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<generator>Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/</generator><item><title><![CDATA[Best of the Rest: Kevin's Picks of 2009]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/02/best-of-the-rest-kevins-picks-of-2009/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/02/best-of-the-rest-kevins-picks-of-2009/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/02/best-of-the-rest-kevins-picks-of-2009/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/halo-wars/997384/"><img hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/12/halowarsbora.jpg" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/halo-wars"><strong><span style="font-style: italic;">Halo Wars</span></strong></a><br />
Yeah, that's right, <span style="font-style: italic;">Halo Wars</span>. I've already caught enough flak for putting this on my best-of list for 2009 (it's hard to even remember that it came out way back in February), but it deserves to be recognized ... so pay attention once your laughter has died down. Ensemble Studios (RIP) proved that you could bring a real-time strategy game to a console, and still make it enjoyable. Sure, you'll never have 1:1 parity mapping everything a full-sized keyboard offers onto a controller, but this game came close. It's a pity Ensemble closed, since we'll never see any expansion packs or a sequel. The good news is that, since it wasn't received with blaring trumpets and the sounds of cash registers ringing, you can pick this up for under 20 bucks for some good fun.<p><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/02/best-of-the-rest-kevins-picks-of-2009/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Best of the Rest: Kevin's Picks of 2009</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/02/best-of-the-rest-kevins-picks-of-2009/">Best of the Rest: Kevin's Picks of 2009</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Sat, 02 Jan 2010 23:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/02/best-of-the-rest-kevins-picks-of-2009/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19299130/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/02/best-of-the-rest-kevins-picks-of-2009/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>Apple</category><category>battlefield</category><category>battlefield-1943</category><category>best-of-the-rest-2009</category><category>canabalt</category><category>clans</category><category>defense-grid</category><category>defense-grid-the-awakening</category><category>dominion</category><category>ensemble-studios</category><category>flower</category><category>galaxy-trucker</category><category>gigamic</category><category>halo-wars</category><category>illusio</category><category>iPod</category><category>killzone</category><category>killzone-2</category><category>last-night-on-earth</category><category>Microsoft</category><category>pandemic</category><category>pc</category><category>power-grid</category><category>psn</category><category>puerto-rico</category><category>pylos</category><category>starcraft</category><category>starcraft-2</category><category>torchlight</category><category>xbla</category><category>Xbox-360</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Kevin Kelly]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 02 Jan 2010 23:00:00 EST</pubDate></item></channel></rss>