A Look Back at 2009

2009 was an interesting year.  I got a new job, did some interesting things, and, with much regret, left my longtime home for all things game collecting, the Candid Collector's Union on GameSpot.  But one thing has remained constant: I still love video games.  I'm pretty sure that will never change.

That said, let's take a look back at what was a sneaky-successful year on the gaming/collecting front for me.

-I had said that I was going to cut back my acquisitions a bit this year and was successful...to a point.  I added 140 new titles and one new system to my collection (as opposed to the 183 I picked up in 2008).  To be fair, much of that can be attributed to a couple of huge hauls early in the year.  I ended the year with 969 games and I foresee the 1,000 title barrier falling sometime near the end of March, most likely at the Midwest Gaming Classic.

-At the beginning of the year, I had a friend give me a number of games to complete for the year.  He suggested 24, and we went with that.  I'd never finished more than 19 in any given year.  Well, not only did I meed the goal, I surpassed it (by...one).

2009 Completed Games
-Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude (Xbox)
-Champions of Norrath: Realms of Everquest (PS2)
-Max Payne (PS2)
-DiRT (X360)
-Dash of Destruction (XBLA)
-Rygar (NES)
-WWE: Legends of WrestleMania (X360)
-Soul Blazer (SNES)
-Fight Night Round 3 (X360)
-Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust (X360)
-Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes (Xbox)
-Metroid (NES)
-Gauntlet: Dark Legacy (PS2)
-Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne (PS2)
-Champions: Return to Arms (PS2)
-Metal Gear (NES)
-Earthbound (SNES)
-Deja Vu (NES)
-Uninvited (NES)
-Tecmo Bowl (NES)
-Castlevania (NES)
-WCW Nitro (PS)
-Shadowgate Classic (GBC)
-Saints Row 2 (X360)
-Assassin's Creed II (X360)

-My Game of the Year: Assassin's Creed II (X360).  Of all the games I played this year, this one sucked me in from the very start and didn't let me go until I'd finished it.  It was a common occurrence for me to come home from work, start playing, and look up at the clock seemingly five minutes later only to learn that it was suddenly after 3:00 in the morning.  Games like this don't come along that often...it's really nearly perfect save for a couple very minor issues I had with the controls.  I really can't recommend this one enough.

-My Biggest Disappointment of the Year: Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust (X360).  This was so easy to pick.  You don't go into a Leisure Suit Larry game expecting high quality.  You go in expecting fart and sex jokes.  So when a game that uses that as it's calling card isn't funny, and throws in ugly visuals and broken controls to boot, it's a certifiable turd.  The one bright point (and even this is stretching it) was Patrick Warburton's performance as the voice of Damone LeCocque.  It was an utter pile and, as someone who prides himself on being masochistic enough to see even the crappiest games through to the end, I can't even say I'm proud to have finished it.

I'd like to say that I'll cut back my game buying this year, but I'll probably look back next December, see another 150 new games and just shake my head in disbelief.  I've got a new PSP and a PS3 on the way, so I'll need games for them.  I'd also like to get a DS and Wii to round out my collection of the latest consoles.  Then again, there's the new TV I want too...sigh.

It looks like the first GTA IV expansion is going to be my first completion of the year.  I had planned for this to be the year of the epic RPG by concentrating on finshing fewer, more involved games (Fallout 3 and it's thirty-seven expansions, anyone?), but then my wife gave me Batman: Arkham Asylum for Christmas and shot that idea all to hell.  So, let's call 42,000 gamerscore (didn't even get close to 40,000 last year), my first 100 PS3 trophies, and five older games the goals for this year.

One year ends, another begins.  If 2010 is anywhere near as good as the last few years have been on the gaming front, it should be awesome.

Now, if you'll excuse me...I have goals to work on.