I might as well jump on this bandwagon before the absolute deluge of similar blog posts start dropping. 2008 may just be my personal best year of gaming. This is because not only did some truly great games get released this year but I went back and played some of the best games of years past. This list will include the top ten games that I played this year regardless of release.



10.Mirror's edge (demo)



If you had the displeasure of playing mirror's edge, you may be wondering what this is doing on here. Mirror's edge was one of my biggest disappointment this year and was a horrible game, But the demo for the game felt completely different. The demo was like everything mirror's edge promised wrapped up in a free ten minute level. Go download the demo if you haven't already and play until your heart's content but DO NOT be tempted to buy the full game, I don't care how good the demo plays you'll be falling for one of the biggest cons this year.

9.Kirby Superstar Ultra



No one tell Linde, but I bought this game pretty much just because he was so enthusiastic about it during a Podtoid and I had some money to blow. What I got was one of the funnest platformers in awhile and the best Kirby I have ever played. Sure it was easy but arn't all Kirby games? This game includes 12 different games of platforming. Starting with a remake of the original Kirby. The best part of this game was unquestionably "the great cave offense". As Kirby you run through a gigantic cave collecting treasure from gold to Mr.Saturn. The great cave offense is probably my favorite experience playing Kirby ever.

8.Professor Layton



I had never liked a point and click adventure game. Professor Layton changed that. The animation was gorgeous and the story was also interesting. This game shined however in its mindnumbing puzzles. At times I felt like a genius and sometimes I felt like a moron. I cannot wait for the sequel to hit the US even if it is just more of the same.

7.Metal Gear Solid 4



Despite having a PS3, MGS4 was the first and only game I own for the system. Being my first metal gear game I felt like I might be alienated from the game. Despite this, the gameplay was able to hook me. I was able to piece together enough of the story to grasp what I was doing. This first time I played it was just a joy. So much so that I woke up the next day and bought the three other metal gear solid games. I haven't even beat the first yet(curse you psycho mantis!) but after beating the fourth I can say the game may have been short but those few hours were nothing but solid gaming.

6.Super Smash Bros. Brawl



E3 2006 one day after Nintendo's press conference. I had heard rumors of a "secret" game Nintendo was going to unveil but I assumed this where just the desperate cries of Nintendo fanboys that was ever present back then. But this time it came true and Nintendo showed off a trailer that took my breath away. I'm not ashamed to admit that brawl was my most hyped game ever. The Dojo and the journey to release was nothing but a huge hype-machine and I had a front row seat. When Brawl finally hit shelves I realized that this was what I was promised (sans online) but not what I had built up in my mind. Brawl was still a amazing game and one of the best Wii games out there. I loved the subspace emissary. And I put 80 hours of game play into the game, mind you 99% of this was single-player. The music was breathtaking, the game play was amazing and the journey to release was unforgettable.

5.Left 4 Dead



Left 4 Dead was the probably the best multiplayer game I've ever played. It was also the first time I ever really used XBL. Playing with nothing but dtoiders also made it so every game was fun. Though it only has four levels and only two of them have eight player it still manages to never get boring. There is fun to be had rather you are a survivor or a infected. There's just nothing more satisfying then being a boomer and dropping down right in the center of four survivor and exploding. So good.


4.Ikaruga



God Bless Topher Cantler. Listening to retroforce I would constantly hear him talking about Ikaruga. So when this game finally hit XBLA I immediately bought it. Ikaruga was my first real shmup and I'm glad I started hear. With it's black and white bullet hell game play, this is a adrenaline filled rush. With dynamic difficulty that really doesn't change that much depending on setting. It took my 32 hours to beat all five levels in a row on easy and I loved every minute of it.


3.Persona 3:FES



Persona 3: FES is a game I am still trying to beat. After 60 hours of play time though I can say it has been a amazing time so far. The persona system feels like such a fresh break from the norm and the day by day school system is also enthralling. It seems to make me feel a deep connection with the characters. I also love symbolism which made this game all the better to me. Everything means something in this game. Though never forced on you looking up what some things like Tarturus actually mean make you understand the game even more. It also acts as a dark allegory everything from the evokers to the enemies you fight are a very dark and gritty way to get the point across.

2. Lost Odyssey



If you played this game you know what the picture above means. Lost Odyssey was in many ways the exact opposite of persona. Instead of totally unique system of something, Lost Odyssey just stuck to formula and mastered it. There's nothing here that couldn't be done on a SNES when talking about battles. It literally feels like a remake of some SNES RPG which is the greatest praise I can give to it. Why the battles were fun and solid, it was the story that made the game for me. Without a doubt this had one of the best stories I have ever played it a video game and is the best in terms of emotion. I never can cry even in real life circumstances but I do get very teary eyes and I have to say the end of disc one basically had me balling on the inside despite looking just very sad on the outside. Every single aspect of this game was enjoyable and I cannot wait for a sequel or at least another game from Mistwalker.

1. Earthbound and Mother 3




I considering making this two my number one and two but I had too group them together. I case you didn't know mother 3 is basically Earthbound 2

Let's start with earthbound, I've had this game for two years but the first time I tried to play it the it wouldn't save. So bored one day I decided to give it a shot. Every day I would play I had a fear my save file would be erased but by some miracle I was able to play the game all the way through and what a joy it was. Earthbound is just such a charming and quirky game I could not wait to play it everyday. The battle system still held up even by today standards and the story was amazing. Sure it didn't have the emotion but it had the charm. The characters were heart-warming, the enemies unique in every way.

Mother 3 may have been just a unofficial English patch, but it was a job done so well I couldn't tell the difference. I honestly must give a thanks to starman.net for allowing me to enjoy this breath-taking game. Mother 3 took Earthbound's battle system and added a addictive combo system. The story felt much more linear and cinematic but this only served to make Mother 3 different in it's own way. While Lost Odyssey had the most emotional scene for me ever. Mother 3 was able to make me feel emotion the quickest. Despite being 2D, the story was top notch and would really grab you. The character felt more deep than that of Earthbound. The enemies felt a little less charming than the original but this is a minor gripe

Playing these two games in the same year for the first time made this my best gaming year EVER. They instantly both became a part of my top 5 games of all-time.