Opinions. Everyone’s got ‘em. Especially the zany staff of Spawn Kill. And we know every single one of you wants to share your own as well. So we’ve put together a way that you can give us your two cents — you know, other than leaving a comment or getting in touch with us in some other manner. Every Friday, we’ll be bringing you a hot topic that’s been cracked wide open for discussion. Your job is to load up and deliver your best opinions on the subject at hand in Spawn Kill’s Agree to Disagree column.

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Street Fighter Alpha 3 represents the best of everything Capcom had learned in their many years creating different fighting games. The gameplay is a blend of the more slow-paced and strategic Street Fighter 2 with the more varied and frenetic Alpha series. Air combos, alpha counters, and flashy finishing moves were combined with superior character balancing and deep fighting strategies to make Alpha 3 one of the best fighting titles of all time.

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Opinions. Everyone’s got ‘em. Especially the zany staff of Spawn Kill. And we know every single one of you wants to share your own as well. So we’ve put together a way that you can give us your two cents — you know, other than leaving a comment or getting in touch with us in some other manner. Every Friday, we’ll be bringing you a hot topic that’s been cracked wide open for discussion. Your job is to load up and deliver your best opinions on the subject at hand in Spawn Kill’s Agree to Disagree column.

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In 1994, Blizzard Entertainment’s Warcraft: Orcs and Humans revolutionized the real-time strategy genre, bringing a pleasing amount of depth and a subtle simplicity to a relatively-hardcore genre. Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness released in 1995, and not only introduced an all-new level of shine and polish, but also introduced many gamers to the world of online competition. The bar was set high for Warcraft III, and with Reign of Chaos, Blizzard proved that they are truly the kings amongst fantasy RTS fans.

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Back during its 2008 release, Lost Odyssey was a big deal.  It was a brand new IP, it was console-exclusive, and it sprung from the creative mind of Hironobu Sakaguchi, famed Final Fantasy series creator (maybe you’ve heard of it?).  The studio behind Lost Odyssey was relatively new at the time, with only two games on their resume.  ASH: Archaic Sealed Heat was a DS tactical RPG only released in Japan, well received but unknown in the states, and Blue Dragon was a cartoonish RPG released both in Japan and North American with maybe the worst aesthetic in the history of gaming.  That’s possibly an overstatement.  The truth is I tried to like Blue Dragon, it had aspects that made it intriguing as an RPG and all total I probably sunk 20-25 hours into it, but in the end I couldn’t get over how stupid it looked and so quit.  Argue with me if you like.

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In July 18th of the year 2000, Squaresoft (now Square Enix) released a game amongst their “Summer of Adventure” promotion named Threads of Fate. Released alongside Legend of Mana and the much hyped-about Chrono Cross, this simple story of two young persons going out in search of an ancient, powerful relic was largely overlooked by casual gamers and RPG fans on a budget. Though definitely not as successful or as sought-after as the two aforementioned titles, Threads of Fate is a lighthearted, charming adventure with just the right amount of moral implications.

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The release of 2K Games’ surreal yet eerily grounded shooter BioShock 2 has set the hearts of impassioned gamers aflame. In an age where sequels rule the roost and new IPs are as rare as Arcadian wine, so much faith is placed upon the shoulders of games to which the torch has been passed. Will BioShock 2 recapture the same kind of trepidation and otherworldly wonder that washed over gamers within seconds of meeting a Big Daddy? And what of the harrowing climax, where we learned that a simple five-iron could be the key to unlocking Rapture-sized secrets? These are all questions that can only be answered with the completion of the game.

For those of you who have yet to live through the madness of Andrew Ryan’s utopia, there’s the following guide designed to get you up to speed. Straight from the city’s defunct welcoming committee themselves, I give to you A Newcomer’s Guide to Rapture.

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One decade ago, Konami left a neoteric imprint on the survival horror genre with Silent Hill, a video game that would inspire a number of future titles, a movie, and several books and comics. But Harry Mason’s investigation into the fog-covered town and its strange occurrences accomplished more than just a household name among the likes of Resident Evil. The heart-pounding adrenaline rush introduced gamers to a nightmare founded on psychological Japanese horror and an equally unnerving musical score by composer Akira Yamaoka.

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I’ll start off by confessing that I’ve been playing this game off and on for nearly a year.  It’s just one of those games that’s great to pick up and play for a little while, set it down, and come back to it later.  It’s also one of my all-time favorite games for the DS (it’s also available on nearly every other platform), even though it’s far from perfect.  But a game doesn’t have to be “perfect” to be fun, does it?  Even though I’ve finished the story mode, I know I’ll keep playing whenever the “match 3″ bug strikes me, and I’m very eagerly awaiting the true sequel, which promises to do nothing but improve over the first game.

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My game is best played in a pitch black room with the soft glow of my television piercing the darkness. The battle cries of obnoxious ten-year-olds do not tear through my eardrums. I do not waste time with team members who have no desire to play correctly or fairly. Silence and solitude are freedom; gateways to platinum trophies, 100% completion, and a committed relationship with the game in the disc tray. So why am I forced to venture into the sordid world of multiplayer whenever a new release beckons to me from the wild of the retail storefront?

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Almost four years before God of War became a top priority amongst action game fans, Capcom’s Devil May Cry was the go-to title for fast-paced combat, impossible air juggles, and a brutal, bloody storyline telling a tale of redemption of revenge. Though the series is more or less on the backburner with modern-generation consoles, Devil May Cry was very much the precursor to some of the biggest games coming out this year.

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Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater is a title that many gamers cannot forget, be it willfully or not. By this point in time, the series has been an up-and-comer, a hot new title, a firmly-established series, and a repetitive, iterative franchise. Now, the games have come to be nothing but a fragile husk of their former glory. While interest in skateboarding titles has both waned and been redirected to a newer series, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 was at one point in time one of the best games available, for everything from graphics, soundtracks, and straight-up fun factor.

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The Nintendo GameCube was not as disappointing to me as it was for many gamers. Due to some of the things going on in my life during the time of its release (College, marriage, becoming a parent, etc.) I didn’t have time to play every game released. One of the largest complaints about the Cube was that it did not have the number of quality games that the other systems had. Though this may be true, I found many treasures in my GameCube library. For instance, the purchase of Pikmin 2 led to the most charming game experience in my career as a gamer.

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Few video games arouse genuine nirvana in players, but even less promise a blossoming underwater world only to swallow gamers whole and leave them wanting more wretched decay, both lovely and sanguine. BioShock is one such praised gem, and experiencing the game without feeling like the developers literally poured their souls into its creation is virtually impossible. Indeed, BioShock at its very core flourishes as a polished experience, and quite a mighty one at that.

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Yes, 2009 was quite a tumultuous year. It wasn’t quite the explosive year in gaming it was made out to be, but we laughed, we cried, and we broke several controllers. We ran to our favorite gaming forum to complain, and buddy, you know we had plenty to complain about. Similarly, we had plenty to rejoice about, with some of the biggest names in gaming bringing us several adventures we won’t soon forget. In 2010, things are only going to get better, or so we hope. But what of the games we were presented with this in 2009? Which one moved us the way no other could? Which game made us weep with tears of joy at how impossibly beautiful it was? And which one made us revile at the very sight of its hideous character models? Well, faithful Spawn Killer, you’re about to find out. We’re happy to present the first annual Spawn Kill Game of the Year Awards.

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