2D video games saw a surge in popularity in 2009. What caused this, and what does the future hold in 2010? 2D-X.com explores this topic.

2009, for many of us that still cling with warm hearts to gameplay styles of days past, was a banner year for 2D video games. In fact, it would be relatively safe to say that 2009 was the return of the 2D game. There wasn’t just a splattering of 2D titles in niche genres; it was an industry-wide renaissance.
Fighting games were represented with the marvelous Street Fighter IV, the beautifully spastic BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger, and the criminally underrated King of Fighters XII. The masterful Shadow Complex held down the action realm. Dungeon Fighter Online magically blended a traditional beat ‘em up with MMO elements. Downtown Smash Dodgeball showed the power of 8-bit sports. Plants vs. Zombies proved to be one of the most accessible tower defense games ever crafted. Scribblenauts forged a new genre. Read more