Written by Jeff Buckland, 1/5/2009
2008 is over, and in many ways it was a disappointment. We had some great games, but we also had quite a few letdowns, especially during the holiday season. It seemed like the best games were a given, and the worst games should have at least been pretty good. Moving into 2009 we've got a few that should be released in the first half of the year, and at least a few that may not even make it into our hands until 2010 if the companies' histories can be considered.
You'll also notice a hell of a lot of sequels and spinoffs on this list: it's hard to get excited for new franchises this early sometimes, because so many of them wind up being entirely different than what we expect. But there should be plenty of innovation on this list, so while almost every game on here is a sequel, just about all of them are played in new ways or deliver some kind of new experience.
Street Fighter IV (February 17, 2009)
It took Capcom a good eight or so years to "count to three" (as fans would say), and almost another decade later, they'll be back with an all-new Street Fighter game. Taking the classic 2D gameplay and updating the look with full-3D characters that still have a hand-drawn look, Capcom is going to need some masterful design if they want to bring back the charm of SF2 way back from 1991. And the online play will be brutal, so hopefully Capcom can find a way to get more casual players to jump in together. Either way, fighting games might be a dying genre in some people's eyes, but not to Capcom.
Halo Wars (March 3, 2009)
Every time a strategy game is released on a console we get the same crap about how this new game finally makes RTS "work" on a console controller. We've heard it at least 4 times now, and so far we're unimpressed. Halo Wars, the final project by the soon-to-close Ensemble Studios, seems like it might just do it this time. Microsoft doesn't seem to care either way, though, since they've already handed out the pink slips. Let's at least hope that this fine studio that created the Age of Empires franchise has one great final hurrah for us.
Resident Evil 5 (March 13, 2009)
Capcom's long-awaited horror sequel is almost here. The fourth game was a reboot for the series, combining a fantastic storyline and great action with just enough of that movement-limiting feeling that makes the Resident Evil series so challenging. The new fifth game adds a cooperative element between the two protagonists while continuing to make sure that you can't just blindly run-and-gun it like a shooter. Previews so far have been very positive, so if you liked RE4, it seems like a given that you'll enjoy number five.
Wii Sports Resort (Spring 2009)
Of all the Wii games that get kicked around, few have the instant fun factor of the original pack-in, Wii Sports. Its infectiously simple gameplay leads to more depth than you first thought as everyone improves at each game, and its accessibility is top-notch. The sequel takes everything to a beach resort where new sports come into play, like fencing and jet skiing. With the new attachment to further refine the Wiimote's motion sensing capabilities, we're not just looking at the same stuff with sand and oceans in the background. Either way, will people pay full price for a Wii Sports sequel, and buy the appropriate attachments for the rest of their Wiimotes? Will they even be in stock in local stores? We'll find out soon.
