The VorteX version didn't make my Top Ten when it was released, and I was sad that I had overlooked it. With this Revolution revision, it got another chance, so here it is. Like the numerous entries before it, Revolution is all about titties, booty, swords, and blood. If you like those four things (in no particular order), then this is your game. Some spill blood when they play this game, while others undoubtedly spill semen; either way, it's a load of fun. Sword-slashing action with a side-sin of lust. Stroke-controls talored especially for the hardware, and even a cool name (that rings back memories of the Wii when it looked cooler as the Revolution)!

Just like their collaborative efforts with Bandai to make the high-quality Gundam arena-battle games, Capcom did the same with Arc System Works to bring the world of Devil Kings from 3-D to 2-D. Though the usual, infulential scene trend determiners brainwashed a good many into not supporting the game, it had no effect on me. I supported the arcade game until most arcades got rid of it, then I supported it by getting the home revision at launch. I played this game more than any other game in 2008, but it is in this position because the revision could have been better. Capcom added characters, stages, and new modes for the revision, but left other things unfixed; all of Scorpio's ridiculously cheap, unfair shit was left in the game. We can't even have fair fights in the revision, and it really didn't have to be that way.

Overall, 2008 was one hell of a year, and will no doubt go down as one of the most memorable in game history. Especially for Capcom, who was arguably the most productive developer of the year. It marked the entrance of Street Fighter into the world of HD, as well as the resurrection of Commando, Bionic Commando, and the original Mega Man. More than anything, 2008 was the year that showed Capcom USA was serious, and that they were able to carry the weight that Capcom Japan had ignored. Haters were silenced in 2008 as Capcom USA provided absolute fan service of unquestionable quality. Narrow-minded idiots everywhere were probably in disbelief (with their foots in their mouths) as Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix downloads climbed. The very same "fans" were in complete denial as Capcom unveiled the long-rumored Street Fighter IV, as well. For fans, 2008 was a great year because Capcom resurrected several of the classic IPs that made them into the unstoppable giant they are today.

Namco changed it up with a fourth installment of the modern sensation Soul Calibur, and changed it up with a shiny new HD Galaga. The almighty Cave (shooter game developer) finally brought Ketsui to the consumer in a manner that nobody could have expected, and even announced "X" revisions of DoDonPachi and Ketsui. SNK re-made one of my favorite KOF games ever, and on the Type X hardware, at that! Paying no mind to criticism and giving nay-sayers the finger, they left the visuals in all the low-res glory of the early MVS KOF games. No splashy effects were added (or carried over from the 1999 Dream Match upgrade, for that matter), either; with KOF98UM, what you see is what you get. No more, no less. The inclusion of Eiji alone puts it up with the best entries in the series! Then, we had SNK's only other real effort in 2008: Metal Slug 7. More of a surprise than anything, I couldn't even believe my eyes when I saw it! Where's the arcade Type X version to alongside KOF98UM? Low-res 2-D fans rejoice!

To me, Commando 3 was best game of 2008. With as much as I played Street Fighter IV in 2008, some might find this hard to believe. But with the home revision of SFIV announced for 2009, I had to change the year. The first version of SFIV released in 2008 was more like a test than anything, left completely open to expansion (should reception have been good). The 2009 SFIV revision will be the best game of 2009; that I already know. But still, what about the stellar 1942 - Joint Strike? The only reason this game is sitting as a runner-up is because I thought that the list needed a bit of hardware and brand diversity. The game is better than Galaga Legions; more approachable, and polished in just about every area, and more forgiving. The game is another absolutely killer job by Capcom USA. So then, what about the new Bionic Commando game Mr. Judd made a reality? Re-Armed was just as good as some say, but also a little overrated by many. Not that the game was bad, it's just that the whole aspect of difficulty seemed forced. The game is filled with a ton of fan service, though, and deserves to be applauded for it.

Another game with similar issues would be Mega Man 9; again, too much emphasis on difficulty. Capcom thought that ridiculous difficulty was one of the things that made the old games so memorable, and while that is correct, there are some things we don't want to remember. Unforgiving difficulty that makes games "un-fun" is one of those things we don't want to remember. Call me soft, or call me non-hardcore, but ridiculous difficulty was an aspect about those old games that turned some people off. Mega Man 9 didn't have to carry over the dreaded difficulty from the older games just to be good. It would have been a far more enjoyable experience if the difficulty were more incremental. User-friendly difficulty can draw in more players.

SNK had a lackluster year, but Konami did really, well, and was right behind Capcom as far as production quality goes. Metal Gear Solid 4 was well-worth the wait to a good many, but some reports claim that it didn't quite catch-on as Konami thought it would. That in itself is disappointing, but even more disappointing was Konami's handling of Gradius ReBirth and Contra 4. ReBirth wasn't even given a chance to sell overseas, and the promotion of Contra 4 in Japan was strangely minimal. Even though it was made on the NDS, it seemed like past Contra games got more publicity and promotion (but then again, it could just be me). At least good things were said about it in the US!

2008 was one hell of a year. It marked the year SFIV had finally become a reality, and that alone could have made it one of the most memorable in videogame history. But it wasn't just SFIV that made 2008 so memorable; it was all of those other series that were brought back from the brink of extinction, too. A new 1942 title was likely, but who would have ever thought they'd make a Commando 3?! For fans like me (who have been into games since 8-Bit), 2008 was great simply because there were so many revivals. If 2008 was a year of revivals, does that mean 2009 will be a year of new IPs? Will Capcom continue to revive some of their other valuable IPs in 2009? We'll just have to wait and see...