So here it is. My contenders list in all of its' mediocrity. Why mediocrity? Because it's my opinion and it's clearly not your opinion, therefore it's automatically invalid in your eyes. I will not be revealing my Game of the Year here because I think that game deserves its' due on its' own (But it is a game mentioned here). Here, I'm just going to list my contenders and why they're here and not in another category. I hope you all understand my reasoning behind each of these games.

Batman: Arkham Asylum
This game definitely has the single player mode of the entire year. This game is extremely well crafted in its' pacing, its' combat and storytelling abilities. In super hero games you usually have the hero in a wide open world, but Rocksteady Studios condensed that area into a smaller one which is tightly packed with awesome, fun gameplay. It's not really hard to describe why Batman is so good because it's so obvious to the player. However, the only negative part I can say about this game are the Combat Challenge rooms, which demand perfection in order for you to conquer them. Getting hit once means you'll restart to get the best ranking, and doing it over and over isn't fun. However, it doesn't take away from the awesome single player mode since most people won't put much time into them.

Street Fighter IV
For the longest time, I didn't care about fighting games. What did Street Fighter IV do? It made me care about Street Fighter IV. Fighting games in general? Maybe a little bit, but the only fighting game I've bought since SFIV is Marvel vs Capcom 2. I'm not a fighting game scholar, nor do I claim to be anyone with a skill set being that of above basic. However, Street Fighter IV is one of the best games I've played this year, and maybe of the decade. The highest praise I can give this game is with the animation. It looks really smooth, and makes the rest of the game look awesome. The music is very cheesy, but it does get stuck in your head. I may not be an avid online player in SF4 due to my skill level, but I find myself coming back to it just to play some AI so I can relax. I definitely need some relaxing after trying the Challenges which are definitely the low point of this game, along with Seth. But otherwise, it's something I want in a fighting game. Simple and fun.

Uncharted 2
This game has a lot of impressive moments from the visuals to the jaw-dropping events, especially the ones that happen on "the Train" to simply put it. What made the original Uncharted memorable is the interactions between characters, and while Uncharted 2 has those moments, there are fewer of them, but they are still very memorable. The experience is definitely awesome and hunting for treasures is still fun, although more mind-scratching than the previous game as some areas you search leave you empty-handed. The game's definitely easier than the last one which is welcome because you have to fire less bullets at enemies to kill them for the most part. The game also has an awesome multiplayer component which everyone should at least try. I wish there were more cooperative missions in the game, though. Overall, Uncharted 2 definitely adds to what Uncharted did and that's definitely a good thing.

Wii Sports Resort
This is the one a lot of people took issue with. How could a party game get on this list? Because it's simple and fun, that's why. The original Wii Sports is one of my favorite Wii games and until this came out, I was playing Wii Sports at least once a week. It was a good refresher game, something that I could play a few days between major game commitments to give myself a break. Wii Sports Resort not only does that with new games, but it also has a neat metagame in it to earn stickers. There is only really one bad event in the entire game and that's the frisbee throw. It works, but definitely not as well as others. There's always something for me to play that's enjoyable and won't make me tear my hair out. Sure there isn't much to this game but to say that's a bad thing would be missing the point of games: For them to be fun, and Wii Sports Resort excels at that.

So after that do you think you've figured me out? Well, you're going to have to wait a while. Next time however will be a 'what I missed' post and it'll fill in some gaps. But don't worry, none of those games will be my GOTY. Here's the semi-updated rankings, and remember that the Top 4 are in alphabetical order and aren't ranked yet.

- Batman: Arkham Asylum
- Street Fighter IV
- Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
- Wii Sports Resort
5 – Killzone 2
6 – Punch-Out!!!
7 – Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2
8 – Infamous
9 – Modern Warfare 2
10 – Borderlands
11 – Scribblenauts
12 – Resident Evil 5
13 – Halo 3: ODST
N/A – Shadow Complex
648 – Bionic Commando