2008 was the year of the sequel. Games with numerals after them (Roman or otherwise) litter this year’s awards list. Fallout 3, Far Cry 2, Rock Band 2, Saints Row II, Grand Theft Auto IV, and on, and on, and on.

So, is originality dead? Has it been dead for a long time now? Not really. 2008 was a lot like any other year in games - sequels to already established franchises tend to sell well. Deep down, even though they say otherwise, gamers like more of the same - especially if that same stuff is good stuff. The cash register doesn’t lie. Familiarity is not all bad.

So while you could make the case that the DS was the best system of the year when it comes to originality or that it was a year in which the Wii, despite mega sales, refused to grow up, it was basically another year in gaming. That’s it. There was a lot of good, as you’ll see in our choices for each platform, and a lot of bad (which you’ll see in a later feature) but most games tend to fall somewhere in the middle, lost in the sea of online warehouses and shelf space at Gamestop.

But every year there are a handful of games that tend to stand out from the pack - be they original ideas or rehashes of old ones (or in the case of Space Invaders Extreme …really old ones.)

And that’s what awards are all about, right?

So sit back and relax and enjoy the GameShark 2008 Awards as we throw a little extra love at the games that helped make 2008 special…and a lot like any other year inside our wonderful hobby.

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