I have so little time to play games these days as it is I should probably be doing that now instead of writing this. Especially since I've been picking up a bunch of these new releases, dabbling for a bit and knowing that eventually I'll get back to it - but damn if the next one isn't more engaging than the last. Nothing super revolutionary but so much genre refinement, enjoyable characterization, satisfying gameplay and memorable moments across the board. Lessons have been learned from previous titles and really I haven't been disappointed with a single purchase I've made this holiday yet. Some quick hits on what's out there from me: 
 

 Assassin's Creed 2

Assassin's Creed 2 - A few hours in and so far so good. It's everything I could have wanted in a sequel to the first game, with a lot I didn't know I wanted. The pacing, characters, and overall variety has improved by leaps and bounds. Can't wait to see how this one unfolds, lots of odd graphical glitches for some reason though. 
 
Dragon Age: Origins - For my tastes there's nothing quite like a BioWare RPG, flaws and all, and Dragon Age is the best yet in many respects. Part Baldur's Gate, part Mass Effect, . I've spent way too much time just playing the different origin stories, my main isn't even that far into the storyline. Looking forward to spending many hours with Dragon Age for sure.
 
Borderlands - Gun loot madness, satisfying FPS action. Excellent and unique visuals, tons of fun with friends. It's a winner no doubt, but I feel like it may take a back seat to the two single player epics above for now. 
 
New Super Mario Bros. Wii - Haven't touched it yet, but I'm looking at the box on my desk. Maybe try to play through this weekend. No impressions but hey, a new Super Mario Bros. on my Wii to play. Awesome. 
  
Torchlight - Time has disappeared when playing Torchlight, 11pm turns into 4am like that. It scratches the Diablo and the WoW itch in me like nothing since, well, Diablo or WoW. Feels timeless and effortlessly enjoyable, if you like well crafted dungeon crawls.  

 Torchlight

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story  - Fun, but the constant chatter at every turn grinds the game to a halt. It's well written but so much doesn't feel conducive to short burst portable gameplay sessions. I'm spending more time hitting X to get through speech bubbles than I am moving through the story or leveling up. Still, it's my go to DS game of choice right now.

Demon's Souls - Too many long  RPG's on this list. Don't know when I'll get back to this one seeing as it's such a slow burn. But the few hours I played were tense, dark and engrossing to be sure.
 
Uncharted 2  - The campaign was eye poppingly great - a far more engaging and satisfying experience than Resident Evil 5, either Gears of War, pretty much every other third person action game out there. It sets a new standard for the genre and I've really enjoyed the multiplayer under my belt so far. 
 
I'm still trying to achievement hunt in Batman: Arkham Asylum, Beatles: Rock Band and Brutal Legend. I've got my eyes on Modern Warfare 2. It seem like overkill compared to the landscape a few months ago, but I'm all for it.

Borderlands 

Uncharted 2 
PixelJunk Eden 
Brutal Legend  Half-Minute Hero 
Flipnote Studio 
                
With Demon's Souls on hold for now. Videogames!

Bit early for restrospectives and there may be more on the way deserving of this list, but here they are so far. Maybe I should visit my local GameStop, where I can buy and sell used games!
 
Saint's Row 2 - I just could not get into this game.  
Star Ocean: The Last Hope - Just really mediocre in every way except for combat. Couldn't get more than a few hours in. 
Far Cry 2 - It felt like just another FPS to me, did not enjoy it as much as I expected to. 
Sacred 2 - Jury is still out on this but I'm already regretting it, at least playing it on a console. 
Guild Wars - Thought this might scratch the ol' MMO itch. It did not.
Maboshi's Arcade - This seems to get a lot of praise but I still haven't gotten around to playing it, so I probably could have done without it. 
 
Everything else I picked up this year? We cool.

It's old news now. Anticipated and most likely ready-for-release games have been getting delayed, pushed back, strategically placed, etc. into early 2010 with new announcements seeminlgy by the day. Or they were already scheduled to arrive in early 2010 in order to avoid the holiday rush altogether. Meanwhile I just picked up Sacred 2 because *nothing* worth playing seems to be getting released for consoles right now. No love for August, developers?
 
It's getting a bit stupid, especially when publishers cite "less competition" as the reason for the new release window, such as with the statement regarding Singularity. I don't have the money or time to play through all this stuff at once, and personally I'm not entirely interested in spending a shit ton of time with Modern Warfare 2 like the rest of the world, or even picking it up at launch. It'll be there when I want it, and let's be serious here, it's just another quality FPS, which I've played quite a few of over the past few years. 
 
Anyway, here's what I'm interested in playing in this now silly crowded Q1 2010:
 
Mass Effect 2
Starcraft II
Dark Void
Bayonetta
Alan Wake (yeah, right)
God of War III
Bioshock 2
Ace Attorney: Miles Edgeworth
Heavy Rain
Red Dead Redemption
 
It's full of awesome and it's sure to shrink or grow due to critical and public reception, not to mention further delays. One can only buy so many $60 games. I'm also excluding some big hitters like Splinter Cell: Conviction, Dante's Inferno and Monster Hunter 3 because my interest just isn't there (yet). And just for good measure, of what's left for the coming months here's what will likely find their way onto my shelf:
 
Muramasa: The Demon Blade
Scribblenauts
Assassin's Creed II
Brutal Legend 
Borderlands 
Dragon Age: Origins
GTA: Ballad of Gay Tony
The Beatles Rock Band (purchased!)
Modern Warfare 2 

Hmmm. That's more stuff that I anticipated. Maybe publishers do have a point here trying to avoid what looks to be an already expensive holiday of gaming. Sorry Forza Motorsport 3, Uncharted 2, Halo 3 ODST, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2, Phantasy Star DS, Alpha Protocol, and the The Saboteur. Maybe sometime early next year, once the busy holiday season winds down, y'know?

is for Anno 1404.
It doesn't seem like it's for sale in the U.S. but it comes complete with:


-Anno 1404 game DVD
-Exclusive bonus DVD
-72-page art book
-A panoramic poster
-Old-fashioned compass
-A bag containing 6 almond seeds
-Wood and leatherbound box

And it's currently in stock on Amazon.co.uk for  £ 29.99, which is around $42.00. I'm trying to pick one up now, doesn't seem like they want to deliver to my office but lo, I shall find a way. Currently playing and enjoying the DS version of Dawn of Discovery to hold me over until that time.