Most Wanted 2010

Meant to do this the other day, but as usual I got distracted. Attention span of a fruitfly me. Anyway, 2010 is in full swing, and here's what I'm looking forward to in the wonderful world of videogames. As usual, there's no big hyped stuff like Final Fantasy, Metal Gear, Bioshock, or Alan Wake. I'm contrary like that...

1 - Bayonetta. Yes, it's already out. Yes I've already completed it. But it was my most wanted game for 2010, so it's going in. Besides, I'm making this list up on he fly, and I'm struggling to come up with anything at all at the moment. If I don't put Platinum Games' incredible stylish action pervathon in, I may as well switch off the netbook right now.

With all that said, Bayonetta kicks ass, so I was right to want it so badly. It's Devil May Cry taken to the nth degree, and done with such ridiculously over the top joie de genre. Filled with arch nods, knowing touches, and acres of fan service, Bayonetta is a love letter to gamers, and a thank you for the music to Sega. It's also an amazing fighting game. Winner all round, and likely to end up my game of the year. And it's only January. Jinkies.

2 - Super Street Fighter IV - Quelle surprise - like there was the remotest chance this wasn't going to feature. My most played Xbox 360 game gets an overhaul this year, with 8-10 new characters from Alpha, 2 and hopefully 3, new stages, new ultras and more. Can't come quick enough for me, although I'm sure it'll drive me up the wall as much as the last one did when I take Chun-Li (or hopefully Ibuki or Makoto) online... Still, day one for sure.

3 - Aliens vs Predator - If this turns out good, it's going to be absolutely incredible - 3 way mutliplayer carnage between tooled up but terrified Marines, maniacally mandibular Aliens, and the galaxy's hardest chameleon rastas. That's if it's good mind, as Rebellion haven't been on a hot streak of late, and SEGA aren't renowned for their quality control either. Bayonetta may be a sign of things to come from the once great publisher, or it could just be a glitch - Platinum were never going to put a foot wrong after all. Still, here's hoping. I'm a sucker for the Aliens and Predatorwith those films guaranteed a place in my top 5 "Movies I will watch whenever they are on telly, despite having them on DVD" So yeah, please be good.

4 - Halo Reach - Halo 2 and 3 were great fun, and ODST was a much played game in my household last year, but the engine is looking old, and the gameplay is feeling more than a little tired. Fingers crossed Halo Reach will fix both those issues. Judging by the teaser trailer released the other month, the game should look pretty tidy, and with the rumoured co-op squad play and online multiplayerness (is that a word?), the gameplay looks set to recieve a much needed shot in the arm too. Can't wait basically. Any chance to blast the Covenant while wearing that armour is fine by me!

5 - Split/Second /BLUR - Two possibly stunning racing games, one from Disney's Pure studio, and the other from "newly free from MS" Bizarre Creations. I say possibly, because despite the interesting premise for both, promising trailers and previous form from both developers racing games live and die on their handling model, and until it's actually in your hands, you just never can tell. BLUR interests me more simply because PGR 4 was amazing, but the addition of weapons could spoil the racing broth. Time will tell.

6 - Sonic & SEGA All Star Racing - Another one that really is walking the line, S&SASR has one great thing going for it (SUMO are developing, and they rarely put a foot wrong), and plenty of things conspiring against it being any cop it all. First off, it's a Sonic game, and they've not been good since the dawn of fucking time. Secondly, it's got Tails in it. The little twat. Thirdly, it's a karting game that doesn't feature Mario, so chances of it actually being remotely playable are slim. However, as mentioned SUMO are in charge, and it's apparently based on the OutRun 2 engine, so I'm remaining cautiously optimistic. I must be mad.

7 - Last Guardian - If anything's going to make me buy PS3, it's this. ICO and Shadow of the Colossus are two of the best games of thelast decade, so hopes are high for another magical adventure. The few screens and the short trailer released so far raise as many questions as they answer, so I fully expect this to be shrouded in mystery up until release. Which is nice. Makes a change from endless hype and countdowns to bloody countdowns to sodding announcements of a shitting teaser website, that's for sure.

8 - Ray Storm XBLA - Gotta have a shooter, and while Espgaluda II is on the way from Cave, I'm not sure if that's getting a multi-region release, never mind a PAL one. Ray Storm was great on PlayStation back in he day, and a Hi-Def rehash will do very nicely thankyou Taito. Just don't cock it up like Bubble Bobble please.

9 - Afterburner Climax XBLA- Another SEGA title. Seems I'm always ready to forgive and forget with the big blue. Still, it would be churlish to hold a grudge when they're bringing Afterburner to XBLA. A conversion of recent(ish) coin-op Afterburner Climax, it's pretty much business as usual - pilot your F14 jet through wave after wave of enemy fighters, launching an improbable number of air to air missiles at all and sundry. Fast, bright, blue sky fun, with Mach 2 military ordnance? I'm soooo there.

10 Phantasy Star 0 - Jeezum crow, it's SEGA again. A long time coming for us poor PAL fools, PS0 is by all accounts a sterling return to Dreamcast form, and I've missed the days of Ragol and tooling about as a robot girl with a huge rifle. Not entirely convinced it will work on DS, but I've been surprised by the capabilities of the wee handheld beastie before. Fingers crossed again.