[Ed. Note: This list is part of Play's roundup of the best of '09. Checkout Play online and in print this Friday to read more of our picks.]

2009 was good year for gamers. Throughout the year there seemed to be a rather steady stream of quality titles that appealed to all types of players. There were sequels, reboots and annual sports titles galore, as well as some new properties. The year ended strongly with Assassin’s Creed 2, Left 4 Dead 2 and the blockbuster Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, a title which may have ended up overshadowing many of the strong entries that hit the market earlier in the year. In no particular order, here are the five video games I enjoyed playing the most in 2009.

Ghostbusters: The Video Game (All Platforms, rated Teen)

With the original movie stars (Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson) lending their likenesses and voices to the game, this feels like a third movie. The third-person action-adventurer plays very well and features a variety of levels to play through. The online multiplayer offerings are not phenomenal, but are fun and add to the game’s longevity. The real appeal of this game (for older gamers at least) is the ability to roam the streets of New York equipped with a proton pack in search of hundreds of otherworldly ghouls while palling around with the original Ghostbusters.

Borderlands (Xbox 360, PS3 and PC, rated Mature)

Easily one of the most addictive titles of the year, Borderlands mixes the control and style of a first person shooter with elements of a role playing game. Allowing players, either by themselves or with friends, to traverse around an alien world bringing mayhem wherever they go, the game works well enough as a straightforward shooter. However, the real meat of the game is found in character class customization, dozens of quests, and the continuous search for better weapons and items.

Batman: Arkham Asylum (Xbox 360, PS3 and PC, rated Teen)

Capturing the grit and grime of the Dark Knight while paying plenty of respect to the more colorful and comical bits of Batman’s world, Arkham Asylum is a must have for longtime fans of the Caped Crusader. Outside of its appeal to comic book aficionados, Arkham Asylum blends together action, stealth and puzzle/riddle solving in a way that keeps any aspect of the game from seeming repetitive. Besmirched by perhaps too zany of a finale (even for one involving the Joker), Arkham Asylum isn’t a perfect game, but it plays exceptionally well and manages to capture the essence of Batman just as well as the recent films have.

Resident Evil 5 (Xbox 360, PS3 and PC, rated Mature)

Continuing the franchise’s shift toward action adventure that began with Resident Evil 4, RE 5 should still provide enough chills for the average player. Although the focus seems to have moved away from the survival-horror genre a bit, RE 5 never falls into pure run and gun territory. Adding strong co-op play (either local or online) to the mix makes RE 5 much more fun than its predecessors and a game’s fun factor can often win out over some technical issues. That’s the case here, as it doesn’t bring much new to the table, but offers enough thrills for fans of the franchise to keep coming back.

Assassin’s Creed II (Xbox 360, PS3 and PC, rated Mature)

The sequel to Ubisoft Montreal’s 2007 effort, AC II is a more polished and complete outing. The ability to free run through vast historic cities, this time in 15th century Italy, in search of the next target remains one of the game’s strongest draws. Action-adventure and platforming are key aspects of the game, which features a convoluted, but rather engaging sci-fi story that follows a vast conspiracy throughout centuries and centers around 2012. Part two of a planned trilogy, AC II provides hours upon hours of content, giving players plenty of time to seek out numerous creative ways to off their enemies.

-- Toben Shelby

Shelby co-hosts Spoiler Alert, which airs most Thursday nights from 7 to 9 p.m. on KRUA, 88.1 FM.