One of the world’s most respected publications Time Magazine has released its annual top ten games list. The list comprises games from a variety of platforms, including current generation home consoles as well as handheld devices such as the Nintendo DS and the iPhone.

While the list makes some peculiar inclusions, such as DJ Hero at number 3, and the omission of Dragon Age, it is pretty much what many would expect from a mainstream magazine.

Time Magazine top ten games of 2009

1.    Modern Warfare 2 (Multi)
2.    Batman: Arkham Asylum (Multi)
3.    DJ Hero (Multi)
4.    Borderlands (Multi)
5.    New Super Mario Bros. (Wii)
6.    Geo-Defense Swarm (iPhone)
7.    Scribblenauts (DS)
8.    Halo: ODST (Xbox 360)
9.    Assassin’s Creed 2 (Multi)
10.    Uncharted 2 (PS3)

Halo: ODST makes an appearance at 8th place, a choice that will jar the thousands of vocal gamers that complained about its short length.

Another questionable decision is the placement of Uncharted 2 at tenth place. Almost all major gaming publications consider the game to be a strong contender for Game of the Year, and it is the highest scoring game on Metacritic for 2009. The fact that it places below Geo Defense Swarm for the iPhone is a clear indication that the list is not aimed at gaming enthusiasts.

The inclusion of Modern Warfare 2, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Borderlands and Assassin’s Creed 2 do give the list some credibility, but the omission of the likes of Dragon Age: Origins and Left 4 Dead 2 is likely to spark debate amongst gamers.

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