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games_top5_090219_nonsequels.sPubDate = "2/19/2009 9:35:31 PM GMT";
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games_top5_090219_nonsequels[i++] = new Array("","INTRO","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/090219_Top5_NonSequels_intro.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "Electronic Arts", "273", "388", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
games_top5_090219_nonsequels[i-1].body = "<headline/></br><br>Like tiresome gadget updates that don't improve much on the original, video game sequels have a tendency to sound better than they actually are. Follow-ups rarely meet their lofty expectations because they're usually the same game disguised with minor enhancements and a fresh coat of paint.<p>There are a handful of bold publishers, however, willing to take risks on uncharted ground - something influential hardcore gamers tend to overlook. So for all you gamers who turn your nose at numerical appendices, here are the top 5 non-sequel games of 2009, excluding platform expansions like the upcoming \"Ghostbusters: The Video Game\" and Beatles \"Rock Band.\"<p><a href=\"http://kristink.newsvine.com/_news/2009/02/18/2451357-top-5-most-anticipated-non-sequel-games\">Tell us which non-sequel games you're most looking forward to this year</a>. <br></br><P ALIGN=RIGHT><i>-- Blake Snow</i><br><p ALIGN=LEFT><a href=\"http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25128965\"><img src=\"http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Interactives/_swf/tonytesting/gamewidget/Grab_top5_widget_button.gif\" border=0></a></p>";

games_top5_090219_nonsequels[i++] = new Array("","'Infamous'","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/090219_Top5_NonSequels_Infamous.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "Sony", "238", "423", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
games_top5_090219_nonsequels[i-1].body = "<headline/></br><br>Developed by the same team that brought the clever capers of \"Sly Cooper\" to the PlayStation 2, \"Infamous\" is a more menacing version of the 1995 movie, \"Powder,\"  set in the future. And that's a good thing. Though hardly the first game to set a destructive protagonist loose in a fictional open world, the Spider-man-like crawling, tightrope walking, and electric superpowers had me at \"hello.\"";

games_top5_090219_nonsequels[i++] = new Array("","'Rhythm Heaven'","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/090219_Top5_NonSequels_Rhythm%20Heaven.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "Nintendo", "272", "408", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
games_top5_090219_nonsequels[i-1].body = "<headline/></br><br>It doesn't look like much, but \"Rhythm Heaven\" has it where it counts. While tapping, rubbing, or otherwise touching a stylus to the beat, you'll participate and find the rhythm of everyday activities such as dancing, ping-pong, singing, and even tried-and-true punches and kicks. If timing is everything, the ingenious gameplay of this one should keep portable gamers interested for hours.";

games_top5_090219_nonsequels[i++] = new Array("","'Wheelman'","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/090219_Top5_NonSequels_Wheelman.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "Midway", "273", "397", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
games_top5_090219_nonsequels[i-1].body = "<headline/></br><br>Commenters balked at the inclusion of \"Wheelman\" on my <a href=\"http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28455041/\" target=BLANK>Top 5 most anticipated games of 2009</a>, but I'll say it again: This game reinvents the role of cars in open world games, despite its similarity to \"Grand Theft Auto\" and \"Driver.\" Never mind that it's published by Midway, who this month filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and hasn't made a notable game outside of \"Mortal Kombat\" since the mid '90s. It's a blast.";

games_top5_090219_nonsequels[i++] = new Array("","'The Conduit'","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/090219_Top5_NonSequels_Conduit.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "Sega", "273", "390", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
games_top5_090219_nonsequels[i-1].body = "<headline/></br><br>Wii owners starved for Xbox-like experiences need look no further than Sega's much-hyped \"The Conduit.\" The storyline is dreadfully bland (you know the drill: aliens invade planet earth, you take 'em down one at a time as a laser-wielding super soldier). But the game has received early praise for its gripping combat, PS3-like visuals, and 16-person online multiplayer. Wait for it.";

games_top5_090219_nonsequels[i++] = new Array("","'Brutal Legend'","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/090219_Top5_NonSequels_Brutal%20Legend.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "Electronic Arts", "273", "388", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
games_top5_090219_nonsequels[i-1].body = "<headline/></br><br>Playing as a \"Guitar Hero\" stuck in an epic adventure to become the king of rock, \"Brutal Legend\" stars Jack Black as an aspiring roadie with a fetish for over-the-top action that would make Spinal Tap proud. Better still, the game is being designed by Tim Schafer, the same man that brought us cult hits such as &#147;Grim Fandango&#148; and &#147;Psychonauts.&#148; Rock on.<p><a href=\"http://kristink.newsvine.com/_news/2009/02/18/2451357-top-5-most-anticipated-non-sequel-games\">Tell us which non-sequel games you're looking forward to in 2009</a>. <br>";

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