16. The World Ends With You
Platforms: Nintendo DS
Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: Square Enix
Approximate Global Sales: 620,000
620,000 sales for a new IP isn't too bad, really. You can't call The World Ends With You a flop by any means but it's also one of the best, if not the best DS game of 2008 and a game that every DS fan who loves RPGs (and there are many of you out there) should own. Here's a comparison to consider: Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games on the DS sold over 4 million units worldwide. The DS old school RPG Chrono Trigger, also from Square, netted over 800K in sales -- and that's a port of an old game. So was TWEWY a flop? No. Should it have sold better? Absolutely.
15. de Blob
Platforms: Nintendo Wii
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Blue Tongue
Approximate Global Sales: 570,000
This one's a real mystery. On the surface de Blob seems to have it all: TV ads, it's a Wii game about painting stuff, it's colorful, and every time my daughter or her friends see said TV ad they say "That looks great!" So what happened? Is the Wii basically a platform for Mario games and sports themed mini games? This one not hitting the million sold mark is a big surprise...to us anyway.
de Blob
14. Wario Land: Shake It!
Platforms: Nintendo Wii
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Good Feel
Approximate Global Sales: 530,000
Mario still wins. Wario's platformer on the Wii didn't completely bottom out by any means, but anything with a popular Nintendo character's name attached to it -- well you'd think that would mean pretty big sales. On top of that it was praised in the press for the most part. Sales are still coming in for this one so these numbers could go up by the time it's all said and done, but the game dropped in the fall so it's best sales numbers are likely behind it.
13. No More Heroes
Platforms: Nintendo Wii
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Grasshopper
Approximate Global Sales: 410,000
Another Wii underperformer. Not only is No More Heroes among the few stellar picks available for the Wii console, it's completely original at that. From the mind behind stylish hit Killer7 comes an equally artistic action game that has you wiggling the Wii Remote to slash up enemies with the snazzy beam katana. The funky dress of hero Travis Touchdown gives the game an odd tinge, but it's all part of the unique style. Maybe the public just wasn't ready for it -- and what does it say about how Madworld will do this year?
No More Heroes
12. Valkyria Chronicles
Platforms: Xbox 360
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Sega
Approximate Global Sales: 350,000
Very little attention was paid to Valkyria Chronicles when it hit PlayStation 3 exclusively last fall, which is a shame considering the treasure trove of tactical role-playing to be had here. The game's unique blend of both turn-based tactics and real-time combat distinguish it from a genre with few offerings in this generation. An added bonus comes in the form of gorgeous hand-drawn visuals. The fact that it's among the best in a long-standing genre and "one of the best PS3 games to date" should be enough reason to dig back into last year's vault for a copy. Games this good deserve better.
11. Eternal Sonata
Platforms: Xbox 360; PS3
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Developer: Namco Bandai
Approximate Global Sales: 320,000
If de Blob's 570K sales was a disappointment, well, we are starting to get into downright depressing territory now. This role-playing adventure chronicling the final days of pianist and composer Frederic Chopin is equally as soothing to the eyes as the ears. Among the first batch of role-playing games to flex their high-definition muscle, Eternal Sonata arrived on PlayStation 3 late last year with little fanfare. Its amazing presentation is reason enough to invest interest, yet the lengthy story that weaves through complex personal issues such as the acceptance of death give it weight. Even though it isn't brand new, Eternal Sonata does stand among the missed gems of the previous year.
