Happy New Year! And in honor of that, here’s a blog about the games I’m looking forward to in 2011! Now keep in mind that this list reflects my tastes in games, so it may seem a little weird to some. Also, this isn’t a complete list because there’s probably a bunch of games in 2011 that haven’t been announced yet. Consider that this time last year; we didn’t even know that there would be a new Kirby game on the Wii by the end of the year, for instance. Anyway, here are the games I’m looking forward to in 2011.

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective

This DS game from Capcom is coming out in a couple of weeks, so I’m really excited about it. It’s hard to describe, but it’s like a cross between Phoenix Wright and The Incredible Machine. You are a ghost and must possess objects to solve puzzles and figure out the mystery of your death. If you want a good idea of how the game plays, you can download a demo of it if you have a Wii and can access the Nintendo Channel through WiFi. You can expect a review of this game later. With the popularity of ghost hunter shows (they’re stupid, but I like them anyway, it’s a guilty pleasure of mine), I think Ghost Trick has a chance. You can really tell it’s done by the same folks who did Phoenix Wright with the characters and writing. In Japan, they’re planning a Miles Edgeworth sequel and a Prof. Layton/Phoenix Wright crossover game. I hope those come to the US, too!

Okamiden

Also from Capcom, and on the DS later in a couple of months, is this sequel to Okami. The original title was my Best Game of 2006, and I thought it was even better than Zelda: Twilight Princess. In the DS sequel, you play as a puppy version of Amaterasu, who wouldn’t love that? And if you don’t think they could pull of the graphics style on the DS, I played it at PAX and trust me, it works!

Kingdom Hearts: Recoded

I never played the last KH game on DS, but the PSP one last year was pretty good, so maybe I’ll try this one. It’s not as big of a priority though, so we’ll see.

Mario Sports Mix

I’m not into sports games, but I do enjoy the Mario ones with their silly arcade style. This one comes out in February and features basketball, hockey, volleyball, and dodgeball. I’m especially looking forward to the dodgeball game, because I love the NES Super Dodge Ball title. Square-Enix is making this game, and they also did a Mario basketball game on the DS that wasn’t too shabby. I think even some Final Fantasy characters appear as unlockables in Mario Sports Mix.

LittleBig Planet 2

I’ve already got this reserved. I got the special edition because the extras look worthwhile and it was only 20 bucks more. This game is really more for brother Jeff, as he loved the first one. But maybe I’ll get a chance to get into it, too.

Marvel vs. Capcom 3

I loved Marvel vs. Capcom 2, so I’m looking forward to the sequel. I’m not into fighters, but these are usually accessible enough for me, though I’ll still suck at it. I’m not into comic books, so I also have fun learning about different Marvel heroes. For instance, I didn’t even know there was such a thing as She-Hulk until she was announced as a character in this game!

Portal 2

I loved the first game, and this one already looks like a Game of 2011 contender. With a co-op mode as long as the original, and a single player mode that’s twice as long, this one looks to really improve the quality puzzler. I saw a demo of the co-op mode at PAX, and I can say that the humor and gameplay is still intact. GlaDOS is as funny as ever. Definitely one of the greatest video game villains of all time!

Pokemon Black & White

I think I may be slightly burned out on Pokemon, as they all kind of play the same. But this one at least looks different enough that I’ll give it a chance anyway. Heck, I’d give it a chance regardless. I kind of hope they use the PokeWalker again; that was my favorite part of Heart/Gold. This one comes out in March, so I’m sure Poke-fans are looking forward to it!

Nintendo 3DS

Since I’ve been blind in my left eye since birth, and can’t see 3-D effects, I’m not TOO excited about the 3DS itself. But what I am looking forward to are some of the games! Especially the new Animal Crossing one. My mom loves Animal Crossing, too, so I’ll probably have to buy her a 3DS as well! 2011 is going to be an expensive year! Ha ha! I guess we’ll find out soon what the launch games are and when they all come out!

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

I may not talk about it much, but I am a pretty big Zelda fan. So naturally I’m looking forward to this. I expect to it be delayed, but hopefully we’ll get to play it this year. The mix of cel shaded and Twilight Princess graphics looks to be a fine compromise.

Ys 1 and 2 Chronicles

As you could tell from my Best Games of 2010 blog, I loved Ys Seven. I played Ys 1 and 2 on DS, but I’ll play the upcoming PSP remake as well. They’re such fun action Zelda styled games, and the music in these first two games was done by Yuzo Koshiro! I hope XSEED continues to support Falcom games coming to the US! XSEED is MY Atlus!

Dissidia 012: Duodecim Final Fantasy

I really enjoyed the first Final Fantasy fighter on PSP. It really was an original game, so I’m looking forward to the sequel. I only wish the name wasn’t so hard to spell, much less pronounce!

De Blob 2

I enjoyed the first one on Wii somewhat, but what I’m excited about is the sequel will also be on the 360. No more needless waggle, and the 360 can always use a few more whimsical titles.

Brain and Body Connection

I probably won’t get this Kinect game, but what interests me about this game from Namco is some of the mini-games here are Pac-Man related.

LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean

A friend of mine said it best when he said the LEGO games “aren’t good games, but they are fun games.” Makes since to me! The Pirates movies are fun, but I can’t remember what happens in each one!

Monster Tale

This DS game was made by the same folks who did Harry Hatsworth (which I haven’t gotten around to playing). This new game is also a combination game. But instead of combining block matching puzzles and platforming, this one is more like a Metroid game mixed with a virtual pet simulator. Sounds interesting!

Atari’s Greatest Hits vol. 2

I haven’t even played the first compilation on the DS yet, but it’ll be neat to see what’s on here, too, as I love arcade collections. And no, this is not a sequel to the Atari Retro DS game that came out near the beginning of the DS life cycle that was really awful.

Prinny 2

Never played the first one and I am not a big Disgaea fan at all. But their little penguin Prinny mascots are cute, and I’m always up for a 2-D platformer. So I may give this one a try, but only if I can review it.

God Eater Burst

Actually I’m not looking forward to this Monster Hunter PSP clone at all, but Go Shiina, my favorite video game composer, did the music for it. So I’m interested in that.

Patapon 3

Played the first one, got a little bored after a while. Skipped the download only sequel. Will I try the third one? Maybe, we’ll see. They are clever games, I have to admit.

Otomedius Excellent

Well, according to GameStop, this had a US release of January, but now has been pushed back to September. So who knows if it’s really coming out? It’s a Gradius shooter game that is kind of like Sexy Parodius.

Untitled Kirby DS game

This new Kirby DS game doesn’t even have a name yet, and it’s hard to tell what kind of game it is from the screenshots with multiple Kirbys on screen. And who knows if it’ll even come out in 2011 in the US? But the world always seems a little sweeter when you know there’s a new Kirby game on the horizon, don’t you think?

There are a bunch of Japanese games that I hope get translated and brought to the US as well. They haven’t been announced yet, but Nintendo could translate the DS Chibi Robo sequel. And wouldn’t it be cool if XSEED brought over Half Minute Hero 2 on the PSP as well as the DS Tail Concerto sequel? Here’s hoping!

Pac-Man in the Rose Bowl Parade

As I was typing this blog, I was watching the Rose Bowl Parade in the background. Did anyone catch the Pac-Man float? It won an award! Here’s a picture. I especially like the Pac-Man tuba covers!

Conclusions

And that’s all the games I’m looking forward to. There are some personal life things in 2011 that I’m not looking forward to as much, though. First of all, my mom is getting knee replacement surgery this year. She’ll do both knees separately, so the recovery time will be a little longer. I’m always nervous and worried when someone goes to the hospital, though I’m sure she’ll be fine. I’m also worried for myself because I’ll be her primary caretaker while she recovers. So you may not see me online as much during those times.

Another thing I’m not looking forward to is my brother Jeff is graduating high school this year. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I’m proud of his accomplishment and everything. But he’ll be going off to college soon and I’ll really miss him when he’s away.

So here’s where I need your help. If you could please keep us in your thoughts and prayers this year, that would be great. Please pray for my mom as she has her surgery, and Jeff on his graduation. And please pray for me, too. Pray that I have a good attitude about the upcoming events this year, and pray that I can be as supportive and helpful as I can be to my mom and Jeff.

Well, enough of that. In the comments section, let me know what games YOU’RE looking forward to in 2011! Later!

Tags: Misc