This one’s gonna be a bit text heavy, but bare with me…I’m not used to the whole blogging thing yet.

1. Resident Evil 5 – My god…I’ve been watching every trailer patiently for a year now and I can’t even begin to explain how much I’ve been waiting for the newest installation of the resident evil series. Even covering the origins of the original virus, I just hope the story lives up to it’s expectations.
2. Alan Wake – The next major title by developers Remedy Entertainment, the guys behind the Max Payne games, bring us a “psychological action thriller” about a writer fighting the nightmares that haunt him and the search for his missing fiancee. From the details I’ve gathered so far it sounds like a mind-fuck on par with the likes of games like Silent Hill 2…me likey.
3. Red Alert 3 / Starcraft 2 – This ones a bit of a split. I’ve been quite the RTS fan ever since I’ve even started computer gaming and these are two titles of long running series that are bound to pack a punch. Sure, the C&C series has been a bit flaky since EA got in charge but C&C 3 ended up suprisingly better than I expected. They’re kicking up the stakes for the third in the red alert series with a new division besides the original allies and soviets…the Empire of the Rising Sun (Japan). I’m sure Starcraft 2 will also be nothing short of brilliant. If it’s anything like the original, I’m bound to be playing it years after release ( I enjoy the occasional LAN game with my brother with the original to this day).
4. Castlevania : Order of Ecclesia – Igarashi continues the series of hit castlevania games with the newest iteration on the DS since Portrait of Ruin. With plenty of new locations (20 in all, with a overworld map) and a new magic glyph system, bringing in all castlevania fans alike. Also connects with the new Wii game (see below).
5. Duke Nukem Forever – This one’s kind of a joke…but NOT really. There isn’t much more that I’d love to see in the gaming industry other than my old pal Duke Nukem to make a triumphant return (other than maybe another Max Payne game… *wink, wink* *nudge, nudge*). Duke Nukem is the original bad-ass and the wait for a new title has been EXCRUITIATING (to say the least…). I’ve been playing some Bionic Commando ReArmed recently on the live arcade and that bastard starting reminding me of who other but Duke Nukem. I mean, mainly by appearances mostly. He’s no where near the same bad-ass-itude or catchy one-liners that makes Nukem so lovable.

Honorable Mentions of the Moment:

Gears of War 2 – What can I say? The first one was pretty epic. Including a tough as nails Insane difficulty only rivaled by games like the Ninja Gaiden series. I just hope the campaign of the new one has enough story to keep me hooked again.

Lego Batman – Played Lego Star Wars: Complete Saga. Loved it. Just finished Lego Indiana Jones. Loved it. Legos…just all around love them. One of my favorite superheroes + legos = Win freaking win!

Tiberium – New C&C (Command and Conquer) first person shooter that supposedly takes place after the third tiberium war (C&C 3 and Kane’s Wrath). The last C&C foray into FPS-dom was kinda a flop (Renegade), but we can only hope that this time around it actually has some story behind it.

Banjo-Kazooie : Nuts and Bolts – The first banjo-kazooie adventure since the N64 days and a low $40 price tag? Sold. Now if only there was a new Conker game… 😉

N+ – (No, that’s not a plus minus…) The freeware ninja game that originated for the PC comes to the DS and PSP after hitting the xbox live arcade. Collecting gold, fighting against the ticking clock while avoiding deadly traps…what’s not to love?

What?!?! Moments:

Castlevania Judgement – Konami’s announcement for a castlevania-based fighting game to hit the Wii exclusively was shocking to say the least. Can be connected with the new DS game to unlock content and will be using full advantage of the Wii’s motion controls for combat. Seeing all the old characters of the series duke it out in fighting style will be INTERESTING indeed…

So there you have it…Any questions?

– DGM-payne