Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, Sony PS3: A year in gaming!

Dec 27 2008

It’s been quite a year in gaming. STEVE WOLLASTON signs off for 2008 and heads for his favourite easy chair with some wine and mince pies to peruse the top games of the year.

NINTENDO DS

EVERYONE’S favourite dual screen handheld continued its meteoric rise this year with some great titles.

There was the usual glut of puzzle games, some excellent RPGs and some fantastic kids’ titles.

The Imagine series for girls pulled in a whole new DS audience, giving younger girls a chance to play the role of teachers, models, horse-riders, wedding planners and the like.

The Final Fantasy series continues to go from strength to strength on the DS, too, along with some other great adventures like Castlevania.

One game that nearly hit the top was the excellent pocket version of Xbox 360 smash Viva Pinata. The DS title Viva Piñata: Pocket Paradise was a very snug fit, fully making use of the dual screen and stylus.

The DS Game of the Year, though, has to be the heavily marketed (and completely sold out) Professor Layton and The Curious Village – a beautifully designed and well-executed puzzle mystery game that leaves gamers not only perplexed but very entertained.

SONY PSP

A QUIET year for the PSP, Sony’s handheld didn’t hit the headlines much but it did play host to some very good games.

Patapon was a big hit with its unique style, Space Invaders Extreme