Opinion Fest 2009: Best RPG Console

As any fanboy could tell you (even if you didn’t ask), not all gaming platforms are created equal. With different media formats, different storage methods, different processing methods, and different feature sets, no two consoles are the same. However, what really separates consoles from each other in most gamers’ minds is just one thing, that rarely has anything to do with the console itself: the games.

This award goes to the platforms that had the most and best RPGs released in 2009.

3rd: Nintendo Wii

Though the Wii has received the stigma of a console for little kids and senior citizens, its respectable lineup of RPGs this year has proven that it is far from irrelevant for gamers. From sleeper hits like Rune Factory Frontier, to mainstream attention grabbers like Crystal Bearers, the Wii has done a lot to keep up with the best of them. Still, the abnormally long wait between Japanese and Western releases, and the delay of several titles we really should have seen this year (Fragile? Arc Rise Fantasia?) kept the console from moving higher on the list.

2nd: Nintendo DS

Still the undisputed king of RPG exclusives, the DS seems not to be aware of any economic slowdown that other consoles have been feeling in 2009. With titles ranging from quirky to innovative to downright fun, the DS may be the ugliest duckling in the pond, but has plenty going on for it to keep it ahead of the pack.

1st: PC

Though many PC gamers may have felt forgotten in years past, it is difficult to believe so this year. With superior (and less expensive) versions of the majority of big name RPGs this year, the PC proves it still has a lot to offer. Additionally, with the most accessible development tools in the industry, and an outlet for almost anyone to earn some spotlight, the PC also has plenty of original content to keep even the most obsessive RPG fan content.

If there was ever a year to finally get around to upgrading that old graphics card, 2009 was it.