NGamer has picked out its hottest games of 2008, the list totalling an impressive 127 titles. Except, after counting, we might have been mistaken. It appears to be only 124. Oh well.
If you have missed the first four parts of the feature, you can find a link to it below. Otherwise, here's the last part of the list.
Q Entertainment are a studio formed by Tetsuya Mizuguchi (Sega Rally, Space Channel 5, Rez), and can count numerous top designers and programmers among their ranks.
Refreshingly, this wealth of talent isn't put to waste on tosh such as Generic Licensed Collect Items Battle 6; Q have created numerous original titles, usually with a gameplay mechanic which relies on the player depending on aural and oral feedback.
The results range from the sublime (Meteos and Lumines) to the catatonic (Every Extend Extra). So, are we excited? We don't know!
94) Victorious Boxers (Mid 2008)
We think we've discovered where the phrase 'Punch Drunk' originated; the more intoxicated you are when playing boxing games on the Wii, the more sense they start to make.
Victorious Boxers follows this proud tradition, but also provides two other control 'solutions' - the use of a traditional VC/GameCube pad, and a really weird one where you have to draw squiggly shapes with the remote.
The fighting is solid enough (we gave it 70%), but we'll wait for the inevitable Punch-Out announcement.
95) Sonic Riders Zero Gravity (March)
A speedy sequel to GameCube's Sonic Riders, which means more race-related fast-jinx for our prickly hero coming to your Wii in just a few short months.
Sonic learns of an artefact named the Shooting Star, which has mysterious gravity-manipulating powers, and decides to claim it for himself. But - the horror! - the fiendish Babylon Rogues team (that's Jet, Wave and Storm to you) also get wind of the Star's existence, so they all decide to have a gentlemanly race-off to decide who gets it.
Hey, it's a better deal than Sonic usually carves out. "Right, so I'll navigate this treacherous assault cause, while you sit at the end of the level and file your nails. Okay?"
We wanted to love the original Sonic Riders more than we did (not least because of the gorgeous NiGHTS level), but it just sat there playing itself far too often.
Early impressions of Zero Gravity suggest that Sonic Team are working hard to level out the original's problems, even if it would appear that the character design is still Cringe Factor 10.
In any case, Wii's first Sonic game sat perfectly still in the Wii Top 10 charts for a good five months after its release, so it's a tough act to follow.
96) Spore (Christmas)
Almost a metagame, if you will. Spore isn't the first time Will Wright and his Merry Men attempted to macronise Sim City, but previous attempts, such as Sim Life and Sim Earth, were fiddly, unfocused and, ultimately, dull - so much was flying over your head that you stopped caring.
What's a thousand years' worth of evolution between friends? Spore makes you care. You nurture your species from the cradle to the grave.
The cradle is a Pac-man clone of sorts, with your single-celled creature gobbling up everything around you - before evolving into a creature, and then forming tribes, civilisations and ultimately mastering space travel in sections that echo Diablo, Populous, Sim City and GTA respectively.
This could be the best thing to happen since some dumb ape decided to grow some thumbs.
97) The Wizard of Oz (7 March)
Zoo Digital made Chicken Shoot. And they made Balls Of Fury. And then made those Garfield DS platform games we actually don't mind that much. Based on the original 1939 film (rather than the dubious Muppets remake), we hear this could become a WiiWare download, which would likely make it a more appealing proposition than the idea of paying £40 for it.
98) Crazy Climber (Now (Japan))
It's 1980, and neither ladders nor stairs have been invented yet, so you have to climb skyscrapers by scampering up the outside walls.
Common sense also hasn't been invented yet, so you have to dodge falling flower pots and the like. Surprise update of a true classic.
99) Gintama (Mid 2008 (Japan) Never (UK))
Unless we've grossly misread the situation, this appears to be an "action point-'n'-click" game about a bunch of samurais waging war on their alien overlords, who have placed a ban on carrying swords in public.
This is the kind of law which doesn't go down well with samurai types, y'see.
100) Iron Man (Spring)
An origin story for ol' Iron Knickers, we fear for this one a little bit because the po-faced tin-can isn't the easiest superhero to centre a game around.
Sega have also signed up for games based on Thor and Captain America. Ask them if you don't believe us!
101) Kawasaki 4x4 (January)
So let's try and get you interested in this, shall we? It's a quad bike game. From the people who 'crafted' Ninjabread Man, Anubis II, and Rock 'N 'Roll Adventures (all 10%ers).
Going head-to-head with Ubisoft's bike'-em-up, Nitro Bike.
102) SNK Fighters (March)
I you've ever sobbed into your pillow at night wondering why SNK only release dross like World Heroes onto the Virtual Console, then get that pillow out of your gob and buck up, because they're actually doing you a favour.
SNK's top four fighting brands - Art Of Fighting, Fatal Fury, King Of Fighters and Samurai Showdown - will punch their way into the UK in the form of budget anthologies this year.
Fans of fighters with names like Franco Bash: rejoice!
103) Tales of Symphonia: Knight of Ratatosk (Spring (Japan))
Or fave console will be cackling its flap off once it learns it's bagged another exclusive; this true sequel to the GameCube/PS2's Tales Of Symphonia.
Featuring a new, slightly cowardly hero named Emil, Knight Of Ratatosk takes place three years after the events of the original, and plays host to several new gameplay features, including the ability to trap monsters and have them fight alongside you.
103) Zoonami Project (TBC)
Zoonami CEO Martin Hollis (of GoldenEye fame) says his company's dedicated to Wii, which he believes will "change the world".
They're most famous for the ace Zendoku on DS (pictured above), which we're pretty sure we told you to buy a few pages ago. But we predict they'll be resurrecting one-button game Funkydilla, a free-form rhythm-action game originally slated for the Cube.
104) Runaway 2 (Early 2008)
F or a brief, terrifying moment, we thought Bon Jovi were releasing a followup to their debut single.
We're relieved to find this is not the case and we're actually excited. Our resident point-'n'-click expert (who wishes to remain anonymous for fear of social ruin) rates this as one of 2007's best p-'n'-c-ers.
The storyline is based around two lovebirds (who met in the first Runaway, natch) who nip to a beautiful desert island for a bit of fun.
Obviously, commands such as USE LOTION ON BACK are not the things great adventure games are made of, so things take a sharp turn for the worse and this is where you step in.
Brilliantly self-aware, with gorgeous cartoony graphics and puzzles that are always logical and never frustrating, it finally looks as though the likes of Phoenix Wright and Hotel Dusk have some serious competition on their hands.
105) Fatal Frame IV (TBC)
Or Project Zero, as it's known here in the great continent of Europia. Another example of how the Wii looks set to dominate Japan, this highly-regarded survivor horror series is now a Nintendo-exclusive.
Ghosts are your enemies here, and because the ghosties' inconsistent state of being makes them rather resilient to sticks and stones (and words will never harm them), the only way to defeat them is to take their photo, thus sealing their souls in the film or, following current trends, in the SD card.
Work on Fatal Frame IV is currently in the conceptual stage, with work beginning after Grasshopper Manufacture finished No More Heroes at the end of last year, so don't be surprised if it slips into 2009.
Like what you see, Survival Horror fans? Then take a picture; it'll be here sooner.
106) Monster Lab (June)
Eidos reckon this is "Pokémon meets Tim Burton". There are 150 different types of mutant parts to 'experiment' with, which in turn leads to something like 300 millions different variations, apparently.
Experimentation comes in the form of minigames such as the excellent-sounding 'brain toss', and once you've created your monstrocity, you engage in Pokémon-style turn-based battles.
Success in battle gives you 'recipes' for yet more fearsome beasties. It all looks really rather groovy from where we sit, and there's even musings of online options such as downloadable content and photo-sharing on the cards, too. Tops.
107) Crytek Project (TBC)
Have any of you actually had a chance to see Crysis in action? Holy mackerel-on-a-pogo-stick, we reckon that all our PCs combined couldn't pump out enough juice to run that sucker.
The high-end PC developers are branching out into console development, with specialised teams working with all three major consoles. Their first project is - get the tomatoes ready - being planned for Xbox 360, and is 'not a first-person shooter'.
But sadly, the Crytek team's Wii projects are only at the conceptual stage. Still, it's good to know that they're on board - if there's one developer who could get more out of the Wii than Nintendo themselves, it might just be Crytek. We'll be watching this space most avidly.
108) Hamster Heroes (January)
This was a wretched Monkey Ball clone deemed to be useless upon its release on PS2 back in 2005. Will it suddenly become amazing now, three years on, and have fully functioning and smooth motion controls that use the Wii to its full potential? Our survey says: no.
109) Nitrobike (January)
Pretty much Excite Truck on bikes. But this is no 'me too' clone; Left Field's talents were behind the brilliant ExciteBike 64, and online races are a goer.
With races so fast they'll flap your cheeks off, we reckon this may well be a surprise hit.
110) Fall line studios project (January)
The creation of Fall Line Studios for Wii and DS output is great news. Current projects Hannah Montana 3 and Spectrobes II will feature Dgamer (no relation), which lets users chat over Wi-Fi.
111) Pyro Studios Project (2008)
The Madrid-based Commandos developers have two Wii games in development. The first of the pair is an adventure game that's due for release later this year. Erm, that's all we've got.
What's that? Oh, you didn't say anything. We hate awkward silences. Tum-di-dum-dum-dum. Say... how do you feel about wrestling?
112) TNA Impact! (Spring)
A surprise, this; TNA Wrestling might be a bit rubbish (and one of us is a wrestling journo, so don't argue with us), but this fast-paced wrestling sim looks pretty good to us, and could be the kick up the derričre that THQ's Smackdown! series needs.
113) King Story (TBC)
W hat would you do if you happened upon a crown that had the power to charm everyone you encountered into doing your bidding?
Us, we'd probably organise a giant game of kiss chase around the streets of Bath, but for young Corobo Bred (yes, we know), the ramifications of him picking up the crown are somewhat more serious.
Appointed king of the village, your task as Master Bred will be to help your tiny settlement grow, which in part you do by wandering round slashing up dragons and other folklore creatures.
It seems to have basic RTS features (you're followed on quests by a horde of admirers), and apparently, the way you play the game has a direct impact on the fortunes of your town.
If you wanted a quote for the box, it'd be something like "it's Animal Crossing meets Pikmin... to the extreme!". Whatever 'extreme' might mean in this context. We're not quite sure.
114) Sega Sea Bass Fishing (Out Now (Japan) TBC (UK))
Fish on! Did anyone hear Vernon Kaye on the radio the other day? He was talking about what a good idea it would be if someone could do a fishing game on the Wii.
This tells you all you need to know about the seven or eight fishing titles already on the market.
Sega Bass Fishing was a 1999 Dreamcast title famous for having its own fishing controller, and although popular, it was rather simple even for the lowered standards of a calendar year that was subjected to Star Wars: Episode I.
It looks pretty bright and breezy though, so let's hope Sega don't get all lazy. With some effort, Sega Bass Fishing could really make Vernon's year.
115) De Blob (TBC 2008)
That do students make, eh? Mess, turmoil and, very occasionally, surrealist indie games that wind up being picked up by gigantic American publishers.
As the name might indicate, you're a giant blob, rolling around your home city of Chromia in that way spherical objects do, hoping to add a bit of colour to a world monochromorated by the sinister I.N.K.T. Corporation.
You're a ball of paint, y'see - did we forget to mention that? De Blob was originally designed by a group of nine Dutch students who wanted to show what Utrecht's station district could look like in ten years. What were they smoking?
116) Final Fantasy IV (2008)
Lost your bearings? FFIV is the one that introduced the 'Active Time Battle System' - the same time-meter-based attack system that's been used in pretty much all Final Fantasy games since.
You might have seen IV before on GBA or maybe even PSOne - but never like this. You get the same 3D refit as the recent FFIII remake (rated 81% by us a few months back). You get voices.
You get animated cutscenes. And you get one of history's greatest traditional RPGs, playable on the bus.
117) Fire Emblem Dragon of Darkness and Sword of Light (2008)
If you've always wished Advance Wars had blue-rinsed fops and snarling dogs instead of proper human beings, have a look at this.
FE:DODASOL (as we're forced to call it to leave room to write anything else) is a remake of the first Fire Emblem - originally released on NES in 1990 - and stars Marth, who you'll no doubt recognise from Super Smash Bros Melee and Brawl.
Details are sparse, but the takey-turny strategy should be as solidly compulsive as ever.
118) New International Track & Field (2008)
Over 20 events, comedy big-head versions of Konami favourites like psychotic Silent Hill murderer freak Pyramid Head, and a Wi-Fi mode that includes online leaderboards and a world record tickertape.
The big question: why does one athlete on the website have a shotgun?
119) Exit (2008)
Easily one of the best things to come screaming out of Taito's big games-mouth since Rainbow Islands.
Think Mario vs DK2 and Prince Of Persia squeezed together in a fancy silhouette suit. Mr ESC leads panicked people out of 2D rooms, using their abilities to shift boxes, hit switches and all that.
And the DS stylus will take the stickiness out of the PSP game's point-and-click controls.
120) Rune Factory 2 (January 3 (Japan) TBC (UK))
We've been championing farm-'em-up Harvest Moon for years at NGamer - so when developer Natsume offset the familiar cow-stroking with proper dungeon-based battles in Rune Factory, it was like getting two puddings for dinner.
In the sequel, you start out building a school - then play as your own offspring, wooing the girls just like your dad did in the first game.
By the way, lucky Japanese purchasers will get a handy CD soundtrack and mini art booklet. We just tell you this kind of stuff to make you angry.
121) Untitled Sonic RPG (2008)
The status of this project is a bit vague now that developer BioWare (of Mass Effect fame) has been swallowed up by EA.
The developer loves its third-person levelling-up RPG epics; is it too much to hope for a sprawling 3D Green Hill Zone, with Sonic spin-attacking the metal faces off Robotnik robo-cronies in real-time?
However it works, only global nuclear apocalypse can prevent the crushingly inevitable appearance of Vector The Bloody Crocodile.
122) Powershot Pinball Constructor (February 15)
DS is still missing a truly special simulation of shiny ball and twin flipper kerthunking. PPC promises ball physics so accurate you'll momentarily believe the DS screen is real life and you're the game, as well as - the clue's in the name - a full table builder.
Plus, a versus mode with "sabotage tricks" like freezing your rival's flippers or blacking out their screen. And no need to feed it 50p pieces - you can save them for packets of Wotsits.
123) Advance Wars Dark Conflict (January 25)
Someone at Intelligent Systems must have split up with their girlfriend. The new Advance Wars is all dark and morose: 90% of humankind's been squashed by a meteor, leaving you to protect the survivors.
But, at its (dark) heart, Dark Conflict is the usual brain-fizzing strateg-o-brilliance. Best bit? Wi-Fi multiplayer, with custom maps uploadable to a central server. We loves you, Ninty.
124) Viva Pinata (TBC)
Microsoft spent a fortune trying to turn Xbox 360's Viva Pińata into the next Pokémon. They failed. But Rare - for it is they of Diddy Kong Racing and GoldenEye 007 fame - should have more luck on DS.
Viva Pińata's essentially a management game: you tend a garden until papery pińata animals move in, then dress them up and send them to mates via Wi-Fi.
The original was aimed at kids, but bewildering complexity and too many text popups lent it all the fun of Windows Vista. On DS, it'll be better.
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