Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has been named as the best game of 2009 by US magazine Time, which praised it for its “raw, riveting military action”.

Other titles to do well in the list include Eidos’ Batman: Arkham Asylum, Activision’s DJ Hero, 2K Games’ Borderlands and Nintendo’s New Super Mario Bros Wii.

“This is a game that sends a message,” the publication said of Modern Warfare 2. “Video games have something intelligent to say about contemporary military conflicts.

“In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, you hop around the globe, chasing the front lines of globalized, asymmetrical combat, where not everybody wears uniforms, war isn't always declared, and the battlefield isn't clearly marked — battles rage through suburbs, airports and people's living rooms.

“There's tons of raw, riveting military action in Modern Warfare 2, but it's very much about how the game has changed: limiting civilian casualties and figuring out whom to fight and why are just as important as staying alive.”

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And of fellow Activision title DJ Hero – a game that many will be surprised to see in the list – Time added: “In a world of wannabe rock bands — enough already with the rehashed songs from yesteryear — DJ Hero offers a welcome change.”

Also of note is the inclusion of iPhone title Geo-Defense Swarm.

Here’s the list in full:

1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Activision)
2. Batman: Arkham Asylum (Eidos)
3. DJ Hero (Activision)
4. Borderlands (2K Games)
5. New Super Mario Bros Wii (Nintendo)
6. Geo-Defense Swarm (Critical Thought Games)
7. Scribblenauts (Warner)
8. Halo: ODST (Microsoft)
9. Assassin's Creed 2 (Ubisoft)
10. Uncharted 2 (Sony)