Tiny Diggers – An iPad Construction Truck Game for Kids Age 2-5

With the start of a new year coming up, I thought it would be a good idea to put together a special edition of the top ten titles for Xbox 360 that I feel no Xbox 360 owner should be without in 2010.  Some may look at this list and say “Title X is missing” or “Title Y is so much better than Title X”, but remember that this is just my opinion on what is looking good for 2010.  If you disagree, feel free to comment below, or in the forums.  You can even send us an email or a voice mail, which we will make sure to discuss on the next podcast.

Now, this list is in no particular order, as I did not want this to become an argument over position in the list.  I have also included two Honorable Mention titles, both of which are solid titles that just fell short of the top ten titles.  Also, make sure to take a look at the other Special Edition lists including the PC Titles for 2010 which will be up tomorrow.

Bayonetta – Some will say that I am sexist for selecting this game, but the fact is that the game is really fun to play.  Platinum Games have created a new character and IP that come complete with attitude, sass, and a ton of sex appeal, while mixing in an eruption of action on the screen.  There are flying creatures, hulking creatures, rings bouncing all over the place, lips that can kill, and of course, hair that can turn into a dragon-like beast.  Some have labeled it Devil May Cry meets hot female lead, and that is not far from the truth.  For the record, does anyone really care if it is a Devil May Cry clone, if it has a good story and a ton of action?   Bayonetta is one of those titles that have a great fun factor, easy to pickup controls and a great main character.  Bayonetta is currently set for release on January 5^th, 2010.

Mafia II – It is funny when a title is suppose to be homage to another property, but ends up doing it better than said licensed property.  This was the case with the first Mafia title.  It had a great storyline, and truly captured the vibe that was put together in the first Godfather film.  As a matter of fact, it was such a good Mafia game, it actually played out better than the actual licensed Godfather games.  Mafia made you feel like a gangster of the 1930’s and 40’s, complete with a great musical score and vehicles of the time.  Mafia II continues the tradition from the first title, although it follows a new set of characters.   This time around it looks like the action is set in the 1950’s, and you are going to play Vito, and gangster that has worked his way up the family tree to a position of prominence.  Larger cities, faster cars, new cop/wanted mechanics, and a whole new side quest system has been put together for a sequel that looks to expand and improve on the original.  If Impressions can pull it off, Mafia II could be a surprise breakout hit for the year.  No release date has been confirmed with the exception of 2K Games stating it will be out in 2010.

Alan Wake – I was very tentative to put this on the 2010 list, as I am still not 100% sure that the game will come out this year.  Remedy has made a habit out of delaying games in order to perfect them.  One only has to look at the quality of the Max Payne series to know that Remedy release quality titles, even if they are late.  Alan Wake is a new IP, but Microsoft has put a lot of weight behind it, and the recent looks at the title show a great looking survival horror type game, revolving around a confused writer.  Light and shadows play a prominent part in the gameplay mechanics, as you will use light to defeat enemies.  Just watching the trailer where Alan Wake was chased through the forest by men with flashlights gave me goose bumps.  You could not use your flashlight, but as we have found out, the demons live in the dark.  It was a great sequence of events, and if the rest of the game can live up to that segment of gameplay, Alan Wake could be a huge hit for Microsoft, and a great gameplay experience for 360 owners.  The tentative release date for Alan Wake is June 2010, but that may change.

Halo: Reach – The Halo series came to a head in 2007 with Halo 3, leaving many players wondering what would happen to their favorite SPARTAN warrior.  With little to no answers in the gap release, Halo ODST, many gamers found out about the prequel announcement during E3 last year.  Halo: Reach looks to be focused around the book of the same name, and follows a squad of SPARTAN soldiers, including for the first time, our look at a female SPARTAN.  In the first full length trailer we have seen, there is the last minute addition of a new SPARTAN to the group getting ready to head out.  We never get his name, but one has to wonder if it might be a young Master Chief (at this point, a Lieutenant).  Halo: Reach looks to specialize with co-op of possibly up to six players, while also including a robust set of multiplayer features, similar to the lineup from Halo 3.  Mix in a rather good story, and this could be the major hit of 2010.

Alpha Protocol – Alpha Protocol is attempting to do something that has never been successfully done in a video game as of yet, and that is completely immersing you in the role of a spy/secret agent.  A few games have done well grasping on to the source material, but nothing has put the complete package together.  Obsidian Games is looking to give us not only the action, but the dialog and interpersonal relationships that are a part of being a spy.  Alpha Protocol features tons of branching dialog paths, and with each path, a new path through the game is opened up.  Decisions you make at one point, can come back to help or haunt you several hours into the game, giving the impression of a living, breathing world.  The biggest issue that I can find with Alpha Protocol is the fact that it was delayed several times in 2009, only to get pushed into 2010.  This leads to some confidences issues with the title, but with subject matter that is so interesting, I feel confident putting this in my top ten list for 2010.  Alpha Protocol is supposed to hit retail shelves by June 2010.

Max Payne 3 – After a very long hiatus, Rockstar Games decided to go back to the Max Payne franchise, and this time around they are not pulling any punches, adding Obadiah Stone in the lead role of Max Payne.  I kid, but the new Max Payne model is seriously channeling the look of the bad guy from the first Iron Man movie, with the bald dome and bushy beard.  From the last time we saw Max Payne, his life has gone into a freefall.  He is living in South America, apparently is hooked on painkillers (no wonder, as they were your health pickup in the first two games), and just looks worn down by a hard life.  Rockstar is promising that all the game mechanics that we remember from the first two Max Payne titles will be here in part three, along with some new tweaks to add to the mix.  No word on whether Mona Sax is alive in this title, or whether she will appear in part three, but one can wish.  Beyond this, we don’t have much information, but looking at the first two Max Payne titles, you can’t help but think the third game will be a success.  Max Payne is supposed to hit shelves in the fourth quarter of 2010.

Splinter Cell: Conviction – The Splinter Cell franchise was basically on life support at the beginning of 2009.  Conviction had just been pulled from the 2009 release calendar, and was pushed into development hell/a 2010 release depending on who you talked to at Ubisoft.  Even Michael Ironside, the voice of Sam Fisher talked about how he was getting tired of the role.  It was a rather dark time for Splinter Cell, until E3 2009 and the relaunch of the franchise with the great Conviction trailer.  This trailer had some great design elements, a harder edged Sam Fisher who had left the Third Echelon, because they might have been involved in his daughter’s death.  Now we get a Sam Fisher that does not have to play by anyone’s rules, and his new combat style shows this off, complete with Krav Maga hand to hand combat and guerilla warfare tactics.  And of course, Michael Ironside is back, and better than ever, adding up for Splinter Cell: Conviction being the second part of an Ubisoft 1-2 punch combo (with Assassin’s Creed 2 being the first part).  Splinter Cell: Conviction hits shelves in February 2010.

Mass Effect 2 – What can I say about this sequel that I have not already said in previous articles and podcasts.  The continuation of the first game, Mass Effect 2, features a new cast of characters, while still allowing some interaction with the cast from the first game.  A new dialog system that allows you to interact with certain items or people while in a dialog tree gives the title a more free-formed structure.  Bioware has listened to the complaints that were found with the first title, and have tweaked combat, allowing for location-specific damage,  heavy weapons, and the idea that combat plays like a real shooter and not like an RPG.  Mass Effect 2 also continues the development of one of the best sci-fi universes that I have seen in quite some time.  Mass Effect 2 is hitting store shelves on January 26^th, 2010.

Split Second – I had not seen much of Split Second before going to E3 last year, and after getting some hands on time, I was completely sold on the design.  Even in its early alpha state, the game looked more polished than some of the games that were going to hit shelves several months before Split Second.  The idea of an arcade racer that allows you to gain bonuses based on your driving ability, as well as tracks that change and deform as the race progresses is a great concept.  One lap may present you with a standard looking track, while the next lap may detour you through an airport terminal, or a mall, due to other race paths being destroyed by special attacks and bonuses.  Split Second has a lot of stuff going on, and it is a blast to watch it all happen around you as you drive through the carnage and destruction.  Split Second is set for a February 2010 release, but could float out a little bit.

Brink – Another title that debuted at E3, the launch trailer and pre-production gameplay that we saw, gave is a glimpse at what could be a defining game for 2010.  Splash Damage are veteran developers that have worked in the multiplayer arena for many years, and now are putting what they have learned into a solid single player experience, while allowing for a jump in-jump out co-op experience.  Brink is looking to allow players to switch roles on the fly.  So at one point, you can be a medic, and have certain missions and objectives, but you can then change to a scout type, and your missions and objectives will change on the fly.  Also, the SMART movement system, which works similar to the way that Mirror’s Edge handled terrain, in a parkour like fashion.  The idea is to navigate terrain in an intuitive way.  If you see a door you want to get to, but there is a table in the way, you will vault over the table.  It sounds simple, but adds a sense of a real world experience.

Now we have two honorable mentions.  The first is Final Fantasy XIII, and the only reason that it did not make the top ten list is partially due to my indifference to the Final Fantasy series, but more so due to the untested nature of the franchise on the Xbox 360.  Yeah, we had Final Fantasy XI on the 360, but was it really a Final Fantasy release?  I don’t think so, so Final Fantasy XIII is significant in this regard.  The other is Fallout: New Vegas.  Some would say, “Joe, you love Fallout, why is this not in your list?”  Well, I did not put it in the main list, because I am still unsure that it will actually come out in 2010.  I know that Obsidian is not fully committing to a release date beyond the 2010 time frame, and with their recent release history surrounding Alpha Protocol; this date is nebulous at best.  If Fallout: New Vegas does hit shelves in 2010, it will definitely be a must buy title.

So there are the titles that we think are going to be the cream of the crop.  Some have us taking a leap of faith, while others are almost surefire hits.  Let us know what you think of the list, or if you have differing opinions, post them in the comments, or send us an email or voice mail, with your picks.  See you all back here at the end of 2010 to look at these picks, and for the new top ten for 2011.