2009 saw many new installments in established video game franchises, such as Assassin's Creed II, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Wii Sports Resort, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Resident Evil 5, Left 4 Dead 2, Forza Motorsport 3, The Beatles: Rock Band, The Sims 3, Madden NFL 10, NBA 2K10, and FIFA 10. New intellectual properties include Batman: Arkham Asylum, Bayonetta, Borderlands, Demon's Souls, Dragon Age: Origins, Infamous, Just Dance, Minecraft, Plants vs. Zombies, and Prototype.
Legend
Console releases
The following is a list of game consoles released in 2009.
This year just saw revision models of current game consoles; such as PlayStation 3 Slim, the PSP Go, the worldwide release of the Nintendo DSi (which initially in Japan the previous year), and the Nintendo DSi XL (named the "DSi LL" in Japan). Day ConsoleApril 2Nintendo DSi (AU)April 3Nintendo DSi (EU)April 5Nintendo DSi (NA) September 1 PlayStation 3 Slim (NA, EU)September 3PlayStation 3 Slim (JP, AU, NZ) October 1 PSP Go (NA, EU)October 31PSP Go (JP) November 21 DSi XL (JP)
Best-selling games The following are the top ten best-selling games of 2009 in terms of worldwide retail sales.
Rank Title Sales Publisher Platform(s) 1 Wii Sports 20,180,000 Nintendo Wii 2 Wii Sports Resort 13,580,000 3 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 11,860,000 Activision Blizzard PS3, XB360, WIN 4 New Super Mario Bros. Wii 10,550,000 Nintendo Wii 5 Wii Fit Plus 10,160,000 6 Wii Fit 8,590,000 7 Mario Kart Wii 7,550,000 8 Assassin's Creed II 6,000,000 Ubisoft PS3, XB360 9 Wii Play 5,800,000 Nintendo Wii 10 Resident Evil 5 5,200,000 Capcom PS3, XB360
Critically acclaimed titles Metacritic (MC) and GameRankings (GR) are aggregators of video game journalism reviews.
+ 2009 games and expansions scoring at least 88/100 (MC) or 87.5% (GR) Game Publisher Release Date Platform MC score GR score Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Sony Computer Entertainment October 13, 2009 PS3 96/100 96.43% Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition Bethesda Softworks PS3 N/A 95.4% LittleBigPlanet: Game of the Year Edition Sony Computer Entertainment September 8, 2009 PS3 N/A 94.57% Street Fighter IV Capcom February 12, 2009 PS3 94/100 93.64% Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Activision November 10, 2009 XB360 94/100 93.57% Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Activision PS3 94/100 93.42% Street Fighter IV Capcom February 12, 2009 XB360 93/100 93.23% Braid Number None November 12, 2009 PS3 93/100 93.11% Minecraft Mojang May 17, 2009 WIN 93/100 92.79% Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars Rockstar Games March 17, 2009 DS 93/100 92.71% Metroid Prime: Trilogy Nintendo August 24, 2009 Wii 91/100 92.35% Batman: Arkham Asylum Eidos Interactive August 25, 2009 XB360 92/100 92.34% Forza Motorsport 3 Microsoft Game Studios October 27, 2009 XB360 92/100 92.26% Batman: Arkham Asylum Eidos Interactive August 25, 2009 PS3 91/100 92.07% Batman: Arkham Asylum Eidos Interactive September 15, 2009 WIN 91/100 91.79% Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City Rockstar Games October 29, 2009 XB360 N/A 91.41% Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story Nintendo February 11, 2009 DS 90/100 91.01% God of War Collection Sony Computer Entertainment November 17, 2009 PS3 91/100 90.78% Assassin's Creed II Ubisoft PS3 91/100 90.71% Dragon Age: Origins Electronic Arts November 3, 2009 WIN 91/100 90.63% Killzone 2 Sony Computer Entertainment February 26, 2009 PS3 91/100 90.56% FIFA Soccer 10 EA Sports October 20, 2009 PS3 91/100 90.26% Street Fighter IV Capcom July 2, 2009 WIN 91/100 90.21% Peggle PopCap Games November 19, 2009 PS3 91/100 89.3% Wipeout HD Fury Sony Computer Entertainment July 23, 2009 PS3 89/100 90.8% Persona 3 Portable Atlus November 1, 2009 PSP 89/100 90.77% Braid Number None April 10, 2009 WIN 90/100 90.5% Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars Rockstar Games October 20, 2009 PSP 90/100 90.39% Colin McRae: Dirt 2 Codemasters December 4, 2009 WIN 89/100 90.29% Assassin's Creed II Ubisoft November 17, 2009 XB360 90/100 90.01% Bayonetta Sega October 29, 2009 XB360 90/100 89.89% Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned Rockstar Games February 17, 2009 XB360 90/100 89.73% MLB 09: The Show Sony Computer Entertainment March 3, 2009 PS3 90/100 89.6% FIFA Soccer 10 EA Sports October 20, 2009 XB360 90/100 88.98% Empire: Total War Sega March 3, 2009 WIN 90/100 88.87% The Beatles: Rock Band MTV Games September 9, 2009 Wii 89/100 90% The Beatles: Rock Band MTV Games XB360 89/100 89.83% Demon's Souls Sony Computer Entertainment February 5, 2009 PS3 89/100 89.72% The Beatles: Rock Band MTV Games September 9, 2009 PS3 88/100 89.66% Guitar Hero 5 Activision September 1, 2009 Wii 89/100 89.58% Grand Theft Auto IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony Rockstar Games October 29, 2009 XB360 89/100 89.43% Peggle PopCap Games November 19, 2009 XB360 89/100 89.33% Shadow Complex Microsoft Game Studios August 19, 2009 XB360 88/100 89.23% NHL 10 EA Sports September 15, 2009 XB360 88/100 89.14% Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 EA Sports June 8, 2009 Wii 88/100 89.11% Left 4 Dead 2 Valve November 17, 2009 XB360 89/100 89.05% Left 4 Dead 2 Valve November 16, 2009 WIN 89/100 88.26% EVE Online: Special Edition Atari March 10, 2009 WIN 88/100 88.33% Plants vs. Zombies PopCap Games May 5, 2009 WIN 87/100 88.32% Football Manager 2010 Sega October 30, 2009 WIN 87/100 88.2% New Super Mario Bros. Wii Nintendo November 11, 2009 Wii 87/100 88.18% Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box Electronic Arts February 5, 2009 WIN 87/100 88.09% Fight Night Round 4 EA Sports June 23, 2009 PS3 88/100 88% NHL 10 EA Sports September 15, 2009 PS3 88/100 87.98% The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition LucasArts July 15, 2009 XB360 88/100 87.73% Pokémon SoulSilver Version Nintendo September 12, 2009 DS 87/100 88% Dragon Quest IX Square Enix July 11, 2009 DS 87/100 87.98% Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time Sony Computer Entertainment October 27, 2009 PS3 87/100 87.88% Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Activision November 10, 2009 WIN 86/100 87.84% Pokémon HeartGold Version Nintendo September 12, 2009 DS 87/100 87.81% LittleBigPlanet Sony Computer Entertainment November 17, 2009 PSP 87/100 87.7% Sin & Punishment: Star Successor Nintendo October 29, 2009 Wii 87/100 85.86 PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe Q-Games October 1, 2009 PSP 86/100 87.64%
Major awards Category/Organization 27th Golden Joystick Awards VGA 13th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards 10th Game Developers Choice Awards 6th British Academy Games Awards Game of the Year Fallout 3 Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Batman: Arkham Asylum Independent / Debut Flower colspan="3" Torchlight rowspan="2" Downloadable Shadow Complex colspan="3" Flower Mobile/Handheld Mobile Metal Gear Solid Touch Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars Scribblenauts LittleBigPlanet (PSP) Handheld Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars Innovation colspan="3" Scribblenauts Artistic Achievementor Graphics Animation rowspan="2" Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Flower Art Direction Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Audio Music rowspan="2" Halo 3: ODST Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Sound Design colspan="2" Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Soundtrack Guitar Hero World Tour DJ Hero Brütal Legend Character or Performance Actor rowspan="2" Hugh Jackman as WolverineX-Men Origins: Wolverine Eddie RiggsBrütal Legend Mark Hamill as The JokerBatman: Arkham Asylum rowspan="2" colspan="2" Actress Megan Fox as Mikaela BanesTransformers: Revenge of the Fallen Game Direction or Design Game Design colspan="3" rowspan="2" Batman: Arkham Asylum Batman: Arkham Asylum Game Direction Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Narrative Adapted colspan="3" rowspan="2" Batman: Arkham Asylum Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Original Uncharted 2: Among ThievesTechnical Achievement Gameplay Engineering rowspan="2" colspan="3" Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Uncharted 2: Among Thieves rowspan="2" Visual Engineering Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Multiplayer/Online Multiplayer Call of Duty: World at War Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 rowspan="2" Left 4 Dead 2 Online Left 4 Dead FIFA 10 Action/Adventure Action/Shooter rowspan="2" Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 rowspan="2" Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Adventure Assassin's Creed II Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Casual/Family or Rhythm Casual LittleBigPlanet The Beatles: Rock Band Flower rowspan="2" Wii Sports Resort Family The Beatles: Rock Band Fighting Street Fighter IV colspan="2" rowspan="2" Role-Playing Dragon Age: Origins Social Networking colspan="3" FarmVille Sports Individual rowspan="2" UFC 2009 Undisputed FIFA 10 rowspan="2" FIFA 10 Team NHL 10 Racing Forza Motorsport 3 colspan="2" Strategy/Simulation colspan="3" Brütal Legend Empire: Total War Special Award rowspan="2" colspan="3" Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award Pioneer Award Lifetime Achievement Award Academy Fellowship Mark Cerny Douglas Lowenstein David Crane John Carmack Shigeru Miyamoto
Video game-based film and television releases Title Date Director Distributor(s) Franchise Original game publisher Aaron Stone February 13, 2009 Bruce Kalish Disney XD Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li February 27, 2009 Andrzej Bartkowiak 20th Century Studios Street Fighter Capcom WCG Ultimate Gamer March 10, 2009 Syfy Moral Kombat June 5, 2009 Spencer Halpin Arceus and the Jewel of Life July 18, 2009 Kunihiko Yuyama Toho Pokémon Game Freak Gamer September 4, 2009 Mark Neveldine & Brian Taylor Lionsgate Assassin's Creed: Lineage October 27, 2009 Yves Simoneau New Video Group Assassin's Creed Ubisoft The King of Fighters November 5, 2009 Gordon Chan Micott & Basara The King of Fighters SNK Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva December 19, 2009 Masakazu Hashimoto Toho Professor Layton Level-5
Events