on mucho thick, but I think your opinions are the bee's knees)
Great list but Braid should have been in the top 3!
Fun list, Chad. But I've seen just about enough of people making lists that separates the year's top games into boring-ass shit categories like "best music", "best graphics", or "game of the year". I think you need to blaze a trail with categories such as "Best Resident Evil 4 Clone" for Dead Space, "Best Burnout Game That Isn't A Burnout Game" for Burnout Paradise, and "Best Final Fantasy Since 1994" for Lost Odyssey.
I know you're ready, Chad. It's time to make the jump.
I really want to play Lost Odyssey, but I don't have the time :[
I'm also glad I just bought Lost Odyssey. I need to finish after I borrowed it for a little bit.
Chad, I love you so much right now. This is the best list I've seen on Dtoid (sorry Nihontiger). Therefor I'm posting the Chad Concelman Dolphin Hug gif animation again.
I may have to buy a 360 just for Lost Odyssey.
I really need to pick up Professor Layton!
Great job Chad!
Here is my list. Don't worry, it will be fast.
Most amazing bloggers named Chad Concelmo in 2008
and the winner is..
CHAD CONCELMO!
Good to know someone else shares my love for Jansen!
Hmm... I really want to argue with this list, but I just
can't. Gosh darnit, maybe one day I will disagree with you.
I'm not doggin on you Chad (number 1 chad fan), but why list multiplatform games as only 360? I know you probably played them on the 360, but people in the media always list multiplatform games as 360 instead of ps3/360. I know its stupid, but I think small things like that curve the mentality that the PS3 doesnt have any games :(. In fact, the only games the PS3 couldn't play on that list was Lost Oddessy and Braid.
Just a though :D
This is a great list, while I disagree at some points obviously due to my MGS4 fandom I would have picked that game for best voice acting and ending. However I do not have a 360 so lost odyssey and braid are games I have not played. But yes, in all a very great list and I agree LBP is definatly GOTY. And Resistance 2 is awesome, the epic scope and the amount of fun I had playing Co-op and the campaign are just awesome. Hope to see you online in R2. Co-op campaign sometime??