2011 was a HUGE year for gaming. Never has one season been so busy. From September - November there was a triple A title every week. From Dead Island - Assassin's Creed Revelations these past few months were crazy. I kind of wish some of these games were released in the summer where there were only acouple good games spread out over 3 months. Now that the end of the year is here, it's time to prepare for 2012. 2012 is the year for Mass Effect 3, Diablo III, BioShock Infinite and hopefully The Last Guardian, The Last Of Us, Starhawk, Dust 514, and in North America, Xenoblade Chronicles. It will also be the inaugural year for the Wii U which I hope will be successful as this is Nintendo's time to step up into the modern age of gaming with HD graphics, online support and new IP. But now is the time to look back. GameSpot has posted up their picks for their categories but has given us readers free reign to pick whatever we want. So here are my picks. Usually I give a description for each award but since there are so many, I'll limit it to a couple of sentences.

Best Action/Adventure: Skyward Sword

The open expanse of the world with the addition of new dungeons shows great level design. Nintendo proves again that gameplay and design are the keys to make a great game.

Best Driving Game: Mario Kart 7

Driving games are meh, except for Mario Kart. The only driving game I will play with the exception of Burnout.

Best Fighting Game: Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3

The original was great but this takes it a step further with some great new characters. Loved both MK and UMvC 3 but the speed of UMvC 3 is amazing.

Best Platformer: Super Mario 3D Land

Some may cry foul that it isn't Rayman but this is because they likely don't own a 3DS. This is great Mario platforming in 3D but with the great 2D level design and mechanics.

Best Puzzle: Portal 2

Was there really any doubt here?

Best RPG: Skyrim

Dark Souls was much too tough for the gamer who didn't have the time to pour into it. I didn't so liking the game was tough. Skyrim takes the cake for me though. This is how you make a great RPG.

Best Shooter: Gears of War 3

Gears of War has always been a favourite of mine and this year is no exception. If I had I choice of what game I wanted in 2011, this was it. Well aside from Pokemon Black/White.

Best Sports... next

Best Strategy: Total War: Shogun 2

Even though I didn't even PLAY it, this is still my choice. The pedigree of the Total War series along with its unique take on both turn based strategy and real time tactics easily makes each iteration worth buying.

Best Xbox 360: Gears of War 3

The only exclusive title available this year, aside from Halo Anniversary, this is my pick for Bext 360 game.

Best PC: Total War: Shogun 2

Again, I chose the best exclusive title. Reasons above.

Best PS3: Ico/Shadow of the Colossus Collection

I never thought I would get the opportunity to play these (though ironically enough I own both games on PS2 now) until this came out. Two of the PS2's best games on one disc? Hook me up!

Best Wii: Skyward Sword

Isn't it obvious? At least to North American audiences anyway. Xenoblade Chronicles has yet to be released here so this year's pick is easy enough, Skyward Sword.

Best Handheld: Super Mario 3D Land

The best game on the 3DS right now, also uses its tech the best. The level design makes you keep the 3D on and the game is better for it. It's hard not to think that when the flagpole is at the bottom of the level and you must fall down to reach it.

Best Mobile... they're not games!

Game of the Year: Skyrim

I was floored when I started playing this game. At first I stuck to the main story but I kept getting diverted by other quests. I tried to talking to people to get quests just like standard RPGs but I would get quests just by listening in on conversations. Soon I had a huge quest log with so many suggestions, my head spun. Each time I tried to shut off the game and play something else, the game sucked me right back in. "You must discover this location," it was telling me, "but in between we're going to throw in a couple of dragons, bandits, and other wild creatures. " The sense of discovery keeps on growing. Even 50 hours in, I'm not even close to finishing the main story or discovering all the locations. My only gripes about this game are the bugs but some are funny to experience like getting hit by a giant and flying straight up into the atmosphere. This was a game I was not expecting to get but I'm so glad I did.

Most Anticipated of 2012: The Last Guardian

When I heard about Team Ico's next project, I got excited. The Last Guardian is said to bring together elements of both Ico and Shadow of the Colossus. At least that's what the developers said on their video on the Ico/Shadow of the Colossus disc. Fumito Ueda, the director for TLG, left recently but I hope he finishes TLG. People actually thumbed me down when I posted this on the forums for Most Anticipated Game of 2012 but it is the game I am most excited about for next year. Yes, even more than Mass Effect 3.

-GS Special Achievements

Most Surprisingly Good Game: Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure

When I saw this, I thought "Great. This is the end of Spyro." I thought for sure this game was going to suck and just grab money from people buying it for their kids. Then it gets good reviews. This was the game I was not expecting to do well critically. Financially maybe but certainly not when it came down to critics. How wrong I was.

Best Story... hard to say

Tough to pick the best story of the year.

Best Graphics (Technical): Battlefield 3

Come on, was there any game this year that looked better?

Best Graphics (Artistic): Skyward Sword

Screw you GameSpot for not even nominating it. I love the graphics for Skyward Sword and it's the perfect fit for the Wii. Twilight Princess had a couple of technical issues when too many things were happening at once. This time, it's perfect with no trouble at all. It adds a level of charm to the game.

Best New Character: Tie between Wheatley (Portal 2) and Johnson (Shadows of the Damned)

Both of these guys were so funny but in different ways. Wheatley was a scared personality core that always talked about getting out and not wanting to die. But the voice acting for Wheatley was the part that made him great. He would often fumble with words as he tried to explain things to you since he was so frightened. Johnson was a do-it-all tool for Garcia. Gun, torch, even motorcycle. Just like Wheatley he was always worrying but the constant juvenile banter between him and Garcia made the game laugh out loud funny.

Best DL Game on PC and consoles... can't decide

I usually don't get download games so I can't really offer an opinion here

Best Atmosphere: Ico/Shadow of the Colossus Collection

These two games were made specifically for this reason and it shows. Shadow of the Colossus is the main standout though. It's so easy to change moods from puzzled, trying to figure out how to scale each colossus, to epic as you climb the beasts and they try to shake you off.

Best Music: Shadows of the Damned

Akira Yamaoka's music is legendary among Japanese developers as is Grasshopper Manufacture's. When the two combine forces, prepare for some truly epic punk rock tunes but perfectly fits the game.

Best Sound Design... O_o

Probably BF 3 but hard to say for sure...

Best Voice Acting: Portal 2

Wheatley, GLaDOS, and the turrets were all so funny and they managed to sound the best despite being robots. Stephen Merchant, the voice of Wheatley, deserves extra praise.

Best Adaptation: Batman: Arkham City

Obvious...next!

Funniest: Shadows of the Damned

This came dwon to Portal 2 and Shadows of the Damned. Portal 2's lines were very funny and it shows true genius on Valve's part. But the juvenile jokes got me laughing the whole way in Shadows of the Damned. If I were older or younger I would hate/ wouldn't get the jokes. But the game was made with us teens in mind :D

Best Co-op: Gears of War 3

Best Competitive: Gears of War 3

Best Multiplayer overall goes to Gears of War. The co-op and multiplayer are such far cries from the other two games in terms of quality and replay value. 4 player co-op was a long time coming but it definitely delivered here. Multiplayer now has dedicated servers which remedies the connection issues with Gears 1 and 2. In terms of improvement this is the clear winner.

Best Original Game Mechanic... don't know

...

Most Improved Sequel: Mortal Kombat

After MK3, the series kind of died in the third dimension. This culminated in MKv DCU which was rated T. No MK game should be rated T...EVER! MK9 brought back what MK fans loved. The 2D fighting, the gory fatalities, and a true story based off the original trilogy. A great story is hard to come across when it comes to fighters but this delivered bigtime for fans and new people to the ring (like me).

Best Original IP: Shadows of the Damned

I personally love companies that try new things. It usually doesn't work out either financially or critically but I applaud them. Grasshopper Manufacture and Platinum Games are two of my favourite Japanese companies simply because of their efforts to create new IP. Unfortunately change is not something gamers like and their games don't do too well. Same trend here with Shadows of the Damned. This was definetely my pick for original IP.

Best Boss Fights: Skyward Sword

While some of the bosses were incredibly easy compared to past games (Moldarach), the boss battles in Zelda games are always epic. Some of my favourite bosses are from here along with Shadows of the Damned. Skyward Sword takes it for me though. Shadow of the Colossus' fights were my favourites this year... maybe I should have put that there instead... Oh well Zelda FTW! :P

Most Memorable Moment: Gears of War 3 (Dom's sacrifice)

The last thing I think anyone expected to happen in Gears of War is the death of a main character. You think of Gears of War, you likely think of these huge guys in armour you kick Locust a$$ all day long. So when Dom sacrifices himself to kill off the surrounding Locust and Lambent I think it shocked every player who played the game.

Best Writing/Dialogue: Portal 2

I think I've showered Shadows of the Damned with enough praise so it's time to honour Portal 2. I personally loved Portal 2 and Shadows of the Damned equally since the writing and dialogue are both high points of the game.

Best Ending... lol I barely make it to the end of my games. My attention span is so short :D

Best Remake: Ico/Shadow of the Colossus Collection

While technically not a remake, it's a re-release so I consider it the same way. Includes two of the greatest PS2 games to be released and that's saying quite a bit since there were so many games released on the PS2. Shadow of the Colossus is the better game for me becuase of it's action. Climbing those colossi never gets old and I look forward to each and every fight.

Song of the Year...

Best Arsenal: Bulletstorm

Most people have forgotten Bulletstorm. I initially picked it up for the extra week of Gears 3 beta action. But I got so into the game I forgot to play Gears 3 first day! This game has so many ways to kill people and it tells you how. But it isn't about that. This is about the weapons. You have your standard guns but all of them have some unique alternate fire options. Shotgun blasts completely oblitherate your enemies and they end up in at least 10 different parts, the assault rifle will strip your skin from your bones leaving only a skeleton behind, and the revolver shoots fireworks.

Best Puzzles: Skyward Sword

Only complaint with Portal 2: it was too damn hard on the brain. When I eventually figured out each puzzle I felt like a complete idiot. Skyward Sword's puzzles aren't that hard (helps that I have a guide though xD) and it fits into the gameplay quite well. The Lanayru puzzles are the best since you alter time to solve puzzles.

Best Game No One Played: Shadows of the Damned

This game only sold 100,000 units worldwide... that's sad considering how great the game is.

Now that the VGAs are over, I can comment on it. For the most part it was good, showing off some new IP from Epic Games (Fortnite), Naughty Dog (The Last Of Us) as well as the reemergence of MGS: Rising now Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance(is that even a word?). Lows were the stupid "game shows". They were for charity yes but they cut into the time of the show. Now here is my revision of my previous blog post on the VGA. Bold is the revised part.

Game of the Year: Skyward Sword or Skyrim (Winner: Skyrim)

I haven't decided yet and I stil have to play the full Zelda game to make an informed decision. But Skyrim is amazing. I stayed away from Oblivion since most people told me it wasn't very good but when I saw it at E3, I knew this was going to be something special. I was a little worried it wouldn't live up to the hype but it delivers. I hope Skyward Sword lives up to the critical acclaim it's been getting (no help from GameSpot *growl*).

Somehow, I knew Skyrim would win. It really is something special and it is the best game I've played this year. I've played all of the GOTY nominees (except Uncharted) and they were all amazing in their own ways but Skyrim is the one that got me hooked and still has me on the line.

Studio of the Year: Bethesda (Winner: Bethesda)

The work they did on Skyrim really makes them the winner. While I loved the work Valve did with Portal 2, Naughty Dog Uncharted 3, I am enjoying Skyrim so much that I'm not willing to even consider the others. Well, I do but Bethesda takes it for me.

Sometimes a studio wins even if they don't get GOTY. But Bethesda is one of the industry's best developers and their games have always recieved critical acclaim. I haven't been a Bethesda fan prior to Skyrim but now I can see the true genius in that studio.

Best Xbox 360 GOTY: Gears of War 3 (Winner: Batman: Arkham City)

Since I believe in the word exclusive, this was the obvious choice for me. I'm no car guy so Gears 3 wins by default

Of course what I think is not what the judges think. Apparently Batman is played more on the Xbox so it's a "xbox" game. Whatever, next!

Best PS3 GOTY: Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Winner: Uncharted 3)

This is the obvious choice for me and I'm sure a lot of people feel the same way. LBP 2 is cool and Killzone 3 is great but everyone knows who the true face of Sony is now. That is Nathan Drake.

This one was pretty obvious wasn't it?

Best Wii Game: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Winner: Skyward Sword)

I'm enjoying Kirby's Return to Dreamland but Skyward Sword will be a much larger game and the gameplay in it is great. The motion controls are excellent and some of the puzzles can make you rub your noggin. It's a rewarding experience to beat an enemy and an even better experience when you beat the bosses.

Again, obvious.

Best PC Game: None (Winner: Portal 2)

I don't have a good PC so I can't really say but if it came down to it, I would have to say Battlefield 3. While yes it's not a PC exclusive, the game is made for the PC and it shows.

I forgot to mention this too, didn't I? Valve has always made games meant for the PC. Whether it feels better on the computer or not I won't know. But Portal 2 was still amazing regardless.

Best Handheld/Mobile Game: Super Mario 3D Land (Winner: Super Mario 3D Land)

I don't care aboutcell phone/smartphonegames at all. Those aren't true games. A game is something you spend time and effort in. Nintendo shows how great Mario is yet again with great 3D platforming but with the ****c 2D feel.

I'm pretty sure it came down to this and Infinity Blade II but the true handheld game wins here.Perfect Mario platforming greatness.

Best Shooter: All of Them (MW 3)

I can't decide. Being a shooter fan (like everyone else it seems) I like the gameplay in all of them. Battlefield's finally got the realism down right, MW3 is more of the same solid stuff, Gears of War 3 has the formula down right and it plays perfectly now, and Rage is fun and id Software showed me who the grandfather of FPS games is.

Of course it is. No need to talk about CoD here. Everyone knows.

Best Action Adventure: Can't Decide (Batman: Arkham City)

This is also a tough one. Maybe if I play Skyward Sword I can decide but right now I can't. Uncharted 3 and Batman were both amazing games.

Somewhat obvious here at least when it comes to action. Exploring the open world beating up every thug in sight though, never gets old.

Best RPG: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Winner: Skyrim)

Dark Souls is great but it's just way too hard. Skyrim is a calmed down version of Dark Souls. The world is at least twice as big as Dark Souls and the combat feels better in first person then Dark Souls' third.

This was almost a given. Dark Souls, Deus Ex, a little too hardcore and hard to get into. Skyrim lets you do whatever you want, whenever you want and that is one of the things that makes a great RPG. You have to get into the role and to do that, you must have full control of your actions.

Best Multiplayer Game: Battlefield 3 (Winner: Portal 2)

As long as it's on PC, Battlefield 3 has no equal.

What?! Really? But then I again I can't say anything since I didn't touch the co-op part of Portal 2. I was expecting Battlefield to win one thing at least but nope, it walks away with nothing.

Best Individual Sports Game: Don't Care (and Team also don't care) (Winner Individual: Fight Night Champion, Team: forgot or wasn't paying attention *trollface*)

Best Driving: Forza Mortorsport 4 (Winner: Forza 4)

I don't play racing games but based on what I've seen Forza 4 seems obvious.

Great. Next!

Best Fighting Game: Marvel vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds (Winner: Mortal Kombat)

The insanity of MvC3 earns its pick on that alone. It's a spectacle for people to watch and I doubt any newbie coming in would understand a frame of anything happening on-screen. MK was awesome and fatalities were gruesome and satisfying but it felt a little too slow for me especially after playing MvC3.

It really was only between MvC3 and MK. Glad to see MK win though. It is such a great game and revives the franchise from the depths of the NetherRealm.

Best Motion Game: Can't make a real decision (Winner: Skyward Sword)

I lean towards Skyward Sword of course but the problem is, I can't say anything since I haven't played the others. But the controls to Skyward Sword are pretty much perfect. I don't see how they can get much better.

Didn't play any of the others but now I don't have to. :) The controls are spot-on and I understand Nintendo's thinking that motion controls are the way to go.

Best Indie Game: Can't say (Winner: Minecraft)

I've heard such great things about Bastion and of course, who hasn't heard of Minecraft at this point? I haven't played either and I don't know the other two so I'm leaving it here.

The game was a phenomenon before it's official release so it was somewhat obvious.

Best Adapted Game: Batman: Arkham City (Winner: Batman)

There's no contest here. Captain America, Back to the Future, Lego Star Wars III? Next!

No revisions here.

Best Song: Can't say

I haven't listened to any of them besides Want You Gone from Portal 2.

Best Original Score: Can't say

Portal is known for its crazy tunes but the other ones, I've heard nothing so I can't make a decision.

Best Graphics: Uncharted 3 (Winner: Uncharted 3)

I'm very surprised Battlefield 3 isn't on there. Since it's not, Uncharted 3 is my next pick. Rage was the only other real contender but the textures are blurry when viewed up close.

Didn't do the other ones since they weren't even announced on the show. I still maintain that BF 3 has the best graphics but next in line is definetely Uncharted.

Best Performance from a Male Actor: Stephen Merchant as Wheatley from Portal 2 (Winner: Stephen Merchant)

Wheatley was hilarious and his lines were always funny but mixed with a bit of insanity. You can tell Wheatley is overly cautious and he was slowly losing his mine (or memory core as it were).

Great performance there. Lines are delivered perfectly as he plays the worried core who is trying to take over in secret.

Best Performance from a Female Actor: Ellen McLain as GLaDOS from Portal 2 (Winner: Ellen Mclain)

GLaDOS is back. 'Nuff said

'Nuff said.

Best DLC Game and Pack: Don't know

And those are my picks for Spike's GOTY. We'll see if my choices are right on December 10.

Looks like the majority of my choices (at least the ones I actually chose) were correct. I'm getting really good at this lol. I think it's time for me to join a game webiste and provide my own insight. :P So ends a year of excellent gaming. We'll see if 2012 will be a smash hit as well before we all die. :D

I like what GameTrailers does with their reviews. They list their games by Story, Design, Gameplay, and Presentation. Once I get around to the reviews (I know I've been procrastinating a lot) I think I will use this formula to grade the games. But I will have to round it out since GS uses .5 instead of .1. I like .1 better anyway. It'smore precise. .5 is like the US imperial system while .1 is metric. Metric is far more specific.

Whoever played Skyward Sword and thought the controls were bad is dumb. I've played the demo and the controls do take some time to get used to I'll admit but once you have it down, it's perfect. Aiming is only slightly off and you can't center the camera behind you. Other than that it's amazing.

I would rant on further but the Spike VGA's are coming up and I usually don't care about the awards but they have a group of judges this year that will help decide the winner. The Spike VGA's are usually a popularity contest so I'm glad they brought in some judges. Battlefield 3 and Modern Warfare 3 are thankfully out of the equation and they don't deserve it anyway.

Game of the Year: Skyward Sword or Skyrim

I haven't decided yet and I stil have to play the full Zelda game to make an informed decision. But Skyrim is amazing. I stayed away from Oblivion since most people told me it wasn't very good but when I saw it at E3, I knew this was going to be something special. I was a little worried it wouldn't live up to the hype but it delivers. I hope Skyward Sword lives up to the critical acclaim it's been getting (no help from GameSpot *growl*).

Studio of the Year: Bethesda

The work they did on Skyrim really makes them the winner. While I loved the work Valve did with Portal 2, Naughty Dog Uncharted 3, I am enjoying Skyrim so much that I'm not willing to even consider the others. Well, I do but Bethesda takes it for me.

Best Xbox 360 GOTY: Gears of War 3

Since I believe in the word exclusive, this was the obvious choice for me. I'm no car guy so Gears 3 wins by default :P

Best PS3 GOTY: Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception

This is the obvious choice for me and I'm sure a lot of people feel the same way. LBP 2 is cool and Killzone 3 is great but everyone knows who the true face of Sony is now. That is Nathan Drake.

Best Wii Game: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

I'm enjoying Kirby's Return to Dreamland but Skyward Sword will be a much larger game and the gameplay in it is great. The motion controls are excellent and some of the puzzles can make you rub your noggin. It's a rewarding experience to beat an enemy and an even better experience when you beat the bosses.

Best PC Game: None

I don't have a good PC so I can't really say but if it came down to it, I would have to say Battlefield 3. While yes it's not a PC exclusive, the game is made for the PC and it shows.

Best Handheld/Mobile Game: Super Mario 3D Land

I don't care about mobile games at all. Those aren't true games. A game is something you spend time and effort in. Nintendo shows how great Mario is yet again with great 3D platforming but with the classic 2D feel.

Best Shooter: All of Them

I can't decide. Being a shooter fan (like everyone else it seems) I like the gameplay in all of them. Battlefield's finally got the realism down right, MW3 is more of the same solid stuff, Gears of War 3 has the formula down right and it plays perfectly now, and Rage is fun and id Software showed me who the grandfather of FPS games is.

Best Action Adventure: Can't Decide

This is also a tough one. Maybe if I play Skyward Sword I can decide but right now I can't. Uncharted 3 and Batman were both amazing games.

Best RPG: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Dark Souls is great but it's just way too hard. Skyrim is a calmed down version of Dark Souls. The world is at least twice as big as Dark Souls and the combat feels better in first person then Dark Souls' third.

Best Multiplayer Game: Battlefield 3

As long as it's on PC, Battlefield 3 has no equal.

Best Individual Sports Game: Don't Care (and Team also don't care)

Best Driving: Forza Mortorsport 4

I don't play racing games but based on what I've seen Forza 4 seems obvious.

Best Fighting Game: Marvel vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds

The insanity of MvC3 earns its pick on that alone. It's a spectacle for people to watch and I doubt any newbie coming in would understand a frame of anything happening on-screen. MK was awesome and fatalities were gruesome and satisfying but it felt a little too slow for me especially after playing MvC3.

Best Motion Game: Can't make a real decision

I lean towards Skyward Sword of course but the problem is, I can't say anything since I haven't played the others. But the controls to Skyward Sword are pretty much perfect. I don't see how they can get much better.

Best Indie Game: Can't say

I've heard such great things about Bastion and of course, who hasn't heard of Minecraft at this point? I haven't played either and I don't know the other two so I'm leaving it here.

Best Adapted Game: Batman: Arkham City

There's no contest here. Captain America, Back to the Future, Lego Star Wars III? Next!

Best Song: Can't say

I haven't listened to any of them besides Want You Gone from Portal 2.

Best Original Score: Can't say

Portal is known for its crazy tunes but the other ones, I've heard nothing so I can't make a decision.

Best Graphics: Uncharted 3

I'm very surprised Battlefield 3 isn't on there. Since it's not, Uncharted 3 is my next pick. Rage was the only other real contender but the textures are blurry when viewed up close.

Best Performance from a Male Actor: Stephen Merchant as Wheatley from Portal 2

Wheatley was hilarious and his lines were always funny but mixed with a bit of insanity. You can tell Wheatley is overly cautious and he was slowly losing his mine (or memory core as it were).

Best Performance from a Female Actor: Ellen McLain as GLaDOS from Portal 2

GLaDOS is back. 'Nuff said :P

Best DLC Game and Pack: Don't know

And those are my picks for Spike's GOTY. We'll see if my choices are right on December 10.

I volunteered to work Call of Duty's midnight launch. I don't know why I volunteered, I did though. *sarcasm* What a joy this night has been! *sarcasm*

I'm going to try and write some more reviews while I can and since I managed to find time to finish or at least partly finish some of these games released. With my next purchase being Super Mario 3D Land next Sunday, I'll try and get at least two reviews done starting with Gears of War 3 and Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2.

I can't believe how crazy this season is. This has to be one of the most packed seasons for games in its history. They're not just regular games either. They're all AAA games there and it seems every Tuesday brought a huge new game. I'm not sure how much money or time anyone has to play all these games and I'm trying to play them all. But it's just not possible. With my spending spree not ending until Mario Kart 7's release on December 4, I can list all the games I bought and still planning to get this season. I won't be buying all these (or did buy these or still on my wanted list) on their release dates, I'm just listing them all down.

September 6 - Dead Island

September 19 - Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2

September 20 - Gears of War 3

September 27 - Ico/Shadow of the Colossus Collection

October 4 - Dark Souls

October 18 - Batman: Arkham City

October 24 - Kirby's Return to Dreamland, Pokemon Rumble Blast

November 8 - Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

November 11 - The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

November 13 - Super Mario 3D Land

November 15 - Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3

November 20 - The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

December 4 - Mario Kart 7

Man, those are a lot of games I've bought (or still thinking about buying)! Don't even get me started on the other games I'm thinking about buying (trust me, no one wants to know the colossal amount). Good thing I work at EB Games/GameStop where I get a discount on games! :P

It's a little early yeah but all the major gaming conferences are over now and besides everyone knows this was one of the best years of gaming yet if a bit overloaded. There are 5 games I'm really looking forward to next year. Here they are:

5. Kid Icarus: Uprising (3DS)

After watching previews of it at E3, it looks to be one hell of an action game. I'm still a little curious to see how it will all play out in the end but for now, it's looking to be a strong entry in the 3DS lineup. (Also hoping it gets done soon so Project Sora can start working on SSB 4!)

4. Starcraft II: Heart of the Swarm (PC)

I've always been a big fan of RTS games and Starcraft was a big factor. I played the original right up to the point of SC II's release last year. I knew there were going to be expansions and new units and a new campaign definetely has me excited for next year. I don't care if my PC isn't strong enough, I'll play with lag just because SC II is awesome!

3. Monster Hunter 4 (3DS)

Since Monster Hunter Portable 3rd HD doesn't have a release date in North America yet; or even if it's going to come out here, I'm really looking forward to Monster Hunter 4. I'm still a little skeptical of the second analog stick and I'm sincerely hoping there's a bundle that comes with the game and the stick. Also, Capcom better not screw this up with only local play. If there is no online for this game, I will not even bother with it. Unless the game gets such good reviews that I can't pass it up :P

2. The Last Guardian (PS3)

I was disappointed that The Last Guardian didn't show up at E3 this year and that it got pushed back till next year. I'm still playing through Ico/Shadow of the Colossus Collection and Team Ico has shown to me how to make a true classic. I'm hoping TLG will have the same impact and influence when it comes out, hopefully, next year.

1. Mass Effect 3 (Xbox 360)

I thought the first Mass Effect was amazing and that nothing could top it. Now I can't even play it anymore because of Mass Effect 2. The gameplay improvements were huge and it makes ME1 look like a cheap, rushed game. The only problem I had with ME1 and ME2 were some of the bugs and glitches. I hope they iron it out but BioWare has not always done the best job with this. Regardless, this is the one game I would buy next year if I had a choice.

Honourable Mentions:

BioShock: Infinite

Metal Gear Solid: Rising

Final Fantasy XIII-2

Anarchy Reigns

Borderlands 2

Dark Souls: They weren't kidding about the game's difficulty! I've heard the rumours of Demon's Souls legendary difficulty but when you've been stuck at pretty much the beginning of the game and still unable to move forward without yanking your hair out, it says something about the game. Don't get me wrong, the game is amazing but there was a lot of thought put into the game and punishing the player for not moving forward cautiously. You really need to take your time and look before you leap.

Batman: Arkham City - Having played Arkham Asylum I knew what to expect going in but somehow they made the already satisfying comabt even better and it moves even more fluidly than before. Add in the predator portions and another trip down trippy lane, it proves that not all superhero games need to be bad. Even as I say that, Batman techincally isn't a superhero. But I think I've made my point.

Upcoming games:

Pokemon Rumble Blast: I'm actually playing through this right now but I haven't gotten far enough to state how I truly feel about this game.

Kirby's Return to Dreamland: I originally wasn't planning on getting this till later but a deal at EB Games got me to put down the cash for it. After I finish with my other projects (school work, games, work) I'll start playing this.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword - I've seen some early reviews for the game and it is doing very, very well. I look forward to playing it when it rounds out this crazy launch season on November 20th.

Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2, quite a mouthful there. But anyway the game is ok, working through it. The usual grind of JRPGs but I have no problem with that. I've always loved the DQM series since it relates quite a bit to Pokemon.

Gears of War 3, hell yeah! As most games these days it has that familiar feel to it. Having played Gears 2 to Gears 3 it feels more refined. Also having played the beta and played at FanExpo in Toronto I logged quite a few hours before the game even came out. Aside from Pokemon Black and White, this is the game I've wanted this year. No Call of Duty for me.

Ico/Shadow of the Colossus Collection, looks like I have to talk about two games. When I first booted up Ico I was actually surprised this was a puzzle game. Well for the better part it is. A little annoying having to escort Yorda around the whole castle but I guess that's what the whole part of the game is. To interact with the characters.

Shadow of the Colossus... I've heard so many stories about this game. I have never, ever, heard anything bad about this game. I thought I would never get the chance to experience it before this collection came out. Now that I have finally played it, I can see why everyone has a universal love for this game. Just from the first battle I had that feeling that I was playing a masterpiece. From the amazing music to the mechanics driving the game, it is awesome. That feeling of triumph when you finally defeat a colossus after minutes of trying is truly rewarding. But it also makes you feel other things: sadness of that colossi's death, the adrenaline that is sure to be still running in your system.

I have to get around to writing reviews again. I'll see if I can squeeze them in between schoolwork, work, and gaming. I have quite a few things to say about these games.

Also... in a dark corner of my room... resides the nightmare of a game, rumoured to be the toughest game of this console generation. As I stare at it, I think to myself: Do you really want to play this? Are you prepared to die?