• 15

    Mega Man 9

    Capcom

    The year was 20XX. It had been far too long since the Blue Bomber had graced television screens with a new title, and an evil mastermind at Capcom, Dr. X, put out the call for Mega Man 9. Soon gamers were playing a new Mega Man game, complete with old Mega Man graphics, and having some retro-style fun. The chiptune music was as plinky and appropriate as ever. The bosses ranged from the threatening (Magma Man), to the goofy (Galaxy Man), to the progressive (Splash Woman). Capcom kept the DLC coming to help keep people's excitement for the game high, offering endless challenge modes as well as the ability to play as freaking Proto Man! All in all, the title was a resounding success, leading Capcom to create the highly anticipated follow-up, Mega Man 10, soon thereafter.

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  • 14

    Costume Quest

    Double Fine Productions

    When you see the Double Fine name on a game, you know you're in for a one of a kind experience. Costume Quest is the eccentric studio's take on the traditional turn-based RPG, but rather than placing the player in control of the typical party of monks and sorceresses, you're a group of kids trick or treating. Combat is presented with the idealized versions of the kids' costumes duking it out against their foes. Like all Double Fine games, Costume Quest's writing is so sharp you could cut your finger on it, and that alone makes it well worth the asking price. But there's also the added value of having a neat little RPG to go along with the many zingers and zany characters populating Costume Quest's world.

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  • 13

    Rochard

    Recoil Games

    Mining ain't an easy life, kid. Space mining's that much worse. If'n you're looking fer a role model t'look up to, look no further than John Rochard. I ain't never seen a man able to equal his ability t'flit from platform t'platform, or utilize such a mighty fine array of gravity manip'lating tools. Rochard's a man's man, that's fer sure. His exploits're legendary round these parts. Yeah, he had some laughs along the way, but he never forgot the bottom line: space miners get th'job done.

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  • 12

    Castle Crashers

    Behemoth

    Much like its spiritual brother, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: the Game, Castle Crashers is a multi-player beatdown best enjoyed with a handful of friends crowded around a couch. You'll sling spells, gather weapons, collect cute animal companions, and battle titanic bosses on your frequently bizarre, and often hilarious, journey.

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  • 11

    Mushroom Wars

    Creat studios

    It's not easy to create a fun real-time strategy game for consoles — just look at what a mess Starcraft 64 was. Mushroom Wars somehow manages to nail it. It's approachable, it's tactical, and it's so adorable you'll want to puke. Plus it has several game modes, campaign, skirmish, and local multiplayer that supports up to four players. So grab a friend, grab some (in-game), shrooms, and engage in the most intelligent warfare ever committed using fungi.

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  • 10

    Flower

    Thatgamecompany

    In an era where space marines reign supreme, who would've predicted that a game about controlling flower petals riding a gust of wind would be such a hit? Flower, more so than most games, leans closer to art than game. Sure, it's designed for the player to enjoy, but it's also highly experiential, with visuals so lush they border on tactile. You'll swear you can feel the gust of wind in your hair, or the shimmering grass as it taps against your legs.

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  • 9

    Skullgirls

    Lab Zero Games

    It's tough to make a good fighting game. You have to consider things like character balance, what style of fighting game you want it to be, and how to make it appealing enough to the eye to draw in new players. Well, Skullgirls has all of these qualities and more. It's a game built from the ground up by fighting game enthusiasts, for fighting game enthusiasts. The Lab Zero team paid close attention to game mechanics and balance during development, and it shows through their cast of diverse and highly usable characters. The art style is hand-rendered drops of gorgeousness, with massive HD sprites you just don't see anymore. Sure, the animations for this all-girl cast do lean a little heavily on jiggling mammaries and flashing tushies, but if you can ignore that, you'll find one of the most fast and fun fighters the scene has seen for years.

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  • 8

    Critter Crunch

    Capy Games

    Critter Crunch is simultaneously adorable and disgusting. This puzzler has you in control of Biggs, a cute orange critter looking for lunch. Biggs only eats a particular type of crystal, and the only way to get these crystals is for him to use his massive tongue to grab critters to feed to larger critters in a bizarro version of the food chain. Once the big boys are sated, they explode into glitter and leave behind a crystal that satisfies Biggs' hunger and the player's hunger for a higher score. Oh, and sometimes, Biggs will activate a power mode that lets him barf rainbows into his son's eagerly awaiting mouth. Don't let the saccharine grossness dissuade you — beneath Critter Crunch's cuteness is a fast-paced puzzler worthy of your time.

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  • 7

    Pac-Man CE DX

    Namco

    Pac-Man is one of gaming's oldest names. You know the formula — eat dots, avoid ghosts, get points. Pac-Man Championship Edition Deluxe, however, takes this formula and spins it on its head. In addition to the game's regular quartet of supernatural stalkers, there's also an array of sleeping ghosts on each map. As you progress along, they awaken, and follow you closely behind. Meanwhile the map's layout shifts around you, adding more dots and more ghosts until you finally find that oh-so-sweet power pellet. Now the tables are turned, and you can turn around to mow down the ten, or twenty, or bajillion ghosts behind you in a continuous combo of deliciously delightful carnage. There are plenty of game modes, plenty of maps, and a variety of visual filters to keep the game interesting. Like the original Pac-Man, the real draw here is scoring points, and thanks to the game's many tweaks and improvements, getting that high score has never been so satisfying.

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  • 6

    Double Dragon Neon

    WayForward Technologies

    Another fantastic beat-em-up with a sharp sense of humor, Double Dragon Neon takes the retro factor and kicks it up to the max. As twin brothers Billy and Jimmy Lee, you'll travel the streets, taking out badguys and learning rad new moves, all to save their mutual girlfriend, Marion. While doing so, you'll notice the endless '80s-themed jokes sprinkled throughout the game, like the life recovering powerups, Dragon Cola and Crystal Dragon Cola. Or the fact that you can beatbox, breakdance, and high five at will. Or when one bro goes down, the other can revive him by playing a minigame that involves quickly spinning a pencil in a cassette tape to rewind it. Double Dragon Neon. You'll laugh. You'll high five. You'll beat up a crap ton of bad guys.

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