The year’s gone by quick, or so it seems to gamers who’ve whiled away the hours playing the latest and greatest video games.

While next year’s game releases all seem guaranteed to leave us in a satisfied stupor (Marvel Vs. Capcom 3, Tactics Ogre, etc.), let’s not forget some of the interactive media that entertained us this year.

The following games released in 2010 kept me occupied for far longer than I’d care to admit, which means they’d make a great addition to anyone’s game library.

Bayonetta—Rated M, PS3, 360

At the time it was released, Bayonetta shattered expectations of what was stylishly possible in a game. Made by the same people who created Devil May Cry, Bayonetta made DMC and God of War seem tame with all of the kill combos the protagonist, a sexy witch who can’t remember much except for how to beat her opponents into pulp, can pull off.

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker—M, PSP

Hideo Kojima put tactical espionage on our PSPs, and it was awesome. Peace Walker had an interesting story, unlockable dinosaurs, flying robots, lots of fun things to blow up, several great boss battles, and more than 200 missions to play through.

Super Mario Galaxy 2—Rated E, Wii

It’s a-Mario, and he came back to shoot across the stars once more this year, with cool new power-ups, even more gravity-bending puzzles and a heaping helping of interesting levels.

Best of all, Yoshi finally joined the fray as Mario’s sidekick and epic mount in the latest Super Mario game.

Super Street Fighter IV—Rated T, 360, PS3

The king of fighters (no offense, SNK) came back with eight more characters, a whole lot of balancing and some crazy difficult fighting game madness. Online multiplayer and tournaments brought great bragging rights and reinforced how much fun Street Fighter is after all these years.

Valkyria Chronicles II—Rated T, PSP

The PSP has become the go-to device for Japanese RPGs as VC II shows.

With many characters, interesting strategy battles and a quirky yet serious storyline that gives a twist on all the JRPG cliches, VC II will drain the hours from the day.