Game of the Year - Winners

Firstly we would like to thank you all for the participation and support you’ve given to NoobFeed’s first ever Game of the Year awards. 2009 has been such a great year for games and we only thought it right to end with an award ceremony of sorts to commemorate that.

Each category was voted on by our staff members and tallied up until an eventual victor was found, so this truly is a team effort and should reflect the views of our team as a whole. There’s also a few other special awards thrown in towards the end for good measure, so without further ado I’ll announce the winners:

Best Console
Nominees: PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii.

And the winner is…

PlayStation 3

How could the PlayStation 3 not win the best console of 2009 with so many amazing games being released for it over the past 12 months? We tried to bring variety into our game nominations, but when you have games such as Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, InFamous, Killzone 2, Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time and Tekken 6 - to name but a few - that are all exclusive to the console and all critically acclaimed across the board it’s hard not to stand up and take notice.

They’ve also continued to support their users through the PlayStation Network, constantly providing gamers with console updates and new and exciting features that are bringing them closer to the enemy – Xbox Live. The inclusion of downloadable HD-quality movies is perhaps the biggest addition of the year, allowing users to obtain their favourite movies new and old directly to their console without ever having to leave the comfort of their homes. Facebook integration was also a welcoming feature.

In all honesty it absolutely wiped the floor with the competition and none of the other nominations really stood a chance. Sony really have had a great year in the gaming market, releasing their very popular and mass-selling PlayStation Slim, that not only trimmed the fat off of it’s bigger brother, but offered bigger storage space, and also brought the next generation of Sony gaming into households that might not have necessarily been able to afford the hefty price tag prior to its release.

With 2010 set to bring yet more big-hitting console exclusives to the fray – games such as the elusive Gran Turismo 5, God of War III and Final Fantasy XIV – the future certainly looks bright for Sony, and for the next twelve months at least, the console takes all of the plaudits from us here at NoobFeed.

Best Handheld
Nominees: DS (including DSi), PSP (Including PSP Go), iPhone (including 3GS).

And the winner is…

Nintendo DS (including DSi)

The Nintendo DS has had a very successful year, especially with the release of the Nintendo DSi – the handhelds third iteration. The system is thinner and lighter than its predecessor and despite that still boasts larger screens, as well as two 0.3 megapixel cameras, one on the external body and one on the internal hinge when the device is opened. The external one is mainly used for sharing pictures over the internet, whilst the internal one has been utilized by game developers in weird and wonderful ways.

That’s not to mention its ability to play music, browse the web via Wi-Fi, and also insert external SD memory cards that allow up to 2GB storage. It’s these features along with a great line-up of games such as Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, Professor Leyton and the Diabolical Box, plus a multitude of RPG’s - Pokemon Platinum, Phantasy Star Zero, Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon, Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride - that’s bagged it the title of NoobFeed’s handheld of the year 2009.

Perhaps what’s most great about the achievements of the DS and the DSi this year has been its stubbornness not to rollover to the goliath that the iPhone is becoming. Not only has it locked-out the music market and the mobile phone market, but it’s also doing a damn fine job bringing some quality handheld gaming titles to a mass market and the gaming industry as a whole are starting to stand up and take notice. The Apple App Store currently has over 100,000 applications, gaming or otherwise, and has seen over 2 billion individual downloads over a period of just 17 months.

Next year will be an interesting affair to say the least, and with Nintendo constantly pulling rabbits out of their metaphorical hat the battle for handheld supremacy is sure to hot up, which can only mean great times ahead for gamers on the go.

Best Action/Adventure Game
Nominees: Assassins Creed II, InFamous, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Batman: Arkham Asylum.

And the winner is…

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Wow, now that was a tough decision. The action/adventure genre has been spoilt by so many outstanding games this year, each one attempting to gain an edge on the opposition with bigger and bolder gameplay, open, sprawling worlds, and truly awe-inspiring visuals. So much so that each one of our nominations have been universally praised, and if they were released any other year probably would have scooped the title. Unfortunately for them they came up against a goliath – Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.

It’s no coincidence that PlayStation 3 sales have been boosted this holiday season. Yes, the PlayStation Slim has something to do with that, but so has Uncharted. For us at NoobFeed it’s a reason to buy the console just on its own, it truly is that good. The attention to detail is something to behold, Naughty Dog really didn’t miss a trick here. The world in which you are cast is so deep and immersive, and at times thrilling and as explosive as you could ever need a game to be.

Uncharted 2 has one of the highest overall ratings of all time, on GameRankings, Metacritic and just about any other site that tracks review scores, and is almost guaranteed its place amongst some of the all-time greats. It will certainly be in our thoughts and indeed our disc trays for a long time coming, that’s for sure.

Best Shooter Game
Nominees: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Killzone 2, Resistance 2, Wolfenstein.

And the winner is…

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

We keep the ball rolling with yet another massive game, and one that probably had the biggest impact on 2009, both in terms of the hype surrounding its release and just how many units it sold in such a short space of time. There was a pretty big reason for the attention it was gathering though and that was because not only did it look amazing – something we’ve come to expect from the series – but because it looked every bit as good as the original Modern Warfare, and that in itself is an achievement.

After release the team here at NoobFeed weren’t disappointed, and praised just how well the game picked up from where it left off. It was like it had never been away. Our only major criticism was the length of the story campaign. While it was up to its usually high standard, it felt like a case of Déjà vu and we were left found wanting upon completion. Luckily for Infinity Ward they’ve improved upon an already fantastic multiplayer component by adding extra bits and pieces here and there to improve it as a whole.

It’s already been unofficially leaked from sources here and there that a third game in the Modern Warfare mini-series is on the horizon. Conjecture that I’m sure will bring a smile to many faces. So get ready to jump on board the hype train once again, because this time there’ll be no stopping it. Let’s just hope this time the journey lasts a little longer.

Best Rhythm Game
Nominees: Guitar Hero 5, Lego Rock Band, The Beatles: Rock Band, Rock Band 2.

And the winner is...

Rock Band 2

It’s been a dream year for those caught up in the love affair that has been the rhythm game revolution, and one that has brought us some zany combinations – namely Lego Rock Band. But as bizarre as the name suggests it actually possesses a quirkiness that comes like a breath of fresh air to a genre that’s going stale quite rapidly. This was the closest vote we had amongst the staff and one title just about edged it, but that’s not taking anything away from the others, each one achieving individual merits.

The reason we gave this accolade to Rock Band 2 was because what it lacked in originality it made up for by simply improving upon everything that had gone before it. The drum and guitar controllers were a lot sturdier, more songs were made available than ever before and small features such as the ability in certain scenarios to make failing a song impossible all made for a nice touch. There is nothing ground-breaking to speak of here, but Harmonix have definitely taken one small step in the right direction.

Best Role-Playing Game
Nominees: Demon’s Souls, Dragon Age: Origins, Torchlight, Borderlands.

And the winner is…

Dragon Age: Origins

Role-Playing games - as the name suggests – are a chance for us, the gamer, to escape reality and assume the roles of fictional characters. The genre has proved very popular amongst the mass market over the last decade and as a result has branched out and merged with First-Person Shooters, Action/Adventure games, and even had it’s impact on beat em’ ups – Tekken 6 probably the most recent example of this.

2009 has been a decent year for RPG and RPG-based games, but the one that stood horns above all others was Dragon Age: Origins. It’s probably no surprise just how good this game is and how well it has been received given that BioWare has created and nurtured it. These are the guys behind such games as Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Mass Effect.

Perhaps the games most redeeming feature is its ability to create and stir much emotion in the characters and the story itself. You can’t help but feel a strong connection towards them, and indeed the game. The team behind the title describes it as an "epic tale of violence, lust, and betrayal,” and we think that sums it up pretty nicely.

Best Puzzle Game
Nominees: Braid, Cuboid, Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box.

And the winner is…

Braid

The puzzle genre has probably been the weakest this year. There have been some gems amongst the rocks, but sadly they have been too few and far between for our liking. However, there was one that shone brighter than any other, and that was Braid – a game that was designed and created by a man who was tired of contemporary trends in video game development. He wanted to create something unique and that was certainly achieved.

The game requires puzzle solving via simple runs, jumps and climbs, but also grants the ability to rewind time, even after being killed. Each world you visit deals with this unique trait in different ways, requiring multiple skills in order to progress. Eventually culminating in the final stages, where time is cleverly reversed as a constant, and thus reversing that reverts time back to normal.

We can only hope to see more games like Braid on our shelves and available to download in the near future. Everyone would benefit from the results.

Best Sports Game
Nominees: Forza Motorsport 3, Fifa 10, Pro Evolution Soccer 2010, Wii Sports Resort.

And the winner is…

Pro Evolution Soccer 2010

This result is sure to upset the Fifa camp but there had to be a winner and it’s Konami who bag the plaudits this year. The Pro Evolution Soccer series has had a tough time these past few years and deservedly so. Fans were presented mediocre title after mediocre title and patience was beginning to wear thin. This latest installment couldn’t have come at a better time for those losing faith, improving on what needs to improved, and surpassing its rival in some key areas.

The game truly looks amazing and the player likenesses are arguably the best ever seen in a soccer-based video game. The game speed has been tweaked to create a more realistic feel, and the ball physics have seen yet more subtle enhancements. The game still lacks many crucial licenses, which is something Fifa has a stranglehold on for now, but they’ve attempted to make up for that with more editing options, including the ability to now add up to 8 custom chants per team for different scenarios.

Improvement is the big word here, and the reason why Pro Evolution Soccer takes the bragging rights. Konami have listened to the fans and it has really paid off big time. The ultimate battle to decide which is better, Fifa or Pro Evolution Soccer may still be undecided, but it’s now closer than it’s ever been.

Best Fighting Game
Nominees: Ultimate Fighting Championship 2009, Tekken 6, Street Fighter IV, Fight Night Round 4.

And the winner is…

Street Fighter IV

This game has been a long time in the making, and the first since 1999 to introduce a new number into the series. That’s not the only new thing it introduced though; it took the traditional six-button fighting scheme and added in Focus Attacks, Special Attacks and Ultra Combos unique to each character, mixing both new and old concepts to produce a fighting system that fans of both the series and the genre will be pleased with.

The game looks truly amazing and the artwork is first class, bringing each individual animation to life in vibrant colour. The fighting is also incredibly deep and varied and paired with a rock steady online portion makes this a true prize fighter. Look out for Super Street Fighter IV in early 2010, which is rumoured to pack new Ultra Combos and at least eight new characters to kick butt with.

Best Platformer Game
Nominees: Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time, Trine, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, ‘Splosion Man.

And the winner is…

New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Nintendo have gone and done it again. They’ve produced a classic 2D side-scrolling platformer that works in the modern day, and not only works but works exceptionally well. The main reason for this is the ability to play through the campaign with up to four players. That means four times the chaos, four times the fun, and in some cases; four times the Yoshi, which everyone has to be pleased about.

They also haven’t fell into the trap that most developers do when attempting to update a classic, and that is mess with the essential formula. Make no mistake, this is still Mario, and still creates that same feel it did all those years ago in the original Super Mario Bros, only this time there’s more to enjoy and a slew of new features to enjoy it with. While here at NoobFeed we love the Sunshine’s and the Galaxy’s of this world, we hope that there are many more ‘new’ Mario adventures in the coming years.

Best Peripheral
Nominees: Wii MotionPlus, Logitech G19 Keyboard, The Beatles: Rock Band Instruments, DJ Hero Turntable.

And the winner is…

Logitech G19 Keyboard

There was some darn good peripherals to choose from this year, but our award for best of 2009 has to go to Logitech’s G19. Nintendo have certainly raised a few eyebrows with their Wii MotionPlus concept, and those guys at FreeStyleGames certainly gave us a quality piece of kit that made us feel like a real DJ, but when you’re competing with the most genius gaming keyboard on the market then it’s pretty tough going.

This thing has 12 different macro keys that can each have 3 macros assigned to them, the ability to create hotkeys, the ability to press and input 5 different keys simultaneously, and a plethora of other cool things, including its own screen with a tidy resolution of 320x240. One of our personal favourite features is the cool-looking LED’s than don the back of the unit, with each one able to have its own colour assigned to it.

Best Computer
Nominees: PC, Mac, Laptop (and notebook), Smart Phone.

And the winner is…

PC

Probably no great surprises here. The PC is the mainstay of the industry and is going nowhere fast. New and exciting technology is being thought up, brought out and improved upon constantly and when you have those kinds of hardware advantages games will surely always follow. The software hasn’t been half bad this past year either, with more and more console games moving over to the desktop.

The Apple Mac whilst surpassing its counterpart in many aspects, still falls short in terms of gaming, but they’re definitely finding solutions day by day to rectify those problems, and when they do it will be a very interesting time for computer gamers.

And finally…

GAME OF THE YEAR
Nominees: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Uncharted 2, Street Fighter IV, Dragon Age: Origins, New Super Mario Bros. Wii.

And the winner is…

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Well, I don’t think there are many more plaudits that we can heap on this masterpiece that we haven’t already been uttered, but we will anyway. The plot is gripping, the action truly is a sight to behold and the sound experience as a whole comes together brilliantly.

The multiplayer is an absolute blast to play, offering enough modes to sink your teeth into. The special edition packs you can purchase are a delight to own, including – depending on which one you choose – strategy guides, an autographed case, a strategy guide and the official soundtrack. European gamers also have the chance to grab themselves a special steel case edition if purchased from a specific well-known retailer.

The collectable treasures that are scattered around various locales are – for the most part – well placed and add an extra element to the proceedings. These can then be used as in-game money to purchase a host of entertaining extras, such as movies, cheats and concept art. There has also been great PlayStation Home support and more scheduled for the future.

Thanks to everyone for reading and taking part in our Game of the Year 2009 feature and for voting in our User Choice Awards. The latter will be revealed shortly with a few NoobFeed specific accolades thrown in for good measure. Also a big shout out to all the staff for voting and doing their part to bring this feature together. Have a Happy New Year from everyone at NoobFeed.