It's that time of the year where most media outlets will do their obligatory "best of" and "top 10" articles. This is neither the "best of" or a "top 10" list, but rather a look at some of the coolest game trailers released during the year that got our blood pumping and our thumbs sweaty. And just so some of the really cool trailers don't feel left out, they made it into the nominees' listing. So everyone wins, sort of.

The categories for each trailer include :
Coolest launch trailer
Coolest artistic trailer
Coolest cinematic trailer
Coolest gameplay montage
Coolest action trailer
Coolest overall trailer for 2009

Coolest Launch Trailer of 2009 This was an extremely difficult decision to make. It wasn’t as if there was just one game that really deserved this more than another, but after all was said and done there was only one trailer that didn’t really overdo it. While Transformers: RotF and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 had really awesome, movie-style launch trailers (with the former nearly looking identical to its movie counterpart at times) Capcom’s Monster Hunter 3 for the Nintendo Wii is just really well done. To be on such an under-utilized console, MH3’s Japanese launch trailer portrays a world on a grand-scale where adventure earns the wages and hunting is an incessant danger. It’s such a beautifully constructed trailer that it really did deserve this top spot, despite the stiff competition from the nominees below.



Coolest Launch Trailer 2009 Nominees:
Batman Arkham Asylum Launch Trailer.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 Launch Trailer
Borderlands Launch Trailer
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Launch Trailer
GTA IV: Lost And Damned Launch Trailer
World in Conflict: Soviet Assault Launch Trailer

Coolest Artistic or Creative Trailer of 2009

This was a really close and tough call to make. All the nominees listed below could have easily taken this spot, especially The Saboteur’s “Feeling Good” trailer and the extremely impressive Forza Motorsport 3 debut trailer, featuring insane car stunts. However, the extended Halo 3: ODST live-action trailer is a gritty, masterfully crafted promotional piece that puts a whole new look on the Halo universe. The very realistic and violent war scene is exceptionally breathtaking, with documentary-style cinematography and Hollywood-quality special effects. This is easily one of the coolest game trailers of the entire year. Also, be sure to check out the nominee below featuring a Lego Zanzibar called Battle of the Brick: Built for Combat.



Coolest Artistic or Creative Trailer Nominees:
The Saboteur E3 2009 Trailer
Forza Motorsport 3 Debut Trailer
Velvet Assassin Moonlight Sonata Trailer
Battle of the Brick: Built for Combat

Coolest Cinematic Trailer of 2009

Even though a lot of people can’t stand the three prequel movies for Star Wars, no one can deny the genuine coolness of the E3 Sith vs Jedi cinematic trailer for BioWare’s upcoming Star Wars: The Old Republic. The trailer wowed audiences during the 2009 Electronic Arts E3 conference and it’s bound to go down in history as one of the best cinematic promotional trailers for a video game. While the Darksiders “Hero” trailer (nominated below) came oh so close to capturing this spot, the Jedi vs Sith trailer represented everything we always wanted out of Star Wars but never received. You can check out the video below so you know exactly why this is ranked as the coolest cinematic trailer for 2009.



Coolest Cinematic Trailer Nominees:
Heavy Rain GamesCom 09 For Love Trailer
Section 8: Violence Trailer
Darksiders: Hero Trailer
The Secret World: CGI Trailer
Mass Effect 2 Blur Cinematic Trailer

Coolest Gameplay Montage Trailer of 2009

What makes a good gameplay trailer good? Well, when it focuses mostly on in-game play but done on an epic scale and in a grand way. There was only one trailer that truly stood out among the herd and that was the inFamous "Empire City" trailer. It was all gameplay with a creative twist, a snazzy soundtrack tacked on and plenty of action to boot. The only other trailers that came close were the Call of Juarez 2: How The West Was Won, Fight Night Round 4 Boxing Style Trailer and the absolutely action-packed Transformers: One Shall Stand trailer, all of which were also very outstanding pieces of in-game, trailer goodness. Nevertheless, this “Empire City” trailer is rivaled by no other trailer this year for showing off so much gameplay in such a short amount of time. PS3 gamers would have a tough time watching this trailer and not wanting to play the game if they haven’t already.



Coolest Gameplay Trailer Nominees:
Call of Juarez 2: How The West Was Won
Just Cause 2: Island of Panau
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen “One Shall Stand”
Fight Night Round 4 Boxing Style Trailer

Coolest Action-Packed Trailer of 2009

It was a tough call naming the most action-packed trailer of the year, given all the amazing and action-oriented trailers released during 2009, but Avalanche Studios’ Just Cause 2 came out the victor with the explosive and overcharged action trailer called “No Ordinary Mission”. The trailer is all in-game and is a dynamic showcase of the game’s movie-style action elements. Add in that the video reveals minor plot details amid Rico’s action-hero antics and you have yourself the most action-packed trailer of 2009.



Coolest Action-Packed Trailer Nominees
Batman Arkham Asylum Invisible Predator
True Crime Debut Trailer
Kane And Lynch 2: Dog Days Debut Trailer

Coolest Overall Trailer of 2009

There were a lot of good launch trailers, and a lot of well crafted trailers this year that spanned the likes of just about every genre. However, there was only one trailer that stood high and mighty above the rest and it belonged to the behemoth game by Activision Blizzard’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. This trailer showcases impeccable, non-stop action throughout and war-torn scenarios that would get just about any action-fan pumped. This is probably also going to be the game of the year for a lot of places, so it shouldn’t be surprising to see this trailer taking the top spot here. Heck, gamers the world around would be hard-pressed not to be impressed by this action-packed thrill ride featuring Eminem’s “Till I Drop”.