Thanksgiving 2009 Mashup: The games (and game products) we’re most thankful for

The Gamertell staff is taking some time off to be with our families (and very likely play videogames in the other room for many, many hours) for Thanksgiving.

As a special, tasty treat for this holiday, here’s a look at the games and game products Gamertell (and Appletell and Gadgetell) writers and editors are most thankful for.

Also check out our two previous Thanksgiving Day mashups: “A few of our favorite uses of food in videogames” (2007) and “A few (more) of our favorite uses of food in video games” (2008).

Enjoy!

Jenni Lada: – I was pretty thankful for the release of two Japanese PSP games, Hatsune Miku: Project Diva and Persona 3 Portable. Hatsune Miku: Project Diva is an amazing music and rhythm game where you can not only play through more than 30 of the Vocaloid’s most famous “hits” but you can also import your own MP3 files into the game and then make tracks and music videos to go with them. As for Persona 3 Portable, I’m just amazed that a version of a person game where you could choose the main character’s gender, and then experience a whole new version of the game would not only be released, but be released on a portable platform. I hope we see Persona 3 Portable in the US next year! Hope you have a happy Thanksgiving!

Kirk Hiner - Tomb Raider II for the Macintosh. It was during the dark days of the Mac, when it seemed no one was buying one and no one was developing for it, especially game companies. For a few years, we saw little more than adventure game retreads and Mario Teaches Typing. Then, from out of nowhere, Aspyr brings us Tomb Raider II. The franchise was huge at the time, Tomb Raider II was one of the most anticipated games of 1997, and the idea that we’d be getting it on the Mac was absurd. But there it was, and for gamers, at least, it was beginning of our climb back to legitimacy. Also, the game kicked ass.

PJ Hruschak - I’m going to go a bit old school mostly because I’d be picking a bunch of games from this system. I’m most thankful for the Atari 2600 console released in 1977. Without it there likely would not be the home video game systems we have now. More personally, everyone in my family played games on that system, often together and every holiday for several years. Yep, I still have ‘ol woody with the original box, controllers and games.

Lucy Newman - I would have to be thankful for two games I played to death since it released in 1982 called Raiders of the Lost Ark and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back for the Atari 2600. Games based on my all-time favorite movies (that even today I still watch and continuously purchase the updated versions). Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back published by Parker Brothers left my brothers and I humming the familiar tunes as we flew our ships the legs of an Imperial Walkers and shooting them down before they reached the base. When it got frustrating we switched to Raiders of the Lost Ark , also by Parker Bros., to solve the puzzles and navigate through challenging mazes and more.

Amy Sutton - WiiFit Plus. So I can have more pumpkin pie!

Brian Allen - Mine would have to be Batman: Arkham Asylum (August 2009 PS3, Xbox 360, Eidos Interactive). It is not just a great licensed game, it is a game that can hold its own with the best releases of the year. Every step of the way, you can see the care taken to make it the definitive Batman video game experience. It is not only better than every other Batman game, it is better than several of the Batman films. It reunites writer Paul Dini with voice actors Kevin Conroy (Batman) Mark Hamill (The Joker) and Arleen Sorkin (Harley Quinn) from the excellent Batman Animated Series. When other video game developers look to adapt a licensed property, Batman: Arkham Asylum is the textbook they should work from.

Shawn Ingram - The game “product” I am most thankful for would have to be the Nintendo DSi. It came along at the right time, just as my launch-day Fat DS was dying, the stylus lost and the touchscreen becoming far too scratched. Being able to play GBA games was never that important, and I love the idea of DSiWare, even if the selection is rather weak. The larger screen, WPA2 support and cameras were also great additions that have proved useful/fairly entertaining.

Ed Parry - I’m not much of a gamer, but the title I’d say I’m most thankful for, would probably be Forza Motorsport 3 (Xbox 360, 2009, Microsoft Game Studio’s, developed by Turn 10). Driving is one of those things that I feel we don’t get to have enough fun with. After the excitement of being able to drive passes us by, it falls into a repetitive cycle of driving to work, driving to a store, picking some one up, driving home, you get the idea. There aren’t enough opportunities to just go out for a drive, to enjoy it. It’s likely that many of the cars that we drive aren’t our favorites, and I’m sure there’s lots of us that have never driven our favorite car. While, of course, the experience is a simulated one, Forza Motorsport 3 allows you to drive some of the fastest, beautifully-designed cars in the world, from the comfort of your own home. What’s more, thanks to ever advancing technology, with high-tech steering wheels and full high definition graphics, you can really be made to feel like you’re driving the car itself, and until I land myself several thousands of dollars, that’s the closest many of us will get.