The 10th Hour 1.04.08: Top 10 Most Anticipated Games of 2008

Posted by Derek Robbins on 01.04.2008

Now that 2007 is officially over, we set our sights on 2008. Which games are going to be the trend setters for next year? 411's Derek Robbins breaks down his most anticipated titles for the new year.

Hello and welcome to this week's edition of The 10th Hour! As always, I have a couple of things I'd wish to hit on before I get started.

-After watching RAW, I have to say that I am pretty impressed with Mr. Kennedy getting the win over HBK. It would have been better if he had put him over on a Pay-Per-View, but…it's really hard to complain since I don't know where they're going from here. I also feel I should mention that I think the flatliner is a lousy signature. Kennedy has been using it lately…and it just doesn't look that impressive to me. Hell, I even like the Kamikaze Roll more. Whatever. Point is, I think Kennedy could use ANOTHER change in signature.

-One of my favorite players in baseball, Nick Swisher, got traded to the loathsome White Sox. I guess that means I have to hate him now, hm? Damn.

Alright, alright, enough of that blather. Let's cut to some reaction from last week.

Reader Feedback

I got a bit of a mixed bag (As usual!) for last week's column regarding fighters. I am going to answer a load of them that complained about the lack of Mortal Kombat right now. Alright, here we go.

Mortal Kombat is an average game at best and is only fondly remembered due to the blood that is in it. *IF* Midway took out the blood from Mortal Kombat it would have went down as just another mediocre Street Fighter game. Really, I think it'd go down in history as a game a lot like "Art of Fighting". A decent game that nobody really remembers because it was NOTHING SPECIAL.

You guys can like what you want, but it is my belief that Mortal Kombat is a highly over-rated game franchise.

Here is a comment from Ken. As always, their stuff is in italics. My response is in normal font.

Not a bad list (Guilty Gear I don't go gaga over, and I've never been a fan of SFIII). Here's mine: *10. King of Fighters '97 * * 9. Tekken 2 * * 8. Mortal Kombat 2 * * 7. Super Smash Bros. Melee * 6. Dead or Alive Ultimate * * 5. Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 * * 4. Street Fighter 2 Turbo * * 3. Soul Calibur * * 2. Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution * * 1. Street Fighter Alpha 3

Ah! Someone finally submits a list! I have to admit that I like most of the games you included…except for Tekken 2. Honestly – and I'm not much of a Tekken fan anyhow – if you're going to include a Tekken game, it's gotta be either Tekken 3 or Tekken 5. The Tekken 5 PS2 port is probably my favorite of the bunch because it's like a love letter to Tekken fans. Also, why Soul Calibur and not Soul Calibur 2 or 3? And why VF 4 Evo and not VF 5? Hey, it's your list and I'm sure you have a valid reason…but I find that a little suspect. Still though, I like it a lot!

Here's another list posted by Anonymous

Here is my list. (10) Street Fighter 2 (9) Capcom vs. SNK 2 (8) Soul Calibur 3 (7) Tekken 2 (6) King of Fighters '98 (5) Virtua Fighter 2 (4) Soul Calibur 2 (3) Tekken 4 Dark Resurrection (2) Street Fighter 3 (1) Street Fighter Alpha 3 Max.

Hmmm…I like this one a lot to. You included a lot of quality games. Again, I'm questioning the inclusion of Tekken 2. It's a good game, but…I just don't feel like it measures up to the later installments. Also, Virtua Fighter 2? The series has evolved so much since the second one! Other than those games…I feel this is a pretty good list. I'm glad to see both of these lists include Capcom vs. SNK 2. It gets about no credit.

Here's another list! Yay! This one is by ex-411 staffer Sean McCabe

Good list, and all these fighters are so good they could have come in any order really and be justified. But as I was formerly 411 Game's resident fighter fanatic, this would be my list - 10. Samurai Shodown 2 9. Darkstalkers 3 8. Soul Calibur 2 7. King of Fighters 98 6. Dead or Alive 2 5. Streetfighter Alpha 3 4. Garou: Mark of the Wolves 3. Virtua Fighter 5 2. Capcom vs SNK 2 1. Streetfighter 3 and King of Fighters XI Joint - I just can't pick out of these two.

I forgot to include "Honorable Mentions" last week, otherwise…Samurai Showdown 2 would have been listed. I felt bad about not including it. As for your list? My one complaint is DoA 2 because I feel DoA 3 or 4 (Or hell, even Ultimate) improved on that one quite a bit. Other than that, I love practically every game you put. This is more of a fighter ‘purist' list. I think it's probably a bit better than the one I compiled.

Here's a comment from Ty

It is a bit silly that you forgot to put Tekken in there somewhere, but overall your list seems faily accurate. However, I do question if you consider wrestling games to be action, sports or fighting. Just curious.

I'm not a big Tekken fan, personally. Hey, I can understand why people may like it, but it just isn't my cup of tea. I do like Asuka from Tekken 5 quite a bit, though. As for wrestling games? Hrm…I think I consider it more of a sports game than a fighting game. It's sort of close though, honestly. If I had considered them eligible, a Fire Pro title or…WWF No Mercy for the N64 would have been ranked.

This one here is from Adam

How do you not list Samurai Showdown III? Or were you only talking about console ports? Because SSIII for the arcade was one of the fastest and best fighting games made.

I haven't got to play it. I like the Samurai Showdown series a lot, but…I just haven't played it yet. I've never seen an arcade cabinet for it, and it's a little damn sad. Hell, I tried to get my boss at the arcade I used to work for to get any fighting game. No dice. Honestly, I think it probably would have made the list had I played it.

This last comment (Before I hit on a quick e-mail) is from fellow 411 staffer Mike Minotti. You should check out his podcasts (that he does with his brother AJ) and his weekly news articles on the 360 entitled The Full Circle.

Great list, glad to see MvC2 and SSBM on there. Personally, Soul Calibur 3 is my least favorite entry in the series. I just felt like it lacked a certain polish that the other games had.

You're right, the single player in SC3 was probably the worst of the bunch…but I felt that SC 3 was the most fun of the group. A lot of people may disagree with me (Due to the lack of balance), but…it's fun for me at least. Also, glad to see someone glad that Smash Bros. made it. We'll have to play each other when Brawl comes out!

Finally, here's an email from this dude named, uh JBBTHWK. He gives me his top 5 favorite games ever.

1: Super Mario RPG: Legend of the 7 stars. this is the game that got me started in the RPG Genre and I've never strayed since. if it wasn't for this game I probably would of never played Final Fantasy 7 or FF9. Add in the fact we got the awesome sight of Bowser,Mario & Peach fighting in the same battle as allies, which was cool, it made this game that much more awesome.

2: The Dynasty Warriors Franchise in general, I picked this because aside from the new game each of the DW games have been basically the same. I love these games because they are fun to play and they satisfy the Button Mashing Blood lust that exists within us all and also give you an "educational" perspective on Chinese History if you read the Officers section or the part that tells about the true 3 Kingdoms Era.

3: Tekken 3: This was the game that got me to love the fighting Genre. Up to now, Mortal Kombat Games and others hadn't really done anything for me but I was truly into Tekken 3. that and I've yet to meet anyone who can beat me when I'm Hworang.

4: Final Fantasy 9: This was most likely the most Human out of the Final Fantasy series like you said. I mean aside from the Magick and the Summons and stuff in the game alot of the things in the game are very human, corrupt rulers, traitorous servants and more.

5: Sonic The Hedgehog. I picked this game truly out of Nostaglia. Sonic was the very 1st video game I've ever played. That alone is definitely worth putting it on my Top 5 list. that and Knuckles is still to this day one of my favorite Video Game Characters.


Though I disagree with Tekken and Dynasty Warriors…I actually like your list. I am a huge, huge, huge Sonic fan so I can definitely relate to your number one choice. As for Final Fantasy IX? Hahah, wow, that game is so under-rated it hurts. One of my favorite games ever. Oh, and I agree with Super Mario RPG. It was also my first Role Playing Game so I have a fond spot for it in my heart. Not quite as fond as the spot for Earthbound, but fond. Still, good list!

Well, that's it for reader stuff this week. If you wish to comment, bitch at me, praise me, send me a list, or whatever…send me an e-mail at [e-mail] or [e-mail] I'll be sure to respond!

Now let's get on to the actual list

Top-10 Most Anticipated Games of 2008

Ah yes, instead of a Top-10 favorite game list (which I feared would have been confused with Top-10 BEST games) I decided to go with the games I was looking forward to most in the new year. The rules for this? There are none. Any game for any console (Or PC) is eligible. These are simply the games I want my hands on most in the coming year. It'll be fun to look back on this list at the end of the year to see how many are actually…good. You know, at least one of these games will turn out to be a dud. Every year a game we want turns out…well…rotten. I wonder what it will be this year?

10-) No More Heroes (Wii) - I realize that this game has already been released in Japan and has apparently bombed…but I don't care. It was directed by Goichi Suda who is responsible for Killer 7. Say what you wish about that title, but I really enjoyed it. It is currently relegated to cult status, so I figure that I'm not the only one out there who liked it (Though there aren't many of us). What this game looks like to me is a "weeaboo" Grand Theft Auto with a lot of focus on style. I have to say, from what I have seen of this game, it sure as hell looks stylish. I mean, the character design and the art work just look downright cool. Not to mention that it looks and sounds like quite the fun game. Why did this game bomb in Japan? I'm not sure. It LOOKS really good and I figure a lot of people would impulsively pick it up (Since software release for the wii is few and far between)…but maybe it's for a niche audience? Sadly, I figure the game is due to fail here because of its release date. It is being released WAY too close to Super Smash Brothers Brawl and…really…it's going to be overshadowed. It's a shame, because it looks quite awesome.

- The main character is an Otaku. Hah, a lot of gamers can relate to that!

9-) Mother 3 Fan Translation (Gameboy Advance) - First, let me say this: This would have ranked higher if it was an official translation. Honestly, I am more excited about this than I am about most of the games listed further ahead, but…I feel the fact that it isn't "official" hurts it. Don't worry Earthbound fans reading this (All two of you), NoA already knows about this…and if they wanted to shut the project down, they already would have. I am so grateful to the guys working on this…as fun as it is to play Mother 3 with a translation guide, I've always wanted to play it in MY language and in the coming year I'll get to. Finally! An Earthbound Sequel! For those that don't know about it, check here. Be sure to give them your support. I've been an Earthbound/Mother fan for as long as I can remember and it holds a pretty fond spot in my heart. I hate that Nintendo has shunned the franchise over here in the states. So thanks to these dedicated people I can finally play the sequel to my favorite game of all time. Thanks guys! Oh, and for those of you worried that this game will flame out? Don't. It's awesome. I loved it in Japanese when I had to continuously look at my translation guide, so I know I'll love it even more in English when I don't have to do that.

- Lucas in Brawl gives me hope of an OFFICIAL translation. Still though, this'll certainly work for now.

8-) Little Big Planet (PS3) As pointed out in the latest Fact or Fiction piece here this year is pretty much Do or Die for Sony. If Sony doesn't do well this year, the PS3 is pretty much doomed to failure. Well, in all honesty…this year is looking REALLY good for Sony. In this game you can pretty much create your own world and interact in it. Really, you can customize quite a lot! It's…pretty amazing, really. Some would even say daunting, given that it looks like there are literally endless things that you can do. On top of that, there is online play so you can visit other people's worlds. That's neat. It seems a lot like Animal Crossing in which you can visit other towns…but in this case, other WORLDS. More customizing and the further showing off of personality…I mean, you can really express yourself here! I'm looking forward to this quite a bit, and I think it'll be the ‘surprise' hit of 2008. It's not the kind of game that would win Game of the Year in my mind…but it's the kind of game that would capture our imaginations and sell tons of copies.

- GRINDAN' GAEMS

7-) Grand Theft Auto 4 (PS3, 360) - This game is looking…just awesome. I was a big fan of Grand Theft Auto San Andreas and was really looking forward to the next title, and by the look of things…this one is going to deliver. The graphics are stylish and it looks to bring back the play from the more recent Grand Theft Autos. I know that the style of GTA has been imitated quite a lot…but I feel that the only company that has the art of "sandbox game" down to a T would be Rockstar. The others seem to be missing something, but the Grand Theft Auto titles always seem to be on. I can't wait til' this next one and I only hope they include all the little character customization that made San Andreas so personal. I think it was a good idea to release this game simultaneously on the 360 and the PS3. More Sales are always good. To limit yourself to one audience in these days seems almost silly if you're a third party company.

- Oh wow...

6-) Ninja Gaiden 2 (360, PS3) - Ninja Gaiden was arguable the finest game released for the original X-Box. Say what you will about the quality of the other titles on the system, but that game was simply stellar. Ninja Gaiden Black and the Ninja Gaiden game for PS3 were both good games…but they were just ports. Sure Sigma let you play as the female lead (Rachel), but I was really looking for a totally fresh experience and this game looks like it's going to deliver. Though a lot of the fighting game community shuns the Dead or Alive series due to its simplicity, the Ninja Gaiden series appears to be embraced by most gamers. From what I have seen so far, it appears that Team Ninja is going to deliver yet another masterpiece with this one. Will it win Game of the Year? Who knows. Will I buy it on launch day? You're damn right I will. Long live Ryu Hayabusa.

- Luckily, the 360/PS3 game isn't a port. Haha.

5-) Devil May Cry 4 (360, PS3) - Wow, the Devil May Cry series is making the leap to another console now, eh? Smart move by Capcom, but I think it kind of sucks that Sony is missing out on an excellent exclusive. That said, the DMC franchise has been a very odd one. The first one was a semi-difficult game, the second one was TOO easy. So easy in fact it hurt the game. The third one was ridiculously tough. So what will this game be? I guess if it took a similar trend, it'll be TOO easy. I hope it doesn't though, since DMC 3 was surprisingly good. The difficulty really brought the charm back to the franchise. If it continues to be a tough game (ignoring the complaints of casual gamers everywhere) I think this fourth one can be the best one yet. It'll be interesting to see what badass things Dante can pull off in this game. I mean, sure, some of his badassery may SEEM pointless (like the opening cutscene of the third Devil May Cry), but that doesn't change its awesomeness. Whatever, it doesn't matter. What does matter is that if DMC 4 continues to improve on the third game we have ourselves a winner.

- I don't know how I feel about this cover-art.

4-) StarCraft 2 (PC) - This is the game I'm FINALLY going to get a new computer for. While the new WoW expansion will probably be Blizzard's most popular title next year…this game will probably be the best. Ever since the days of the original StarCraft I have been clamoring for a new one and was pretty excited by the announcement of Starcraft Ghost. Sure, it was a departure from the original, but it was back in the StarCraft universe I love, and it intrigued me. It was promptly canned and I was saddened. Then Blizzard announced that it was making StarCraft 2! And it was an RTS! My hopes were lifted and have yet to be dashed! From the looks of things, I think this is going to be the best RTS game since the original StarCraft was made ten years ago. (Yes, I prefer StarCraft to WarCraft 3. I just…I felt it was a more balanced game and was more rewarding to get good at. The majority of people you played online were assholes and there is a certain joy you get out of beating down some dicks. That sounded wrong.) This is probably the easiest tile to mess up on the list, due to the fans' high expectations and the difficulty of following up on the original StarCraft. I think Blizzard can do it though.

- This picture pretty much speaks for itself.

3-) Final Fantasy XIII (PS3) - This is the game I feel will sell the PS3. I know a lot of people that are waiting for this game to come out before they invest the money into the system. To be honest, Final Fantasy holds a special place in my heart. Ever since I played Final Fantasy II on the Super Nintendo(better known as FF IV. And believe me, the localization is pretty crumby for that game) I've been in love with the series. I've yet to play a Final Fantasy that I dislike – and that includes XI – and I see that continuing with this latest game. What Square Enix does is mix things up enough where it doesn't feel like you're playing the 13th installment of a classic franchise. That is really impressive. I really respect Square Enix by not simply playing it safe and releasing game after game with similar styles. I mean, if you go by that philosophy…fine. But it takes guts to mess with a fan favorite time in and time out. Hopefully XIII can mix things up like XII did and keep the series fresh. I cannot wait. I, err, just hope the story this time is a bit better than it was in XII.

- Ahhh. This picture may be from FF XIII: Versus, but...it shows the main character. She's the first female lead for a Final Fantasy ever (Not counting X-2, as that was a spin-off).

2-) Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3) - I write "PS3" for now, but I think this game will come out for the 360 eventually. When? I don't know, but…I think this game will end up being a lot like MGS 2 in that regard. Exclusive to Sony for a while until it comes to the X-Box (and is re-released on the PS3) with a special edition. With the way Metal gear Solid 3 and the manly tears it made me shed…I've been looking forward to a new installment to the series. This one looks to end it all as Snake has taken on an older appearance (due to rapid aging)…and in the initial trailer is shown putting a gun down his throat. That makes me really want to see what happens. On top of that, it appears this game is focusing less on the stealth…and more on the action. While I like the stealth game play, I think it is a good idea to try and evolve a bit. There will still be stealth, just less of it. I know the Metal Gear Solid series feels like a movie game to a lot of people, but to me…this ‘movie' has enwrapped me and I am very curious to see how it will all end. I'm also wondering if we'll finally get to kill that asshole Ocelot. I mean, dude has had it coming to him for the longest time. Whatever the case, I know I'll walk away from next year loving this game no matter what anyone else thinks of it.

- Old Snake. Man.

1-) Super Smash Brothers: Brawl (Wii) - Big surprise, I'm sure. I'm an admitted Smash Brothers Melee degenerate...so it's only natural that I would be desperate to get my hands on this game. I'll say it this way: Come February 10th I feel that my life will cease to be productive. I'll just be all: "Smash Brothers, Smash Brothers, Smash Brothers." I have been eagerly awaiting this latest game since its announcement and we are SO close to finally getting it. How awesome is that? It appears to keep things similar to the way Smash Brothers has been played for the past several years, which is fine and dandy…but it adds two things that has us Smash fans frothing at the mouth. First, the Subspace Emissiary. This is a side-scrolling one-player mode that reminds me a bit of Kirby Superstar. That's…well…great. Plus, the story is played out with various Nintendo veterans. So, yeah, to the fanboys out there this will be very interesting. Second…the online play. Say what you will about Nintendo's online service, but I'll take Smash Brothers online ANY WAY I can get it. I live in an area where there really aren't many Smash Brothers players, and with this…well…I can play with people across the world and can show off my awesome ability to exploit physics kick their ass. I also like that when people drop they are replaced by a computer. Being d/ced on is so annoying, so it's a nice little fix compared to Mario Strikers which is a game that simply drops you if someone drops. With all the new characters and the new modes…it's safe to say Smash Brothers Brawl is not only my most highly anticipated game of the new year…but most other people's as well. Long live Sakurai! Long live Smash Brothers!

- I hear Megaman isn't going to be in Brawl. SAKURAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIII

Alright, let's break this down real quick.

Wii: Two games.
360: Three games
PS3: Six games
PC: One game
GBA: One game

Wow, it's looking like a good year for the Playstation 3.

Alright, well, that's it. If you have any comments, want to whine at me, want to praise me, want to talk about baseball, or whatever…e-mail me at [e-mail] or [e-mail] or simply comment below.

I'm out! See you next week. Also, no art this week due to my waffling on the topic like twenty times. No clue what next week will be about either at this point. Tentatively, it's looking like Top-10 Japanese RPGs

Til' the Cross-Roads

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