This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2009, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
For Sony and its powerful PlayStation 3, it was better late than never.
While the video game console came out three years ago along with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii, this year the PS3 finally started releasing games worthy of the system's power.
If 2009 is to be remembered in gaming, it's that the video game wars finally became a real three-way race among Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo.
For Salt Lake Tribune writer Vince Horiuchi and In This Week entertainment critic Ryan Michael Painter, here are the year's Top 10 video games. These are the games that kept them up into the wee hours and happily made them late for work.
1. "Uncharted 2: Among Thieves" (PlayStation 3) » No game fulfilled the promise of merging interactive entertainment and movies better than this Indiana Jones-esque adventure. With a single-player story that's good enough to fill the big screen and a new multiplayer option as robust as any "Halo" romp, this graphically dazzling adventure gives us a glimpse of what video games can really do.
2. "Batman: Arkham Asylum" (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360) » Not only is this action game the best Batman title ever, it's also perhaps the best comic-book game, too.
3. "Demon Souls" (PlayStation 3) » The designers of Demon's Souls have created a unique fantasy role-playing game with innovative online options that's difficult and highly addictive.
4. "Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time" (PlayStation 3) » Mix Pixar with interactive gaming and you get this wonderful and charming action game.
5. "Shadow Complex" (Xbox 360) » A dazzling, low-priced, side-scrolling action game by Utah developer Chair Entertainment.
6. "Killzone 2" (PlayStation 3) » A graphically rich first-person shooter that pushed the PS3 to the limit.
7. "Wii Sports Resort" (Nintendo Wii) » This sequel to "Wii Sports" is superior in all aspects, thanks to the addition of a motion-controller that makes the game even more realistic.
8. "LittleBigPlanet" (PSP) » Unbelievably, Sony crammed all of the goodness from the console version into one tiny package for on-the-go fun.
9. "Trine" (PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360) » This side-scrolling fantasy masterpiece uses real-world physics and ingenious game play.
10. "Halo Wars" (Xbox 360) » Halo Wars effectively did the unthinkable by expanding the fanbase of Xbox's premier franchise while also delivering this year's best real-time strategy game on any console.
vince@sltrib.com" Target="_BLANK">vince@sltrib.com