Doctor Fishypants

2008 has been a great year for video games. It hasn’t been a great year for my ability to play them, however. I’ve fallen behind on a number of games, and there are still a few from 2007 (like Twilight Princess) that I have yet to finish. Since I’m too lazy, even during my two weeks off, to make a list of my favorite games of this year, I’ve stolen most of the categories and nominees from GameSpot’s Best of 2008 Awards. Enjoy!

Most Surprisingly Good Game: Braid
It’s ironic that Braid is actually receiving my first award because I absolutely hated the game. I recognize its importance to the industry, its ingenuity, and its impeccable level design. It had one of the most striking visual styles I’ve seen in modern video games, and I can still hear its haunting soundtrack. Unfortunately, I hated everything else about it. While most people praise the story for its ability to be interpreted numerous ways, I found it pretentious and not at all relevant to the gameplay. Puzzles were, for the most part, fair. But don’t bill your game as a platformer/puzzle hybrid if success in the game is not at all dependent on platforming skills. Anyway, my Braid rant is over. Amazing game, but definitely not for me.

Best Graphics, Technical: Metal Gear Solid 4

I might be the only PlayStation 3 owner with absolutely no intention of playing MGS 4. I’m not a fan of stealth games because I despise guess-and-check gameplay. Hiding from guards is consistently my least favorite part of any Legend of Zelda title. But you don’t need to play MGS 4 to recognize the amazing visual achievement that it is.

Honorable Mention: Burnout Paradise

Best Graphics, Artistic: Patapon

At $20, you couldn’t really go wrong with Patapon this year. It was an innovative mix of real-time strategy, RPG, and rhythm mechanics that became almost hypnotic as you pounded away at the face buttons. It had a distinct visual style unlike any game I’ve seen before. Most importantly, it showed that you don’t have to make a watered-down PS2 port to have a great game for the PSP.

Honorable Mentions: LittleBigPlanet, Prince of Persia

Best New Character: Sack Boy

Sony has gone through a number of mascots for the PlayStation brand, and none of them seem to have the same staying power as Mario or Master Chief. It remains to be seen how long Sony will stick with Sack Boy and LittleBigPlanet, but it appears that they finally have a character with mass-market appeal. It doesn’t hurt that his game is an amazing feat, either. Let’s just hope Sony doesn’t run Sack Boy into the ground with $5.00 downloadable outfits.
Honorable Mention: Niko Bellic (GTA IV)

Biggest News: Nintendo Reclaims Console Supremacy
While I think it’s great that the console makers I grew up with are back on top, I wish it were under better circumstances. When I was a kid, the Nintendo Seal of Quality meant you were buying a product that met a certain standard of excellence. This generation, the insignia has been officially shortened to the Nintendo Seal, and it’s obvious that quality is no longer a priority. There are still plenty of great games for the Wii, but those games are overshadowed by the seemingly limitless piles of shovelware that any and all developers are throwing out to make a quick buck.

Best Original Downloadable Console Game: Mega Man 9
Most of my favorite games this year weren’t even retail releases at all. Because of my increasingly short free time, most of the games I played this year came from Xbox Live Arcade or PlayStation Network. Even though I’m far from finishing it, Mega Man 9 gets my nod for best downloadable console game because of sheer audacity. I never imagined they’d continue the original Mega Man line like this, especially after running each of the million spin-offs into the ground. It’s impossibly difficult, but if a game that comes out in 2008 can remind me of playing Mega Man II as a kid, it deserves an award. Even if Capcom is milking every last cent from pointless downloadable expansions that should have been included in the original release.
Honorable Mentions: WipEout HD, echochrome

Best Downloadable Content: Burnout Paradise – New tracks, modes, & motorcycles
2008 was a great year for downloadable content, with plenty of games getting worthwhile additions long after their retail releases. n+ had some great level packs and Harmonix continued its amazing support for Rock Band, but Burnout Paradise gets my commendation for the sheer fact that all of their extra content in 2008 was free.

Best Original Music: Patapon
Patapon gets my award for best original music because the player takes an active part in making the music. Even if it makes it difficult to play Patapon anywhere but at home with headphones, the rhythms in the game are what make it so addiciting.

Best Licensed Music: Braid
As I said before, my favorite part about Braid was its haunting score. Rock Band 2, obviously, is a close runner-up.
Honorable Mention: Rock Band 2

Funniest Game: Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law
Harvey Birdman isn’t a good game. At just about 4 hours, it probably isn’t worth more than $10. But if you’re looking for a good laugh and some watered-down Phoenix Wright gameplay, it’s probably worth picking this one up in a bargain bin.