‘StarCraft II,’ ‘Final Fantasy XIII’ top the list of can’t-wait-to-play titles. Here are some most anticipated video games of 2009.

Resident Evil 5

Given the pedigree of the series, not to mention the innovative enhancements of the last game, the sequel to ‘Resident Evil 4′ was a shoo-in on the list this year. Early previews suggests ‘5′ is more of the same, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Final Fantasy XIII

Widely regarded as the most influential role-playing franchise on consoles, the latest ‘Final Fantasy’ is scheduled to arrive on PS3 this year and later on Xbox 360. But don’t let the ridiculously high sequel number dash your hopes for originality, though. Developer Square Enix has a history of perfecting and evolving the art of the RPG, as they’ll likely do with this one.

StarCraft II

This 10-year-old game is still being played – a lot – so you’ve gotta figure that die-hard fans are beyond excited for this one. Like a real-time version of ‘Risk’ set in space and running at 80 miles per hour, it’s no wonder ‘StarCraft’ is one of the best-selling PC games of all time. And South Korea where ‘Starcraft’ tournaments are televised live is sure to implode once the game drops. (Also consider Diablo 2)

Wheelman

Made by the same studio that produced 2004’s critically-acclaimed ‘Chronicles of Riddick,’ the quick-hit missions, variety of tasks and just plain driving around never fail to entertain. The vehicular combat is so fun it will make you rethink the role of automobiles in open world games.

Punch-Out!!

Nintendo fans flipped in October when the company announced the first proper update to ‘Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!’ since 1994. And rightfully so: The requisite timing and pattern recognition to play the game, in addition to its humor, always arouses a smile. It won’t be easy revitalizing the 8-bit classic, but since the game is being handled by the developers of ‘Mario Strikers Charged’. (Also consider Wii Sports Resort).

  • Share/Bookmark