Top 10: Games to save 2009

Ignore the delays. There's still plenty to look forward to this year.

It seems the theme of the summer has been game delays. While this holiday season looked like being jam packed with quality releases, in recent weeks the schedule has been thinning. With a sense of disappointment in the air we're here to ease your concerns with our Top 10: Games to save 2009. We aren't going to be playing BioShock 2, Heavy Rain or Splinter Cell Conviction on Christmas Day, but there's still a lot to look forward to. Oh, and before anyone moans, we've classed GTA4 DLC The Ballad of Gay Tony as an add-on, so it's not included here.

Batman: Arkham Asylum - Xbox 360, PS3 and PC – August 28

If you’ve ever played a Batman game, it’s highly likely that you’ve played a crap Batman game. There have been one or two decent outings for The Dark Knight over the years (The Adventures of Batman & Robin on the SNES, for one), but there’s also been dross by the truckload. Arkham Asylum is the quality product we’ve been waiting for: it’s slick, it’s got Mark Hamill doing The Joker, and it actually makes you feel like The Caped Crusader. The first time you spread your cape and glide down onto the head of an unsuspecting thug, you may pass out from the overwhelming rush of endorphins.

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks – DS – Christmas

Has there ever been a bad Zelda game? Okay, so Link’s Crossbow Training has all the depth and fun of a shelf-stacking simulator, but aside from that hiccup the series has maintained a fairly consistent gold standard. Spirit Tracks has a drivable train in it, and for some reason this has driven some fans a bit loco (ha!). Provided you’re not among this minority, Link’s latest adventure should offer plenty to tickle your fancy. Alongside the usual dungeon-and-boss goodness, you’ll also gain the services of a friendly phantom - a stomping suit of armour that you can order about with your stylus. “….”, as Link would say.