This year may not have a great holiday line-up, but the Kombo staff has found plenty of things this past year to be more than thankful for.

Keri Honea, Copy Editor
Even though I've gone to the dark side and purchased an Xbox 360 in the last year, I am very thankful that Sony has pumped up their PS3 library with goodies such as inFamous, Uncharted 2, and Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time. My poor PS3 has finally had the opportunity this year to be dusted off and loved.

I'm also very, very thankful for Assassin's Creed II. It has taken me back to my favorite spots in Italy that I visited during my __th birthday.

Ryan Olsen, Reviews and Previews Director
I'm thankful for the brilliance that is Borderlands. It is like Gearbox asked me what kind of game I have been wanting my entire life and made it just for me. I've spent countless hours with looting games and FPS games so the combination of the two is gaming nirvana for me. With planned DLC and improvements that the Borderlands community is requesting seeming to go answered, I'll be a happy gamer into 2010 as well.

I should also mention that I'm also super thankful, like Keri, for trifecta of inFamous, Uncharted 2 and Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time.

Ken Cauley, Editor-in-Chief
I have so much more to be thankful for than a handful of great video game releases in 2009. In retrospect, I've put in more game time in the past 2 months than I have in the past year. I'm not suggesting that last year wasn't a superb year but rather a very chaotic year, especially for Kombo. As a team, we've come an extremely long way in the past year. I am most thankful for the respect, passion and love that all of us at Kombo have for one another, our goals and vision, and the whole videogame industry.

This isn't really the point of this roundtable so I won't go too far off the deep end, but all of you should really know the vast awesomeness that makes up this team. Truly amazing.

And of course I've been playing all the greats this year--Uncharted 2, Ghostbusters, Modern Warfare 2, Borderlands, etc., etc. Games I still need to get my hands on this year include Left 4 Dead 2, Assassins Creed 2, New Super Mario Bros Wii, Brutal Legend, Batman, and a few others. I love my job.

Ben Tolmachoff, News Editor
I'm thankful for developers wising up and putting more great games out earlier in the year. Games like inFamous and Batman were two of my favorites this year, and to have them come out during the summer was nice to see.

Oh, and I'm also very thankful for Modern Warfare 2. Sure it's a load of fun, but because of it, it made the holiday season a little bit easier by pushing so many great games back.



Zach Lott, Editorialist
I'm very thankful to Nintendo for announcing some great software for at this year's E3, not the least of which is New Super Mario Bros. Wii, the latest and greatest from Shigeru Miyamoto. I'm also thankful that publishers made an effort to make the summer doldrums a little less boring, releasing titles like inFamous. It may not have been the landmark year for gaming that 2008 was, but 2009 has given gamers plenty to be grateful for.

Sean O'Neill, PR Director
I am thankful for Modern Warfare 2. Between its heart-pounding single-player and its incredible multiplayer, MW2 allows me to jump on and connect with friends and readers across the world. No matter if it's my friend in LA, New Mexico, New York or even those here in the Bay Area, we can sign on, frag away and have a lot of fun. While I love "core" gaming I am also thankful to have my Nintendo Wii where I can have fun with my whole family. We can jump on Beatles Rock band and have everyone from my Dad to my Grandma belt out tune after tune. Then we can switch up to Wii Sports Resort and my Mom can take me down in an epic sword battle. In the end, it's fun to see my family enjoying games. Lastly I am grateful for the incredible staff we have here at Kombo as well as our dedicated readers. I can not wait to show you all what we have cooking for the rest of the year!

Sascha Lichtenstein , Senior Reviews Editor
I'm thankful for Assassin's Creed II. Actually I'm thankful for the whole franchise. Gamers lament the lack of new IP in the gaming space these days, but in my opinion the problem isn't a lack of new IP, it's a lack of new IP that actually tries something new and different. For example, we can probably expect to see about a dozen new modern combat games announced over the next year, many of which will probably be entirely new properties, but all of which will basically be offering the same core experience.

Assassin's Creed was one of the first games this generation to offer something genuinely unique. The Middle Eastern setting in the Crusades era was a time and place gamers hadn't been often or ever. The storyline was an intriguing if slightly muddled combination of historical fiction and sci-fi, and one that had more than a few meta nods to the act of gaming itself. The gameplay combined the platforming of Prince of Persia with the stealth of Splinter Cell, but sewed them together seamlessly and stylishly. No doubt, the act of free-running across the tops of ancient buildings, silently disposing guards, pouncing on a target, and escaping through the masses of civilians was an experience that was new and different.

It wasn't perfect, but it was inspired. Now I have a sequel. I get to continue to unravel the conspiracy that binds the games together, explore and free-run across a completely new, equally unique and absolutely beautiful new setting. I have new abilities to make use of in my assassinations, new objectives to conquer. I get to submerge myself in the most exciting new franchise of this generation all over again, and for that I am overjoyed and extremely grateful.



Eric Frederiksen, Editorialist
First and foremost, I'm thankful to be here, posting this. I'm happy to be able to write for Kombo, to chat with everyone on IM and Twitter, and finally have a steady outlet for the things I want to say about games.

Looking to gaming itself, I'm thankful for how much more the gaming menu was spread out this year. I'm even thankful that it thinned out a bit, allowing me to play more of the games I love. Of those, I don't think there's any moreso than Uncharted 2, a game I ended up beating three times consecutively before going into the multiplayer, something I very rarely do. Yes, I ADORED this game.

I'm also thankful for the chances I've had to interview voice actors like DC Douglas and Reuben Langdon, and even participate in the Kombo Breaker podcast a few times.

Amanda Gibson, News Editor
Like Eric above, I'm also thankful for the opportunity to write for Kombo, even if I have a crazy job that doesn't give me much time for it. Thank you all so much for letting me on the team!

Gaming wise, I'm thankful for so many awesome games getting sequels that are actually really fun this year. AC2, Uncharted 2, MW2 - so many new things to try out!

I'm also thankful to Nintendo for giving me more of my crack-like game franchise: Harvest Moon. With the two new games, I'm having dreams about being a farmer again...

David Oxford, News Director
I don't want to get too sentimental here, so I'll say that I'm thankful Sony has finally managed to seem to really "get it" with the PlayStation 3. Between the ads and new price and some of the new games coming out, I really wouldn't mind having one to complete the console trifecta, although I'm doubtful that will happen this year.

I'm also thankful for Nintendo's line-up this year. I know it's a strange thing to say, but it's brought back a lot of good, nostalgic feelings, as well as excitement for some new stuff, ranging from products evocative of their run in the 80s and early 90s to some fine-tuning of last generation's software.

Case in point, the holiday season is like neo-NES fare, with a new 2D console Mario game in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, a new top-down Zelda game in The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, and even a worthy successor to Excitebike on WiiWare in Excitebike: World Rally (not to mention the highly underrated Excitebots: Trick Racing earlier this year). Add in Punch-Out!!, and there's enough nostalgia flowing to add another decade to one's life.

In addition, they've rolled out the New Play Control! line. Say what you will about it being a cash-grab, but Pikmin seems even more fun with Wii controls. Then there is Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, while not the same experience due to the absence of bongos, is still great fun in its own way (and seems more player-friendly, too; I never came close to progressing as far in the Cube version as I did in the Wii version). And of course, Metroid Prime Trilogy--'nuff said.

Finally, we have the new stuff. Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story may be the third in a series, but it is by far the best of the trilogy thus far. And then there is Wii Sports Resort, which I haven't gotten my hands on yet, but seems to be a must for the holiday season.

Of course, I haven't even touched on third-party fare (on Nintendo's platforms and others), which has had some good stuff, but I don't want this to run on and on forever. Suffice to say, I'm a happy gamer this year, and next year looks as though it will keep the ball rolling.

Tony DaSilva, Editorialist
I'm going to have to say that even with all of the new releases in the last two months, it's Borderlands I keep going back to.

I'll play a new title for a day, see the disc staring back at me on the TV stand, and I must oblige. Having a game going with my buddy and separate one through single player is fantastic. It's definitely filled my Fallout 3 void.

Games aside, I'm also happy and thankful to be apart of the Kombo team. I'm a new recruit and see an amazing group here. Cheers!

Matt Furtado, Senior News and Reviews Editor
I'm thankful for working hardware. With my Xbox 360 breaking for sixth time at the start of the month, I'm very thankful for my working PS3 and Wii. Not only have they given me several titles to enjoy this year, but they continue to work day-in and day-out.

On the game side of things, though, I'm truly thankful for Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, the God of War Collection, and New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves has given me one of the greatest gaming experience of the year and it was truly worth the wait. Naughty Dog crafted an amazing single-player experience that captured the intense action of an Indiana Jones movie, but the multiplayer was the icing on the cake. Uncharted 2 is sex in a box.

God of War Collection was a holiday gift for PS3 owners from Sony. Updating two of the greatest PS2 titles for the HD world, the God of War Collection is just amazing. It's the perfect way to stay sane while you wait for God of War III to release next year.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii is just pure fun. Whether you play it with a friend or by yourself, everything about the game is enjoyable. Since my girlfriend will only play 2D Mario titles, this was a perfect title for us to play together, or so I thought. Since she loves the game so much, I have been forbidden to play it without her.



Matthew Green, Senior Reviews Editor
It's been a fantastic year for gaming, so much so that it's difficult to know where to begin. Do we really need someone else to echo the amazing achievement that is Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time? Yes, we do. This is a title so triumphant that I finished the game, lost all of my save data to a post-endgame glitch, restarted from the very beginning, finished that playthrough, then replayed right away to complete the Challenge Mode. That's a major rarity in my world these days. Then there's the other amazing titles found on the Sony PlayStation 3 this year with big names like Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and the multiplatform amazingness of Batman: Arkham Asylum (finally, a game worthy of the Batman license), Ghostbusters: The Video Game (finally, a game worthy of the Ghostbusters license), and perennial underdog Bionic Commando (a great game that you didn't play and therefore killed the franchise again; shame on you!). The Wii side of the plate has been thin this year, but both New Super Mario Bros. Wii and A Boy and His Blob are welcome in my home during the cold winter to come.

Brad Hilderbrand, Editorials and Features Director
I'm thankful for an excellent year of Kombo Breaker and some of the best gaming discussions this side of the Mississippi. Chatting with Joey, Dan, Matt and our special guests is constantly the highlight of my week, and I feel like I've learned so much about the game industry that I never would have known before if it hadn't been for our little show.

On the gaming front I'm very happy with the recent crop of titles, both single-player and multiplayer. When I need some me time I can fire up Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack In Time, or when I want to jump on with a friend or seven I can pop in Borderlands or Modern Warfare 2. Originally I was upset about so many big name titles getting bumped to 2010, now I'm thinking I may need that long just to get caught up!

Joey Davidson, News Editor
This year has been awesome for gaming. Sure, a lot of the naysayers will point to last year as more flushed with greatness; but the games that came out during 2009 had me excited all the way through. My highlights? Uncharted 2, Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time, GTA IV: Ballad of Gay Tony, Left 4 Dead 2, New Super Mario Bros. Wii... I could keep going here, honestly.

Kombo Breaker has also been doing extremely well recently, and that's all because of our Kombo readers and listeners. Guess I'm really just thanking you guys. You keep this place fun. Yes, "this place," the internet.

Lucas DeWoody, Senior Editorialist
I was initially peeved about the loss of so many good games to 2010, but I often forget how hectic my schedule is and now realize how thankful I am to have the goodness spread out. What am I thankful for in the gaming world? I'm thankful that my favorite dev studios are doing well in this horrible economy. It's also good to finally say I have stepped back into the world of PC gaming once again with a top of the line rig. It's been a long time since I was equipped to play anything on PC that used DirectX 9 or higher. As such, I'm a little behind on releases, but I plan on catching up over the winter.

Of all the gaming related things I'm thankful for though, New Super Mario Bros. Wii is at the top of the list because Miyamoto was directly involved with its production on an intimate level--something that we've seen too little of lately. I haven't been kind to Nintendo this year, but New SMBWii has restored a fading magic to a brand that can often feel like long since gone commercial (Galaxy excluded or course). And of course I'm also thankful to have friends and family to enjoy it fully with. I can seem like a jaded person with all my complaining, but from Thanksgiving to Christmas, I'm re-infused with a calm feeling of happiness. The season may be hectic, but as Andy Williams once said (a lot), it's also the "most wonderful time of the year."

And any Christmas season with Mario is a happy one in my book.


So what are all of you thankful for? Let us know in the comments below!

Happy Turkey Day, everyone!