The Minus Zone: Game of the Year 2008 Nominees

The year is over already? Well not really, though it is ending soon and we still have a couple of weeks left of this two thousand and eighth year.

Last year was an amazing year for gaming, not just on Nintendo consoles but all around. We had a bunch of great releases, and one or two titles that may be considered one of the best ever. Though 2008 isn’t quite like the previous year, we still saw tons of releases on every system and the Wii and DS are no exceptions to the rule. We finally saw the much awaited Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Mario Kart Wii on store shelves, a new main series Mega Man title, and new entries in the still popular Rhythm genre, like Rock Band and Guitar Hero.

As with personal lists, choosing the best game the year had to offer is one immensely complicated thing to do. One must consider so many things in the nominations, then slim down an already thin list to make picking a clear winner easier.

This Game Of The Year 2008 award will be the first in what, we hope be a lot more to come from The Minus Zone. We’ll be doing in a rather different way; both of us will be each creating our own separate lists and move on from there. As this will not interfere with our tastes… at least for now.

So without further ado, here we have The Minus Zone’s Game Of The Year Nominees, brought to you by us!

Raul’s Nominees:

Mega Man 9 (WiiWare)

This game was one of the most unexpected announcements all year. Not only did the game itself deliver on what makes the Mega Man franchise excellent, it also proved that gameplay is still the most important aspect of any title. The title is amazingly designed all-around, that also features a unique art style that may shock and at the same time, impress some people and most importantly, at least to me, a fantastic soundtrack.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)

This game’s development cycle was not only followed very closely (the game had it’s own daily updated site) by fans, but it also proved to us that we can’t have enough of that simple, yet addictive gameplay that was founded on the original Nintendo 64 title.

This particular entry, added all the things that you would think were missing from the previous 2 titles in the franchise, but also a load of stuff you wouldn’t even think of adding to it.

Mario Kart Wii (Wii)

The Mario Kart franchise saw what is considered the best iteration in the entire series, which is Mario Kart DS. Mario Kart Wii saw to improve on that successful entry, adding some neat features on top of what was demonstrated on the Nintendo DS; the title saw the most important addition since 4 players, motorcycles. They blend in perfectly with the game and don’t prove to be better, or worse than the Kart; it depends on the actual taste and skill of the player to really determine if one is overpowered by the other.

This title also sees the best service the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection has to offer. There is virtually no lag whatsoever in races/battle matches, you can invite people you already have registered on your Wii Console and save you some sweet time and frustration with Friend Codes; and it’s just a blast to play with up to 11 other people.

Patrick’s Picks:

Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (DS)

Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia is the newest iteration of Iga’s Vampire hunting franchise, and it is one of his best. The game actually strays from the usual pure Metroidvania path by inserting more action and linear style maps. The result is a more streamlined Castlevania, with a nod to both pre and post Symphony of the Night elements. All in all, the game is a challenging and incredible experience that every Castlevania fan, and every action adventure fan should try out. With a gem such as Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, you can’t possibly go wrong.

Okami (Wii)

When the Wii Remote was first revealed, people started to realize the potential of the revolutionary device. Fishing rods, light sabers, guns… you name it. And then people remembered the gaming gem Okami on the PS2. What if the WiiMote could be used as the Celestial Brush? Well, time went on, and Capcom finally wizened up. When Okami released earlier this year on the Wii, it was the same great game enhanced by the Wii’s capabilities. The result was something magical, and this adventure was one of the most awe inspiring video game experiences in a long time.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)

Super Smash Bros. Brawl was there from the very beginning. When the Wii was revealed, so was the next iteration of the beloved Nintendo fighter. Still, we saw one delay after another, but when it was all said and done, Super Smash Bros. Brawl blew away all expectations (well, except for a playable Ridley… next time I suppose). The roster was filled with old and new, the single player mode was a stunning example of fan service, the soundtrack was a Nintendo fan’s dream come true, and most of all, the game supported Nintendo’s online service. It was more of an evolution than a revolution, but oh boy, what an evolution it was.