Fall Madness - can I make it out alive?

This fall marks another great season for videogame releases. Last fall was pretty intense with the releases of BioShock, (can August count?) Halo 3, Rock Band, Orange Box, Skate, Call of Duty 4, and countless others. I nearly broke the bank last year with my collection, but owning two consoles and two handheld systems will do that to you. Without further ado, I present my list of most-wanted games - basically a wish-list of what I wish I could afford or have the time to give their due play-time.

10. GEARS OF WAR 2 (XBOX 360)

I am not the hugest fan of Gears of War and its now-generic gameplay, but everyone who owns a 360 will own Gears 2, and gaming most definitely follows that old bridge-jumping adage. At least when multi-player is concerned.

9. LEFT 4 DEAD (XBOX 360)

Zombies and video games go bloody hand in bloody hand. They are like a gruesome Romeo and Juliet in adolescent (and matured) minds. I loved Team Fortress 2, (though I took too long to get into it) and this game by TF2 developer, Valve, shouldn't disappoint. I plan to jump right into this game around release time in hopes of catching up with large portions of gamers who have gut-spewing teamwork as their goal.

8. SAM & MAX: SEASON ONE (Wii)

Nostalgia plays its heavy hand on this one, as I recall my youth on the family's first PC, playing the original LucasArts adventure games. Day of the Tentacle and Indiana Jones & The Fate of Atlantis were quickly surpassed in my heart by these two freelance police, who are the equivalent of the Odd Couple in the bodies of a talking dog and an insane lagomorph. Though developed by Tell-tale Games, and only a re-release of their episodic content for the PC, I look forward to finally getting to play this in a living room where snacks and friends abound.

7. ROCK BAND 2 (XBOX 360)

Who doesn't want more Rock Band? The Bosstones have a song in this game, which really makes me hope for some more ska tracks as downloadable content, and maybe the eventual Ska Hero. Although I am sure I would finally get to look down on people when viewing aspiring musicians playing plastic saxophones, much like guitar players scoff at those wailing on their polyethylene fret-boards.

6. SILENT HILL: HOMECOMING (XBOX 360)

One of my favorite series of games is in its fifth iteration. Unfortunately, Konami handed development duties over to The Collective, an American developer with little past work. Some of the early opinions of the game are negative, but perhaps uncalled for. The series excels in its surreal in-game horror, and only in one of the games, (Silent Hill 2) did story exceed that axiom. I am hopeful that The Collective won't disappoint and the newly introduced combat-oriented gameplay will succeed at making the game more intuitive and perhaps help the scares hit like they haven't before.

5. GHOSTBUSTERS: THE VIDEO GAME (XBOX 360)

It's fucking Ghostbusters. Enough said.

4. MIRROR'S EDGE (XBOX 360)

So a game focused on the fatal footwork of parkour could be horrible or brilliant. There is no middle ground here, at least not in my mind. I hope that the combat actually works, but I may be too busy paying attention to the exhilarating environments. The piercing white skyline with lines of color is going to at least look amazing, if not play so.

3. DEAD SPACE (XBOX 360)

If Silent Hill: Homecoming fails me, I still have this possible gem from EA for which to look forward. A game combining the horrors of past survival action games with the cinematic likenesses of Sunshine, Event Horizon and Aliens will be hard-pressed to fail on all cylinders, at least for me. I really look forward to this, especially with the news that comic writer, Warren Ellis, is behind at least part of the story of the game. Positive reviews of the gameplay in demo versions of the game also reinvigorate my need to grab this game day one.

2. DRAGON QUEST IV (NINTENDO DS)

Dragon Warrior IV was one of the first games I begged my parents to get me for the original NES. I spent a year playing that game, overcoming the difficulties of the tradition jRPG and coming to terms with my third grade knowledge and gaming abilities. I had reached the final boss when my brother eventually deleted my game save in a terrible accident that left me heartbroken. The NES broke shortly thereafter and I was never able to convince myself to beat the game in emulation on PC. Its appearance on the DS could almost bring a tear to my eye. I will finally finish a journey I began at the age of 11. So much for not finishing what I start, huh, Mom and Dad!?

1. FABLE II (XBOX 360)

Fable. Ahhhh, Fable. I played the original Fable on my roommate's XBOX in college and I enjoyed the heck out of it. Fortunately, not being an XBOX gamer back then, I missed out on most of the pomposity Peter Molyneux put behind the game when touting it as the largest and best RPG ever made. A tight little RPG it was, though. Both funny and touching, and not overly complex, never simple; the game took on a life of its own. Watching Peter Molyneux retread the same hubris he displayed those years ago for the sequel just makes me laugh - I know that no matter how it comes out, I am going to enjoy the little things in the game that make me laugh, and make me love gaming.

That's the list. It's daunting, for sure, and many more games are on my radar for the fall. Some of those include the remake of Chrono Trigger, Fallout 3, Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, De Blob, Wario Land and Animal Crossing. I have a tough fall ahead, and hopefully this list will keep me on track with some less spending than in previous gaming onslaughts. If nothing else, you all have a good idea list for me for the upcoming Gifting Events.