Archile's End of the Year Awards 2020 Part II

  Another year, another fight finished.

Worst Game of 2020:
 Just like last year, I played a LOT of garbage in 2020, and... most of it came from the Gameboy Advance, again. Guess that console's games haven't aged the best.

 5) CIMA: The Enemy

 Straight out of my Disappointments of the Year awards returns CIMA: The Enemy. I was THIS close to giving up on the game and moving on to greener pastures, but my completionist inside just wouldn't let it happen. And maybe I should've, because I didn't get one iota of fun out of this cart.

 4) Gold and Glory: Road to El Dorado

 There's no gold or glory on this disc, only pure garbage. The game ran at what felt like sub 15 frames per second, the puzzles were boring and the plot was almost indecipherable. It's a shame, because the movie is really good and I think this was the right genre to adapt the game to. 

 3) Carebears: Care Quest

 I know we shouldn't judge kid games under the same standards we do other games, but kids still deserve better than this. Most mini games are functional, I guess, but they are boring, like incredibly boring, there's no way a kid's attention span could keep invested in this. It's also very lazy, the people that made this game didn't care at all.

 Runner-up) Remothered: Broken Porcelain

 This one actually hurts. The first game was SO good despite its shortcomings, and it seemed like they had a higher budget for this one. But it's worse in every single way save for its story. The entire game is a bugfest, and it can't be finished. Even after patching the game, it CAN'T be finished. This game should've never been released.

 Loser) Franklin the Turtle

 Well, at least it's not broken, right? But even though it has more activities than Carebears I found it even more boring. Maybe exactly because it has more activities is why I found it more of a chore. Interestingly, now that I see both covers side by side... the same developer made both games! Jesus, seems they were stuck making garbage.

Best Gameboy Advance Game of 2020:
 Despite all the garbage I've been going through with the GBA, I gotta admit that I really like this handheld, probably because it was like a little Super Nintendo, one of my favorite game systems of all time... and one I never owned. I've always liked SNES-era sprite art, and this system has a lot of that. Anyways, at least I got to play a few really good games this year... even if I also had to endure a lot of garbage.

 5) Marvel's Invincible Iron-Man

 For a game that came out before the MCU was a thing, a game that pretty much came out of the blue, before Iron Man was more mainstream and way past his animated series' demise.... it's surprisingly good. I mean, I don't know why this game exists, but I'm glad it does. It's a snappy, fast-paced sidescrolling shooter that's fun for a spell and works fantastically for a handheld game.

4) Konami Krazy Racers

 This was, for me, one of the more memorable games of the GBA's lifespan. Ever since a schoolmate lent me the game for the first time I knew there was something about it I really liked. This year I finally got to own the game and give it the time it deserved, and it was every bit as good as I thought. The controls are quite decent, the cast of characters is appealing and the racing mechanics are solid, making for one of the best Mario Kart clones out there.

3) Disney's Magical Quest 2 Starring Mickey and Minnie

 I like the GBA because it reminds me of the Super Nintendo, so I'm a sucker for this SNES rereleases. Magical Quest 2 was a great game back then, and it still is. I won't pretend it's a love letter for Disney fans, because it isn't, but anyone that likes a good platformer is in for a treat. I'd only wish it was a bit longer!

Runner-up) Shining Soul II

 Shining Soul II is a game that is a few tweaks away from being a true GBA must-have, but as it stands, it's still a fine game. It's a Diablo clone that gets most elements right, slaying monsters, leveling up and getting better loot feels as rewarding as it should for this type of game not to wear out its welcome. There are plenty of character classes to try out and a fair amount of dungeons to conquer in your quest to get even stronger.

Winner) Castlevania: Circle of the Moon

 The first Metroidvania released after Symphony of the Night was no slouch. It's a bit more rudimentary and smaller in scale, but it kept what made the SOTN so good in-tact. Fact of the matter is, future Metroidvanias would only get better than this one, but hey, this first attempt was SO good that it paved the way for more sequels to come.

Best Nintendo DS Game of 2020:
 Well, y'know, I always thought the 3DS wasn't such a good successor to the DS, and well... let's just say that there aren't many 3DS games left I'm interested in, however, the DS keeps on delivering, it had a massive game library, with so many options that it probably has something for everyone.

5) All Kamen Rider - Rider Generation 2(DS)

 For a series that started on the DS, it's kinda shocking that the PSP version of the sequel is the superior version. That aside, the DS version is more than an acceptable way to experience this title. As a lover of Kamen Rider(Even if I haven't seen anything post-Decade!) and Beat'em ups, this game manages to score on all fronts. For Kamen Rider fans, we get a ridiculous amounts of Riders to play as, and while they are pretty similar they do have their small differences, and for beat'em up fans we get a simple but solid set of mechanics that don't let the game get stale as you pummel your foes all the way to the end.

4) Professor Layton and the Unwound Future

 What a way to end the original trilogy! The puzzles are the best they've been so far, with plenty of variety, but also featuring a refined script and art to keep things interesting. But what really put this game above the first two, for me, was its very interesting story that kept me hooked, as I wanted to discover the mystery behind Future Luke.

3) Professor Layton and the Last Specter

 I wasn't expecting much out of a prequel, but the new characters really earned a spot in my heart. Leaving the core game aside, which is as good as previous games, this one also featured a decent 'London Life' game inside that could've easily been sold on its own, and I'll admit I spent more time playing that little game than I thought I would!

Runner-up) Elite Beat Agents

 So there's a reason this game inspired so many clones and games that aped its rhythm tapping mechanics, even someone as rhythm-handicapped as me can appreciate how well crafted everything is. And to compliment the gameplay we get some truly hilarious sub-stories and a pretty good song selection, even if they are just covers.

Winner) Super Scribblenauts

 What a concept, yo! It's so brilliant, that the fact that the first game failed to capitalize was nothing short of tear inducing. But the developers didn't give up and the publishers knew they had gold in their hands, so they tried again with Super Scribblenauts, and it was a major success. Improved controls and an expanded dictionary of words and adjectives to toy around with make for a truly unique game that's also fun to play. It's so good that I wish it had more stuff to do and more levels and obstacles to clear, because the tools you get are almost limitless, so it's hard not to want MORE to do with them. Even though the game already includes a more than fair share of stages.

Best Nintendo Switch Game of 2020:
 The Switch pretty quickly cemented itself as one of my favorite consoles of all time. But since Covid struck and covid sucks, now my girlfriend became the Switch's foster mommy because Animal Crossing came out, so I didn't spend as much time with it as I did last year. Regardless, I played most of the best games this year on this console.

5) Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove

 Proof that the best of the best I played was on Switch is the fact that the lowest placed game on this list is all sorts of amazing, and like every other game on this list, a personal favorite. While it's styled as the classic games of the NES, the game plays better than pretty much anything that came out that era. All four main characters feature their own simple but solid core mechanics that makes each campaign fun for very different reasons.

4) The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition

 As far as Western RPGs go, this one could easily be my favorite, toppling Morrowind. The game has a great story, great side quests, great characters and fun combat, alongside a huuuuuuuuuge bevy of content to go through. It's a game that can keep you occupied for weeks on end without growing stale.

3) Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age Definitive Edition

 I'm not much of a fan of Dragon Quest, but then again, I've only played IX before. I wasn't expecting to like this game so much, but yet I did. I fell in love with the protagonists and loved my time with the game. While the mechanics are fairly archaic, because these games always stick to their roots, the fantastic visual design keeps everything fresh, so it's easy to keep invested in this slow-paced games for its 100+ hour long duration.

Runner-up) Dead Cells: Prisoner's Edition

 Since I first played this game it became a personal favorite of mine, and it has only gotten better since then. The core game was fantastic from the get go, but the new, additional content only makes it even better, with more bosses to fight, more weapons to unlock and even the ability to customize the Beheaded with costumes. And it's not just lazy palette swaps, some of them change details on his armor or even, well, turn him into a her. In my mind, there's no better indie game than Dead Cells, but it's also a Timeless classic.

Winner) Final Fantasy VII & Final Fantasy VIII Remastered Twin Pack

 Final Fantasy VII wasn't the first game I've ever played, and as I grew up, other games would eventually claim its spot as my favorite game. Metal Gear Solid 2, Disgaea, Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, Persona 4... but, eventually, it got to the point that no other game left a bigger mark on my than FFVII. No other soundtrack manages to tug at my heartstring so hard as this one. No other story means so much to me as this one. This Switch port looks great.... and even include the quirky mouths that the PC port, the version I actually grew up with, added. It features a slightly better translation too, as well as cheats to make it easier to play. But the best part about it? I can now play it anywhere, at any time. 

Best Playstation 1 Game of 2020:
 The Playstation 5 might be out, and yet, I'd still much rather play my self-contained PS1 games instead of paying for games that would rather be a live service than, well, a proper videogame.

5) X-Men VS Street Fighter

 I've never spent much time with X-men VS Street Fighter nor Marvel Super Heroes VS Street Fighter, since by the time I got my hands on the console ports I already had Marvel VS Capcom and Marvel VS Capcom 2. Which is sort of a shame, because both games are actually really good. I went with XVSSF instead of MSHVSF for one simple reason.... I like this game's roster a bit more.

4) Rising Zan: The Samurai Gunman

 Devil May Cry is cool 'n' all, but.... Zan wielded a sword and gun before. Action games from this era haven't aged the best but Rising Zan is pretty good. It has a few framerate issues, but the combat is fast paced and fun, but it also has a brilliant, silly plot that keeps the game engaging. Just who is the next idiot you'll have to style on next?

3) Dead or Alive

 Clearly, Tecmo were perverts from the very beginning. However, Dead or Alive always rose above its sleazy nature thanks to very simple core mechanics that made fights exciting, fast paced and easy to get into. DoA 1 is no exception, setting up what would eventually become a long-standing saga of fighting games. And ridiculous breast physics.

Runner-up) Dino Crisis 2

 Since I first played T.R.A.G. a few years ago, I developed a soft spot for tank controls, so as soon as I figured out that this was actually an action game... I was hooked. The story is dumb, and I sorta disliked how Regina gets pushed to the side, but the gameplay was something special, y'know? It is a bit off putting at first, it is, because the series began as survival horror, and now points starting jumping out of fallen dinosaurs, but the more I played it, the more I liked it.

Winner) Marvel VS Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes

 After I got done playing Marvel Super Heroes VS Street Fighter, despite how much I liked Marvel VS Capcom in my youth, I thought it wouldn't get better. I mean, I didn't really like the roster(No Ken? No Wolverine?) and these games were pretty similar to each other.... but I was wrong. While I don't have a 'favorite' in this game, I appreciate the roster for its variety and how well it represents both Marvel and DC. And while it is true, the game is pretty similar to what came before, the new announcer and SFX and music makes everything feel so, SO hype. It has a different kind of energy that just makes it stand out from what came before.

Best Playstation 2 Game of 2020:
 My favorite console of all time, I'm a bit disappointed I didn't play more games on this system. That said, I'll admit I probably played the best of the best already, so the games in my PS2 backlog won't be as good. Still, what little I played this year wasn't half bad.

5) Rune: Viking Warlord

 I don't know why, but I've this weird soft spot for early PS2 games and PC-to-PS2 ports. They have this awkward look and feel to them that I just find endearing. Rune is no exception to that, something feels odd about the game, and that makes me like it just a bit more than I probably should. Personal endearment aside, Rune is a good hack and slash and not a bad way to spend some time.

4) Shadow of Destiny

 Shadow of Destiny was deliciously weird. The awkward character interactions, the nonsensical decisions by the main character, the roundabout way he went about saving himself from death, the honestly weird secondary characters.... Shadow of Destiny is very surreal, and that's one of the things I love the most in the media I consume. This game was very memorable if anything, which grants it a spot on this list.

3) Sega Classics Collection

 Not every remake in this collection is a winner, and I bet some purists might find it sacrilegious to remake classic games with budget 3-D graphics, but I felt this disc had a nice variety of games as well as a very fun remake of the original Outrun. Said remake is worth the price of this game by itself, and it's that very game that earned this collection a spot on this list. Plus, the games themselves might not be accurate to the original renditions, I wouldn't know as I'm not much of a hardcore Sega fun, but I enjoyed them for the most part, I think there's good value in here. If anything, get it for Outrun, the game is as fun as the original, but the new budget 3-D look makes it appealing to look at.

Runner-up) Spongebob Squarepants: Battle for Bikini Bottom

 While I watched the show early in its life, I quickly outgrew Spongebob, to the point that I don't really like him. And that should speak volumes about how great this game is. The PS2 era had plenty of collectathons, although I don't think any were as fun as the ones from the previous era, however, Battle for Bikini Bottom is quite close. It has a ton of fun platforming obstacles to go through, as well as an interesting set of abilities to play around with. Honestly, even if you dislike Spongebob, if you enjoy platformers and collectathons, this one is worth a look.

Winner) Ridge Racer V

 Well, iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit's Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiidge Raceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeer! Giving this series a chance was the best idea I had this year, as I found another racing franchise I enjoyed almost as much as Outrun and Mario Kart. The music is amazing and really gets you invested in the race, plus, its simple but fun drifting mechanics are quite enjoyable. A lot of franchises struggled when jumping from PS1 to PS2, but Ridge Racer only got better.

Best Playstation 3 Game of 2020:
 The PS3 didn't get as much attention as I probably should've given it, but this year I learned to appreciate all that it actually gave us. While the PS4 is full of mainstream titles that play it safe as variations of the open world formula, developers had more leeway on the PS3 and actually tried some rather fun stuff. I wouldn't stay it's as varied as the PS2 or the DS, but hey, it's quite decent!

5) WWE All-Stars

 WWE All-Stars got better the more I played it. While it's a bit slower paced than what I usually enjoy, which made some moves look as if they lacked oomph, the artstyle and over-the-top signature throws eventually won me over. It's very easy to play, and rather fun. I also liked how much effort was put behind it, the Legends VS Stars mode was REALLY good, I loved how the spliced pre-existing footage to create fake promos for fights between retired and modern wrestlers, sometimes making it look as if they were talking to each other!

4) Ridge Racer 7

 Ridge Racer V was really good, no doubt about it, but Ridge Racer 7 made some tweaks to the formula that really put it over the edge. Over the ridge, if you will. The game at its best is entrancing, as you learn how to drift and take corners like the best of them. The addition of Turbos were something I didn't think the series needed, but boy, now I almost dislike playing RR before this new addition. Almost, they are still great games after all

3) Ultra Street Fighter IV

 A lazy game born out of Capcom's greed-induced mistakes... Ultra Street Fighter IV is still Street Fighter IV at its core, and it added a few simple tweaks to keep things interesting, like delayed wakeups and the ability to pick both Ultras at the same time. I don't think this is a must-have upgrade, unlike Super or even Arcade Edition, but if you really like SFIV, it's not a bad excuse to revisit one of the greatest fighting games of all time

Runner-up) Dead Space 2

 Take Dead Space and give it a bigger budget and you get Dead Space 2. It's basically Dead Space but on a larger scope: More weapons, more environments, more monsters, more everything. And when your game is as good as Dead Space, 'more' is the way to go. Dead Space 2 solidified Dead Space as one of the greatest horror game franchises yet, because even though Dead Space 3 faltered a bit, you still have a duology of top-notch action/horror games.

Winner) Dead Space

To be fair, I like DS 1 and 2 pretty much almost the same, so much so that which game I like more might depend on when you ask me. As a matter of fact, when I hurriedly made these lists, Dead Space 2 was placed first. But as I thought about it... Dead Space 1's charm really edged it out this time. There's something about being stuck on the Ishimura, with the repetitive, but endearing, trips through the on-rails transportation system from chapter to chapter that made the original Dead Space a bit more memorable, at this time anyways. Maybe next month I'll be swearing up and down about DS2's superiority

Best Playstation 4 Game of 2020:
 I can't say I'm the biggest fan of the PS4/XOne generation of games. They are filled with PS3 ports and games that tick every open-world trope possible. Even Spider-man, for as good as it was, had you doing a lot of busywork. However, I haven't played many PS4 games, so that's why I had more 'good' games to play on this console... because I've already played most of the best the other consoles I own have to offer!

5) Garou: Mark of the Wolves

 Y'know what, sure, it doesn't have as much content as other fighting games I played this year, it's true.... but few games feel SO good to play. Sure, Mortal Kombat XL has a giant budget, with pretty 3D graphics and a fantastic Story Mode... but it just doesn't feel as good to play as Garou. SNK brought out their A game for this one, and it shows.

4) The Evil Within(Playstation 4)

 Playing it again made me realize that The Evil Within isn't perfect... but it's still one of my favorite Survival Horror games of all time. It plays really well, I love the character and monster design, and the non-linear plot is interesting, even if a bit hard to decipher. Hey, it's a horror story, if you don't get all the details that only makes it scarier! The upgrade system I feel is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the game, as growing stronger makes it feel worthwhile to try to defeat your enemies with limited resources, as well as motivate you to explore your surroundings for goodies. It also has some weird stuff, like going into a 'mirror' world to save your game, which is managed by a creepy nurse lady. It's surreal, it's weird and it plays really well, this is a classic, and I'll die on this hill.    

3) Trials of Mana(Playstation 4)

 Trials of Mana, as a remake, excelled in every single area that Final Fantasy VII Remake disappointed me. It's a beat-by-beat remake, which is what I'd expect out of a remake, but giving everything a beautiful new coat of paint. The areas in which the original aged the worst, namely the combat, has been completely remade to make it more exciting and entertaining, making for what I feel is a perfect remake. 

Runner-up) The Yakuza Remastered Collection

 I don't think Yakuza has a single bad entry among the numbered games. I'd argue that Yakuza 0 is the weakest entry but the Western fandom would have my head, for whatever reason, it's a fan favorite. The Yakuza Remastered Collection brings together Yakuza 3, Yakuza 4 and Yakuza 5, all great, fantastic crime thrillers that managed to bring the beat'em up genre into the modern day. Yakuza 3 is a bit slower paced than the other games in the series, but I think it has some of the nastiest villains. Yakuza 4 has a dumb fun story, that I'll defend to this day, as well as being the first Yakuza game to introduce multiple playable characters. Yakuza 5 is the biggest Yakuza game EVER, with a ton of characters and side content to delve into. Since all three games are pretty similar I suggest not playing them back to back, not that that takes away from how great all these games are.

Winner) Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme VS: MaxiBoost ON

 Quality triumphs over quantity every time... but what if you could have both quantity and quality? Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme VS MaxiBoost ON features at least 130 unique playable mobile suits, as well as having its own unique brand of 2 on 2 versus arena fighting. It's one of my favorite games ever made, and for anyone into Arcade-like games, like me, it's a clear winner.

Best Playstation Vita Game of 2020:
 Vita means life, yo! This year I decided to turn on my Vita again. Man, how I loved this handheld, if only it had received more games. Games like Killzone Mercenary proved just how much potential this console had, potential Sony squandered. But then again, it had the same issue as the Switch. It's hardware was so weak that any other console at the time could run its software, so not porting it to other consoles meant out missing out money. With little to no exclusives, and since most multiplat games looked and ran better on other consoles... there was no reason to own the PSVita port, unless you were a weird guy like me.

3) YS: Memories of Celceta

 I haven't really played as many Ys games as I would've liked, but Memories of Celceta is another solid entry into the series. Well, the few YS games I played were pretty solid anyways. Memories of Celceta feels a bit slippery at first, but it's easy to get into the groove of things, and it was a fairly enjoyable RPG to play on the Vita.

Runner-up) YS: Memories of Celceta

 Killzone Liberation on the PSP was fairly mediocre to be honest, so I didn't have the highest of hopes for another handheld Killzone game, but it turned out really well. It's by far the best first person shooter on the system, and it plays so well that it makes it look easy, so it's bewildering why Call of Duty Declassified and Resistance Burning Skies weren't as good. The graphics are almost PS3-like, and I enjoyed how the game felt heavy, y'know, like your guns had weight to them. It was fairly unique, I think.

Winner) Mortal Kombat(Playstation Vita)

 If you don't mind trading graphics for portability, which, y'know, I love the Switch so of course I don't, Mortal Kombat on the Vita kept absolutely everything from it's big brother on home console, slapped in a few new costumes as well as some silly modes and fitted it on a small Vita card. And while it looks ugly, well, VERY ugly, it plays as well as the home console version, which is what really matters. All in all, this is another game that shows how much potential de Vita had.

Best Game of 2020:
 Well, here we are, the final countdown. I should get on it before 2021 arrives, shouldn't I?

5) Mortal Kombat(Playstation Vita)

 Hey! It's only been a few paragraphs since we last met! Mortal Kombat on the VITA has a lot of content and great gameplay, if you like Mortal Kombat anyways, making it a bonafide fighter on a handheld.

4) Marvel VS Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes

 Capcom's 90s fighters were something else, weren't they? Marvel VS Capcom has some amazing spritework, and top-notch gameplay, other fighting games just couldn't compare. And as crippled as this version is in comparison to its Arcade version I still think this alternate take on the same game deserves some praise, as it plays really well despite it being confine to 1 on 1 fights.

3) Dead Space

 Visceral Studios had so much potential, and they had so much talent... but EA was EA and shut them down. Their work speaks for itself, Dead Space was their first stab at a project this big and they knocked it out of the park from the get-go. Clearly inspired by Resident Evil 4, they took horror into space, paying tribute to space Horror by using some of their most endearing tropes. It's not just skin deep, as the gameplay offers a more free-form take on REvil 4's combat, while granting the player some very satisfying weaponry. It might not lean to heavy on the 'survival' part of survival horror, but it does its best to entertain the player until the end.

Runner-up) Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme VS: MaxiBoost ON

 I've said it before when talking about other entries in this franchise, but I feel as if these games were tailor-made for someone like me. The game is very easy to play, but it offers so many different ways to actually play it thanks to its massive roster of unique playable characters. The core mechanics are so good that as long as they keep adding more and more characters, I'll be coming back over and over again.

Winner) Final Fantasy VII & Final Fantasy VIII Remastered Twin Pack

 Final Fantasy VII is my game of the forever, so of course it was gonna be my favorite game of 2020. I loved coming back to this game again, and being able to play it at my leisure in such a comfortable way. Heck, I remember I came back home slightly buzzed after a party(Pre-Covid, of course) and clocking in some quality materia grinding hours before hitting the sack. Playing this masterpiece only got easier, and I'm so thankful for that.

Archile's End of the Year Awards 2020 Part I

  Seems like... we're doing this again!

 This year's tally is.... a grand total of 165 flippin' games, Jesus Christ, when did I get the time to play so many games?! I played a lot of garbage this year, and since my N64's cables are a bit messed up and the screen gets filled with interference I haven't progressed any further. On another note, I almost deleted the blog(Again!) but decided against it, since I really like writing about how I feel about these games. So, I made it easier on myself, these are no longer 'reviews' but 'game entries', so I can be every bit as vague as I want to. Anyways, onto the list which I haphazardly just finished compiling, because, when I decided the blog was gonna go the way of the Dodo I might've deleted all my notes. No bueno, so this list might contain some errors. Hopefully not too many, if any.

==== Gameboy Advance ====

Action Capcom Classics - Mini Mix 7.5

Action Konami Collector's Series - Arcade Advanced 7.0

Licensed/Action Super Duper Sumos 6.0

Action Gunstar Super Heroes 7.5

Adventure Castlevania - Circle of the Moon 8.0

Licensed/Adventure The Scorpion King - Sword of Osiris 7.5

Licensed/Action Power Rangers - Time Force/Power Rangers - Ninja Storm 3.5

Licensed/Action Power Rangers - S.P.D. 4.5

Licensed/Action Power Rangers - Dino Thunder 3.0

Licensed/Action Power Rangers - Wild Force 4.5

Licensed/Fighting Godzilla - Domination! 5.0

Racing Konami Krazy Racers 8.0

Licensed/Adventure Disney's Magical Quest 2 Starring Mickey & Minnie 8.0

Licensed/Action Daredevil 6.5

Licensed/Action Marvel's The Invincible Iron Man 7.5

RPG Shining Soul II 8.0

Licensed/Action X-Men - The Official Game 3.0

Racing Motocross Maniacs Advance 6.5

Adventure Kirby & the Amazing Mirror 5.0

Licensed/Action Disney's Lilo & Stitch(Gameboy Advance) 5.5

Licensed/Action Fantastic 4 5.0

Licensed/Adventure Kong - The 8th Wonder of the World 4.0

Licensed/Adventure Open Season 4.0

Licensed/Other Carebears Care Quest 1.5

Adventure Prince of Persia - The Sands of Time(Gameboy Advance) 3.5

RPG CIMA - The Enemy 2.0

Licensed/Other Franklin the Turtle(Advance) 1.0

===== Nintendo DS ====

Other Professor Layton and the Curious Village 7.0

Other Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box 7.0

Other Professor Layton and the Unwound Future 8.0

Other Professor Layton and the Last Specter 8.0

Licensed/Action Power Rangers Samurai(Nintendo DS) 5.0

Licensed/RPG Avatar - The Last Airbender(Nintendo DS) 7.0

Licensed/RPG Avatar the Last Airbender - The Burning Earth 5.5

Licensed/Fighting Naruto Shippuden - Ninja Destiny 2 6.5

Licensed/Action All Kamen Rider - Rider Generation 2(DS) 7.5

Adventure Lunar Knights 7.0

Other Elite Beat Agents 8.0

Other Super Scribblenauts 8.0

Licensed/Action Naruto: Ninja Council 3 2.5

==== Nintendo 3DS ====

Other Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask 6.5

Licensed/Action Power Rangers MegaForce 2.0

Adventure Yoshi's New Island 7.0

Adventure Sonic - Lost World(3DS) 3.0

RPG Bravely Default 5.5

==== Gamecube ====

Licensed/Fighting Naruto - Clash of Ninja 4.0

Adventure Dragon's Lair 3D - Return to the Lair 4.0

==== Wii ====

Licensed/Adventure Naruto Shippuden Dragon Blade Chronicles 3.0

==== Switch ====

RPG The Witcher 3 - Wild Hunt Complete Edition 9.5

Adventure Shovel Knight Treasure Trove 9.5

Action Gunvolt Chronicles - Luminous Avenger iX 8.0

Adventure Blasphemous 8.5

RPG Final Fantasy VII & Final Fantasy VIII Remastered - Twin Pack 10

Licensed/Fighting My Hero One's Justice 2(Switch) 7.0

Fighting Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late[CL-R] 9.0

Action Metro Redux(Switch) 8.0

RPG Dragon Quest XI S - Echoes of an Elusive Age Definitive Edition 10

Action Contra Rogue Corps 3.0

Action Blazing Chrome 8.0

Adventure Sonic Mania Plus 7.5

Licensed/Action One Piece - Pirate Warriors 4 8.5

Action Streets of Rage 4 8.0

Licensed/Fighting Jump Force Deluxe Edition 4.5

Adventure Call of Cthulhu(Switch) 4.5

Other Donut County 7.0

Other Sayonara Wild Hearts 8.0

Fighting Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection 7.0

Action Dead Cells - Prisoner's Edition 10

Other Panzer Dragon(Switch) 5.5

Licensed/Fighting Naruto Shippuden Ultimate NInja Storm 4 - Road to Boruto(Switch) 7.0

==== Playstation 1 ====

Licensed/Fighting Marvel Super Heroes 3.0

Licensed/Fighting X-men VS Street Fighter 8.0

Licensed/Fighting Marvel Super Heroes VS Street Fighter 8.0

Action Soul of the Samurai 7.5

Action Rising Zan - The Samurai Gunman 8.0

Adventure Blaster Master - Blasting Again 7.5

Licensed/Fighting Marvel VS Capcom - Clash of Super Heroes 9.0

Adventure Ape Escape 8.0

Racing Ridge Racer 2.0

Fighting WWF WrestleMania - The Arcade Game 3.0

Racing Ridge Racer Revolution 4.0

Fighting WWF In your House 3.0

Licensed/Action Batman Beyond - Return of the Joker 2.0

Racing Rage Racer 3.5

Licensed/Adventure Gold and Glory - The Road to El Dorado 1.5

Racing R4 - Ridge Racer Type 4 8.0

Action Loaded 6.5

Fighting Dead or Alive 8.5

Other Trick'N Snowboarder 7.0

Adventure Dino Crisis 7.0

Action Dino Crisis 2 8.5

Fighting Digimon Rumble Arena 5.0

Adventure Pac-man World 7.5

Other Trap Gunner 6.0

==== Playstation 2 ====

Licensed/Action Biker Mice from Mars 3.0

Other Sega Classics Collection 8.0

Licensed/Action Mobile Suit Gundam - Journey to Jaburo 5.0

Adventure Shadow of Destiny 7.5

Action Rune Viking Warlord 7.5

Racing Ridge Racer V 8.0

Licensed/Adventure Garfield - Lasagna World Tour 4.5

Racing R - Racing Evolution 6.0

Licensed/Adventure Spongebob Squarepants - Battle for Bikini Bottom 8.0

Other Aggressive Inline 6.5

==== Playstation 3 ====

Licensed/Action Star Wars - The Force Unleashed 6.5

Licensed/Action Star Wars - The Force Unleashed II 7.0

Action TimeShift 7.0

Adventure Remember Me 6.0

Action Dark Void 7.0

Fighting Ultra Street Fighter IV 9.0

Racing Ridge Racer 7 8.5

Adventure The Legend of Spyro - Dawn of the Dragon 5.5

Adventure Tomb Raider Underworld 5.5

Fighting WWE All-Stars 7.5

Action Dead Space 9.0

Action Dead Space 2 Limited Edition 9.0

Action Dead Space 3 7.0

Licensed/Action Deadpool 5.5

Action Dante's Inferno 7.5

Licensed/Adventure The Simpsons Game 4.0

==== Playstation 4 ====

Licensed/RPG Dragon Ball Z - Kakarot 8.0

Other Life is Strange 7.5

Action The Yakuza Remastered Collection 10

Licensed/Fighting Saint Seiya - Soldiers' Soul(Playstation 4) 6.0

Licensed/Action Fist of the North Star - Lost Paradise 8.0

Action Assassin's Creed Chronicles 6.0

RPG Final Fantasy VII Remake 8.0

Licensed/Fighting My Hero One's Justice 2(PS4) 7.0

Other A Way Out 8.0

Action DOOM(2016) 8.5

Adventure Assassin's Creed Unity 8.0

RPG Trials of Mana(Playstation 4) 9.5

Adventure Ghost of Tsushima 8.0

Action Killzone Shadow Fall 7.5

Action Judgment 8.5

Licensed/Fighting Marvel VS Capcom Infinite 7.5

Other Onrush 7.0

Adventure Assassin's Creed Syndicate 7.0

Other Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme VS - MaxiBoost ON 10

Other Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5 2.0

Other Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 8.5

Action Resident Evil 3(2020) 8.0

Other Remothered - Tormented Fathers 7.0

Adventure The Sinking City 5.0

Other Until Dawn 7.0

Action The Evil Within(Playstation 4) 9.0

Adventure Bloodstained - Ritual of the Night(Playstation 4) 8.5

Other Remothered - Broken Porcelain 1.5

Fighting Mortal Kombat XL 9.0

RPG Assassin's Creed Origins 8.0

Licensed/Other Black Clover - Quartet Knights 6.0

Licensed/Adventure Marvel's Spider-man - Game of the Year Edition 8.5

Licensed/Action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Mutants in Manhattan(Playstation 4) 7.0

Licensed/Fighting J-Stars Victory Vs+(Playstation 4) 3.5

Adventure Danganronpa Another Episode - Ultra Despair Girls(Playstation 4) 6.0

Licensed/Adventure Batman - Arkham Knight 7.5

Fighting Garou - Mark of the Wolves 9.0

==== PSP ====

Other Crazy Taxi - Fare Wars 6.5

==== Playstation VITA ====

Action Call of Duty Black Ops - Declassified 4.0

Action Freedom Wars 6.0

RPG Ray Gigant 6.5

Fighting Mortal Kombat(Vita) 8.5

Adventure Oddworld Abe's Oddysee - New 'n' Tasty(Vita) 6.0

Racing Ridge Racer(Vita) 5.0

Action Killzone Mercenary 8.0

RPG Ys - Memories of Celceta 7.5

 Best Action Game: Beat'em up of 2020:
 Once again, I played a TON of action games this year, and unlike this year, I saw fit to divide this category into shooting based games and hack-and-slash/Beat'em up kind of action games. This subdivision is certainly my favorite.

5) Streets of Rage 4

 Well, can't say I was much of a fan at first, but the more I played it and learned its intricacies... the more I liked it. The fighting engine is snappy and fun, and it's a great revival of a classic series.

4) One Piece - Pirate Warriors 4

 I said it way back when I first played Pirate Warriors 3, but if there's one license that is a perfect fit for the Warriors games, it's One Piece. This Switch port runs very well and looks quite good, and I spent quite a lot of time playing this one.

3) Judgment

 If there's one studio that has yet to disappoint me it's the Ryu Ga Gotoku Team. Judgment is a brilliant spin-off, it has one of the most interesting stories they've yet told, and the new cast of characters is a loveable bunch. The fact that none of them are as tough as the guys from Yakuza means that watching them work together and struggle is much more exciting.

Runner-up) The Yakuza Remastered Collection

 But what's even better than one Yakuza game? THREE of them. I could tell you about how Yakuza 5 is the biggest Yakuza game, with the most developed combat system. I could tell you why I find Yakuza 4 so damn good to this day. But I'll just keep it at this: ever since I first played Yakuza 4 I've been in love with the series, and these games have yet to disappoint, as they tell these brilliant(and sometimes goofy) crime stories, filled with plot twists ON the plot twists, as well as likeable heroes and dislikeable villains, having mastered the ability to make even the most mundane actions feel exciting and eventful.

Winner) Dead Cells: Prisoner's Edition

 I played this game a few years ago and I instantly fell in love with it. These new additions, now found on-cart, make that fantastic game EVEN better. Few games feel so GOOD just to control as this one, and it's addictive nature makes it easy to play over and over and over again, since, if you play things right, you'll always be making progress towards unlocking something new. A new weapon, a new power, a new costume. And unlocking stuff feels nice, trying out stuff feels great, and since drops are pretty much random, you'll be trying out different things on your numerous playthroughs, which is great as it keeps things fresh. As far as I'm concerned, this is one of the best games of the last generation of videogames.

 Best Action Game: Shooting of 2020:
 Th other half of the Action game category, I'm somewhat surprised by how many shooters or shooting-based action games I played this year. Although, to be fair, I'm including a few Survival Horror titles, since they didn't get a category award of their own.

5) Dino Crisis 2

 You thought Resident Evil 6 was a betrayal? Guess you haven't played Dino Crisis 2! For whatever reason, for this title Capcom decided to shift gears into full shooting action, feeling more like a full-fledged version of RE3's Mercenaries Mode than anything else. And it works. It works REALLY well, killing dinos while aiming for point multipliers so that you can buy new stuff feels really good. Honestly, I wouldn't have minded more games like this one.

4) DOOM(2016)

 I'm not really the biggest fan of DOOM, even though I have played most games in the series, and while I wasn't the biggest DOOM(2016) fan out there either, I won't deny that this game is pure quality. These arena-based no-reloading first person shooters have pretty much disappeared, so getting a new one is always refreshing, particularly if you grew up in the 90s. This game is no exception, with a pretty smooth framerate and shooting arenas that just won't let up, albeit without completely forgetting about the key-collecting that made DOOM famous in the first place makes it one fantastic voyage into simpler times, while under a very modern coat of paint. I dig it.

3) Dead Space 2

 I can't believe it took me THIS long to get into the Dead Space series, but man, what a saga! Dead Space 2 is a big-budget take on the original game, featuring a much more polished gameplay, more variety in its environments as well as a ton of exciting action set-pieces that keep your blood pumpin'. There's something about Resident Evil 4 inspired third-person action games that, when they nail it, they feel SO good to play.

Runner-up) Dead Space

 At first I had trouble deciding how to place both Dead Space games, but what edged out Dead Space 1 for me was its charm. There's a LOT of charm to the game, and what it lacks in variety it more than makes up for in its atmosphere. The fact that the entire game takes place inside a ship makes the set-up a bit more suffocating, as well as being a better tribute to this kind of horror stories. And while the next few games make this one seem a bit rough around its edges, everything works really well, the game could've been scary.... if only you weren't having so much fun.

Winner) The Evil Within(Playstation 4)

 I really don't care about what reviewers and fans had to say at the time, The Evil Within was, and still is, one of my favorite Survival Horror games ever made, and I'm so happy that people are finally noticing how good it really is. It marries the things I love the most from Resident Evil, it's gunplay, alongside what I like the most about Silent Hill, it's psychological horror, to create a game that feels like the next evolution of Resident Evil 4.

 Best Fighting Game of 2020:
 Remember when this one used to be my favorite videogame genre? I do. I can still appreciate these games, which I guess goes to show that my fighting game flame still lives on, because believe it or not, this is still a rather niche genre.

5) Marvel VS Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes

 This game gets a lot of flak for what it isn't: A straight port of the Arcade game, I've even seen a few reviews claiming that Capcom shouldn't even have bothered. And then there's me, able to appreciate this game for what it is: A different take on the Arcade classic. I think that as a one-on-one fighter it still works really well. Sure, the loading times are downright awful, but the game is still chaotic fun, and they kept 'partner' characters as summons, which has gotta count for something. I'm not saying that this game is as good as the original, but I'm saying that it's good on its own merits.

4) Mortal Kombat XL

 Mortal Kombat has changed a lot since its very humble beginnings, and XL is as good as it's ever gotten(At least as far as I've played, just lemme get to 11!). The production values are through the roof, this game reeks of money. The Story Mode is fantastic and looks just like a movie, Netherrealms shows that they are working hard to improve on their character models and animations, even if they aren't quite there yet, and the amount of content here is staggering. I just wish they wouldn't lock content behind online modes.

3) Ultra Street Fighter IV

 This is the culmination of Street Fighter IV, the game that made fighting game popular again. People claim that it revived the genre, but... what are they smoking? Mortal Kombat? Guilty Gear? Tekken? They never went away! But I digress, while this game was made as a last ditch effort to try to make up for all the money they lost with SF X T, it's still Street Fighter IV, and it's as good as always. While I'm not the biggest fan of the newcomers, they still represent more options for players to take.

Runner-up) Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late[CL-R]

 In what can only be considered a parody of Square Enix's bizarre titles, Under Night is one of the best new fighting games available. It features solid mechanics built around momentum, as well as a very original cast of characters, both in looks and gameplay. And, for whatever reason, it plays really well on Switch, I didn't whiff many of my super and special inputs, unlike with Street Fighter on Switch.

Winner) Garou: Mark of the Wolves

 I just got this game today, and I already finished the Story Mode with every character, but no, I don't need more time to simmer with this game, because I'm very familiar with Garou, also known as one of my favorite fighting games of all time. To be fair, by today's standards it's a bit lacking in content, which is fair, but considering WHEN it was made, and how it has aged like fine wine, I think we can let that slide.

 Best Racing Game of 2020:
 For someone that didn't care about the genre, I sure have started playing a lot of racing games in the last few years! But heck, I also broadened my horizons with the survival horror genre. Regardless, and spoilers, this category is pretty much made up entirely of Ridge Racer. What can I say? It's a great series!

5) Konami Krazy Racers

 While I'm pretty sure I could've come up with a better character roster, this games shines because it plays so well. Among Mario Kart clones, of which I've played quite a few, this is easily one of the best, which is the highest praise I can give it.

4) R4: Ridge Racer Type 4

 The first few entries in the Ridge Racer series were very fun to play, except maybe Rage Racer, but there was always this small lingering problem: No content, no multiplayer, no nothing. This game fixes EVERYTHING, featuring a decent amount of racers, a serviceable amount of tracks, multiplayer, analog stick control and, best of all, it keeps the gameplay as FANTASTIC as the previous games were. And if that wasn't enough, it comes with a bonus disc full of goodies, including a 60FPS semi remake of the original Ridge Racer. Pretty nifty!

3) Outrun(Sega Classics Collection

 Well, it's not Outrun 2006, but Outrun is still a classic, and this very basic 3-D remake is really good. It plays as good as the original, as far as I could tell, and the new 3-D graphics are very pretty, making for a very chilled experience.

Runner-up) Ridge Racer V

 I had a rocky start with this one, I just wasn't having much fun... until I tried another type of car, and then I got into the groove of things and everything clicked. It has a good amount of cars and tracks, it looks REALLY nice and the gameplay is as good as ever. Basically, exactly like R4, but prettier.

Winner) Ridge Racer 7

 Ridge Racer 7 did some tweaks to the formula, adding Turbos, and.... it worked SO well. I don't think the Ridge Racer formula was in need of changing or anything, but they did... and it worked out. This game is so entrancing that at its best it reminded me of how I felt when I really got into Outrun 2006. Getting good in this game is rewarding, getting the drifting into turbos right is a reward in and of itself.

 Best RPG of 2020:
 I still wish to call this my favorite genre, but.... I think the action genre has firmly taken its place! Regardless, I played quite a few. Some were surprisingly good, while others were very disappointing... regardless, I'm here to celebrate the best I played this year.

5) Final Fantasy VII Remake

 I was rather optimistic about this game, Square managed to convince me that they were, somehow, gonna knock it out of the park despite bloating the first 5-6 hours of the game into a 30 hour game. There's a lot of things I liked about it, and a few things I HATED about it. The pretentious pseudo-sequel thing they did was so misguided and idiotic, but.... They really fleshed out every main character, sans Red XIII, featured in the game. Even some secondary characters got turned into very likeable characters. The new combat system was really fun, it feels more like a beat'em up than a proper RPG, but boss fights really made the game quite memorable. So, yeah, it wasn't what I wanted, but overall its good parts outweigh the bad ones.

4) Trials of Mana

 Thankfully, for their other 2020 remake, they went for a beat-by-beat remake of another one of my favorite RPGs of all time... and this time, they knocked it out of the park. Everything that was so good about the original, namely the story and the three-character party set up, was kept exactly the same, but they revitalized the combat into something way more fun than the original could've hoped to be. I think this game is so good, that it could very well take the place of the original, as you get the same experience but with better gameplay.    

3) The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Complete Edition

 A bit unstable and a bit blurry, but this game plays really well on Nintendo's hybrid handheld console. Setting aside the fact that this is a brilliant downscaled port, I had never played a Witcher game before, but boy, oh boy was it a treat. I loved how the sidequests could end up on grey and gray morality choices, and even though sometimes there weren't any consequences of importance, the sidequest itself was the treat. I clocked over 140 hours on this cart, and I didn't get bored not even once, which is not something I can say about other games I've sunk over 100 hours in.

Runner-up) Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition

 A brilliant JRPG that keeps it close to its roots, it's very retro and classic in its approach, but the art design and the graphics make everything look gorgeous. I'm usually against mute heroes, but this is one of those games that managed to make it work, somehow. Probably because the entire cast of characters is just so interesting, and the story never lets up.

Winner) Final Fantasy VII & Final Fantasy VIII Remastered Twin Pack

 You mean to say that I can play my favorite game of all time, the game that means the most to me, anywhere, anytime on the palms of my hand? I mean... of course, this is my game of the forever.

Best Adventure: Platforming Game of 2020:
 Well, another category I divided into two, this subcategory of Adventure games focus on the more Platformer games, where jumping around is what matters most.

5) Castlevania: Circle of the Moon

 Ah yes, the one Metroidvania I was missing, and the one I hadn't finished before. Well, it's not as good as the others, buuuuuuut it's still a phenomenal game. It's tough, but fun, and it features an interesting take and sets on classic monsters of the series. If anything, there's absolutely no going wrong with any Castlevania entry on Nintendo's handheld consoles.

4) Disney's Magical Quest 2 Starring Mickey & Minnie

 Another fantastic entry in Capcom/Disney's collaboration, and another entry in the underrated Magical Quest series. It doesn't change much since the last game, but it really didn't need to, its simplicity is part of its charm, but it also features a new set of costumes with new abilities to play with.

3) Blasphemous

 It's not the prettiest game around, but it sure is fun. I wasn't too sure of what I was getting into, while I knew it was inspired by the Soul Series, I didn't know that it would also have Metroidvania-ish elements. It's fun to play, and it's twisted religious imagery gives it a very original look entirely of its own.

 Runner-up) Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night(Playstation 4)

 A lot's been said about Bloodstained, but here is the skinny: It's one of the best Metroidvania's Igarashi has ever produced, it's also the largest one, a bit to its detriment since it can feel a bit bloated near the end. Regardless, anyone into Metroidvania's should give this one a try, and this PS4 version is way more stable than the Switch version.

Winner) Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove

 I'm almost disappointed I didn't get into Shovel Knight earlier. Almost, because otherwise I wouldn't have gotten all four games, plus the bonus fighter, in this one cart. Shovel Knight is sheer platforming perfection, and this version includes all four campaigns, featuring their own mechanics, gimmicks and, sometimes, even their own unique levels. No wonder Shovel Knight is one of the most beloved indie darlings out there.

Best Adventure Game of 2020:
 Now here we have proper adventure games, mostly open-world games, or games that while jumping is a key mechanic, it isn't necessarily the focus of the game.

5) Batman Arkham Knight

 Not Arkham's finest outing, not by a long shot, but there's no denying that Rocksteady knew what they were doing, and they have created Batman's best videogames by far. Your mileage may vary on the quality of the script and on how much potential they wasted, but man, it feels good to be the Bat, and while the new Batmobile sequences are a bit tacked on, I think they are a decent break of pace.

4) Ape Escape

 It's neat seeing how this franchise started, heck, it was great from the get go! It's a bit more rough around the edges, and a bit more challenging than its sequel, but it's almost as much fun. Sony would do well to bring this series back. But I digress, even for a PS1 game they didn't keep things small, with large, interesting environments filled with quirky monkeys ready to be captured.

3) Assassin's Creed Unity

 This game has an awful reputation.... but I didn't come across any major bug like the ones it was oh so harshly criticized for. It quite clearly appeals to AC II nostalgia, and I'm not ashamed to admit that it worked on me, which is probably one of the reasons I enjoyed it as much as I did. That said, they might've gone a bit overboard with the amount of worthless collectibles, this might've been the first AC game I gave up on collecting everything!

Runner-up) Ghost of Tsushima

 Well, firstly... don't be deceived, Ghost of Tsushima is not all that different than your average Assassin's Creed game. Thankfully, it's among the better AC clones, it features a pretty decent combat system that makes fights exciting, as well as cool gadgets and armors. A huge part of what makes the game so good is, believe it or not, something as superficial as its graphics. But hey, traversing the world of Ghost of Tsushima is so pleasant thanks to all the eye candy you come across.

Winner) Marvel's Spider-man: Game of the Year Edition

 While I don't think this game has the best swinging mechanics in Spider-man games, they are still pretty close to the best and it succeeds by tying them with fantastic combat, an engaging plot and a gorgeous recreation of New York. There's a lot of new takes on classic costumes, adding ton of details to make them more realistic, as well as some really good interpretations of classic characters. It was the best open world game I played this year, with solid basic gameplay mechanics, and a decent amount of side content that wasn't filled with worthless junk.... for the most part.

Best Licensed Game of 2020:
 As per usual, same disclaimer as every year... these aren't necessarily the top scoring games, but rather, games that did their licensed justice. I mean, sometimes it's as easy as just being a good game, but other times, mediocre games can get into the ranking because of how well they did justice to their license.

5) The Simpsons Game(Playstation 3)

 Speaking of mediocrity, we've The Simpsons Game. It really wasn't very fun, but, and this is a H U G E  but, the game included a decent script written by the show's very own authors at the time, as well as a ton of exclusive animation made exclusively for the game. If that's not fanservice I don't know what is.

4) Black Clover: Quartet Knights

 Another game that wasn't particularly good, and one that I'm not even a fan of the series it's based off, but one that I felt had a few things going for it. For starters, it has a ton of new exclusive footage. It's very poor quality animation, but hey, it's exclusive to the game. Plus, it's also pretty original, being an arena team-based versus game and not just another arena fighter, and one that seems to work particularly well!

3) Disney's Magical Quest 2 Starring Mickey & Minnie

 As previously stated, another brilliant entry made in the 90s, back when Capcom and Disney worked more closely together. Mickey's games are pretty hit or miss, but this series has been nothing but hits. Hopefully I can get my hands on the third entry in 2021.

Runner-up) Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot

 I've always been a sucker for games that try to recreate its source material in 3-D, which is why Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 1 is so close to my heart. With Kakarot they managed to recreate the entire story of DBZ in this little package. The one big problem with the game is how buggy it is, nothing absolutely game breaking, but many quests couldn't be completed which was a bit annoying. Still, the brunt of the game works fine, which is what really matters, and they created a simple, but fun, combat system to compliment this fantastic recreation of Dragon Ball Z. 

Winner) Marvel's Spider-man: Game of the Year Edition

 While I don't think they quite managed to get Mary Jane right, they did get everyone else right. This is one of the best Spider-man games out there, if not the best, because it's a pretty accurate representation of the character, while having some original elements of its own that don't feel out of place. The fact that it's also a fantastic game is the cherry on top.

Best Other Game of 2020:
 The category where games that are hard to categorize fall into, as well as a few games of genres that didn't have enough entries to feature their own category award.

5) Professor Layton and the Last Specter

 I finally got into Professor Layton, and I would've played the entire series.... if only Covid hadn't happened. I'm still waiting for my Azran Legacy cart, but I'm not sure if it was lost or stolen on its way to my country.... Lamentations aside, this was my favorite Layton game. I wasn't too keen on a prequel, but young Luke grew on me, and Layton's other assistant... was a nice addition to the crew! And if you look beyond the script, we've got the addition of London Life, a fully fledged 'mini' game included into the cart. Not a bad deal!

4) A Way Out

 The bad news: You can't play this game by yourself. The good news: If you get another player, this is one of the most interesting co-operative games I have played. It's a decent crime thriller in which you play as two unlikely allies go break out of jail to take vengeance on this one guy. It's not the most original of stories, but the way both players have to co-operate to get to the end is very entertaining. Situations such as having to chisel out a toilet while the other players works as a scout, so that they don't get caught. It's really good.

3) Sayonara Wild Hearts

 I'm not really into rhythm games, probably because I've no rhythm myself, but Sayonara Wild Hearts really capture my... wild heart. Fantastic soundtrack, and some impossibly cool animations that makes you feel like a badass as you play through a surprisingly captivating narrative.

Runner-up) Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2

 Having played through pretty much every major console release of Tony Hawk games, I know that I much prefer the games that came after 3... which goes to show just how good this game is, that it managed to catch my attention so well. I think the fact that they included most of the moveset expansions from future games really helped make me feel at home, as pulling off combos with so much freedom is one of the reasons I like the series so much. It's a fantastic return to form for the series, and they got pretty much everything right.

Winner) Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme VS. Maxi Boost ON

 Japanese games and their weird titles, can't live with them, can't live without them. THIS is the game I've been waiting for throughout so many years. THIS is the Gundam VS game Namco should've released on PS4 from the get go. Every bit as fun as I remembered, but now with even MORE suits, the combinations are endless. Maybe my love for this franchise has diminished a bit. Or maybe I have so many games in my back log I need to get to that I can't spent so much time on this ONE game, whichever the case, I still had a blast playing this one, and I wish I could've spent more time on it

Most Surprising Game of 2020:
 Well, here come the games that surprised me the most, in a good way, this year.

5) The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Complete Edition

 Well... there's a reason The Witcher 3 has such a good rep, which is why my surprise wasn't a s big. But I wasn't expecting I was gonna get so sucked in in its world, or that I'd be looking for any moment I cold squeeze in some time with this game.

4) Blaster Master: Blasting Again

 I first purchased this game a few years ago, I think. I popped in the disc, played about 10 minutes and decided it was hot garbage. And I knew that I'd have to play it one day. I sighed. Come this year, and I decided that it's time to get this disc out of my backlog.... Turns out it was a flippin' decent adventure game. Once I gave myself time to get used to how it looked and played I found a very fun game.

3) Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove

 Once again, I knew the game had a good reputation, but I didn't really care about it. I think I just wanted its amiibos, because they looked good, and decided to get the game because it'd make no sense to own the amiibos for a game I didn't own. And... well.... turns out these games were fantastic, and even though I thought they weren't my jam.... they were EXACTLY my jam.

Runner-up) Shadow of Destiny

 I've known about this game since like forever, since at the time in which it was still a new release I still purchased gaming magazine and came across many ads for the game. I've always been mildly interested in it, but lo and behold, this was the kind of game I loved. Y'know, quirky characters, behaving in odd ways, but played completely straight. The early PS2 looks just seals the deal for me.

Winner) Spongebob Squarepants: Battle for Bikini Bottom

 I wasn't ready. I wasn't ready for a top-notch platformer hiding behind an IP I really don't care about. But here we are, a fantastic game that I would've normally avoided because it featured Spongebob. Luckily, I was convinced that Spongebob had some decent PS2 games, so I might've purchased... a few of them.

Most Disappointing Game of 2020:
 Well, here come the games that surprised me the most, in a bad way, this year. In this case, all these games were heartbreakers....

5) Kirby & The Amazing Mirror

 Kirby is one of my favorite games on the Gameboy Advance, looks great, plays great, tons of extras. That, this sequel being a Metroidvania and the fact that this game is rather expensive made me think I was gonna get a winner.... but nothing works very well in this game. It's also lacking any meaningful extras. I don't know, I'll stick to Nightmare in Dreamland.

4) Bravely Default

 Oh boy... I really wanted to like this one. Everyone was calling it a return to form for Square....  but it was boring and grindy and repetitive. I really wanted to like it, I really, really did....

3) CIMA: The Enemy

 Ough....  Look at the cover. Heck, look at any in-game screenshot. Heck, even some videos might fool you into thinking that this is a bonafide RPG. The fact that it expensive only adds to it. But it's a boring lemmings-like game, with puzzles in which it seems like there's no way to solve them without taking damage. The plot is cringy, the characters are dumb and there's absolutely no redeeming quality to the game. Maybe its cover.

Runner-up) Sonic: The Lost World(3DS)

 I've always been a Mario Kid, so it's rare for a Sonic game to catch my eye. But this one did. And I played the demo, and it was SO good. And then I got the game and I hated it. It plays like hot garbage, and I thought there was no way I could be disappointed any further....

Loser) Remothered: Broken Porcelain

 Remothered: Tormented Fathers sorta took me by surprise. It was clearly made on a budget, but... but it was so good in so many ways. I was left with such a good impression from that game, that I got the sequel as soon as I could, and instead of waiting until October of the next year, I played it right then and there. And it was SO bad, filled with bugs, both big and small. And, y'know what, I endured. I endured through all of them... until I got to a part that CAN'T BE FINISHED. So I did what I hate to do and downloaded the patch and... IT'S STILL BROKEN. THE GAME CAN'T BE BEATEN. Jesus Christ, how could they screw this up so badly?