The Best and Worst Video Games of 2010

​The year has come to an end, and that can mean only one thing: awards for the best and worst video games of 2010! It has been an exceptional year for gaming, more than most gamers have time to even experience. However, there are only a few games out there that stood out above the rest. What were some of the greatest, most memorable games of this year? What were some of the worst?

Here, we will take a look at everything that went right and wrong in the video game world in 2010. Although there were numerous quality console video game releases this year, remember, only one can claim the top spot.

Best Console Downloadable Game
Super Meat Boy (Xbox Live Arcade, Windows)
Runner Up: Pac-Man Championship Edition DX (Xbox Live Arcade, Playstation Network)

The box art for "Super Meat Boy." It's so bad that it's awesome.

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2010 has been one of the best years for downloadable gaming on consoles. However, nothing stands out more than Super Meat Boy, a quirky platformer that is so difficult, yet you keep wanting to go back for more. The game is relatively simple--you play as a small, skinless, cube-shaped boy named Meat Boy, and you have to get to your target Bandage Girl at the end of each level. However, it's the brilliant level design of each stage that keep the game fresh and entertaining. It's also one of those rare games that is addicting for its ridiculously high difficulty. Sure, you're going to die a million times, but that's what will make that single victory so much more satisfying.



Best Multiplayer Experience
Monster Hunter Tri (Wii)
Runner Up: Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (XBOX360, PS3)

Never go hunting alone.

​Sure, shooting guys in the face can be entertaining, but it's been done so many times now. Capcom's Monster Hunter Tri delivers an exceptional multiplayer experience on the Wii, a system that hasn't been too generous with online multiplayer gaming. There's nothing more satisfying than capturing screen-filling dinosaurs monsters with 3 other friends, all while performing silly dances and taunts. It's a shame this game came out too late into the Wii's lifecycle, other game developers could learn a thing or two about the Wii's online gaming potential.



Most Ridiculous Video Game Name of 2010
VVVVVV (Windows, Mac OS, Adobe Flash)
Runner Up: God Eater (PSP)

Don't you just love tough as hell retro games?

​Six Vs, that's what makes up the title of this ridiculously difficult puzzle-platformer designed by Terry Cavanagh and composed by Magnus Pålsson. The game features an interesting gameplay mechanic in which the player has the ability to control gravity to traverse the game's environment and avoid various hazards. Everything about the game, from the graphics to the game's soundtrack is designed to feel like a 8-bit Commodore 64 game, which Cavanagh claims that he grew up with. The soundtrack, appropriately titled "PPPPPP," can be purchased separately through Pålsson's site.



The 2010 "R.I.P." Award
Guitar-Rhythm Video Games
Runner Up: Nintendo DS/PSP Games (in favor of iOS games)

​2010 can very well be the year in which the guitar-based rhythm game genre can finally be laid to rest. In less than five years, we witnessed this gaming phenomena rise as an overnight sensation, only to eventually burn out thanks to the Activision and Harmonix milking out their franchises.

Activision's latest title, Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock, sold a measly 86,000 copies during its first week of retail in the United States. Compare that with Guitar Hero 5, which sold 499,000 within the same period of time.

Rock Band 3, while popular among critics for the new keytar instrument, sold a surprisingly low 7,386 copies during the first week of its release. It's no surprise then that Viacom quickly sold Rock Band developer Harmonix, which is considered by many as the nail in the coffin for guitar-rhythm games. People are just tired and done with this genre.



Best Game of 2010 That You Probably Didn't Play
Enslaved: Odyssey to the West (XBOX360, PS3)
Runner Up: Alan Wake (XBOX 360)

The lovable cast of "Enslaved: Odyssey to the West"

​Enslaved: Odyssey to the West has just about everything that a blockbuster needs. It has beautiful graphics with some of the best voice acting on any video game, and it has thrilling set-piece sequences on par with last year's Uncharted 2. The only thing this game lacked is proper advertising, which resulted in game selling below the expectations of publisher Namco Bandai Games.