The Bitbag 2009 Editor’s Choice Award Nominee Picks: Spencer Thompson

Here’s my picks

Best Racing Game

Forza 3: Customization! Customization! Customization! You can spend the whole game in the marketplace or garage.

Dirt 2: Dirt has never looked so real.

Race Pro: Every Euro racing junky’s dream.

Best FPS Game

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2: One of the best FPS franchises since 03.

Halo 3: ODST: I wish the other Halos were like this one.

Left 4 dead 2: An improvement over the first whether I thought it was too early or not.

Fear 2: Atmospheric FPSs like this are always something to look forward to.

Best RPG

Borderlands: Game took me by surprise, I might add a pleasant surprise.

Best 3D Action Game

Uncharted 2: Climbing, hand to hand combat, shooting and puzzle solving. This game has it all.

Batman Arkham Asylum: Best Batman game EVER!

Assassins Creed 2: Ubisoft Montreal does it again!

Ghostbusters: I’ve always wondered what it would be like to play as a ghostbuster, and now I know.

Best Sports Game

NHL 10: Best hockey sim to date.

FIFA 10: EA found the right formula with FIFA 09 and once again they deliver.

Madden 10: Best Madden since Madden 06.

Skate 2: Tony who?

MLB 09: The Show: Best Baseball title since the MVP franchise died.

Best Graphics

Uncharted 2: So easy on the eyes you could use it to make a movie.

Killzone 2: 5 years of development got one thing right.

Resident Evil 5: Resident Evil 4 was one of the nicest looking games last gen, 5 doesn’t disappoint.

Batman Arkham Asylum: Looks like the Unreal Engine can still pull its weight.

Best Sound Design

Uncharted 2: From the gun shots to Drake’s one liners the sound is top notch.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2: Solid voice acting with great sound effects.

Batman Arkham Asylum: Voice acting was spectacular.

Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Libery City: The GTA team sure know how to make a city come to life, with sound that is.

Forza 3: Your neighbors might think your watching an actual race.

Best Story

Uncharted 2: The story should of been used for the last Indiana Jones!

Batman Arkham Asylum: If they put this to film it will make up for that horrible George Clooney Batman flick.

Assassins Creed 2: The story is reminiscent of some Alan Moore novels.

Fear 2: The story concept of the Fear series always intrigues me.

Best Multiplayer

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2: Glitching aside this is one of the most enjoyable online experiences this year.

Borderlands: Co-op in this game is just great.

Left 4 Dead 2: Co-op plus the additional multiplayer modes always create for a fun time.

Uncharted 2: A lot of people I talk to don’t like Uncharted 2′s online component, but I think its a great first effort!

Best New IP

Batman Arkham Asylum: I want more!

Borderlands: Gearbox’s first great game.

Brutal Legend: Some good ideas just needs polishing.

Best Developer

Naughty Dog: Uncharted 2, need I say more.

Rockstar: Keeps adding positively to their rep.

Gearbox: The best games on their credits were all ports finally a good game they can call their own.

EA Canada: FIFA 10, NHL 10 and Fight Night Round 4.

Best Platform Game

‘Splosion Man: Great Platform game for all to enjoy.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii: Classic.

Best 2D Action Game

BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger: Classic 2d fighting.

Best Fighting Game

Street Fighter IV: Only complaint is that horrid intro music.

BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger: Classic 2d fighting.

Fight Night Round 4: Muhammad Ali VS Mike Tyson!!

Best Strategy Game

Halo Wars: A refreshing look from another perspective on the Halo universe.

Brutal Legend: Interesting strategy gameplay.

Fat Princess: Eating cake never had a better reason.

Best War Game

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2: Its all in the name. LOL.

Halo 3 ODST: My favorite Halo.

Battlefield 1943: Great XBL/PSN game.

Best Technical Achievement

Red Faction: Guerrilla: Best destructible environments I’ve ever seen.

Uncharted 2: The animation is unbelievable.

Killzone 2: The weather effects are the best to date.

Silent Hill: Shattered Memories: Have you seen the flashlight? Its awesome.

Best Handheld Game

Patapon 2: Best rhythm game available for the PSP.

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars: Classic 2d GTA style gaming with neat DS stylist functions.

Best Original Score

Halo ODST: Halo always has a great score.

Brutal Legend: Heavy Metal, yes please.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2: One of the years best.

Batman Arkham Asylum: Classic Batman score.

Uncharted 2: The score was done beautifully.

Best Horror Game

Resident Evil 5: Didn’t scare me, but solid horror elements are present.

Left 4 Dead 2: Zombies!

Silent Hill: Shattered Memories: A re imagining of the classic Silent Hill  that turned into one of the best Wii games to date.

Fear 2: Might not of been as scary as Fear but it still has some tricks up its sleeves.

Best Soundtrack

Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City: Grand Theft Auto always has a great soundtrack.

The Beatles: Rockband: One of my favorite bands.

Madden 10: A lot of good rock tunes.

Brutal Legend: A metal head’s paradise.

Best XBL/PSN Game

South Park Tower Defence: A great pick up for any South Park fans.

Axel & Pixel: A great artsy adventure game.

Battlefield 1943: XBL/PSN needs more games like this.

Fat Princess: One of PSN’s finest.

Game Of The Year

Uncharted 2

Borderlands

Batman Arkham Asylum

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

NHL 10