Time for another Broke Gamer collaboration! This time each of the head writers will be looking at 2010, a year that, due to the massive amount of delays, has become one of the strongest looking years in the history of video game media. That said, what games are we most looking forward to come next year? Are our picks pretty much what you’d expect? Our choices may surprise you…

Honestly, this past week has been host to a bombshell of new game announcements and so on top of the already amazing lineup of games coming in 2010, choosing my top five most anticipated picks has gotten a little harder. So, without further adieu, let’s jump in:

5) Monster Hunter Tri

I genuinely don’t know how any self-respecting gamer could watch that trailer and not say “I’m not interested in that”. After taking Japan by storm last month, Capcom has decided to release Monster Hunter Tri, the Wii-exclusive iteration of the already hit Monster Hunter franchise, in North America and Europe in March of next year. And, while I have never played a Monster Hunter game in my life, this looks to be an outstanding game and, if you were to judge by Famitsu’s extremely rare 40/40 review score, it is.

Not only does Monster Hunter Tri look absolutely gorgeous for a Wii game but it also has a phenomenal orchestrated soundtrack and is one of the first third party games on Wii to truly take advantage of the online capabilities of the system with full co-op play, trading and hunting aspects. And thankfully, unlike our Japanese cousins, we will probably not be forced to pay for a subscription fee to play this game online. Oh, and did I mention that the Classic Controller Pro that comes bundled with the game is absolutely awesome and easily the best hardcore controller available for the Wii? I should know, I imported one.

4) Ōkamiden: Chisaki Taiyou

If you were to ask me a week ago “What game will never get a sequel?”, I would’ve probably answered you with “Okami“. And yet, look at what we have here! Just last week, Capcom announced that they are making Ōkamiden: Chisaki Taiyou, a Nintendo DS sequel to the critically acclaimed PS2 classic, Okami. According to the very brief trailer that Capcom is going to show at the Tokyo Game Show, this iteration seems to retain all of the combat aspects as well as the visual style of its predecessor.

Not only will Ōkamiden: Chisaki Taiyou retain the ability to freeze the gameplay and use the Celestial Brush to fight off enemies but the brush may now also be used to move around Chibiterasu’s new “celestial animal” partners independently. This will apparently be a major game-play element in the upcoming title and much like the upcoming Zelda: Spirit Tracks, will act as one of the key elements in solving many of the game’s puzzles and dungeons. I certainly can’t wait to see what else in store for this sequel to the game that I never thought would get one. Good show, Capcom.

3) Super Mario Galaxy 2

When fellow GamingVice writer Kevin Vong and I were sitting in the Nintendo Press Conference at this year’s E3 and they announced Super Mario Galaxy 2, we both looked at each other and were floored. The crowd in the Nokia Theatre went wild and all of our doubts about Nintendo after the announcement of the “Vitality Sensor” were immediately washed away. Super Mario Galaxy 2 will mark the very first time that 3D Mario will ever be given a proper sequel and  if any of the 3D Mario games deserve sequels, Galaxy is certainly the one that deserves it the most. The question is, what is new in Galaxy 2 and why am I so excited?

To be honest, I have absolutely no idea. Much like Ōkamiden: Chisaki Taiyou, much of my anticipation for the game is coming from looking at its predecessors. Mario Galaxy, as I mentioned in the “Must Own on Wii” article, is the greatest game on Nintendo’s casual focused system and to see elements like Yoshi from Super Mario World added into the already tried-and-true formula only makes a great sounding game sound even better. That said, even if Mario Galaxy 2 only turned out to be nothing more than an expansion pack with new levels and new orchestrated music, I would still be just as excited for it. But of course, this is Nintendo we’re talking about; a “level pack” certainly won’t be the case.

2) Professor Layton and the Last Time Travel

Unless you’ve been living under a rock all summer or you haven’t actually taken a look at my in-character Professor Layton Twitter, you probably know I am an enormous fan of the Professor Layton series. So, it should come as no surprise that I am already extremely excited for Professor Layton and the Last Time Travel despite the fact that Diaboilical Box only just came out and confirmed Time Travel’s North American localization. Story-wise, up until now, Diabolical Box has easily been the most interesting of the Layton games however, Last Time Travel hopes to change that.

According to the trailer (since I refuse to watch anything else that might spoil the game for me until its North American release), Professor Layton and Luke meet “Future Luke”, Luke from ten years in the future, and, with his help, try to unravel the mystery of a time machine. The game, while still retaining the classic puzzle and exploration aspects of the prior two games, also looks to be a little more action packed as confirmed by the car chase and capture in the trailer. All in all, the addition of more than 150 new puzzles, the wrap-up of the first Layton trilogy’s story, and the always awesome animated cut-scenes will all be worthy reasons to pick up the title come late next year. Remember, critical thinking is the key to success!

1) Final Fantasy XIII

Surprised? Really? You shouldn’t be considering the fact that I have been waiting for this game since 2006 and I am still grasping at whatever information I can find on the title. I know we’re not far away from its release since the second quarter of 2010 is looking to be the solid final release window for Final Fantasy XIII but with trailers like the one I posted above, the wait for this title is becoming increasingly agonizing. Honestly though, what more can be said about the title that hasn’t been covered to death already?

The graphics are stunning, the music is wonderful, the environments, the battle system, the cutscenes, everything looks to be at the top of its game (no pun intended) and I can only hope that the game plays as well as it looks. Then again, I have played the demo of Final Fantasy XIII so it isn’t exactly like I don’t know what I’m getting into. I know it’s going to be a phenomenal game. It seems that nearly every RPG developer this generation has been waiting to see what Square Enix is going to do with FFXIII just so they’ll know what to copy correctly. And, while efforts such as manga/strategy inspired Valkyria Chronicles, the highly overlooked Tales of Vesperia, Level 5’s White Knight Chronicles and the overall mediocre Mistwalker RPGs Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon have tried to standardize RPG games this generation, their noble efforts all pale in comparison to what I’m sure will be Square Enix’s magnum opus this generation. It’s almost here and my anticipation had reached an all time high.

Honorable Mentions: Heavy Rain, Bioshock 2, Bayonetta, Dragon Quest IX, Metroid: Other M

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1. 2010 Nintendo Media Summit Roundup
2. People Play Games: A Retro Gamer’s Paradise
3. There’s More Than Enough Games Left In 2009
4. 10 Wii Games You Must Own
5. Games Not Profit