Honorable Mentions
Creating a Top 10 list for a year that’s been as great as 2009 is no easy task, and some really awesome titles must be left by the wayside, especially when five people are trying to collaborate and come to a consensus on the definitive best of the year. We just didn’t have the heart to leave these five titles without recognition, though, as they are all incredibly deserving of spots on any year-end list. So the honorable mentions are effectively our #11-15 picks, but they are presented here in alphabetical order, rather than ranked. Enjoy!
The Beatles: Rock Band (360, PS3, Wii)
Publisher: MTV Games – Developer: Harmonix
I gave The Beatles: Rock Band a perfect score when I reviewed it on the premise that it is the best example of the music genre to date and sets the bar for creating a licensed title with absolute respect. At the end of the day, is The Beatles: Rock Band another rhythm title, varying little from the others in the series? Sure. But that doesn’t take away from the pure bliss of playing through The Beatles’ career with different generations in the same room, using three microphones to create true harmonies. Add to that recreations of the early days of the band’s career and dreamscape studio moments, and it is the best music installment yet, handily earning a spot as an honorable mention for 2009. –Bill (more…)
Microsoft held a media reception and party July 23, providing Pads & Panels a chance to not only have a few free drinks and finger food, but more importantly get another go with Left 4 Dead 2, this time with a new section of “The Parish,” as well as Halo: ODST and South Park Let’s Go Tower Defense Play! The cast of The Guild was even on hand, treating party-goers to their renditions of the Fab Four’s tunes in Rock Band: Beatles. I even had a chance to play a few minutes of ODST with Vincent Caso, who plays Bladezz on The Guild. He was called away after only a few minutes, but I was totally kicking his ass. 