Every year, I keep telling myself that there can't possibly be anymore games I'm really looking forward to playing - yet developers always manage to surprise me with promising new wares.  2009 is no exception.

[PS3]: Right now, Street Fighter IV tops my must-have game of the year.  HD Remix has revitalized my passion for Street Fighter to a fever pitch, and with SF4, I figure it's gonna ride through the rest of the year.  Although I put my preorder in for the PS3 version and its accompanying Tournament Stick, I'm doing a back and forth as to whether I should switch to the 360 version or not.  (Potentially smoother online play and performance.)  Worse comes to worse, I just might have to pick up both, with at least a FightPad for the 360.  Believe me, Street Fighter would be the only game I'd ever do a double-dip for a multi-platform release on.  I haven't jumped aboard the hype train for Killzone 2, but what I've seen looks pretty damned good.  It'll be interesting to see if it can live up to the long-standing hype.  And Infamous has a good idea going for it, but I'll wait up on the final verdict.

[360]: BioShock 2, baby.  Here's hoping the absence of Ken Levine and the original 2K Boston won't result in a degradation of quality.  Resident Evil 5 is looking more and more amazing every time I see it.  Will it hold a candle to RE4?  I would put Final Fantasy XIII, but since the localized release has been dated for 2010.....

[Wii]: The Wii's already got a promising year ahead, much more than 2008 anyway.  Punch Out!! is about the most exciting thing to happen for the system in, like, ever.  MadWorld continues to look mad dope, and Sin & Punishment 2 will be one to look out for.  Klonoa?  I've been developing the ever increasing urge to play through the original Door to Phantomile again, so straight port or no, I'm getting onboard for this one.  Muramasa: The Demon Blade (aka Oboro Muramasa) is a very long ways off for a localized release, but the graphics alone is probably worth seeing in motion.  It's hard to imagine what they could add to Boom Blox 2 that the original didn't already have, but I'm all for a sequel all the same.  I'm still looking forward to the Greenblatt/Matsuura collaboration Major Minor's Majestic March, but the idea of finicky Wii controls combining with music rhythm continues to give me an uneasy feeling.  And then there's Samurai Shodown Anthology, which should be reward for those who patiently bypassed the first two VC releases.

[DS]: Although it's still up in the air as to whether we'll see a localized version this year, at least Gyakuten Kenji has a Japan release date: May 28th.  Still getting antsy waiting for Rhythm Heaven - what's the fraggin' hold up, Nintendo?   Avalon Code looks like it has potential, if just for its lovely art style.

[PSP] - Might check out Final Fantasy Dissidia once it hits Stateside, and LocoRoco 2 is looking pretty sweet.  I didn't get into the original Patapon as much as I'd hoped, so I'm still on the fence for Patapon 2.

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As for games that I'd like to get around to that was released prior to 2009, Valkyria Chronicles tops my list.  I've played very, very little of Dead Rising, Kameo, Tomb Raider Underworld, and Call of Duty: World At War, so I want to get more into those.  I'd also like to give Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds a try, and I might finally jump on the Rock Band-wagon this year.  (See what I did there?)

I agree Angela as my room is starting to look like a game shop with all these new games I keep buying! For me right now what I will try to save up for is:

Resident Evil 5 as that is a must after getting to play the demo at the Eurogamer Expo! At first the controls felt a bit stranger but once used to it worked like a charm. The different location also makes it more surprising and a bit creepy as enemies could be just about anywhere! The partnet system works perfectly well too so will want to get it.

Street Fighter 4 as I been into the games since I was like 8 and used to spend so much coins on the Street Fighter 2 arcade. When I played the arcade version at MCM it was perfect and new art style is surreal to look at in person. The Collector's edition is also too tempting to not buy and with student discount it's a must.

House of the Dead Overkill and collector's edition as I want to check out the comic. Just the funny 80's Horror movie presentation made me want it as it makes me laugh.

Mega Drive Ultimate collection as it has a lot of games and since I never owned a mega drive it is a must for me. I did play a lot of the games on it through other platforms but still there's no excuse to not buy it.

Castlevania Order of Ecclesia as I liked all the previous DS games which I played for hours on end and I love the catchy soundtrack for the series.

Walk with me just because of how curious I am to check out how it works since it's such an unique idea. Also am interested in a Ds game called Mystery something about finding a millionaires fortune as it sounds a lot like Professor Layton which I been completely addicted to.

Sonic and the Black Knight as I really like Sonic games and liked Secret Rings.

I guess if Professor Layton 2 comes out this year then I won't do the same mistake of not buying on release and try to save up money.

That looks like it for now really but I am sure it will problably grow in time. It would be cool if Bioshock 2 came out this year too! I have so many fond memories of playing through the game and finding every detail. The lady  behind the Cult of Rapture was also super nice and friendly coming up with all the promoting items and ideas.

Not sure if your into turned based strategy games Angela but I just got Fire Emblem shadow dragon which is fantastic and very addicitve. I think it will come out there in the States around February? Hopefully it will not be incredibly rare to find like here in the UK. Took me so long to find it in stock as I couldnt afford it on my birthday when it came out day after my birthday on 5h December.

I'm greatly looking forward to Alpha Protocol, by the creators of one of the best RPGs ever made (Planescape: Torment). Resident Evil 5 also looks pretty entertaining. God of War III, assuming it's released this year. Uncharted II, natch.

With FFXIII dated for 2010, that's pretty much it. There were a lot of disappointing games in 2008, especially in the JRPG genre so my hopes aren't especially high. I just finished off Fable 2, which I found VERY disappointing.

Yep, pretty much the same here.

When I first heard about SFIV and it going 3D I wasn't terribly excited, but playing it in the arcades was pretty enjoyable. It wasn't until the recent media blow-out and seeing how much incredibly cool stuff (and characters) they've added, that I became totally psyched.
Playing against others online is a no-brainer, but it actually looks like this is going to be a really fun Fighter to play on your own as well. I can't even remember when I last played a fighter game that had a really solid 1 player experience, but this definitely looks to be it.
Getting the PS3 version on day one.

Then, one week later, Star Ocean 4 on 360. I sure hope this is going to be good, cos reviews for previous Squenix games on 360 haven't been all that exciting. I have yet to try any of them myself though.

A little less than one month after that will be RE5. I'm going to get that day one cos it's RE5, dammit, but I have to admit that I'm not as excited about it anymore as I was in the beginning. I'm rather concerned about the forced co-op element, so I'm hoping Chris will get some time for himself as well.

Final Fantasy XIII will probably be the biggest thing for me this year, although I have no idea when it will be out. From what I've seen, I don't really see how they can screw this up.

Other than that, I don't really know what's coming out.
Bioshock 2, you say? Definitely interested in that!

I hope Squenix finally gets round to releasing ANY new Kingdom Hearts game this year though.

I am cautiously optimistic about Suikoden Tierkreis.  Although indications are that it won't deepen the existing Suikoden mythos, hopefully it will be good enough to stand on its own.  I mean, it's possible, right?  Okay, so by "cautiously optimistic," I really mean "deeply skeptical."

The ones I'm looking most forward to are SF4, RE5, S&P2, Cave Story, and Klonoa.

For a full platform breakdown:

WII
-Sin & Punishment 2
Loved the first one, and the controls here should be much improved (here's hoping for Wii Motion Plus)

-Cave Story
Don't know much about it, but the trailers look cool and it's got lots of positive buzz

-Klonoa
The original PSX game was lovely, so how could I not pick this up?  Here's hoping it's not full-priced.

-Mad World
Reviews will decide this one's fate with me as it looks like it could easily get repetitive

-Murasama
Again, reviews will be the order of the day, but the art is killer

DS
-Rhythm Heaven
I have the Japanese version, but I'd like to see what they do with the localization

-Legacy of Ys: Books I & II
It's gotten mixed reviews, but I'm thinking of giving it a try anyway

-Sands of Destruction
This will depend on reviews, but anything scored by Mitsuda gets my attention

-Mario & Luigi RPG 3
Hopefully this will be more like the original and less like Partners in Time

-Ace Attorney: Perfect Prosecuter
Just because

PS3
-Street Fighter IV
You know I love me some SF

-Resident Evil 5
I know the 360 version is the lead SKU, but I'm in no mood to buy another console for a marginally better version, so I guess I'll stick it out with the PS3 version; concerning the game itself, I'm really hoping the forced co-op with the computer isn't too annoying

I'm sure there's plenty of stuff we don't even know about that will trump many of the games on this list, so it'd sure be nice if companies could get around to making some announcements!

RE5, Bioshock, Muramasa (how can this game be bad? I don't get it), Mass Effect 2, POSSIBLY Street Fighter IV. It all depends on the Limited Edition. It looks sexy, but in the end, I've only ever been a casual fan of Street Fighter at best, so it might not be a wise investment.

Fatal Frame IV needs a damn release date announced before I even start to give a shit anymore, and as far as FFXIII goes, I find myself just really wishing that Square could surprise me like they could way back in the days of FFIV to VII (I know that game gets a lot of criticism here, but I still love it intensely). The screenshots just make it look like FFXII but techno-ish to me, and that doesn't really appeal to me. We'll see, though.

Also, agreed with Wanderer about Fable 2.

I'm a fighting game nerd, so Street Fighter IV is an absolute must. As much as I love 3rd Strike, it's time to move forward (and AWAY from Chun Li domination-city!). It looks good. It's probably too much to ask for a Tatsunoko vs Capcom release stateside.

I have a 360, so Star Ocean IV will most likely be the main RPG I play this year. The last one...didn't cut it (nice version of what I want to say), but SO2 was so good, the series deserves a second chance.

Also want some Valkyrie Profile DS action.

And man...Guitar Hero Metallica is tempting (and I'll get it no matter what because it will have Master of Puppets on it), but it's sad how much Black Album/Load/Reload junk has been announced so far. Dammit, just make it with the first four albums ONLY (and the "Am I Evil?" cover) already! Aw, and it looks like it won't have any Megadeth material included...Guess Dave and Lars really aren't on speaking terms anymore.

I'm hoping Star Ocean IV will be a good game. It's certainly one of the most gorgeous JRPGs I've ever seen but the series is wildly uneven. While I've learned never to expect good writing from the genre, SO3 especially stunk up my living room. And Square-Enix hasn't exactly been on a roll lately. Keeping my fingers crossed...

BioShock 2 is currently slated for a Q3 2009 release, so it's probably not a stretch to imagine that it'll attempt to coincide with the original 360/PC release month of late August.

I've never been a big Fire Emblem player, but if it gets your recommendation, I'll definitely keep it in mind.  Maybe after I finish up Valkyria Chronicles. :)

I'm interested in all the stuff Platinum's putting out, and Capcom has my attention as always (probably not on RE5 though, as I've yet to start RE4), but it might be too early to get excited. Big '08 stuff like MM9 didn't get announced until mid-year. If Capcom unveils ZX3 or Legends 3 this year, then I'll start making serious noise.

0_o   Now why would you go and get my hopes up like that?

King of Fighters XII (PS3)

dreams come true.....

http://www.gametrailers.com/game/6238.html

Suikoden Tierkreis (DS)

http://www.gametrailers.com/game/10392.html

i simply love suikoden and i hope they didnt ruin the series with this one.

Street Fighter IV (PS3)

http://www.gametrailers.com/game/5667.html

not very happy with where the series went, but its my responsibility to give it a try

Fire Emblem (DS)

http://www.gametrailers.com/game/9007.html

already out in europe, but i didnt have enough time to play yet.

Prinny - can i really be the hero? (PSP)

http://prinnies.com/

yes, you can!

[Wii]
- Muramasa: The Demon Blade
...

- MadWorld
This game just oozes style.  I'm not a big fan of beat-em-ups, but this game is certainly worth a look.

- Deadly Creatures
I'm really hoping this turns out great.  If so, day one for me.  I love the premise and the gameplay looks really cool.

- The Conduit
This game reminds me of Perfect Dark so much.  Judging from a multitude of videos, HVS clearly understands how an FPS is supposed to control on Wii.  This game looks like it'll deliver.

- Punch Out!
Even early on, this game looks like it'll be a riot.

- Klonoa
2D & 2.5D platformers make me feel warm and fuzzy inside...

- Sin & Punishment 2
I downloaded the first one on VC and really couldn't get into it because of the controls.  The GC pad is a poor substitute for the N64 pad for this game.  This game looks amazing and will undoubtedly have intuitive Wiimote IR controls.

- Little King's Story
Quirky and seductive on paper.  I hope it will be in execution as well.

- Tenchu IV
Looks cool!  A return to form of the PS1 classic?

- Fatal Frame IV
Never played this series.  This title will be a good introduction

[DS]
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon
This is the main reason I picked up a DS last month (along with two long plane flights).  I'll probably be buying more games on DS than anything this year.  But this game is the only one on my radar as of yet.

No love for Yumi's Odd Odyssey, I see...

Oops, forgot to mention Dragon Quest V on the DS! I lost interest in IV but I've played V all the way through before and it's my favorite in the series. A surprisingly moving story and very good characterization anchors the traditional gameplay. Good stuff!

Well, given that the Dead Rising/Lost Planet engine was allegedly designed to be a framework for MML3, and that Legends Megaman was in Tatsunoko vs Capcom just recently, and the the Legends team which has been lashed for the past decade to Battle Network and Star Force now has time on their hands since SF3 is the last one...my hopes are running VERY high (and I'd rather have Inti work on closing out the ZX story with a third entry there than have them work on MM10, but that's just me). Oh and regarding this...

I pre-ordered that today purely off of the Misadventures of Tron Bonne vibe it gave me. I've never even played Disgaea before.

Waiting to hear if they de-glitched it properly first. The Japanese version's apparently quite a mess.

I watched the trailer on that site, and I could barely stop myself from puking at the voice actresses.  The couple of screens from the game LOOKED nicely done, but there's no way in hell I could stomach more than 5 minutes of those voices.

DOOD!  Yes, you can!

I haven't much experience with the Disgaea series myself, but the game certainly looks like it could be solid 2D platforming fare.  Heard that the controls are in that brutal sort of Ghost 'n Goblins vein, though..... you know, with the rigid, hard-to-control jump.

Looks like SE opened up the official site for Covenant of the Plume.  Love that beautiful new hand-drawn rendering of Lenneth in the Characters section.

Oh, and speaking of Street Fighter, it looks like everyone's getting into the hype.  And I mean EVERYONE.

how could i forget yakuza 3? shame on me!

Yakuza 3 (PS3)

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/44725.html

also agree on the prinny voicework. they might include jp voices though like in their other games? ive never played disgaea myself, but im willing to give it a try someday. heres a better demo-play without any annoyance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gm82z6lNgak

love those graphics+animation.

The only problem is that it'll probably be in glorious monaural sound, just like SNK Arcade Classics Volume 1 was.

Oh well.

IGN reviews Prinny: 8.3

"Of course, jumping is the focal point for a platformer and that's where Prinny stands out the most. Jumping is very precise, but undeniably stubborn in its execution.  ..... This leads me to the other element that the developers definitely intended: the challenge.  Prinny is infuriatingly hard and unforgiving.  .... But despite the constant deaths, Prinny still puts all the control in your hands.  Usually if you die, it's your fault as opposed to the game being "unfair."  As you make your way from checkpoint to checkpoint, you really start to feel proud of your accomplishments."

"Sure, Prinny requires a lot of memorization and trial-and-error, but this sort of dynamic will appeal to gamers that really desire a strict challenge.  .... Even though there were times during Prinny that I wanted to hurl my PSP at the nearest explosive barrel, I still have to give the game a recommendation.  Yes, it is designed to push the player to his or her limits, but the gameplay is definitely rewarding and the overall, humorous style is certainly worth experiencing."

http://www.joystiq.com/2009/02/19/capco … on-feb-23/

Maybe, just maybe MegaMan Legends 3?  PLEASE?!

Dude, there is NO WAY Capcom would be that cool. Still, if it happened I'd fly to Japan and give someone a big sloppy kiss and be buying the game even if I don't own the console. I mean I've only been waiting for 8+ years to find out how Mega Man gets off the damn moon! Maybe (doubtful) even X9...? I mean really, the ending of X8 left me so unsatisfied with more questions than answers.

I could go for an MMX9 if they drop the ludicrous story and make it a 16-bit WW/PSN/XBLA game.

I hear this a lot but I agree with Ashley that finishing the story is important. Dropping it would jerk around the fans who have followed the games through highs and lows (and the 16-bit motif would seem a shallow grab for attention among a demographic that allegedly hasn't cared in over a decade, but I've probably rambled about that enough already).

Here's one I haven't yet seen mentioned here - Scribblenauts (DS) http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/scribblenauts-preview

I'm very skeptical about them being able to deliver what they promise but, if they can and if they can wrap a good game around it, they could have something rather special there. I'm watching with interest and I don't think I'll be able to resist trying it out.

The team responsible for "Scribblenauts" also did "Drawn to Life" and "Lock's Quest" and have proven themselves quite capable on the DS.  I'll be picking this one up for sure.

I'm looking forward to Madworld. It'll give an excuse to turn on my Wii after all these months. Leave it to the 3rd parties to lift it out of gaming ghetto.

Anyone else think Sega's/Platinum Games' Bayonetta is looking pretty damned slick?  God of War and Devil May Cry may be having some competition soon:

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/48011.html

I'll almost definitely buy it, purely for my affinity for these sorts of games. Still, I hear about things like, "Dude, when you use special attacks she gets NAKED," and start to feel a bit foolish. Still interested though, for this and Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, an announcement which, shockingly, came just BEFORE I purchased the first version instead of afterwards.

most anticipated?

Banjo-Tooie for Xbox 360,
enough said ^^

comes in 10 days!!!
can hardly wait.

I'm not too sure what's coming out but I realized I have plenty of games that I'm waiting for:

Excitebots, the follow-up to the fantastic Excite Truck.
Wii Sports Resort, I love the original.
Little King's Story, RPG + RTS + city sim? Possibly best RPG of the year.
Mecho Wars, an Advance Wars copy for WiiWare? Color me excited!
Vandal Hearts: Flames of Judgment, hoping it will be more like 1 than 2.
Help Wanted, I really liked Incredible Crisis and this gives a similar vibe.
The Conduit, really liked Metroid Prime 3.
Final Fantasy CC: The Crystal Bearers, looks like it might make it out this year?
Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, just hoping it won't be very expensive.
FFCC: My Life as a DarkLord, MLaaK was good fun and this looks better.
Samurai Toaster, hoping for a great run 'n gun platformer.
Swords & Soldiers, looks fun.
WarioWare: Made in Ore, hey, new WarioWare. The user generated content could turn out awesome.

Also, recent releases that I need to check out:
Rhythm Heaven (haven't finished the first one though).
GTA Chinatown Wars (getting pretty good rep).
Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume (seems interesting).

I partially agree.  Everything about this game looks cool except for the gameplay which looks incredibly dull.  It looks like it plays EXACTLY like the DMC games.  DMC1 was great, but one was enough.

Having only played a very small portion of the first Uncharted back when it was released, I figured I would let Uncharted 2 willingly slip by my radar.  But damn, seeing the newly-released five minute gameplay footage reel has suddenly made me sit up and pay attention.  It's looking INCREDIBLE:

http://www.thekoalition.com/uncharted-2 … -gameplay/