GamersThrone.com 2009 Video Game of the Year Awards

[VA1N]

2009 is over and 2010 marks the beginning of a new decade. But, before we can begin a new decade, we need to reveal the winners of the 2009 GamersThrone.com Video Game Awards.

If you are new around these parts, let me clue you in to what this means. Sometime in mid December, I created a whole bunch of posts where people could vote for a number of different games for individual categories. We didn't get a huge amount of votes for some of the categories and we have some ties, but we have winners nonetheless. So, without further adieu, here are your 2009 GamersThrone.com Video Game Award winners.

Downloadable Game of the Year
'Splosion Man

Developed by game studio Twisted Pixel, 'Splosion Man was a huge hit in 2009. In a year that saw some huge downloadable games, having 'Splosion man beat out Shadow Complex is no small feat. If you aren't familiar with the game, you play 'Splosion Man, a test subject in a science lab who can blow up his body to jump. Using your jumping abilities, running abilities, etc. you have to make it from point A to point B while avoiding and utilizing the environment. The game is beautiful and is well deserved of this award.

Racing Game of the Year
DiRT 2

Codemaster's followup to their hit racing game DiRT came out this year and you guys have spoken, it is your favorite racing game this year. DiRT 2, or Colin McRae's DiRT 2 as it is known outside the US, beat out some stiff competition in Forza 3 and NFS: Shift. While DiRT2 isn't a true simulation racer, it is looking like more and more racing games are taking the approach to go more arcadey since it looks like it's what the fans demand. With it's success in 2010, expect to see a DiRT3 in the near future.

Sports Game of the Year
UFC 2009 Undisputed

The fans demanded it and they got it this year with the first UFC game to be released in 5 years. MMA, or Mixed Martial Arts for those uneducated in it's popularity, is the world's fastest growing sport with a huge amount of new fans flocking to the sport every year. This year was no different with a huge following coming after playing the game. With 2009 in the title, fans knew that if the game was good they would be seeing a new yearly release title, and guess what? It was good, that's how it became GamersThrone.com's Sports Game of the Year.

Wildcard Game of the Year
Tie: Assassin's Creed 2 / Batman: Arkham Asylum

The wildcard category was created to make sure the really good but not FPS games got noticed this year. FPS games usually end up taking first honors so it's nice to have a spot open for non FPS games. This year's winner was actually two though. Batman Arkham Asylum and Assassin's Creed 2 both met in a tie to win these make believe, yet assuredly coveted awards.

Batman Arkham Asylum should also get recognition for being the first comic book game that doesn't suck. Sure, we've had some decent ones in the past, but for the first time we got one that was truly amazing. Assassin's Creed 2 should also be commended for taking everything it did wrong in the first game and fixing it, the result, a well produced, beautifully detailed game that many people will be playing well into 2010.

Music Genre Game of the Year
The Beatles: Rock Band

The Beatles have, and will continue to be the greatest band to have ever lived. That is not an opinion, it's a fact. Ok, it's an opinion, but it looks like it's shared by a lot of people. When Harmonix first announced the deal with the Beatles, people were at first shocked that it happened. After that wore off people got a little anxious since the development seemed to take a little too long. When it was finally released though, people were blown away. The game brought people together from all genre's, age's, and even some people who hate the music genre decided to pick this game up (myself included). So, it's no surprise that this game won your votes for music genre game of the year.

FPS Game of the Year
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Any year that an Infinity Ward Call of Duty comes out will see it hitting the game of the year awards. There is no denying it, they make one hell of a game. This year saw a reboot of one of, if the most popular FPS of all time, Modern Warfare. When you buy a MW game, you're not buying it for the single player experience...sure, it's there alright, and it's pretty damn good, but you're really getting it for the multiplayer experience. The multiplayer in MW has taken on a life of it's own. It's no surprise that people flocked to this new game after learning that it's basically the same game as before, just with a whole bunch extra. Expect to see this one on the top of everyone's list.

RPG Game of the Year
Dragon Age: Origins

Dragon Age Origins almost had to share the title this year with Borderlands, but narrowly escaped a tie in the final days. Dragon Age Origins, from famed RPG studio BioWare, is the spritual successor to Neverwinter Nights. Casting you as a hero from one of the three realms (man, elf, dwarf) you pick a class (mage, rogue, warrior) and set out to rid the world of the Blight. As a Grey Warden, you take on quests in an open world like environment attacking quests as you see fit. A new expansion is due out in 2010, so if you were excited about this game in 2009, chances are you still will be in 2010.

Biggest Disappointment of 2009
Three Way Tie: Brutal Legend / Fuel / Bionic Commando

Wow, you guys really disliked a bunch of games in 2009. Where should I begin? Brutal Legend was a game that had some really high hopes attached to it. Tim Schaeffer was the mind behind hit games like Psychonauts and everyone was expecting an instant hit. But, Tim was hiding one major detail whenever he talked about the game...that it was an RTS game. No matter what way you looked at the platforming sections or open world environment, the game was an RTS at heart, and RTS games usually don't fare too well on the consoles.

Fuel was a racing game that was supposed to revolutionize racing games. Never before did we see a racer set in an open world environment. Fuel tried to revolutionize the industry by introducing the two but forgot to put in one crucial thing...things to do. Sure, you had an open world, but there was nothing to do in the open world. Plus, the racing parts themselves were mediocre at best. Maybe one day we'll see an open world environment in racing, but not now.

Bionic Commando was supposed to be Capcoms big hit of the year. They even made a reboot of the original game for digital distribution on the PSN/360/PC. When the game was released though, people found that the reboot was actually better than the much anticipated blockbuster game. The hero of the game got rid of his red hair, put on 100 lbs. of muscle, and got a surfer dread haircut. The swinging mechanic was broken and when a game so heavily relied upon it, it really needed to work. Capcom has come out on occasion to say that they screwed up (in more words of course) and are looking to the future, hopefully forgetting this flop.

GamersThrone.com 2009 Video Game of the Year
*drumroll*
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Bionic Commando!
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Just Kidding...
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Modern Warfare 2!!!!!

Honestly, are you surprised? MW2 is a juggernaut of a game and it's fanbase is a devoted bunch. When games are scared to release alongside you and throw in the towel and say good game just to release the next quarter, you know you have a hit on your hands. Never before have video games done this and it was all due to one game, Modern Warfare 2. While the next MW game might not be as good as MW2 (since Treyarch is getting the reigns again) we can always wait a couple more years for the Infinity Ward developed game to hit store shelves. In the meantime, keep getting the kill count up and working towards you next prestige.

Congrats to all winners. You win nothing tangible, just the honor to say that you are this years (*echo booming voice*) GamersThrone.com 2009 Video Games of the Year!

[danimoose]

I thought Treyarch was doing a Vietnam time period COD and not a MW style. I think IW is trying to get away from the COD name so they can release games that aren't under that title more frequently. I know that Treyarch is calling the next one COD7.

[VA1N]

Originally Posted by danimoose

I thought Treyarch was doing a Vietnam time period COD and not a MW style. I think IW is trying to get away from the COD name so they can release games that aren't under that title more frequently. I know that Treyarch is calling the next one COD7.

I meant that the next Call of Duty was going to Treyarch. Not sure what they are doing though. It's been rumored either Vietnam or Cuba. That's smart, they need to get out of WW2.

And yeah, Treyarch is the only one holding onto the Call of Duty name. They should drop the number and just use the name. Like Call of Duty: Vietnam

[88elliot88]

lovely article! you always produce top quality " stuff "

i was quite surprised that forza 3 didn't get best racing game, although dirt 2 is AMAZING, forza has it's good points, if there was more people that enjoyed racing games here it most probably would have won, but i'm glad dirt 2 won, as i did vote for it

and no doubt that modern warfare 2 won game of the wear after i picked it up i couldn't stop playing it.