by N Rumas - 01.05.09

I was just getting used to 2008, and there it goes! Read on to hear how we spent our final gaming days of ‘08, and be sure to let us know what you played in the month that was, too. Oh, and I’m happy to announce that Evan’s positive comments on Wii Music this month have officially sealed the deal for me: I’m buying it. Anybody else give it a chance?

Michael Tucker:
I still squeeze in Left 4 Dead whenever I get a chance. This game is the best game ever when you don’t have any certain amount of time to play games. You can play for an hour or two one day a week, and then play it five hours a day every day the next week. It’s fun online and it’s a blast with friends. This is longest I’ve kept a game from Gamefly and I think I’m gonna buy it whenever I scrounge together a few bucks for it.
I also played through Eternal Eden for a review this month. This was an interesting game to play with a critical eye. It definitely passed the time, but you’ll have to read the review to see my full thoughts on it.
Edgar:
This month I’ve been playing a ton of Left 4 Dead on the 360. Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party and Shaun White have been keeping me busy on the Wii, and Call of Duty: World at War has been in my DS. On the PC front, Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria has had me in its grasp as usual, and I’ve been spending some time with Defense Grid: The Awakening, too.
Jody:
Haven’t really played much this month. I did squeeze in some more Fallout 3 though. I love that game so much. One of my top games ever. Bethesda has really raised the bar in my opinion. Go buy Fallout 3. It’s so nice, I bought it twice.
Evan (aka rbelmont):
I got to play LittleBigPlanet for the first time online this month. And man, is it awesome. Going through crazy vehicular levels, Dead Space and Bioshock-themed levels, and of course, the obligatory Mario level is just too much fun.
Besides that, I’ve played some Animal Crossing: City Folk, Bioshock, Wii Music, and a few odds and ends. Animal Crossing is basically the same as the other two, but since I never got into the DS version and hadn’t played the GCN version in forever, I really enjoyed my time with it. Bioshock was pretty cool, though I didn’t quite finish it. Wii Music is SO much more fun than I thought it would be, and most people who review the game just have no clue what it’s about. They compare it to Guitar Hero and Rock Band when it’s nothing like those games and isn’t trying to be.
Matt:
I’m still trying to catch up on that glut of November releases. I played through Far Cry 2 and thought it was pretty great. Fallout 3 is fantastic, obviously, so I’m still playing that. Been playing a lot of Left 4 Dead and also the overlooked Pure. So that’s all the expected kind of stuff.
Here’s a surprise: I just started playing the DS version of Tom Clancy’s End War, kind of on a whim, knowing that obviously it’s going to be nothing like the console game. So what it is, actually, is a really competent and fun turn-based strategy game with a very extensive campaign mode and a bunch of other features.
Rumas:
I still haven’t finished Mother 3, and that’s been keeping me busy more than anything else. I think the reason I’m taking the game so slow is that I just don’t want it to end…it’s too good. Know what’s awesome? The music that plays when you enter a hot spring. So, so relaxing. Man, I love Mother 3.
I also started playing Animal Crossing: Wild World again on my DS during December, and surprise surprise, it’s just as fun as ever. No matter how long I go between sessions, I always feel like I’m revisiting a real village that my extremely short alter-ego lives in.
Oh, and I’ve been in the mood for some SNES goodness for a while now, which led me to start a quest in A Link to the Past, a game I haven’t played in years and years. I’m trying to keep it on the back burner until I finish Mother 3, though. I’m no good at juggling two games at once.











Finished Gears of War 2 (more of the same as the first game) and Call of Duty: World at War. It was ok, but I liked Call of Duty 4’s campaign better. The online play is pretty much the same, just prettier graphics. Overall, COD4 is still better.
Still playing The Witcher a little bit at a time as well. RPG’s usually take me up to a year to complete as I play them only a little bit to a time.
snewbury - 01.05.09 8:07 am
FINALLY finished Suikoden 2 on my PSP. Decent game overall. Too much stuff to do in it.
Playing LittleBigPlanet less than I was earlier, though the Metal Gear level pack was fun.
Picked up Advance Wars: Days of Ruin again, and got to the final mission on that one. Having played the three previous ones, I’m not having much trouble, A-ing or S-ing all the story missions so far. It’s still keeping my mind active, though.
Finally, a bit of Soul Calibur 4 whenever I have friends over.
MrP - 01.05.09 9:15 am
I’ve been starting my Wii Fit sessions, more or less seriously. I really like the game, I just wish they were more Balance Games. I’m looking forward to more game compatible with the Balance Board, which is a really great accessory.
I’m logging daily into my Animal Crossing City Folk village and the game is always so much fun and charming. Just finished the main story of de Blob and trying to go further in Toki Tori.
Got several games lately on both the Wii and DS. Geometry Wars, Order Up! and MLB Power Pros 2008 on the Wii; none of them really catch my interest for long though. My Japanese Coach, Flash Focus and Personal Trainer Cooking (really nice piece of software!) on the DS but it all goes down to sessions of Picross DS… I’ve been addicted to the on-line portion of it lately.
i_am_error - 01.05.09 10:21 am
Chrono Trigger and Fallout 3. No matter where I am, I’ve got an awesome game to play.
Catching up with Wiiware this month, too. Strong Bad’s CGFAT and Lost Winds. Fun fun.
AJ - 01.05.09 11:22 am
Whoops. Thats Strong Bad’s CGFAP. Damn you crazy long game title, damn you.
AJ - 01.05.09 11:26 am
Persona 4, mostly. Awesome.
Tony - 01.05.09 11:47 am
Animal Crossing Wii
Diablo II: Lord of Destruction
Mario Kart Wii
Team Fortress 2
Boots - 01.05.09 11:52 am
and Oh yes, I recieved Wii Fit for Christmas. Have only fit in 3 sessions yet, but that is to note. Will play more in January!
Boots - 01.05.09 11:54 am
Ah, the end of the year gaming marathon when we try to make ends meet and actually finish several games purchased months (or years) before… or at least start some new ones. As for me, the list goes as follows:
GBA: TMNT(Finished) and Metroid: Zero Mission.
DS: Contra 4, Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations, Wario Ware and Looney Tunes: Cartoon Conductor.
Wii: Wii Fit, RE:Umbrella Chronicles, Fire Emblem (Finished), House of the Dead 2 & 3, Guitar Hero: World Tour (Finished Drum Career on Hard), de Blob, Battle of the Bands, Samba de Amigo and Opoona.
Wiiware: FFCC: MLAaK (Finished on normal, will give it another go after June on Very Hard), Cubello (Finished), Rotohex, Orbient with my little sister, Star Soldier R (#10 in Mexico!).
VC: Breath of Fire II.
N64: Donkey Kong 64.
PS2: Wild Arms 5.
PC: Warcraft III.
Also I_AM_ERROR, Shawn White Snowboarding, We Ski and Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party all support the Balance Board.
EdEN - 01.05.09 1:18 pm
This was the busiest month for gaming in all of my life, probably. I finally got around to playing: Patapon, We Love Katamari, Katamari Damacy, Halo: Combat Evolved, Zack and Wiki, God of War, Super Mario 64, Star Fox, Genji: Dawn of the Samurai, and No More Heroes. I also got in some SSBM and SSBB inbetween all of that. And! Started, but didn’t finish: Silhouette Mirage and Half-Life: Blue Shift.
Mune - 01.05.09 2:04 pm
Rumas I am with you on Mother 3. I only have a couple of chapters left and it’s just so good. I’m playing the English translation and it’s SO well done. They did an excellent job of capturing the spirit and humor of the series.
Namssorg - 01.05.09 7:42 pm
PS. I_AM_ERROR - Skate It also works with Balance Board. I prefer Shaun White Snowboarding, but Skate It is also getting some play time this month!
wii_too2 - 01.05.09 10:20 pm
Left 4 Dead and GTA IV. both on PC. finally got my rig up and running again!
kojo87 - 01.06.09 5:12 pm
Well, while I wait for my new power supply to come in, so I can run my new Geforce 9800 GTX OC, so I can start playing some higher-end PC games, I’ve been playing:
Professor Layton and the Curious Village
Chrono Trigger
Super Smash Brothers Brawl
Castle Crashers
Left 4 Dead
Team Fortress 2
World of Warcraft
Bioshock
Spore
Chuck - 01.06.09 5:31 pm