Best of 2008:
For many casual gamers, the word Peggle has become almost magical in nature. Last year's pachinko-style title from PopCap caught us by complete surprise with its blend of deliciously simple gameplay and subtle strategy coated in the glossy paint of a stellar presentation. Now, Peggle Nights has arrived with all-new levels, a new setting, and a handful of other extras, all ready to steal your time like few other games can.
Why we picked it: Who loves Pachinko? Apparently we do, as proven by how much we love Peggle Nights! The gorgeous graphics, the special powers, the massive combos and, yes, most definitely blasting Beethoven's Ode to Joy for that last orange block all give this title reason to be considered as one of the best games of 2008. But what really seals the deal is how accessible Peggle Nights is. Perfectionists can develop strategies, and carefully launch each ball with timing and precision to try to achieve 100% and new Ace ribbons, while the rest of us are content to just click the mouse and let luck do what it will. You can play this game for five minutes or you can play for five hours, and somehow it just never seems to get tired. A beautiful game with a simple premise that makes itself easily available to all audiences? Yes, that's what we like to call one of the Best of 2008.
Audience Award:
Music Catch is a full-featured downloadable version of the previously released Flash game also titled Music Catch. The name describes exactly what the game is all about: catching music. Well, catching shapes, to be more accurate, but the shapes are generated according to the music being played, quite literally dropping you inside each song you listen to/play. It's a subtly simple experience that's almost trance-like in nature.
