With StarCraft II a picture is worth a thousand words...

StarCraft 2 is still sometime out, but these sweet, sweet images and videos are too good not to post! So lets start off with the teaser intro:

Is that a new enemy I hear them talk about? Awesome news! but that’s not all, check these bad boys out:

How about some return of the Zerg? Was that a yes I heard? Ok then… Here it is:

And lets end this off with some more Zerg and Terran action…

So then, let’s stop beating around the bush and dive headfirst into my 10 most anticipated games of 2009…

God of War 3 (PS3)

Will it be godhead revisited, or will God of War 3 redefine the hack ‘n’ slash genre once again? Nobody’s quite sure yet, but all early indications show that our pissed off bald friend Kratos is going to have a whale of a time ripping the Greek pantheon a new one.

StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty (PC)

It’s been more than 10 years since we last got to grips with the original StarCraft game and I for one have had enough of the wait. This game was, is and will always be a legendary addition to the RTS genre and I’m sure SC2 is going to give us more of the same and then some.

MadWorld (Wii)

Had enough of pet poop simulators and virtual hairdressing salons on the Wii? Then do yourself a favour and wait for MadWorld! Its Sin City meets Nintendo and it sure looks like it is going to make the Wii generation grow up fast.

Dawn of War 2 (PC)

Gut wrenching action, kickass graphics and an always incredible storyline has ensured that the Warhammer 40k franchise will always be a sure-fire hit with any RTS fan, but what about Dawn of War 2? Will it be able to eclipse its predecessor? Or will it be a slightly upgraded version of the original game? Personally I think it is going to take RTS to the next level and give all of us wannabe military geniuses the chance to tear the universe apart one planet at a time. Yippe ki ay mother f*cker!

Diablo 3 (PC)

Hell yeah! Its whip ass time in Sanctuary again! I can’t even begin to explain to you how much time I spent with my mates playing what is still one of the most epic games ever created. Both Diablo 1 and 2 were legends to behold and a pleasure to play. So will Blizzard get it right this time round? I don’t see why not! They have all the right ingredients of a great story, rich history and a legion of fans, plus with lead designer Jay Wilson (he of Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War and Company of Heroes fame) at the helm I just can’t see how it could go wrong.

Watch out next week for part 2 of 10 kickass games arriving in 2009.

A fanboys wet dream comes true with Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

I played it on all three platforms, but nothing will beat the pure giddy power trip of wielding the Wiimote as a Lightsaber! The sheer destructiveness of the environment and the way you can hurl people and objects around like ragdolls made me enjoy the carnage like never before. If you’ve not already played Star Wars: Force Unleashed then prepare yourself for stiff arms and the loss of many a night’s sleep.

Fun Level: 9 out of 10 (would give it a 10, but my brother kept kicking my butt in the vs. mode – the little sod!!!)

Thrills, chills and gut busting fun was a big hit (with me) in Dead Space

I read a review that said Dead Space was “Resident Evil meets Event Horizon” and it could not have been more… Well dead on! I can honestly say that even when you add all of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s movies together, you’ll still not get as many decapitations and eviscerations as this bad puppy. But it’s not just the gore factor that makes Dead Space a winner! The chillingly well paced story and amazing game segments meant Dead Space never once became Dead Space in anything but name. Get it, buy it, play it and do it all over again!

Fun Level: 10 out of 10 (this is the game cool nightmares are made of! If the world ended tomorrow I’d be let through the Pearly Gates just for finishing this awesome sucker!!!)

Spore got to grow on me

Will Wright, the game designer who gave us the Sims, decided to up the stakes and really take life by the balls with Spore. I loved the idea of taking a one-celled organism and evolving it over billions of years into a space faring race. I did however have one issue with the game… Why did it have to be so damn cute? I’ve had to spend just as much time fighting my daughters off the computer as playing on the damn thing. Hell, come to think of it I only get to play any games after bedtime since purchasing Spore!

Fun Level: 10 out of 10 (for sheer originality! But 0 out of 10 for making me my daughters number 1 enemy when it comes to computer time…)

In no way was I robbed by Grand Theft Auto IV

I did some time in the army and I’ve spent some time in the worst of urban environments… But nothing prepares you for the hell (and I mean this in the best possible way) that is living in the New York of Grand Theft Auto IV! Nobody could ask for a grittier more mature game than this. It worked like a dream on my PS3 and the fact that the entire game can be played with almost no load screens had me revving my motor and shooting my mouth off for weeks. Mmmm, come to think of it, this could explain why my mates don’t want to drive with me anymore.

Fun Level: 10 out of 10 (if you don’t like violence or you’re a general softie then DON’T BUY THIS GAME! This makes even the most hardcore TV & Movie violence look like Super Mario Brothers in drag)

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 is real time made real good

Take one of the most loved real time strategy games in the world… Add Tim Curry (he of Rocky Horror Picture Show fame), George Taki (Star Trek) and Jenny McCarthy (yum, yum) to a host of Hollywood talent and what do you get? Just one of the campest, rollicking, kickass games ever made is what!!! Forget the one or two new in game features. Forget the brand new military units and tactics on offer. But no matter what, do not forget about the brilliantly funny storyline that is well cast and wickedly over the top. If Hollywood ever wanted to make a good movie out of a game, then this would be it.

Fun Level: 10 out of 10 (if I could only load one game on to my PC for the next 12 months, then this would be it. It’s no Grand Theft Auto, but who cares… Cause you got Dr Frankenfurter on your side!)

PS: For you Philistines who don’t know who Dr Frankenfurter is check out IMDB for god’s sake. And rent the damn movie!

No More Heroes was released for the Wii

The first game that REALLY showed that the Nintendo Wii was not just for girls and kids! This game gave me my first “OMG, WTF?” moment of the gaming year. It also proved to my daughter that (other than being damn unfit) her old man could play with the cool kids.

Fun level: 10 out of 10 (Simply because of the “OMG, WTF?” effect!!!)

I got to play Sins of the Solar Empire with friends

My best mate and I play LAN or Online at least twice a week and this game offered the chance to bring even more buddies along for the ride. It was (to say the least) one of the most in-depth real-time strategy game I’ve ever played. The normal drinking beers and playing games was a thing of the past, because we needed every ounce of grey matter working to get this one right.

Fun Level: 9 out of 10 (would have been 10, but lack of beer time brings it down 1 point)

My PSP hit puberty with God of War: Chains of Olympus

Testosterone hit my PSP in February 2008 in a big way and the gaming balls dropped from the very first moment I loaded Chains of Olympus! As a fellow gamer and friend said when he saw Kratos in action, “This is the shiznicks!”

Fun Level: 10 out of 10 (my daughter would give it 0 because she thinks it’s *said in a girly voice* a boys game)

I got to kick some kid’s butt in Bully: Scholarship Edition

My kids got to watch their 6ft 3 father who weighs 110kg kick some school punk arse on the Nintendo Wii! I’ll never forget the rabid scream of “kick him in the balls dad” till the day I die!

Fun Level: 9 out of 10 (lost a point because I’m too bloody unfit to play the Wii)

Getting blown (up) never felt so good as in Battlefield: Bad Company

Nothing in my wildest dreams prepared me for the sheer destructive, kickass, messed up, hardcore fun that Bad Company offered. It is gaming pleasure that results in nothing short of a joygasm!!! Get it, play it, get blown away by it (literally)

Fun Level: 10 out of 10 (remember picking up your first playboy? It’s that good!!!)