After a few weeks of deliberation and voting, our top games of 2009 are finally being unveiled! We're starting with titles that garnered honorable mentions; these nominees received a significant amount of votes but fell just short of making the cut. Come back tomorrow for the top handheld and downloadable titles, which will then be followed by the top console/PC offerings. Once that's out of the way, we'll start the countdown of the top 20 titles, including what WP considers to be the best game of 2009.

Adventure Productions today announced Audere Semper, a third-person point-and-click adventure game starring Elisa, a young journalist from Rome. It is being developed by 10th Art Studio.

Nintendo added one VC, five NDSi, and four WiiWare titles to the Shop Channels. Nintendo owners with online access can redeem Points to download: Castlevania The Adventure ReBirth, Eat! Fat! Fight!, Rabbids Lab, The Magic Obelisk (Wiiware), The Oregon Trail, Sudoku Sensei, Glow Artisan, Master of Illusion Express: Psychic Camera, Arcade Hoops Basketball (NDSiWare), and PilotWings (VC).

In Divinity II: Ego Draconis you will take on the role of a young Dragon Slayer and ultimately become a Dragon Knight, a legendary hero with unique abilities. Discover a detailed world full of twists and turns in which your actions can make a real difference.

Rock Band 2 builds upon the original to introduce co-op band gameplay, multiple instruments, online multiplayer, unparalleled downloadable content and raises the bar by delivering an entirely new level of depth, connectivity, authenticity and features.

No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle continues the tale of punk anti-hero Travis Touchdown, the Japanese anime Otaku, and pro wrestling-obsessed assassin. Travis finds himself at the bottom of the UAA (United Assassins Association) rankings and must wage war to become the No. 1 assassin once again.

Red Steel 2 returns with an artistic style and flair created just for Wii. Set in a desert-bound, high-tech metropolis, Red Steel 2 is a revolution in the action-fighting genre, taking full advantage of the capabilities of the Wii MotionPlus accessory. According to Japanese mag Famitsu, Ubisoft plans to release Red Steel 2 in Europe on March 24. 2010.

In God Eater, the earth has been ruined by mutated beasts known as the Aragami and mankind’s only hope against them is the Jinki weapons and the God Eaters who wield them. Players will create their own hero and battle more than 35 unique enemy types to find items to customize their weapons, guns, bullets and shields to increase their strength and stamina.

The Age of Decadence is an isometric, turn-based, single-player 3D role-playing game set in a low magic, post-apocalyptic fantasy world, inspired by the fall of the Roman Empire. The game features a detailed skill-based character system, non-linear gameplay, multiple skill-based ways to handle quests, choices & consequences, and extensive dialogue trees.

Super Street Fighter IV features the full roster of 25 characters from Street Fighter IV such as Ryu, Ken, Crimson Viper, Abel, El Fuerte and Rufus, while adding about eight characters new to the world of Street Fighter IV, such as classic combatants from previous SF games like T. Hawk as well as all-new characters such as the mysterious and deadly female fighter, Juri.

Mass Effect is a sci-fi adventure set in a vast universe filled with dangerous alien life forms and mysterious uncharted planets. In ME2, Saren's evil army of Geth soldiers has just been defeated, and humans, who are still struggling to make their mark on the galactic stage, are now faced with an even greater peril.

Another day, another batch of games shipped to stores. Instead of giving them all their own posts, we grouped them, and so far there are announcements for:

• Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers (Wii)
• Wings of Prey (PC)
• PT Boats: Knights of the Sea (PC)

We will update this throughout the day when new announcements become available. Read more for details ...

Combining classic role-playing adventure with new character options and enhancements, Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation offers hours of imaginative fun spanning several unique game worlds that can be enjoyed on the go.

In Aliens vs. Predator, players will have the chance to take the role of the three infamous species: the Colonial Marine, the Predator and the Alien. Each of the three species has its very own distinct story-driven, single-player campaign mode that interweaves with the campaigns of the other two species.

China's state news channel has blamed hugely popular online games for problems including drug addiction, teen pregnancy and even murder this month as regulators crack down on allegedly harmful content in games.

Sony's PlayStation 3 got a boost from last week's launch of "Final Fantasy XIII" as Japanese consumers snapped up special-edition consoles to give the PS3 its best week since a relaunch several months ago.

Rock Band 2 builds upon the original to introduce co-op band gameplay, multiple instruments, online multiplayer, unparalleled downloadable content and raises the bar by delivering an entirely new level of depth, connectivity, authenticity and features.

White Knight Chronicles provides RPG fans with a unique battle system, and robust online gameplay rooted in an epic adventure. Throughout the game you'll have the opportunity to explore the massive world, experiencing a medieval-like fantasy where the hero is able to engage in combat as the larger-than-life White Knight.

ArmA II is set in the near future, year 2009, in a fictional post soviet country called Chernarus. Players will be sent as members of a US Marine Corps Force Recon squad to this country to prevent further civilian casualties and ensure ongoing stability there.

Final Fantasy XIV, an all new massively-multiplayer role-playing game set in the vast realm of Eorzea, is planned for a simultaneous global release on PS3 and PC, with the possibility of it coming to X360 as well, but no confirmation as of yet.