4. Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep (PSP)
-X-shaped straps are the fashion, apparently.
I wasn't exactly impressed with the last entry in one of my most beloved series, aka Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. It's a good game, but it felt more like a smaller version of something greater. Birth by Sleep most certainly could've gone down the same path, but it completely shattered my expectations. The combat system has been revamped once more, but now with an incredibly accessible yet deep ability system. You can perform magic and special attacks if they are equipped, and after a certain amount of time, you can use it again. Level up those abilities and you can combine them to get new techniques. Not only that, you can partake in a great board game to level them up further. Just this aspect is intriguing, but that isn't all. The combat and exploration aspects are all-round incredibly enjoyable, the story is back to being about a blend of Disney and Square sensibilities, you have three distinct, long campaigns to play through, you can play with your friends online in arena matches and minigames, the music is awesome (outside of Bippity Boppity Boo, a 15 second replay of the same song isn't entertaining!), there is a plethora of other mini-games to play through and it all looks really nice as well. It's just an overall amazing package, packed with content and loveliness. It's a throwback to the good ol' KH quality. Now, Kingdom Hearts 3!
3. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (PSP)
-I just wanted to display the glorious details this game boasts. Wow.
I never imagined a PSP game would ever be in my top 5 list. It's no secret that I've been, well, unfair to the little hulk. So it's with great pleasure that I'm not only proven wrong, but dead wrong since there are TWO PSP games present in my top 5. Imagine that. Anyway, I'm a huge fan of the MGS series. The stealth, the story, the environments, the variety; it's a trademark of quality, brought to us by none other than Hideo Kojima. However, I'd call the previous PSP MGS installment a problematic experiment. Most of the features suffered from the smaller device and more limited control functions, so an evolution was in order. That's exactly what PeaceWalker is, an evolution of both Portable Ops (aka MGS PSP 1) and many of the former titles in the series. Like Birth By Sleep, it's a complete package, filled with various attractions and options. The story is true cIass, telling a chilling Cold War story about betrayal, duty and fraternity. It's not quite as engaging and entwined with humor as some of the other titles, but it's smart beyond measure, and the voice acting is one of a kind. There are also over 200 missions, all with varying objectives. There's a multiplayer feature, dozens of equipment options, incredible opportunities to manage resources and more.It would take way too long to list all of the options (just see my review if you want more). The greatest triumph, however, is the controls. They just feel right in every sense of the word, melding perfectly to create a seamless experience. Finally, just look at that picture above. The game looks THAT great. Any MGS fan will love this, and even those that haven't been able to connect with the series thus far might find themselves enjoying this title. It strikes a fine balance between story, gameplay and presentation, and is an overall masterpiece.
My review: 9.3/10.0
2. BioShock 2 (PS3)
-Drill in the FACE!
I'm not in my nature much of an FPS man. To be more precise, I don't like realism in FPSs. It depresses me. So BioShock amazed me when I first laid my hands on it, and I still deify it to this day. Needless to say, BS2 was at the forefront of must-need titles of 2010 for me. Luckily, BS2 does everything a sequel should do: improve while remembering what was great about the original in the first place. The plasmids, splicers, big daddies, audio diaries, underwater locales and nostalgic music are back, but it's all better than before. Just the ability to be able to dual-wield is a revelation in combat. You can lay on the hurt like never before, and the weapons have been improved in handling as well. Gone is the tedious lock minigame and instead comes a speedy yet tricky lock system to test your reflexes. You no longer take pictures of enemies, you record them. The minute details and the grand details, it all feels more natural and easier to grasp, while retaining the entertaining core of the BS formula. The key to the awesomeness still lies with two things, however: the setting and the story. Never have I felt as much at home in such a derelict and dystopian world. Going back to Rapture was, well, rapturous and it can still get you to stare in awe at all the detail put into each room. It blends well with the "blast to the past" environment of Rapture, where you'll hear some achingly nostalgic tunes from bygone eras. The story retains it's sharply written form, but has some radically different emphases. You play as a prototype Big Daddy, an oddly relatable character looking desperately for his Little Sister. He must go against Sophia Lamb, a wolf in sheep's clothing (pun intended) and the main fixation of a recent cult in the fallen city. I won't go too far into the details, let's just say that it's a heartbreaking tale, told in an incredibly delicate yet powerful manner. Add to that the great multiplayer and by golly you've got an amazing title. It's a shame that the spiritual sequel isn't due until 2012. But the wait will undoubtedly be worth it.
My review: 9.3
1. Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)
-One is already annoying enough, but four normal ones and a giant? Preposterous!
Well, this shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that knows me in the slightest. I have been unbelievably blatant about my love for SMG2, from my third ever 10.0 score to my constant salivating over it on union boards and forums, the fact that it nabbed by top spot for 2010 is, if anything, inevitable. But I'm here to explain why it's here, why it's the top of the top, why this is in my opinion the best game conceived in this gaming generation. Mario has a history of quality in so many fields, from the groundbreaking Super Mario Bros. to the dimension-flipping Paper Mario series, our mustachioed plumber has had his brown shoes in most puddings of the gaming spectrum. It's also no secret that the general concept of Mario is wafer thin at best, save the princess and... that's it. That's EXACTLY what makes Mario so amazing. There's no fluff, no distractions, just lovely design and incredible variety. It's less about improvement and more about simply being better than everything before it. In many ways, the first game (SMG1),as good as it was, was a tutorial to the main course that is the delicious SMG2. It's more challenging, bigger and simply more fun, and I can't completely explain why. Playing SMG2 reminds me why I play games. This is an overused statement, sure, but it's literally the truth. I can't remember how long it's been since I felt just this happy playing a game, at least not since the release of my beloved Kingdom Hearts way back in my early teen years. It's a game that focuses completely on what defines the medium, the joy of clearing an obstacle, the excitement in exploring new worlds, the wonder when you realize that once the game is finished, there's still so much left to do. To check whether I wasn't just going a bit overboard, I left the post-credits content for later so I could see if it retained the same quality about half a year later. It did. It most certainly did. Once I finished the game 100%, I even found myself just playing the game over again, now trying to get better finish times. Considering that I never do that, SMG2 must be something exceptional. Everything about it, from the smooth platforming, the amazing level design, thegrand orchestral track, the great visual presentation, the expansive post-game... it all just clicks. I'd call it a vanguard of gaming fundamentals, but that would be underplaying why SMG2 is as good as it is: it nails everything it needs to nail. Plain and simple. Nintendo EAD have impressed me countless times, but it isn't until now that I consider them to be the greatest team of developers gaming has ever had. Props for that.
My review: 10.0
Well, isn't this a doozy? I hope those that endured the entire list enjoyed it, and if you couldn't read it all, I don't blame you. However, with this, I say goodbye to the 2010 of gaming and say hello to 2011, and all the treasures it holds in the future. Happy New Year, everyone, and let's enjoy what is waiting for us!