Here it is ladies and gents, the team at No More Game Blogs sounding off on the games that had the most profound impact on each, individual member of this fine gaming establishment in 2009.  We've compiled everyone's personal favorites, close calls, and unexpected letdowns, and given everyone an individual stage upon which to share the resulting inner commotion with our readers.

Sure, we work at a site where we write about games, but we're (arguably) equally as human as the general gaming population.  This means that we have limits - on finances, time, and patience.  Did everyone play everything?  Nope.  Have our choices of what to play this year had an influence on our decisions?  Yep.  Is this a biased list?  Most certainly.  However, that doesn't make it any less insightful.

Trudge forth, dear readers, and reminisce with us - 2009 was a fine year. 

Matt Galvin - No More Game Blogs Founder

Game of the Year:  Batman: Arkham Asylum

Not only is this the greatest Batman game ever made, it's also just a great game, regardless if you like Batman or not.  Rocksteady poured it's heart and sweat into this one and it shows. The attention to detail and small nods for fans is incredible. From the Iceberg Lounge poster to Ras Al Gul's corpse, there are tons to seek out and find. Not only did they give you a reason to search the amazingly varied environments, but the Arkham side story that you learn through the writings is also a bonus to explore. 

Going through Arkham is a Batman fan's dream, but Rocksteady went even further with all of the little easter eggs and touches, not to mention the fantastic voice acting by the original animated series' cast, including Mark Hamill as The Joker, and producing a fantastic story written by Paul Dini, one of Batman's best writers. The gameplay is always changing and keeps things fresh. Taking one part Metroid Prime, with its elements of exploration and constant upgrading of powers and weapons, and mixing in one part Metal Gear Solid, but mainly streamlining the experience so that for the first time ever in a stealth game, you actually feel like a predator hunting your prey, and not a coward hiding in shadows or boxes.   

Arkham Asylum also sports one of the most enjoyable combat systems to ever grace an action game. By simply countering and pouncing and kicking in any direction you can link combos as long as you can react quickly. Simple to play, but difficult to master. Batman is a game that should be on everyone's must play list even if you're not a fan of superheroes. If you like good games, then you owe it to yourself to play this Batman.

Runner Up:

• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
  

Disappointment of the Year:  Diablo 3

Fucking Blizzard, really? Fucking 2011. Fuck.  I kid, that's not really my disappointment of the year.

Real Disappointment of the Year:  Resident Evil 5

Ok, Resident Evil 4 I felt was a fresh direction for the series to take.  Fast, smart zombies, controls that work. Finally a fun Resident Evil game....only 4 did lose the scare factor a bit. Wow! Resident Evil 5 takes place in the day, is 100% action game not survival horror and it controls like crap. The gameplay is built around multiplayer cooperative play and there really is no scare factor. It's daytime, you have a friend, and the AI and controls are so dated it feels like RE4 with HD graphics, but worse.  I mean, RE4 again was a great game but since RE4, Dead Space, Silent Hill: Homecoming, hell, even Batman and other games have moved the survival horror genre forward, but Resident Evil 5 is just a stale rehash of 4 with unnecessary features thrown in. Though I have to admit that Shiva is very hot. 

Kit Marlowe – Staff Writer

Game of the Year:  Demon's Souls

Demon's Souls was exactly what we hardcore RPG fans on the PS3 needed. The incredibly dark world, combined with the varied classes, the challenging gameplay (Honestly? Not as hard as I expected), and the 'massively single-player' aspect make this game absolutely ideal for all RPG fans. When I first rolled up my soldier and wandered into the damned and doomed world of Boletaria, witnessed the destruction, and slew a troops of mindless, soulless ghouls I was hooked.
 

Runners Up:

• Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor
• Assassin’s Creed 2

Disappointment of the Year:  The PSP

What? Not a game you say? Well, yes, I’ll give you that. I really love the PSP, don’t get me wrong, I got my 1000 (or Phat) when it first came out and still have it. I’ve had games I’ve really, really loved: Disgaea PSP, Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions, Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core, flOw, Suikoden, Monster Hunter Freedom 1 and 2, Revelations: Persona, et cetera. However if you look at that short list of my favorite games you’ll notice that four are ports/remakes, two can be played on PS3, and only three are original games (there are some interplay between the categories. Not exactly rocking PSP exclusives. Games I’m excited for are always just on the horizon, like Final Fantasy XIII: Agito, God Eater, Ushio, or .hack//Link.

Again, don’t get me wrong, we’ve had great releases this year like Dissidia: Final Fantasy or Revelations: Persona, but combined with the slow releases, the glut of poor games, the snafus associated with the PSP Go! (i.e. the lack of UMD conversion programs, the problems in other countries, the price), and the general lack of focus for the PSP makes one of my beloved systems feel a bit…lame. However, I will say that I’m confident that 2010 will be a better year for the PlayStation Portable.

James Brimelow - News Writer

Game of the Year:  Assassin’s Creed 2

It has not been out for long but the reason this has my vote for GOTY is that I feel that it offers a great package and provides a good example of why sequels are not always a bad thing. The first game was a flawed gem with some genuinely great moments, and the second game improves on all of them. Ubisoft have addressed a number of the flaws from the first game (rather than just offering a glossier version of it - see Biggest Disappointment below) and have listened to the opinions of fans, changing the second game for the better. It has an engaging story with enough side stories to stop the game from becoming repetitive. In my opinion a worthy “winner” for Game of the Year.

Runners Up:

• FIFA 2010
  
• Dragon Age: Origins
• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Disappointment of the Year:  Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

I’m sure I’ll be crucified for this but I was honestly disappointed with this game, after all the hype and the controversy I feel it was a complete let down. Yes the graphics are nice and the game play is okay but at the end of the day it’s just another FPS. The story isn’t that amazing and it is very confusingly strung together. The first Modern Warfare was a much more enjoyable experience and I’m not convinced that Modern Warfare 2 improves enough on the “original” game. Maybe I am being too critical but I think that this is a case of a game having too much of a build up...anti-climax comes to mind.

Dilan Fernando - Staff Writer

Game of the Year:  Batman: Arkham Asylum

It hasn’t been a particularly innovative year in terms of game releases, but more like a sudden rush of great, solid sequels. Despite it being a year full of five star games, there was one game that shone brighter than the rest for a simple reason: it nailed the basics with unerring flair and excelled from there on in. Batman: Arkham Asylum captured the aura of the Batman comic book universe brilliantly through its ominous soundtrack and its portrayal of the grim, murky corridors of the franchise’s signature mental asylum, supported by some truly mesmerizing game play sequences and easy, intuitive controls to top it off. A captivating story, unique visual style, perfect game play and some of the best voice acting all year help Batman: Arkham Asylum toe ahead of the rest of the competition.

Runner Up:

• Assassin's Creed II

Disappointment of the Year: Stalin vs. Martians

Stalin - and Martians. What could possibly go wrong!? How could a game with such an awesome title ever be bad!? Sadly, it did so in more than one way; you know there’s something wrong with a game when it does no job of telling you how to play it, and that’s exactly what Stalin vs. Martians did. The real time “strategy” game immediately thrust the player straight into the fray to unknowingly battle the hordes of oncoming homosexual Martians. The hilarious concept and title, along with a fantastic soundtrack, couldn’t save Stalin vs. Martians from its broken controls, terrible graphics and generally chaotic, unstructured game play. 

Omri Petitte – News Writer

Game of the Year:  Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 

Modern Warfare 2 presents an enigma commonplace within the video game industry. On the one hand, Infinity Ward has an established track record of top-notch game releases throughout the years; backed by a copious amount of funds from Activision, MW2 continues through the trend by supplying riveting game play and epic battles. 

On the other hand, the game's dire reception by the gaming community (more specifically, those who look beyond getting their blood-spattered jollies from an FPS) practically soured Infinity Ward's reputation overnight. With the PC version of the game left in shambles due to rampant glitches, hackers and the lack of dedicated server support, gamers vented their anger by downranking MW2 through various review websites such as Metacritic. Thus, by simply observing the remarkable duality the game has achieved within the industry, I can safely say that MW2 gets my vote as Game of the Year.

Runners Up:

• Assassin's Creed II
• Dragon Age: Origins
• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
• Left 4 Dead 2

Disappointment of the Year: Champions Online

Calling an MMORPG a dissapointment will surely cause many eyes to roll exasperatedly. However, the sad truth is that the plethora of MMOs severely lack a valid comic book/superhero-themed game. City of Heroes got the ball rolling, but it was damned into lawsuit hell as copyrighted characters sprang up nearly every week. Champions Online looked to amend that malady by allowing players to have complete creative control on how their characters looked.

Unfortunately, the game suffered under an immense amount of homogenization with the various powers available in the game; be it a pair of guns or energy bolts flying out of your hands, selecting an ability was a futile activity, as everything dealt the same amount of damage, only with different types. In the end, Champions Online gets my vote for Dissapointment of the Year--a valiant effort on the part of the developers, but not quite enough.

Justin Potts - Staff Writer and Editor

Game of the Year:  Half Minute Hero

What originally began life as a flash game, Marvelous Entertainment’s Half Minute Hero for the PSP wound up being my most welcomed surprise of 2009, managing to mash up elements from RPG’s, puzzle games, action games, and plenty of strategy and replay value, into a final package capable of satisfying gamers with partiality to any one of the above genres, as well as a simple enough design and concept that even casual game players can pick up and enjoy – and I’m only referring to the game’s “Hero” mode.  The game’s shining star could have easily justified the price of entry all on its own, however the inclusion of multitudes of other well thought out, addictive gameplay modes (Knight, Princess, etc.), as well as a multiplayer option, results in a package way too good to pass up.

The charming art style that pleasantly combines what I would consider “high grade” 16-bit style overworlds and pixilated characters, together with a stellar soundtrack (go listen to that opening theme once more), orchestrates perfectly with the game’s sense of humor, which thrives as richly within the inherent design as much as in overt homage through text and dialogue.  Half Minute Hero is as much of a mockery as it is a beautiful tribute, and it’s a game that will remain within arm’s reach for a long time to come.   

Runners Up:

• New Super Mario Bros. Wii
  
• Flower
  
• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
  
• Muramasa: The Demon Blade
  

Disappointment of the Year:  Loco Roco: Midnight Carnival

In the interest of full disclosure, I should state that the previous Loco Roco titles make up a pair of my all time favorites, so its safe to assume that my anticipation, and thus resulting disappointment, should be comparably extreme. 

I applaud the designers for being proactive in attempting to take the series in new directions before the mechanics established in previous entries begin to grow stale.  Sadly, turning the game into a “hardcore” platformer only served to exemplify the series’ weaknesses.  Loco Roco was never a game of precision, but a relaxing, tender jaunt that induced more humming than sweating, offering plenty of collectivity, exploration, and creative platforming avenues for the more ambitious gamer.  The floaty, imprecise controls in Loco Roco provided more than a sufficient (and actually suitable) experience for the game’s original design structure, but became the root of foul language and primary color hatred in Midnight Carnival.  Besides, following Loco Roco 2, I don’t know if I’ll ever be satisfied again without a comparable Mui Mui House. 

Should “download only” have been a hint?  I would like to say, “No,” but it is entirely possible that Sony knew something that we didn’t. 

Ultan O’Connell – News Writer

Game of the Year:  Batman: Arkham Asylum

As a massive comic and Batman fan, I was very excited about AA. I was so excited in fact, that I refused to read previews or latest news, I even went so far as to not play the demo.  I wanted to experience the game in full with no prior knowledge of it beyond the basic premise.  I was not disappointed.  The gripping storyline mixed with the meaty and satisfying combat and the tension filled stealth provided a gameplay experience unlike any other.  The game is also filled with little nods to the comic series in the form of The Riddler's challenges.  I was delighted to find these, and they only made an already exceptional game even more enjoyable.

Runners Up:

• Street Fighter 4
  
• Forza Motorsport 3
  
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
  
• Demon's Souls
• Dragon Age: Origins
  

Disappointment of the Year:  Prototype

Boasting a vast open world, an intriguing story and a fun, complex combat system, I felt Prototype only delivered on the promise of the open world; New York in this case, but even that has already been done numerous times before.  The combat, while fun initially, quickly became stale and repetitive and the story was quite dull - another tale of an amnesiac trying to regain his memories.  Prototype brought no new ideas to the table and didn't even refine the mechanics it did use.  To me it truly felt a prototype, rather than a full game.

Jazz English – News Writer

Game of the Year:  Persona 4

Since it came out early this year (in the UK) and just barely squeaked into the '08 window on U.S. shores, I'm counting it. I didn't start playing it until recently, and alongside the release of some pretty big titles (Uncharted 2, James Cameron's Avatar, etc.), but no other game this year has got me playing it every other day and thinking about it when I'm not playing it. Maybe it's because I'm in school, so Persona's portrayal of a Japanese game version of school is intriguing to me, or maybe it's just that this game improved on Persona 3, a game I already was in love with, but nothing else has held my interest as long as Persona 4.

Runners Up:

• Killzone 2
• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
• Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box

Disappointment of the Year:  Scribblenauts

I tried my best to play this game before it came out at the Penny Arcade Expo, but sadly didn't. What I heard about it, then? That it was amazing! The game was promising much, and in a lot of ways came through on those promises, but it faulted with game breaking controls and a questionable dictionary (When I set up a fight between God and Zeus, I don't want clones fighting each other!). Scribblenauts was fun for a few minutes and the faces of non-gamers who play it for the first time always amuse me, but I wanted more out of this game.

Jake Handy – Staff Writer

Game of the Year:  Mirror's Edge

I'm a PC gamer (which is why this game qualifies in 2009). I've tried to get into the consoles, but no matter what it just seemed impossible. Now, I should start off by saying that I haven't had time to play any of the major releases in the last couple of months. I haven't played Dragon Age: Origins or Left 4 Dead 2, but I have played Mirror's Edge -- and enjoyed every second of it. Mirror's Edge took the concept of an FPS and transformed it into something incredibly innovative. No big muscular men, no alien invasion, just a girl named Faith, a corrupt government, and the freedom to run. Every second in Mirror's Edge was a breath of fresh air. The puzzles were creative and the graphics were stunning, sure, but the gameplay is what got me. I felt like I was running, I felt like nothing could stop me -- and for that, Mirror's Edge is my game of the year.

Runners Up:

• Rock Band Unplugged
  
• Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
  
• Killing Floor
  

Disappointment of the Year:  The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition

I'm seventeen. When The Secret of Monkey Island was first released, I didn't exist. However, when I played it as a kid, I found myself lost in the world, lost in the myth. I wanted to pursue the secrets of the island, I wanted to point and click at everything possible. Even as a kid it looked outdated, but I didn't care. I loved the game for what it was and what it had been. Now I understand that The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition is only meant as a makeover. Nothing more, nothing less. But I wanted more. I wanted more of the classic Guybrush that was lost in the recent Tales of Monkey Island series, I wanted more of the classical wit and the style -- and the Special Edition was just the same game I had played as a kid. The Special Edition makeover itself was well done in all aspects, but the real disappointment for me came from the fact that the updated graphics were all that the game had to offer. I went in far too greedy and came out far too disappointed.

Travis Wahlstedt - Staff Writer and Administrator

Game of the Year:  Dragon Age: Origins 

I have always been a huge fan of Bioware’s games and they rarely disappoint me. Dragon Age is no exception.  It has an amazing storyline with in-depth characters that advance as the plot does. When you ramp up the display settings you get a very impressive looking game with immense details, but it also looks acceptable on the lower settings. Dragon Age: Origins controls exactly like World of Warcraft and sometimes feels like a single player MMO (no, the analogy doesn’t actually make sense, just go with it kids.)  The combat is the usual "point, click, attack, use talent, repeat" that many RPGs have, but if it isn’t broken why fix it? Overall Dragon Age is the best old school RPG that Bioware has released in many years. I would not recommend buying this game on Xbox 360 because from all I have heard it is not nearly as good as the PC version. If you are a fan of Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights or even Diablo, then Dragon Age: Origins is a game you should really consider picking up this holiday season.  

Runner Up:

• Left 4 Dead 2

Disappointment of the Year:  None - what a splendid year to be a gamer!