A couple of days ago I wrote a post that was somewhat critical of the way GiantBomb selected their game of the year. I want to make it quite clear that I wasn’t criticizing game of the year awards (I love ordered lists) nor their selection in general (its their opinion), so please don’t take this post as me being a hypocrite because that certainly was not the intention. With that said I believe I should note that my gaming disappointment of 2008 goes to Grand Theft Auto IV. I just didn’t have anywhere near the amount of fun I had with previous games in the series and while I didn’t hate it like some people, I didn’t like it much either.

But this post isn’t called Chris’s Personal Disappointments of 2008 but rather Personal Best so let’s get to that.

(Oh and this is going to be long)

25.Devil May Cry 4 (PS3) – I had high hopes for Dante’s latest adventure and then I only got to play as him for a 1/3 of the game. I still had fun with the game but my dissatisfaction with Nero kept this game from ascending higher. Oh and the 360 version had some wicked screen tearing.

24.Siren (PS3) – I didn’t finish it for a variety of reasons but this was my favorite survival horror experience of the year. It was like Silent Hill in bite sized chunks.

23.Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty (PS3) – I love the Ratchet series and I will take him in two hour bursts if I have too but this game really just left me wishing I had a full Ratchet adventure, you know one where they explain what the hell has happened to Clank.

22.Gran Turismo 5: Prologue (PS3) – OK so it wasn’t as good as Forza 2 but what do you want from a demo that costs $40? It could use some achievements but regardless it is still one of the best racers on the PS3.

21.Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (360) – Ten years ago Lucas Arts could not release a game with the Star Wars brand on it that I wouldn’t buy but since the glory days of Star Wars PC games the titles have been more miss than hit. I initially passed this game up and truly if my friend hadn’t loaned it to me I would never have played it but I am glad to report that it is the best Star Wars game in years. Yes it is just God of War with a lightsaber but c’mon its freaking God of War with a lightsaber.

20.Guitar Hero: World Tour (360) – I’m not going to shy away from it. World Tour is not as good as it could have been but it is still a damn fun game and the drums are fantastic.

19.Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii) – I can hear the outrage now, “Chris you hate Nintendo don’t you?” No I love Nintendo, I just don’t get Smash. I always think I like fighting games until I play them and then I realize I don’t really like fighting games. Smash is like that but it is far simpler than say, Mortal Kombat. I like the simplicity, I can play it against anyone and I have a chance to win but despite that and the fact that it is a Nintendo circle jerk the game just doesn’t do it for me long term.

18.Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (PSP) – What do you get when you take a minor character from Final Fantasy VII, create a prequel game staring him using a Kingdom Hearts like battle system and mix in a slot machine that randomly effects battles with no rhyme or reason? Crisis Core and it is sweet.

17.Final Fantasy IV (DS) – What do you get when you take a highly revered game that is almost twenty years old and update it with voice acting and 3D graphics? Final Fantasy IV and it is better than Final Fantasy VII on all fronts.

16.Mario Kart Wii (Wii) – I can hear the complaints again, “Chris, you like Mario Kart more than Smash? Why? Oh Why?” Yes I like Mario Kart more than Smash. I like driving more than fighting. The only problem is that like Smash this game is best played with a controller other than the Wii Remote, which is one of my main problems with Nintendo right now.

15.Guitar Hero: On Tour (DS) – It ended up eventually hurting my wrist but Vicarious Visions and Red Octane actually succeeded in taking Guitar Hero mobile. Releasing another game less than six months from this one was not cool though.

14.Professor Layton and the Curious Village (DS) – I like mysteries, my wife likes brain teasers. I got her to play this with me when I got stumped, for that I have to give them some recognition. That and the game was pretty cool as well.

13.Call of Duty: World at War (360) – I never got hooked on CoD4. It must have been the game setting because I am hooked to WaW.

12.Rock Band 2 (360) – It is Rock Band but improved in almost every single way.

11.Boom Blox (Wii) – Hands down my favorite Wii game of the year and it actually uses the Wii Remote in a way that makes sense and is damn fun.

10.God of War: Chains of Olympus (PSP) – Chains of Olympus is an almost perfect rendition of God of War on the handheld. Everything is highly polished and it is one of the most fun gaming experiences I had this year.

9.Dead Space (360) – Some people are going to look back at my #24 selection and think I have lost my marbles being as I proclaimed Siren my favorite survival horror experience of the year and I stand by that because I don’t think Dead Space is survival horror. It’s an action game with horror trappings.

8.Fallout 3 (360) – I am quite sure if I had gotten a chance to play this more that it would be higher up on my list but those are the breaks. What I can say about it is that the simplistic comparison to Oblivion is unwarranted. Fallout 3 is far more than just Oblivion with guns.

7.Mirror’s Edge (360) – Mirror’s Edge was something I found new and exhilarating. The world was a place I wanted to explore, finding the best path was a rewarding puzzle. I can see why people didn’t like it but for me it was a top tier release.

6. Gears of War 2 (360) – It’s more Gears and that is a good thing. Now if they can only fix the online play.

5.Braid (360) – Braid takes two of my favorite genre’s (puzzles and platforming) and mixes them into not only the best downloadable game I played this year but one of the best games period.

4.Prince of Persia (360) – I’ve heard the complaints. The game is too easy. The combat sucks. Hogwash I say. I died a hell of a lot in this game and the gimmick makes it so I don’t have to redo an entire level. The combat on the other hand is less justifiable but I for one liked the rhythm aspects of the battles.

3.Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3) – I didn’t find MGS4 to be the be all end all of gaming. I thought it had its flaws but it made more than enough improvements over previous iterations to make up for the small issues I had with the game. Like Smash Bros., MGS4 is fan service of the highest degree and as a fan I can’t say I could have asked for anything more.

2.Burnout Paradise (PS3) – When Criterion named 2008 the Year of Burnout, they were not kidding. I spent more time with Burnout than with any other game in all of 2008 and I am still playing it and think I still will be playing it for quite some time. That there speaks a lot to the quality of a game.

1.LittleBigPlanet (PS3) – For my money LittleBigPlanet offered me the most bang for my buck. The game has limitless potential and even if all the user content dries up I can always rely on my own imagination to keep my gaming going.

There you have it, my best games of 2008.

Look for my most anticipated of 2009 coming sometime soon.