Everyone's doing it

I hate them. But I don't want to knock it without trying it, this isn't the internet... oh wait. I never did a Games Of the Year list, because I never felt I had enough entries, either from physically lacking enough games from said year, or from not caring about them enough to rank them. Since I now had a neat catalog of crap I've purchased over the course of 2009, I decided to give it a shot. You know what? I bought a lot of shit, and It was pretty fun to do. Not only did I have more then enough items, I actually couldn't fit all the ones I wanted, and had to argue with myself over the final rankings. As usual, the disclaimer for this website is that I'm not like everybody else, so this list will look very different from other GOTY '09 lists. I also cheat by including import games, so you'll see stuff like Baynotta and 3D Dot Game Heroes on there even though they haven't hit America yet. Also, I'll save you the trouble of scrolling all the way down, then back up here to read the rest. Unleash the wrath:

1. Street Fighter IV - Capcom
I don't think any game will ever come close to the feeling I had when I popped the disc in and sat back to watch the intro. Goosebumps, when the theme switched from 'Indestructible' to the instrumental. The return of the king!

2. Nostalgia - Tecmo/RED/Ignition
The best RPG of the year. C-L-A-S-S-I-C. I don't ever remember writing a letter to RPG developers telling them that I was bored of turn based combat, random battles, and little munchkins trading hits with rats until someone dies. A vote for Nostalgia is a vote for fun.

3. Muramasa: The Demon Blade - Vanillaware/Ignition
It's not a particularly innovative game, but it exists for the sole purpose of being 2D in a 3D world. I respect that, a lot.

4. Baynoetta - Platinum Games/SEGA
Easily the best action game of the year, and probably the best 3D action game to date.

5. Mushihime-sama Futari Ver.1.5 - M2/Cave
Cave's finest to date. You will die, a lot, but you'll always want to press Start to try again.

6. The King Of Fighters XII - SNK/Ignition
SNK delivered on it's promise of a redrawn KOF. Aesthetically it's a perfect 10, content, or lack there of, drags it down.

7. Ninja Blade - From Software/Microsoft
If it wasn't for Bayonetta, this would be "action game of the year." Riding a motorcycle down the side of a bus 1,000 feet in the air above a city will do that for you. Did I mention you're a ninja?

8. BlazBlue - Arc System Works/Aksys
A fantastic fighter from a developer not known for fantastic fighters.

9. Deathsmiles - Cave
I don't like horizontal shooters. I like Deathsmiles. Not dying when touching the floor or ceiling, the first sparks of Cave's design brilliance.

10. 3D Dot Game Heroes - Silicon Studio/From Software
This game is the punchline, the game industry is the joke.

From this list we get:

Developer Of the Year: From Software
They tied with Cave with two apiece, but From brought new titles, while Cave ported old classics.

Publisher Of the Year: Ignition
What? This totally surprised me. They sure know how to pick 'em.

Some games I wish I could put on the list:

• MadWorld (Platinum Games/SEGA)
  
• Star Ocean 4 The Last Hope (Tri-Ace/Square Enix)
  
• Knights In the Nightmare (Sting/Atlus)
  
• Tekken 6 (Bandai Namco)
  

Too much competition, or not enough effort. Really bummed I couldn't put KItN up there.

PC Game Of the Year: Machinarium (Amanita Design)
Out of the two games I played. Runner up: Mata Hari

Best Dreamcast Game: Rush Rush Rally Racing (Senile Team/Red Spot Games)
LOL

Worst Game Of the Year: Arcana Heart 2 (Examu)
I want my fucking money back!

Out of the 35 games I bought this year, nine were RPG's, the most of any genre, but only one made the list. The RPG industry isn't going anywhere, but it is lagging. Shape up, you bums! Let Nostalgia show you how.