Tiny Cartridge’s favorite tiny cartridges of ‘09
We (JC and Eric) came up with a one-of-a-kind idea to close out 2009: a list of our favorite games from the last year. If you see any other site doing this, they totally ripped us off!
2009 was overloaded with rad DS games, and it was hard to narrow it down to just ten. Which means that if your favorite game isn’t on this list, that doesn’t necessarily mean it wasn’t rad!*
- Retro Game Challenge (a.k.a. Game Center CX)- This collection of finely crafted, faux-retro titles doesn’t just promise the nostalgia of playing 8-bit games on your living room floor; it offers the opportunity to form a friendship with young Arino while playing those endearing classics together.
- Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes - Better and more addictive than Puzzle Quest, Clash of Heroes delivers a far more compelling story and varied challenges/units that keep each chapter exciting. It’s easily the best puzzle hybrid of the year on any system.
- Rhythm Heaven - Even though it’s a sequel to a game that came out in 2006, and even though it came out in Japan in 2008, this game sent a message that seemed extremely relevant this year: that you can have a rhythm game in which the rhythmic actions do not necessarily pantomime a musical performance. Hella catchy songs too.
- Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars - Even if you don’t think GTA is good unless it’s in realistic 3D (millions of next gen nerds likely agree with your misinformed opinion) — and even if you don’t think you like GTA at all, you’d probably dig this.
- Art Style: Boxlife - The brilliant puzzler that DSiWare pundits always forget. No other game captures the diligence, satisfaction, and lavish lifestyle that comes with working as a box folder.
- Scribblenauts - This game shouldn’t even be fucking possible.
- Maestro: Jump in Music - The most interesting import of 2009, and, once again, proof that you don’t need plastic instruments for a fun music game.
- Phantasy Star Zero - Finally, a great online co-op RPG on the DS. Of course, neither of us could get our damn DSes connected to the Internet to play it together, but we had an awesome time talking about it together while playing it separately.
- Flipnote Studio - Even more surprising than Nintendo making an animation application with such deep online integration for sharing and remixing user-created clips: they made the whole suite a free download.
- Game Center CX 2 - This one is actually better than the original (Retro Game Challenge) in every way: more games in the style of more retro game systems, daily challenges outside of the main game structure, and even a fake game store to simulate summer days spent trying out titles you can’t afford. But it’s difficult to rekindle your friendship with Arino (and play adventure games with him) when you can’t understand a damn thing anyone is saying.
If you missed out on these games in 2009, especially Retro Game Challenge, grab a copy and start playing them now before the best games of 2010 start hitting stores!
[Disclaimer: Though Tiny Cartridge is sponsored by Inokichi Cup O’ Chicken Noodles, that did not influence our decision to rank Retro Game Challenge as our favorite game of the year.**]
*It just wasn’t rad enough. :oP
**Seriously, though, buy some Inokichi Cup O’ Chicken Noodles. They’re cheap and delicious.
tags / 2009 / meta / jc / ec
