Published on December 03, 2008.

After the banner year for gaming that was 2007, this past year couldn’t help but disappoint a little. Shockingly, it managed to hold its own.

Nintendo, of course, more than maintained its domination of the market, but Sony and Microsoft weren’t too shabby, either. Overall, gamers can’t really complain about the year that was.

My Top 5 games for 2008

1. “Fallout 3” (Multiplatform)

Fallout 3 took gamers to a bleak and depressing postapocalyptic Washington D.C., giving them a sobering look at exactly what a major American city would look like if a nuclear war actually occurred. It may not be the happiest place to visit, but it was the most fun.

Crafted by the skilled hands of Bethesda Software, it took the setting and feel of the cult PC series and applied modern gaming conventions, bringing it into the 21st century.

2. “Super Smash Bros. Brawl” (Wii)

Mario, Link and all their friends came back for round three of the crazy brawler, along with some surprising guests such as Metal Gear’s Solid Snake and even Sonic the Hedgehog. The beauty of the series is in its simplicity, ensuring that even the most unskilled player can accomplish some impressive feats simply by mashing the buttons, while at the same time having the depth that the hard-core desire. Plus, who doesn’t want to see Mario and Sonic go mano a mano?

3. “Tales of Vesperia” (Xbox 360)

A more niche choice, but a sign that perhaps not all Japanese RPG gamemakers had lost the plot in the jump to new platforms. Excellent voice acting, a solid plot, fun game mechanics and great visuals combined to make one of the deepest experiences available on the 360. If you have any interest in RPGS at all, you owe yourself to pick this gem up.

4. “Persona 3 FES” (PS2)

Sneaking onto the list with a technicality — the original Persona 3 came out in 2007 — Persona 3 FES gave gamers everything in the original RPG/life simulation hybrid classic, plus a whole new scenario. It proved that there’s still life left in the PS2, as well as cementing Atlus as one of the most fan friendly companies around.

5. “Little Big Planet” (PS3)

Cuteness incarnate. Media Molecule brought fans a game that celebrated everything that’s great about platformers. However its true strength is in its ridiculously deep level creation system, which ensures that gamers will have this game in their Playstation 3 for years to come.

Most memorable gaming moments of 2008

Wii overtakes Xbox 360 in sales, rules the world

It was inevitable. Nintendo, after becoming nearly irrelevant in the home console market following the tepid response to the Nintendo Gamecube, came roaring back to life with the Wii. It was telling that it was a rare sight to see one in stock at a store even more than a year after its release.

It was only a matter of time before it overtook the Xbox 360 as the best-selling so-called “current generation” system on the market, a feat it finally achieved during the week ending May 24.

With Nintendo the undisputed winner of this console generation, Sony and Microsoft were left to duke it out over second place.

Politics comes to Xbox Live!

Barack Obama’s campaign for president broke every record in the book for fundraising. Given that fact, as well as the president-elect’s predilection for utilizing technology in his bid for the highest position in the land, it’s unsurprising that he’d take advantage of one of the largest untapped advertising markets around: gamers.

Suddenly, those driving around Paradise City in Burnout: Paradise City were treated to giant billboards featuring the Illinois politician, asking for their vote and reminding them of the date of Election Day.

One can only imagine what the next election will bring for the world of electronic entertainment.

E3 once again looks to conquer the world

The once-old, now-new Electronic Entertainment Expo — for a while the E3 Media and Business Summit — was once the most important event of the year for gaming. The three-day summit brought together retailers, the press, developers and publishers for an orgy of all things gaming.

Unfortunately, rising costs led to publishers putting pressure on the Entertainment Software Association, the group running the show, to rein in the excess, leading to drastically scaled-back shindigs in 2007 and 2008. However, this year’s show in particular was savaged by the press, which led the ESA back to the drawing board. The end result is a plan that looks quite a bit like a return to the good ol’ days.

Looking ahead to 2009

Apple continues to invade the portable gaming sphere

Apple gaming has long been an oxymoron. However, the capabilities of the iPhone has allowed Apple to once again turn its eye to the cash cow that is electronic entertainment. With the App Store in full swing, expect to hear about more and more initiatives by Apple to grab a slice of the gaming pie.

Gaming avoids the recession (mostly)

The gaming world has thus far avoided being hit too hard by the current recession gripping the U.S. As more and more people choose to stay home, and the need to maximize the value of ever shrinking disposable income budgets becomes greater, expect gaming to thrive as well as any industry, much the same way that Hollywood did during the Great Depression.

It won’t be all ponies and roses, but things should be better than for many other sectors of the economy.

Peripherals, peripherals, peripherals

With the success of the various rock music games, not to mention a little something called Wii Fit, expect more and more companies to begin to release these expensive little attachments.