The video game world is always an exciting place to be, especially when a new year starts.  January 2009 heralds the coming of a wide variety of games for all platforms, everything from sports games to fighting games, learning games and horror games! Take what you want from it, some of the biggest players in the video game industry are making their prowess known in 2009, and starting off BIG.

For ease of reading, I'll break the games coming out down by the platform/system they'll be released on.  Are you as excited as I am? Let's go! 

Easily the most in-demand gaming system on the market today, the Wii offers it's user a highly interactive experience, an incredible range of accessories, and unparalleled options.  While the players of the Xbox and PS3 are stuck with both hands on their controllers, mashing buttons all day long, the sophisticated Wii player has the Wii-mote, a motion sensitive remote that they can wave around, the balance board, used for a number of games, and many other fun gadgets.  But to read me rambling about the Nintendo Wii is not your purpose... no, you want to hear about the new games coming soon!  Well here's the list for January '09:

January 12-17th, 2009-

• Neighborhood Games
• Deal or No Deal
• Moto GP '08
• Hotel for Dogs

January 19-23rd, 2009-

• Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop
• Ultimate Shooting Collection 
• Imagine: Fashion Party 
• SimAnimals

January 26-30th, 2009-

• Coraline 

Light, compact, colorful, innovative - these are all words used to describe the other hot Nintendo product out right now, the DS (or dual screen.)  The DS is a cooler version of the Gameboy, with about the same price tag as the clunky older brother during the height of the Gameboy's popularity.  Players have to watch both screens of the DS during gameplay, and the use of a little plastic stylus (kind of like the one used for a Blackberry or iPhone) enables interaction between the player and the games.  That said, here is the long list of new games coming in January.

January 12-16th, 2009

• Personal Trainer: Math
• Bigfoot: Collision Course
• Moon
• Hotel for Dogs
• Lord of the Rings: Conquest
• Jumble Madness

January 19-23rd, 2009 

• Inkheart
• Wonder World Amusement Park
• Big Bang Mini
• SimAnimals

January 26-30th, 2009 

• The Chase: Felix Meets Felicity
• Petz Horsez Ranch
• Jojo's Fashion Show
• Coraline
• Monster Band
• Imagine: Cheerleader

A formidable opponent to the Playstation, the Xbox is and will always be one of my personal favorite game platforms (aside from the Gameboy, but that's a story for another time.) Each game system has it's own merits and flaws, but the Xbox legacy will remain as one of those with a lasting impression on the way game consoles are made and the way games are played. If there's any good way to get into my favor, it's by providing me with Xbox games, accessories and stuff. Add that to your Christmas and birthday gift lists. Until then, here are the games coming out for Xbox 360 in January.

January 12-16th, 2009

• Lord of the Rings: Conquest

January 19-23rd, 2009

• Stoked
• Skate 2

January 26-30th, 2009

• Afro Samurai 

The only gaming console that I'll play on which is 100% completely backwards compatible.  What's that in English? It means that if you take a Playstation One game (remember those, the big grey clunkers with the circular top that popped up when you pressed a similarly huge grey button on the machine?) and pop it into the PS3, you can still play it, you lucky fool.  I love my Playstation 2, though.  Save buying your PS3 for when it's not still 400 bucks, okay? 

January 12-16th, 2009

• Lord of the Rings: Conquest 

January 19-23rd, 2009

• Skate 2

January 26-30th, 2009

• MLB Front Office Manager
• Afro Samurai

All the console games coming out in January.  Do yourself a favor and pick some of these bad boys up.  Oh, and if you're looking for the list of PC games, just look up - most of the games you see above are coming out in one form or another on PC, and if not, you already knew about them. -winks-

Did I miss one? Leave me a comment in the box below.  Let me know what you think of these games, too, I may be in the market for a new console system this year.