The Girl Gamer's Top Ten Videogames of 2008

1. Fable 2 - Xbox 360

In the land of Albion, everything you choose affects yourself and the world around you, so remember that because the next time you burp in a stranger’s face it might just lead to you developing some glowing, green eyes and a set of horns. Fable 2 tops my list of the best videogames of the year because it had just enough of everything I wanted in a videogame to keep me coming back day after day. From smart-mouthed gargoyles to beautiful environments, the land of Albion provided players with the freedom to do whatever they please and the best place to do it in. How many games will let you massacre an entire town, kill bandits, have 3 spouses and cross-dress if you want to? This is gaming freedom at its best.

2. LittleBigPlanet - Playstation 3

Another game which proves that gamers love the chance to show off their creativity was LittleBigPlanet which had gamers all over the world adopting their very own Sackboy or girl to the start of the journey through a world fuelled by dreams. With the choice of playing the pre-created levels or creating your own, LittleBigPlanet was full of hours of game play and some sweet Sackboy fun.

3. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots - Playstation 3

As next chapter in the Kojima masterpiece, Metal Gear Solid 4 was probably the first game to show how videogames and movies are merging into a single medium. With hours and hours of beautiful cinematic cut scenes and a complex storyline to draw you in, you never minded how much time was spent watching the game as opposed to playing it because you felt like you were helping progress an interactive movie rather than a videogame.

4. Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Precipice of Darkness Episode 1&2 - Xbox Live Arcade, Playstation Network

After spending years poking fun at the gaming industry, creators of the hilarious web comic, Penny Arcade created their own videogame which took all that was moral and sane, and threw it out the window. The final product was a comical role-playing/adventure game which was rolling on the floor, laugh out loud funny. I personally can’t wait to download Episode 3.

5. Boom Blox - Nintendo Wii

When Steven Spielberg and videogames came together, we got the unique and innovative Nintendo Wii title, Boom Blox which had players of all ages addicted to toppling its block formations. Its various game play and easy to pick up controls made this the perfect family game but its complex puzzles kept even the smartest players busy. This year had so many bad third party Nintendo Wii titles that games this good need to be recognized, lest they fall by the wayside and get buried in the bargain bin.

6. Grand Theft Auto IV - Xbox 360, Playstation 3

Rockstar has always managed to raise the bar with each GTA game they release but this time they blew away all previous games in the series as well as any copycat title with GTA IV. From the living city to the meaningful characters, this game gave new life to the GTA series and provide that the guys at Rockstar still knew how to make a sell out videogame. Hopefully new “The Lost & Damned” downloadable content available in February will be just as good as the main storyline for this game.

7. God of War: Chains of Olympus - Playstation Portable

If all PSP games were this good, the Nintendo DS wouldn’t have a leg to stand on but unfortunately God of War: Chains of Olympus is very alone as the handheld masterpiece that it is. It was just as good as playing GoW2 on the PS2, but just on a smaller screen and that’s hard to say that about any PSP game, even the PS2 ports. If you own a PSP and you don’t own this game, then you need to drop everything and buy it now because this is the system seller.

8. Spore - PC

Though it may have not been the game that we were all promised, Spore was still a highly addictive and creative game from the mind of gaming genius, Will Wright. The freedom to control everything from your creature’s looks to its movement gave players a vast artistic outlet and the massive amount of user content on the internet from this game proves it. This was several games in one and possible one of the best deals in gaming this year for your money.

9. Professor Layton and the Curious Village - Nintendo DS

This Nintendo DS had players following the whimsical Professor Layton into a village of puzzles and tons of head-scratching fun. The Professor made logic puzzles cool and top hats even cooler. The cute animation cut scenes made the game fun to watch as much as it was to play and I know happily that I’m not the only gamer looking forward to the sequel’s release in North America, so expect more logic puzzle fun with the Professor to head our side of the planet soon.

10. Patapon - Playstation Portable

With its cast of one-eyed warriors and soundtrack of toe-tapping tunes, you can’t deny this Patapon was definitely drumming to its own beat which made it stand out amongst a sea of PSP titles. This unique and innovative music game managed to ensnare tons of PSP players with its siren song and happily, the sequel for this charming game has been recently announced so soon there will be more attacking to the beat.