Whether or not you agree with my picks for the best games released in 2009 - I'm sure I've overlooked many favorites - you have to concur that it's a great time to be a gamer. With major releases like Mass Effect 2, BioShock 2 and Halo: Reach slated for 2010, I hope my choices next year are just as hard to make.

Favorite Shooter: "Borderlands"

Run-and-gun is a term I think I used up in 2009, discussing F.E.A.R. 2, Halo 3: ODST, Wolfenstein, The Conduit and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. But one game stands out as the best fun I've had all year shooting people - Borderlands. Sure, the story is wafer-thin, but the shooting is fun, the random weapons are a blast and the ramping difficulty in the cooperative mode makes it all worth it for me.

Favorite Story-Based Game: "Dragon Age: Origins"

Usually I'd call this the RPG category, but frankly there weren't many traditional RPGs this year. So instead Dragon Age: Origins gets the nod for possessing a terribly interesting take on what should have been a run-of-the-mill Lord of the Rings clone.

Favorite Mindless Fun: "Torchlight"

I think I've been instrumental in getting Torchlight on the radar of just about every PC gamer I know. The simple, action-based gameplay and addictive need for gaining that next piece of epic gear delayed multiple year-end deadlines for me. And as someone who plays a lot of games for a short time and moves on, well, that's the mark of true fun for me.

Favorite Online Game: "Aion"

If you guessed the latest Lord of the Rings Online expansion would be my pick, you were close. But, frankly, Aion has made me consider a monthly game subscription again (budget-willing). The gorgeous vistas and entertaining worlds prove that Aion is more than World of Warcraft with wings. "Verticality" - fighting in three dimensions, mostly in elevation - is a new buzzword, and Aion has it in spades.

Favorite Puzzler: "Tales of Monkey Island"

I'm a fan of challenging puzzle games, and there were a few excellent releases in 2009. I spent countless hours trying to "game" Scribblenauts levels using the most inane or obscure words I could imagine - and sometimes they even worked. But it was the return of Guybrush Threepwood and his zany pirate foes that made the weeks between episodes in Monkey Island's five-part series unbearable.

Favorite Action Game & Favorite Game of 2009: "Batman: Arkham Asylum"

This year was crowded by action games: Brutal Legend, Uncharted 2, Ratchet & Clank, inFamous, Ghostbusters and many more. But no game pulled me in quite as well as Batman did. The amazing vocal cast and the brilliant mix of combat and detective elements kept me exploring the island asylum for hours.