Roll the drums please....
Worst Game of the Year:
I played so many bad games this time around, it was actually hard to select la creme de la creme of the worst.
5)
Let's assume, for a second, that the atrocious framerate issues weren't present, y'know, both in the town-hub which you absolutely must traverse in order to access any of the game's modes and in 80% of the mandatory battles.... You'd still have to deal with the insane difficulty of some of the quests, mostly due to the CPU's incompetence, so if you are not gonna play online you are out of luck, the insane drop rate of equipment and skills, there's a Random Number Generator for the RNG behind certain drops. What the hell? Oh, and the character creator, the game's biggest draw, has equipment affect your stats, so either you compromise your build and look how you want to look, or go for your ideal stats. The game had great ideas, but the execution was terrible and the last gen versions shouldn't have been made in the first place, not like this anyways.
4)
Not only is the game unfinished, having abrupt cuts in between certain scenes, missing sound effects and/or music, not only is it incredibly buggy... it's also flat-out boring. And the worst part about it? I can sorta see what they wanted to do, and the idea itself isn't so bad, but even if the game had been finished, even if it was bug free(And most of them, at least on the console versions, aren't gamebreaking) it'd still be boring as sin.
3)
I would've liked to be in Konami's offices when the planning for the game took place.
'Remember how we made a fairly good beat'em up? Well, the sequel should be totally different because why not?'
'Totally. How about having the Turtles start unarmed and unable to defend themselves as hordes of enemies jump on them?'
'Niceeeee, so they have to explore the maze-like levels, find their weapons, and then somehow manage to make it to the end with what little health they have left?'
'Nah, not annoying enough. How about locking their progress behind collectibles? That way players HAVE to re-explore the levels with their weapons and collect a certain number of crystals if they want to proceed.'
'Still not annoying enough. I know, make it so that only certain Turtles can grab certain crystals, that way we'll force them to replay the annoying levels.'
'Yes, that'll show them. It's not like we have a story of particularly fun beat'em ups since the Arcade/NES/SNES era, and the previous game was pretty fun on its own right.'
'Amen to that. Games are not supposed to be fun, they are supposed to be a chore!'
Runner-up)
It's one thing to make a bad game, but it's another to ruin one of my favorite games of all time. The crappy framerate I could've dealt with, I mean, I was playing one of my favorite games. On the go!. The sometimes unmanageable controls I could've dealt with as well.
But then the game starts freezing. Continuously. And that's when the game becomes broken and... nah, the state this game was released in is unacceptable. Unacceptable.
Loser)
TMNT isn't broken. It doesn't have an unbearable framerate, questionable design choices, or frequent freezes. This game is just soulless and boring. This is a mobile game released on a handheld platform. Seriously. It's a one-trick pony that oozes of bad quality. This is the kind of game you play on a mobile phone to pass the time, something you can't take seriously because it's not meant to. It's not meant to hold your attention for more than a couple of minutes or even seconds. And somehow it made it into a DS cartridge and a UMD. For shame Ubisoft, for shame...
Oldschool Nintendo Game of the Year:
I didn't play enough games, or enough good games, for each of this consoles(DS, Gamecube, GBA, Wii) to get their own award, so I grouped the best of them in one category.
5)
While Bit.Trip Complete is not the kind of game I play, I can appreciate their creativity, and some of them got me hooked, which I didn't thought it'd be able to. The storyline told through the six games, however, is the type of story I like, and the way it is told.
Bit.Trip Complete is proof that you don't need large budgets to make good games.
4)
I don't think that 'challenge' is something that's usually tied to racing games, but F-Zero GX doesn't care about that, it only cares about appealing to the hardcore speedfreaks. And to be fair, if I could unlock most of the stuff(Barring those AX tracks), then anyone can!
What makes F-Zero GX so good is the emphasis put on speed, it's one of the fastest racers I've ever played, and from what I could gather, ever made. There's no power ups here, just you, your vehicle and your skill.
3)
TMNT on the GBA is a beautiful throwback to the Beat'em ups of old. It's got all the face-smashing goodness one comes to expect of the genre. It's fantastic in its simplicity, giving you slightly more tools than your average beat'em up. It's also worth noting that it's relatively challenging, so you can't mash your way through the game, you are gonna have to learn how to space your enemies and how to tackle them in order to minimize the damage you receive.
Runner-up)
I've talked plenty about this game in the previous part, so suffice to say that this is a great fighting game for fans, casuals and... dare I say competitive players? While this game never made it to any tournaments, that I know of anyways, I think that it should've been given a chance. It's not the most balanced of games, but I think it has enough depth to keep'em busy for a bit.
Winner)
It's so sad. So sad that this game didn't garner enough sales to justify bringing over the sequel. Where to start? The original and fantastic presentation? How it sets you up as a kid and his buddy playing oldschool videogames on a CRT TV? How all the games featured are much more than just simple 'mini-games' and easily could've passed as full games back in the NES era? RetroGame Challenge is an absolute gem of a game that deserves much more attention than it ever got.
3DS Game of the Year:
I'm not gonna lie, I'm still not completely sold on the 3DS. It's a great system, but I still haven't found that ONE game. Still, now we've got Sma...
4)
Pokemon Omega Ruby is a Pokemon game. This is the thing, I was slightly disappointed with it. For every new awesome thing that it adds to the franchise, it also took away thing that made Y good. Sure now you can Soar, which is fine and dandy, but you can't customize your trainer. And the Battle Island-thing let's you fight the trainers again every day.... but Y had the Battle Resort with trainers that refreshed constantly. But as disappointing as it is, at the end of the day, Omega Ruby is a Pokemon game, and Pokemon is pretty good.
3)
I like hack-and-slash loot-based rpgs like Diablo and I like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Someone thought that it'd be a great idea to mix'em both, and somehow... they made it, and they got it right, and it was great. It's so good, and so short that it made me want more. More enemies, more skills, more weapons, more stages, more!! Now a second movie is coming out, I wouldn't mind Activision coming back to this engine, polishing it to a sheen and give us, well, more!
Runner-up)
There's something to be said about Nintendo, with most of their franchises, they innovate very little with each installment, but... the games always manage to be undeniably fun, so much so that it's hard to complain about coming back for a slightly different variety of more.
And that's Super Mario 3D Land. There's little new for fans of Mario, but do we really care? What we've got is awesome, and change for the sake of doing things differently would only give us... Sonic. Do we want Mario to go the way of Sonic?
Winner)
Come the end of 2015 and I still haven't finished all the challenges. Which speaks volumes about the amount of stuff to do in the game... even if a lot of it is a bit repetitive....
But I digress. Super Smash Bros on the 3DS is exactly that, Smash on the 3DS. It looks amazing, plays well and has a lot of content crammed in that little cart. And I'm sure that nobody ever expected to have Smash on the go, hell, who'd have said that we get every character and item as its home console counterpart?
Playstation Vita Game of the Year:
Maybe I've turned into a grumpy, jaded gamer, but... as with the 3DS, I've yet to find that one game on the VITA.
5)
Shinobido 2, the successor to Tenchu, is a good, but flawed, little game that's fantastic for playing on the go thanks to its mission-based gameplay. It's easy to focus on the negatives, like sloppy combat, how both characters are basically different skins, but I won't. Even though I kinda mentioned them. But it was a very superfluous mentioning. Anyways, it's better to focus on what the game got right, the stealth-based mechanics, since they actually got it right. And hey, maybe the combat is so bad as to veer the player into remaining stealthy?
4)
Soul Sacrifice may not be my favorite Monster Hunter-clone out there, but I can appreciate it for what it is. Unlike other games of its ilk, it has a strong narrative with a very in-depth lore, and I can give it extra points for daring to be different, even if I'd rather have a more traditional Monster Hunter game.
3)
Tales of Hearts R presented me with quite the conundrum when it came to rating it. On one hand, it's a really good game, but on the other hand, it doesn't do anything to set it apart from other Tales of games. And that's the thing, as good as it is, why would you go with this one instead of the others? And I don't mean to rain on its parade, because I had a ton of fun with it, particularly with the combat system, but even then, why settle for this one when other Tales of games got it even better?
Runner-up)
Hey, there's something to be said when a different developer takes over a franchise and they get it just right. As a matter of fact, this game is even better than Uncharted 1(Not that that's saying much, considering how bad Uncharted 1 was...). Uncharted GA's got everything a good Uncharted game's got to have. The story-line, the character interactions, the parkour, the shoot-outs. It's every bit worthy of the name as any of the numbered, console sequels.
Winner)
I'd love to say 'Persona 4 got even better!', but I don't think it did to be honest. But even if you, like me, don't particularly care about the new additions, you can ignore most of the bad ones, namely the new social links.
Persona 4's got a fantastic fast-paced turn based system that favors exploiting weaknesses to earn extra turns and engaging storylines, not just the main story but the optional Social Links that present you with an engaging slew of side characters, everything a JRPG needs to be awesome.
PSP Game of the Year:
I was relatively happy with the PSP games I played this year. Sure, it included the awful Crisis Core and the Worst game of the Year, but the rest where fairly good.
5)
Power Stone is, probably, one of Capcom's weirder original fighting games. You've got a colorful cast of characters that can transform into zanier creatures with wacky special attacks. I also found it interesting how both games had different philosophies, Power Stone 1 is more methodical, even while being arena-based, and toned down 1-on-1 fighting. But then you've got Power Stone 2 with crazy 4-man free for all, reducing attacks to only one button, with moving terrain and more weapons and interactibles. Which means both casuals and hardcore players can get what they want.
4)
Alright, so the Judgment beat'em up was more of an experiment than anything else. Interesting, fun even, but an experiment non-the-less. After you are done with it, you get Guilty Gear XX on its entirety at the palm of your hand. One of the fastest and most convoluted fighting games out there. What's not to love?
3)
Probably the best version of Lunar out there. Probably, y'see, Lunar is a game series held dear by many gamers, specially the PSOne and Saturn remakes, and it's hard not to look back at those versions. So yeah, Lunar - Silver Star Harmony might just be the best way to experience Lunar yet, but the PSOne version will forever hold a spot in my heart.
Runner-up)
I don't know what I was expecting with Gods Eater Burst. First I was completely enamored by its setting, albeit slightly turned off by how anime-fanservicey the character designs were. But by the end of my journey, I think I actually preferred some parts of the game to Monster Hunter. It's a really good alternative to Monster Hunter, a much more accessible one at that. And while I don't particularly care about the remake('Resurrection'), we are finally getting the sequel localized!
Winner)
Half-Minute Hero is amazing, every part of it is. Hero30, the main mode, is a blast, Princess30 and Knight30 and great, Villain30 is Ok, but then you unlock Hero300 and Hero3 which are phenomenal. The self-aware humor, tied with the simple but addictive mechanics make for a very unconventional JRPG that's hard to put down.
Playstation Game of the Year:
Almost everything I play on the Playstation was amazing, as per usual!
5)
Einhander's tough, like real tough. But it's the kind of tough that keeps you coming back for more. As you learn how to deal with the different obstacles, and then get to the boss that stumps you. And then you start clearing stages without getting hit once. And then you hit another roadblock. Rinse and repeat. Eihander is awesome in a very masochistic way.
4)
Blood Omen is a game that, while it shows its age, it still manages to impress. Delving into it means having to deal with tons of rather lengthy loading scenes, with sometimes obtuse level design and, let's be honest, a rather poor presentation. But it's all worth it, an intriguing story-line filled with very original ideas integrated into its gameplay that leads into...
3)
...Legacy of Kain - Soul Reaver. I will admit that when I first played it, over 10 years ago, I disliked it. But this time around, I gave it a real chance, and I loved it. It might've been a bit too ambitious, for a PS1 game, proof of it being just how much stuff never made it outside the cutting room floor. But that's alright, because said cuts would lead us into the subsequent games....
Runner-up)
Tomba is the unlikely pink-haired hero of the Tomba! games. Tomba! is a delightfully charming adventure. It's sort of like a Metroidvania-like game in which you try to trigger quests and solve them to earn rewards, or sometimes, more quests! There's a ton to do and find, that should keep you busy for a long time.
Winner)
And then there's Tomba! 2, which is almost exactly the same game, but even better. Now it's in 3D, and you get more abilities. You can also tell the production values where higher, with crisp, colorful 3D characters and fully voice-acted, and pretty decent at that!
Playstation 2 Game of the Year:
Just as with the PS1, most of the games were pretty good. There's a reason the PS1 and PS2 are so fondly remembered: They've got tons of great games!
5)
While the game is only now starting to show its age, Half-Life remains a fantastic first person shooter that, unexpectedly, offers a very different flavor than it's sequel, Half Life 2. This one is a bit more action-y than the second part.
4)
Haunting Ground is so good. SO. GOOD. I don't remember the last game I played that got the horror setting SO damn well. Sure, the needless pandering sorta takes away from it, and it's not like you can ignore Fiona's breasts going all over the place, but when you get into the game, you really get 'into' it. It's scary, it's creepy, it's amazing.
3)
Now THIS is when it gets interesting. It's funny, because as far as gameplay goes, this is probably the weakest game in the Legacy of Kain franchise. As a matter of fact, there aren't even any bosses on the game. But the story? Now it gets all twisty and interesting, now this is when we get all the epic quotes. And this is a game, that if you haven't at least played Soul Reaver 1, you are gonna find terrible. You'll be trying to keep track of what's going on tied to the fact that as far as gameplay goes... it's fairly bland.
Runner-up)
Soul Reaver 2 gave us the excellent set-up, now Defiance gives us the epic payoff. If you've been following the franchise, this is a game that won't disappoint. And unlike Soul Reaver 2, Defiance actually has competent gameplay, even if it can get a tad repetitive and unrewarding by the end of the game. Just like Soul Reaver 2, on its own, the game doesn't hold much merit, but as a part of the entire Legacy of Kain, it's amazing.
Winner)
Fans call it the black sheep of the series, I call it one of PS2's finest. It's got a gripping storyline, a phenomenal setting and great gameplay to boot. As far as I'm concerned, it's one of the most memorable games I've ever played.
Playstation 3 Game of the Year:
Now... there were a LOT of fighting games, goddamn!
5)
I remember playing this game at release and loving it. And I dare say that the six new characters make it even better. Each one adds something new to the table, and they are pretty fun to use, particularly Scorpion, Zodd and Batgirl.
4)
UNIEL is badass. It's probably the best animu-fighter released in the previous generation. It lacks needless pandering(Arcana Heart, Blazblue, Xrd, I'm looking at you), looks glorious and plays like a dream. It does fall into one of the pitfalls of animu games, convoluted storytelling, but being a fighting game 'n all you can just ignore it. Here's to hoping they port the the new characters!
3)
Ridiculously awesome, that is how I would describe Binary Domain. The story is set up like one of those generic, ridiculous over-the-top action movies, with a very noticeable Japanese flair, married with tight gameplay that made for one of the most memorable games I've played.
Runner-up)
Dynasty Warriors 8 is made up of everything that makes Dynasty Warriors awesome. Firstly, the story follows closely the story from the novels, as far as Shu is concerned, while basing the other Kingdoms on both the novel and historic versions, so that in the end, we get a more or less neutral view on all four. Sure, Shu is still the 'good' Kingdom, but the game doesn't shy away from some of their more... shady actions. The gameplay is a fine-tuning of what we've seen since 7 to Warriors Orochi 3, for a total of almost 80 unique movesets, that are both flashy and offer enough depth to have fun around doing combos. Basically, the best Dynasty Warriors yet.
Winner)
Half Life 2 is one of the best games ever made, and one of my favorite games ever. With The Orange Box not only do you get Half Life 2, you get the two Half Life 2 episodes that were released later(Your mileage may vary on these ones), you get Portal and you also get... a very outdate version of Team Fortress 2. Basically, you get the cake, and the frosting and the cherry on top.
Game of the Year 2016:
Well, the winner and runner-up are very predictable if you know me. But hey, this category celebrates the best of the best, so why not get on with it?
5)
I love Tomba! 2, not only was it a fairly unique game when it was released, it still is to this day, as, as far as I know, no other game has copied its formula. Although I'm not surprised, as I can see how, without proper direction, it could fall apart into an annoyingly dull game. But Tomba! 2 nailed it, right on its head, you want to explore, and re-explore every area in search of items and quests!
4)
As someone who isn't particularly fond of Survival Horror games, I just adore Silent Hill 4. It's got one of my favorite set-ups I've played, I just can't help but to find the whole idea behind being trapped in your apartment as pure genius, as well as how the game develops from there.
3)
Speaking of pure genius, that's the idea behind this game and how they went about it. It sounds silly on paper, but it's very addicting.
Runner-up)
And then there's Half-Life 2, which wasn't particularly original at its time, despite of its-then-novel use of physics. But who needs to be original or innovative if you are a tight, well designed game? I love the way the game moves, how you are always moving forward in the game's world, makes it feel like an epic adventure.
Winner)
And then we've got Persona 4, which is another of the best games I have ever played. While Atlus' milking of the franchise has made it almost un-bear-able for me to look at anything Persona-related without cynicism, but even then, Persona 4 is Persona 4 and Persona 4 is awesome for all the reasons I have mentioned above and before.
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