LJ TopFive 2009 Video Games for Libraries
Library Journal's Top Five 2009 Video Games for Libraries featuring Batman: Arkham Asylum
By M. Brandon Robbins, Wayne Cty. P.L., Goldsboro, NC -- Library Journal, 11/19/2009
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Gamers are constantly engaged in discussion over the best games out there, and, as any passionate group of enthusiasts, have a range of opinions on the matter. The basis for my own list of top PC and console video games of 2009 is their usefulness for library services and programming, their reinforcement of various literacies, and their overall quality of mechanics and presentation. There are, of course, a wealth of other great games out there for a variety of platforms, so talk to the gamers at your library and play yourselves to discover what’s best for your patrons and community.
BEST LITERARY GAMEBatman: Arkham Asylum
Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3, Microsoft Windows
ESRB Rating: T (ages 13 and up)
Batman is an American icon, a true mythological figure with a rich narrative history told through various forms of media, including several video games. Unfortunately, most video games based on the Batman mythos have been mindless button-mashing brawlers. Not so with Arkham Asylum, a tense psychological thriller characterized by strategic combat and a mood and atmosphere usually found only in well-written horror films. Featuring a setting that is just as alive as any character in the game, Arkham Asylum is a smart addition to any program highlighting good stories; it’s single-player only, but its Challenge Mode could easily be adapted for competitive play—or be used to launch a discussion group for games, not unlike a book club.
BEST ADAPTED GAMEMagic The Gathering: Duels of the Planeswalkers
Platforms: Xbox 360 (exclusively through the online Xbox Live Arcade game store); by 2010, also PS3 and Microsoft Windows
ESRB Rating: T (ages 13 and up)
As casual video gaming becomes increasingly popular, tabletop games adapted into videos games abound. It’s much easier to get new gamers to try out an electronic version of Uno or Battleship than it is to get them into a game of Halo 3, after all. These adapted games make a fine addition to all libraries supporting gaming; the online multiplayer game Magic: The Gathering particularly appeals both to casual and to serious gamers. Replicating the game-play mechanics of the hugely popular collectible card game of the same name, this video game has an in-depth tutorial mode that makes it worth the price of admission. While hard-core Magic players will want to play the old-fashioned way, this version is excellent for supplementing any Magic: The Gathering or Dungeons and Dragons programs you have going on.
BEST GAME FOR AN OLD-SCHOOL THROWDOWN
Street Fighter IV
Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3, Microsoft Windows
ESRB Rating: T (ages 13 and up)
The Street Fighter franchise is what started the whole fighting game craze. With its bright, splashy design, this fourth game in the series looks great projected onto a big screen. The fast action draws players in, and the addictive game play keeps them coming back for more. If you’re looking for a quality game that lends itself easily to programming, try a Street Fighter IV tournament: head-to-head matches with winners advancing until just one player remains. Xbox 360 and PS3 lend themselves most easily to programs because they are easier to set up for the kind of game play that Street Fighter IV invites. If you can afford to splurge a bit, pick up some “fightstick” controllers, which replicate that old-school arcade feel. (An updated version of this game, Super Street Fighter IV, is scheduled for a spring 2010 release.)
BEST FAMILY GAME
Wii Sports Resort
Platforms: Nintendo Wii
ESRB Rating: E (all ages)
If you have a Nintendo Wii, you have Wii Sports, the game that lets you bowl, play tennis, box, and play baseball with ease. Wii Sports Resort expands on the original game in many ways. It features an even larger menu of fun activities, including fencing, water boarding, basketball, and archery. And the Wii Motion Plus add-on, a special attachment to the Wii Remote that allows for more precise motion tracking, gives the game play additional depth and complexity while keeping it intuitive enough to make any gap in age or skill disappear. The programming possibilities for this title are endless, be they competitive or just for fun (imagine a Wii Olympics at your library!). And you can’t argue with the added benefit of getting a little exercise with your gaming program.
BEST GAME FOR THE HARDCORE
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3, Microsoft Windows
ESRB Rating: M (ages 17 and up)
If you’re going to support gaming at your library, you'll need to appeal to hard-core gamers just as openly as to those who just want to have some laid-back fun. Modern Warfare 2 is the game for gamers who don’t mess around. The action-packed single-player campaign telling the story of a special military task force trying to take down a Russian terrorist organization isn’t even the main draw—what really attracts gamers is the online multiplayer, which promises a wealth of challenges through which both individual and team skills are weighed and measured. If you want to show the serious gamers in your community that you're serious about gaming, host a Modern Warfare 2 tournament.*
*A word to the wise: this game has generated a fair amount of controversy owing to a narrative element of the single-player campaign in which players participate in a terrorist attack as part of an undercover assignment to infiltrate the terrorist organization. Given that any event you have will be a multiplayer session, you will never have to see this segment, nor will any of your gamers have to engage in it. Still, it's wise to know of its existence so you can address any concerns your patrons might raise.
M. Brandon Robbins, Young Adult Services Coordinator at Wayne County Public Library, NC, is currently pursuing an MLS at East Carolina University, Greenville. One of the winners of the 2009 ALA/Verizon Libraries, Literacy, and Gaming grant, he blogs about games at The Joystick Café and can be found on both Xbox Live and Twitter as level250geek. He also writes LJ Xpress Reviews of graphic novels.
