12, Mirror's Edge (NR)

Never has platforming felt more satisfying to me than while running through the game's colorful environments.  The platforming is so good that it is easy to feel disappointed when you resort to a gun or get into a fist fight.  Visually the game is a spectacle and there is plenty of creativity in the level design.  Having the opportunity to do more free running after playing through the storyline is where you can really focus at how efficient you can make your runs.  The controls really give you the feel of being able to do what you want to do and that when you make mistakes it was usually something that was your fault and that's incredibly important for this kind of experience.  For what it was, combat was fairly good, but it just didn't reach the same incredible level that the platforming did.

11. Okami (11)

The concept of running around as a wolf with a magic paintbrush and using it to change the environment around you seems almost katamari-crazy at first, but after a while just feels normal.  The game at first feels a bit short before achieving its RPG length with a zelda-like midgame boss.  The normal battles have a little bit of variety thrown into the techniques used to kill different enemies but the boss battles are where the game really shines.  In boss battles, figuring out how to use your various abilities to take down the enemy is a fun puzzle and enjoyable to execute.  Outside of battle there are numerous things to collect and upgrades to achieve for different items.  The special part of this game is the ability to draw your attacks and platforming tools using the paint brush as you learn new brushstrokes.  These techniques allow you to change the time of day and do everything from a simple slash to a bomb, or blooming flowers to walking up walls.  The story ties in mythology nicely and the art style is beautiful as well.

10. Golden Sun (5)

This classic RPG with plenty of twists leaves a more memorable experience than most games in its genre. The story of the elemental stars perched atop the lighthouses gives you a general next destination throughout the game without telling you how you'll get there, and leaving you waiting for the next climatic battle with Saturos and Mendard's group. The battles would be ordinary but for the djinn you have to find as you roam the world, adding a Pokemon like mechanic, which you select to set to characters, affecting the moves you can use in battle. Using them instead for summons causes you to give up their other moves for a short time in return for a big attack, a decision which must be balanced throughout the course of the game. Perhaps the most wonderful part of the game is the ability to use psynergy outside of battle to do everything from solve dungeon puzzles by growing vines, freezing columns of ice, etc. to reading NPC minds.

9. Valkyria Chronicles (12)

There is so much to love about this game.  The hand drawn art style that is present not only in cutscenes but in gameplay is spectacular and gives it a unique visual style.  What originally drew me to the game were the concepts of the battle system. Using the SRPG concept of having multiple characters move across the battle field but then stripping away the grid and incorporating physics and cover features from shooters is pure genius and creates a slightly more realistic method of troop advancement on the battlefield.  The story parallels World War II in a fantasy setting and does a good job of creating connections.  I cried at one emotional point during this game (you can probably guess) which also included one of the more poignant musical pieces in the game.  The character leveling really lets you focus more of your time on actual tactics during battle instead of micromanaging your troops to make sure they all stay leveled up enough, which I like a lot. 

Here's some more.

10. Super Smash Bros Brawl (last year 18)

First Impression: 9/10. The only reason it didn't get the full 10 I would say is because of overhype. So much hype had been built up from the Dojo that it was easy to forget that at the end of the day, it is just a Smash Bros game, but at the same time, it is a Smash Bros game, delivering the same action right from the start with plenty of new characters to choose from.

Replay: 10. It's Smash Bros. Even with the online not being especially useful, replay value is as high as can be.

Technical: 8.5/10. It makes small gains from Melee in terms of making the combat more accessible and balanced, although some methods to implement that were annoying, like tripping. Footstooling felt awkward as well, and the Subspace Emissary felt a bit like wasted potential even though it was great fun on the whole. Event matches felt less inspired from Melee, even as Classic mode was set up to be more dynamic and varied, and there's a lot more to do on the whole. Coin launcher was superior to the trophy lottery

9. Super Mario Galaxy (last year 10)

First impression: 10/10. One of very few games to inspire awe in me outright from the start. The Mario *magic*, the feeling that pretty much got me into gaming in the first place, was back in spades here, somewhat missing from Super Mario Sunshine. From the epic score to the beautiful observatory and the colorful, fantastical levels, it sucked me in and kept going right off.

Replay: 7.5/10. For whatever reason, replaying the game again as Luigi didn't wow me as much as it should have (something i felt was better implemented in Galaxy 2), though it was a great surprise after the post-game letdown that was Sunshine.

Technical: 10/10. The game is basically platforming poetry in motion. The gravity mechanics keep you thinking and are brilliantly managed at every turn. The music again gets good mention here for being some of the strongest ever in a Mario game or period, the bosses were original, and there were lots of different types of Galaxies to keep you entertained.

Persona 4: Golden?

Hint for #9:

This game was third chronologically in the series until Retro Studios said otherwise.

Metroid Prime: Corruption?