The Best Games of 2009

Today marks the last day of 2009 and what better way to wrap up the year than to post the best in nerdiness for the entire year. This list is composed of games that have not only sold well, but truly entertained gamers and left them wanting more. In no particular order, let the list commence!

1. Mario Kart (Wii): This game brings back all of our childhood memories. Many years ago we blew air into our worn out Mario Kart cartridges for the N64 and fired up another couple of laps of this amazing game. Mario Kart, revamped for the Wii, is addicting and challenging with the new feature of online play opening up a world of possibilities. Many gamers look at their Wii as an expensive paper weight, but with the release of Mario Kart and the #2 selection, it has been dusted off for more play.

2. The New Super Mario Brothers (Wii): Again, Nintendo did it perfectly with the multi player aspect. Back in the day as kids we never would have imagined up to four people playing on the same screen. This was a much needed touch for the Wii and the game is so fun and exciting that it is sure to be the highlight of 2009’s game list.

3. Left 4 Dead 2 (XBox 360): Everyone loved L4D right? You must. Zombies and online multi player at the same time in one sentence omgroflcopter! How can you not enjoy loading up your shotty with some friends and heading out to knock off some heads? Definitely a game that can be picked up at any gamer-level to enjoy some zombie apocalypse mayhem.

(To be continued..)

iPhone (iPod) App Thursday!

Thursdays will now be highlighting a iPhone(iPod) app that is worth the download! Today’s recommendation is Lose It!

Just in time for those who are planning a New Year’s Resolution for weight loss. This app is completely free and for that, you can’t beat it. Sure, there are other apps out there they make promise to help you lose weight for just 9.99, but this app allows you to manage your weight loss day by day as well as your overall goal. It also has calorie counts for most every food possible and shows you how many calories you have already consumed vs. what you can afford to consume for the rest of the day! Word to wise, be truthful about your calorie intake or this app won’t help you lose much weight.

The Best Mario Pic Ever – Tuesday is Random Awesome Artist Day!

*tear* This picture stirs up so many fond memories of my very first lover, Mario. I was just a wee sprout at the age of four years old when I unwrapped my first Mario game and although I wasn’t very coordinated at the time and spent a few hours mashing buttons until I understood.. I fell in deep love. I was certain that I would forever be with Mario, we played every day until my mom would yell at me to go to bed. The days that I was punished for doing some silly child-thing and could not play Mario, those were the days that I missed Mario so excruciatingly that I would cry myself to sleep. The bright colors of Mario and the occasional noises that he makes, the songs that play in each world or stage, I have them memorized and I will never forget anything.

This picture is the best picture I have seen all month. And I hope that the artist makes t-shirts out of this, or prints. I will definitely buy both and many because I have friends and family that would feel the same way about this picture. It is beautiful.

A link to the artists page, here.

Final Fantasy XIV Online: BETA!!

The moment that *most of us* have been waiting for, or well, some of us. Square Enix has released the application to get into the Final Fantasy XIV Online Beta. The selection for testers is based upon questions answered in the application. SE is looking for people with different systems (PC only) to test out the game. Steps to apply are as follows!

Easy as 1, 2… DONE!

1. Go here to obtain a Square Enix ID.

2. Fill out the application here.

Good luck everyone. And hope to see you there!

*** TEASE!!! ***

Nashville’s Game Galaxy Arcade

Imagine if you will, if there was one arcade left in the entire universe. Literally, nowhere to go to play the classics. NO ARCADE. Nowhere to go where you randomly play with strangers and meet new gamers. The giddy feeling you get after you put in your quarters..lights flash..8-bit noises and the smack of buttons on palms – gone. Nowhere to go to show your epic skills and nobody to have tournaments against.

BAD THOUGHT. EVIL THOUGHT!

Unfortunately Nashville’s arcades have dwindled.. and one extraordinary arcade remains and gosh darn it, I want it to remain in business.

{Look at it’s glory!}

So help us save it!!

It’s easy, just go to Save the Arcades, register, play Zapataur, and donate your points to Game Galaxy. For more information just go to Game Galaxy Arcade. The contest ends early October so get to playing. You can donate as many times as you want. =)

WoW Cataclysm

Big news in the World of Warcraft. The expansion entitled Cataclysm is expected to release in 2010 and I don’t know about your server, but my server has been buzzing about it since we all found out.

Big news includes:

Two new races! Worgen and Goblins. Worgens have been described by Blizzard as the “Wolverines of the Alliance” and the race will be available with all classes except paladins and priests. Well, that makes sense. Goblins are servants of the Horde and will drive race cars.

New level cap! The much sought after level 80 has been vamped to level 85. I’ve heard a lot of people whining and a lot of people happy that they will have more to do than dailies.

New race/class combos! Ever wanted to be a Gnome priest? Well, this combo is available now as well as others, hopefully the list will get bigger.

Fly farther and swim on an underwater mount! Now you will be able to fly anywhere in Azeroth which is definitely handy and also announced.. underwater mounts!

More pics at Kotaku.

Square’s Countdown

So at the end of July Square popped up with a countdown. And many of you may already know, but the countdown was for Lord of Vermillion 2 and I can’t read a lick of Japanese so I’m not sure what the website says. However, it’s probably going to be a Japan only release. A sequel with characters from FFIV, Romancing SaGa 2, and Magic the Gathering…. interesting. =)

Square Enix.. another SURPRiSE!

Behold the power of countdown clocks!! I’m still super excited about Dissidia, but here Square Enix goes again, making us fangirls and boys drool with anticipation ’cause we wanna know what’s cooking at Square Enix. Who will be the first to take a guess? I stared at the pic for a minute. Does anyone else see a palm tree on the left hand side?

Evo Championship Series

We are getting closer and closer to Evo! Evo will take place at the Rio Resort and Casino in Sin City herself on July 17th-19th. Unfortunately I am not able to attend, but I will be watching on the live stream that can be located at http://www.evo2k.com/live, http://www.shoryuken.com, or http://www.capcom-unity.com. There are some exciting battles awaiting and I cannot wait to watch the top fighting gamers claim their victories.

This year’s Evo includes battles on Street Fighter IV, Soul Calibur IV, Marvel Vs Capcom 2, Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, Guilty Gear XX: Accent Core, Street Fighter III: Third Strike, and a special BlazBlue exhibition.

The World Finals will feature:

• Special appearance by Street Fighter IV producer Yoshinori Ono
• The world’s largest live Street Fighter IV competition
• Tekken 6 playable on console
• Watch all the action streaming live, for free, featuring top players and expert commentary
• The best players from around the US and the world, including Japan’s legendary champion Daigo Umehara
• The newest build of Tatsunoko Vs Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars
• First publicly playable Marvel Vs Capcom 2 for X360 and PSN
• Complete coverage from IGN Insider, recording HQ, direct-feed tournament matches available for download following the event
• And more!

{Evo}

New DLC for Halo Wars

Halo Wars will receive a new map pack entitled “Historic Battles” on July 21st. The pack will feature 4 new maps and 4 new achievements all at the expense of 800 MS Points (or $10). The four maps are:

• Barrens (1v1 Map): Difficult terrain channels units into killing zones. The side that controls the Forerunner artifacts will have the advantage.
• Blood River (1v1 Map): Secure base locations on nearby cliffs overlook this naturally red-tinged river. The soldiers that fought over its two narrow crossings gave the river its name, which has since taken on a greater meaning.
• Glacial Ravine (3v3 Map): A snow-topped mountain range forms a natural barrier that cuts this region in half. Control of the two energy walls at the narrow central pass often determines the outcome of the battle, though clever use of the Sentinel Factories may play a role as well.
• Memorial Basin (2v2 Map): The high ground in the middle offers good cover for infantry, while the generally open terrain transforms organized battle plans into bloodbaths.

The four new Achievements worth a total of 100 points are:

• Tour Coming Through: Hot drop 50 squads to your Covenant Leader in a single game on Memorial Basin (30 points)
• Never Leave a Man Behind: Finish a game with 5000 net resources contributed to your teammates on Memorial Basin (15 points)
• Drain Cleaner: Kill 20 enemy squads with a continuous Covenant Leader Power on Memorial Basin (30 points)
• Killjoy: Disrupt 5 active Leader Powers in a single game on Blood River (25 points)

{Major Nelson}