What Were the Top 10 Games You Played This Year?

[GirlGamer55]

Hm...I don't think I can come up with ten but let me rack my brain.

In no order:

Tomb Raider (the reboot)
Walking Dead Season Two (so far)
Don't Starve

That's it for this year as in came out this year. I have two more games that I played this year but they didn't come out this year, i'm only including them because they are games that changed my mind about the 3DS/DS and that it's not a god awful pile of shit...just most of the games for them are piles of shit (kids games, family games, shovelware).

Paper Mario Sticker Star (surprisingly good for 3DS game and RPG game)
Trauma Center Under the Knife (shockingly good and addictive for a DS game)

[Sload Soap]

Hm...I don't think I can come up with ten but let me rack my brain.

In no order:

Tomb Raider (the reboot)
Walking Dead Season Two (so far)
Don't Starve

That's it for this year as in came out this year. I have two more games that I played this year but they didn't come out this year, i'm only including them because they are games that changed my mind about the 3DS/DS and that it's not a god awful pile of shit...just most of the games for them are piles of shit (kids games, family games, shovelware).

Paper Mario Sticker Star (surprisingly good for 3DS game and RPG game)
Trauma Center Under the Knife (shockingly good and addictive for a DS game)

I think this thread is for games that you played first time through this year, regardless of the year they were released. As BurningDoom pointed out, this is a retro community so it's quite likely most members GOTY aren't actually 2013 releases.

And if you really hate your DS/3DS so much you can send it my way.

[GirlGamer55]

Hm...I don't think I can come up with ten but let me rack my brain.

In no order:

Tomb Raider (the reboot)
Walking Dead Season Two (so far)
Don't Starve

That's it for this year as in came out this year. I have two more games that I played this year but they didn't come out this year, i'm only including them because they are games that changed my mind about the 3DS/DS and that it's not a god awful pile of shit...just most of the games for them are piles of shit (kids games, family games, shovelware).

Paper Mario Sticker Star (surprisingly good for 3DS game and RPG game)
Trauma Center Under the Knife (shockingly good and addictive for a DS game)

I think this thread is for games that you played first time through this year, regardless of the year they were released. As BurningDoom pointed out, this is a retro community so it's quite likely most members GOTY aren't actually 2013 releases.

And if you really hate your DS/3DS so much you can send it my way.

Ahaha...well I might be tempted to send you the DS...but i'm OCD about my collection so I'd hold onto it if only to make sure my collection was complete. As for the 3DS, I didn't spend 125 bucks on it to give it away lol.

I don't hate them but they are vastly different from my favorite handhelds...the Gameboys. In not all in good ways...i'm still learning to like the DS/3DS...

[dunpeal2064]

A bit late to this, but oh well. Not in any particular order.

Ys Books I & II (TGCD) - This one is a strong contender for my favorite game played this year. Bumping took some getting used to at first, but now I find myself wanting more! Graphics, music, and pacing were all spot-on.

The Last Story (Wii) - Another strong contender for my favorite game this year. The story, graphics, and music were all nice, but the combat system is what really sold me.

Diablo III (360) - Gf co-op game of the year. We played this for hours a day when we got it, and we are still plugging away at it.

DJ Max Technika Tune (Vita) - This is my new crack, and probably now my favorite music rhythm game ever. The touch controls are perfect, the music selection is great, the difficulty curve is perfect, everything I want from a music rhythm game is here.

Tomb Raider (360) - I know it was basically a movie, but it was a good movie.

Final Fantasy XIII (360) - Yeah, I like this game. The combat system was great (once it got out of tutorial mode), and actually provided some challenging fights, a rarity amongst FF games. The characters here, while in mixed quality, all had a purpose, a reason to be on the journey, and they all helped each other grow, another rarity for a FF game. Its linearity is its only flaw imo, and is something I can easily look past.

Rogue Legacy (Steam) - This one took me by surprise. Its a short little romp, but it really does have that "just one more try" feel going for it. This game also got me interested in challenging, perma-death games that aren't arcade games.

The Stanley Parable (Steam) - I haven't had the chance to play all the way through this one, but it belongs here just because it baffled me on many occasions. Had no clue what to expect going in to the demo (which, in itself was one hell of an experience), and the game kept throwing curve balls. I hope to get enough time to fully explore this game soon.

Contra/Castlevania (NES) - I had never once played either of these games until this year. I have been missing out big time. While I did enjoy some of the other NES games I tackled this year, these Konami classics really stood out. Contra was good fun, and very well designed, although a bit easy once you know what you are doing. Castlevania was excellent, the better of the two imo, and a game I am sure I'll return to. Great music, great atmosphere, and a very nice challenge.


And an honorary mention to Dodonpachi Sai Dai Ou Jou, which I was able to play for all of two runs on an arcade cabinet when the PCB was first released. It certainly would have made this list, if I would have purchased the port this year.

[J T]

Here's a half of a top 10 list. If I remember, I will put up the other half later, hopefully with more retro titles:

Rayman Jungle Run (Android)- I didn’t think a platformer could be any fun on a touchscreen device because I hate most cellphone attempts at D-Pads, but then Ubisoft went and removed the d-pad entirely and made one of the best platformers I have ever played. I actually enjoyed this one enough to collect every single “lum” I could find and to finish every available level. Actually, I here there is some bonus for doing a 1CC perfect run of the entire game, but who has time for that?

Super Hexagon- With copies of this on both PC and Android, I almost stopped playing all other video games entirely this year and only played Super Hexagon. I just love the headspace this game gets me in. I’m equal parts relaxed and invigorated when I play, and I’m always chasing my own tail to beat my last high score. This is videogaming distilled to its purest form.

Pinball FX2- I picked this up from a Humble Bundle deal and fell in love. There are a bunch of excellent video pinball tables in this series. This series checks all the right boxes to be a pinball hero.

Shelter- this is a wonderful and simple game about the perils of nature for a badger mom and her babies. It is such a unique concept and it has an earnestness to the general feel of it. Couple that with the unique art style with symbols of objects drawn on the 3D representations of those objects and we have a quiet art house winner that will largely go unnoticed as it rustles through the bushes.

Rogue Legacy- I’m loving what people are doing with roguelikes these days, and that’s mainly how unroguelike they are. Rogue Legacy let me run, jump, slash, and die only to do it all over again and again in a slightly modified castle. It felt pretty far removed from the traditional overhead dungeon crawl of a tradtitional roguelike, and I had all the more fun with it for that reason.

[Frag Mortuus]

In no particular order:

1. LoZ A Link Between Worlds
2. New Super Mario U
3. Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
4. Super Mario 3D World
5. Guacamelee!
6. New For Speed Rivals
7. Bioshock Infinite
8. Demon Souls
9. Resident Evil 4 HD
10. Kill Zone Shadow Fall

[alienjesus]

Honourable mentions: Pokemon White 2, Super Princess Peach, Deathsmiles, Shock Troopers


10. Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles - Castlevania is a classic game series I've never had much experience with - before now I've only played one game in the series, which was Order of Ecclesia on DS. This is my first classic style 'vania and it didn't let me down. The action was challenging but not unfair, the levels were very well designed, and there was a lot of stuff to find and do to keep me entertained. The soundtrack was pretty damn great too.

9. Patapon - This game was just incredibly addictive. Combining two of my favourite genres in gaming - rhythm and strategy - and surrounding it with a layer of style and polish that I adored, it was a game that kept me coming back for just one more level. One of my favourites for PSP for sure.

8. Pokémon Y - If this had come out a few years ago or a few years from now, it would rate higher on my list I'm sure, but I'm just a little bit pokémon'd out right now - White and White 2 weren't that long ago. That's not to detract from this game though - it's absolutely the best pokemon game available, just like almost every new pokemon entry before it. The series just adds more and more polish as it develops, and this one is no exception.

7. Metal Gear Solid - This one is one of the few 'surprise' entries on my list this year - I played it because it's a well regarded 'classic' but like Tomb Raider and Resident Evil 4 before it, I was sure it wouldn't be my kind of thing. This time though, I was wrong. I loved the arcadey action, I loved sneaking up on guards, and I loved the hilarious stupid storyline and cutscenes. Looking forward to trying others in the series, even if they're a bit less streamlined than this one.

6. F-Zero X - I've been on a little bit of an F-Zero kick in the last few years. A few years back I beat F-Zero GX on gamecube, in 2012 I beat both Maximum Velocity and GP Legend on GBA and at the start of the year, I massively enjoyed the original F-Zero on Wii U Virtual Console. That one didn't quite match up to this one for me though - 30 racers on the course, crazy twists and turns, ludicrous speed and all pulled off impressively smoothly for an N64 game. It's not as good as GX, my favourite in the series, but I feel it stands out on it's own - where as GX is about precision movements, X allows you to go a little more crazy and be more aggressive - killing opponents is almost compulsory on harder difficulties, and it's a lot of fun.

5. To The Moon - Probably one of the more surprising entries on my list, I wasn't expecting much from this. Whilst I've enjoyed a few indie games over the years, they always lack a certain polish or seem a little unfinished or rough and they never quite live up to the hype for me. To the moon, whilst certainly not perfect, is a game that really did, because it's story was intriguing, it's characters lovable and it's concept interesting. The 'gameplay' here is incredibly basic, but what it manages to do with it's story in it's 3-5 hours of time is wonderful.

4. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies - Perhaps I'm over-rating this one, maybe it's just a case of it coming along at just the right time for to sit down and play through it all, but I loved every moment of this one. There's nothing much new here, not all of the cases are the greatest of the series, and most of them are pretty predictable (although I was caught out a few more times than usual I must say!) but the game kept it's momentum nicely, the characters are as likeable as ever and the writing, whilst obviously not very well proof-read, was still pretty funny.

2-. Pikmin 3: I'm kind of cheating here, because I can't decide between this and Fire Emblem Awakening for the number 2 slot, so they can share it. Pikmin 2 offers a lot of new gameplay mechanics that allow you to micromanage your armies activities to a much higher degree, and despite some more linear progression, still offers plenty of chances to make use of it. The games dialogue, whilst minimal, is quite funny, and the games length whilst not unbelievably long is pretty decent. The game also offers something different to the first 2, whilst not messing with the formula too much. Whilst the first is about precision use of the right pikmin to fight and solve puzzles directly, and the second was more combat focused, the third becomes more of a strategy game, with less direct combat control, requiring a tiny bit more though about who should be heading where and what pikmin they're going to need.

2-. Fire Emblem: Awakening: Fire Emblem Awakening is an amazing game, but I feel the need to lay out my one major complaint right away - the story is genuinely pretty crap. First one guy attacks, and you kill him, then another does and you kill him, then another. The end. However, the support conversations are charmingly written, and however basic the story, you end up liking certain characters and doing your best to get them through. The new support mechanics are a massive improvement on the old system, and whilst a little unwieldy to get the hang of, the new reclassing system offers lots of extra replayability too. It's a bit easy on Normal, but the fact that it offers ways to play for everybody pretty successfully is something incredible.


1. Earthbound - As I was making this list, I never at any point felt there was one game I knew would be my number 1 game this year. So instead I made a shortlist, and weighted each against each other: Did I enjoy Pokemon Y more than Castlevania? How about Patapon? Was MGS better than Fire Emblem? However, I quickly realised that whenever I compared a game to Earthbound and asked 'but did I enjoy it more than Earthbound?' the answer was generally always no. I'm not totally sure what it is about the game - the difficulty is pretty inconsistent, particularly early in the game, the dialogue is basic, the battle system isn't amazing, some of it's mechanics are actually archaic and it doesn't do a whole lot gameplay wise that wasnt done before. But the game just oozes so much charm from every pore that it all just kind of worked. Earthbound was a joy pretty much from start to finish, and I'm glad I finally got a chance to experience it.

[pierrot]

Final Fantasy XIII (360) - Yeah, I like this game. The combat system was great (once it got out of tutorial mode), and actually provided some challenging fights, a rarity amongst FF games. The characters here, while in mixed quality, all had a purpose, a reason to be on the journey, and they all helped each other grow, another rarity for a FF game. Its linearity is its only flaw imo, and is something I can easily look past.

I don't really feel it's even a "flaw." It's just different from how the FF series, and a lot of other RPGs marketed themselves on the original Playstation. FFX caught a lot of flack for being "linear" around the time of its release, and now it's nearly as popular as VII. I agree with you. I really like the game, and I feel like a lot of people don't even make it to the point where it opens up and—at least in my opinion—blows most games in the FF series out of the water, from a purely game play perspective.

----------------


10 - Power Stone (Dreamcast)

For some reason I really hated this game when it was first released, and I really held on to that feeling until I picked it up again this year. Wow, did my opinion of the game take an about-face. These days it feels a bit like an answer to Super Smash Brothers by Capcom, and I can't think of a better company to attempt one-upping SSB. Some might argue that PS 2 is a more accurate analog, but while I've not played a great deal of the sequel, I feel like the original is the tighter game. Rounds constantly feel like a chess match, and there's a lot of depth and strategy to the game; a lot more than in SSB, I feel, anyway. Power Stone would certainly be my go to for party fighters, now.


9 - McDonald's Treasure Land Adventure (Genesis)

It's short, and fairly simple, but as a licensed platformer, it's remarkably well done. I had a lot of fun playing through it, and drinking up the eye candy, even if it didn't really present much of any challenge until the final level. I hear criticism about the boss battles being confusing: find the Hamburglar in the 5th area of stage 1.


8 - Ao no 6gou - Saigetsu Fumachibito ~Time & Tide~ (Dreamcast)

It helped that I was a fan of the Blue Sub 6 OVA, but the game is one part "digital novel," one part submarine sim, and one part undersea, cockpit style action/adventure. The missions aren't all that varied, and some of them, where you have to take out groups of sharks, are downright frustrating in the early part of the game without upgrades for the salvage sub; but the story progression kept me interested, and it was generally a fun game, all around.


7 - The Story of Thor ~Hikari o Tsugu Mono~ (Mega Drive)

Otherwise know as Beyond Oasis, I really had a good time of it with action RPGs on the Genesis this year. Story of Thor came in around the bottom of the pack in that genre, but I think it's more a testament to the other two games, than anything against SoT. The gameplay is great, the puzzles can actually be fairly challenging, and as I understand it, there's a crazy amount of hidden items I haven't even touched in the game after beating it. I really like the familiar based game play, and with a final completion time at the end, as well, I should be back to this game at some point.


6 - Shin Souseiki Ragnacenty (Mega Drive)

—Or: Crusader of Centy. I'm sure it won't be a popular opinion, but I enjoyed this game more than any of the 2D Zeldas (or 3D, for that matter) even with the weird glitch I was having with the game on my JP Mega Drive where it would freeze after 30 minutes or so, in RGB, and even lost my save once or twice. I really like the combinations of different animals for variation in abilities, and while the swordplay may be slightly cumbersome at times, the overall presentation, progression, story and game play I found to be excellent.

5 - Light Crusader (Mega Drive)

What a dungeon crawler. This one is a real gem. The music is outrageously good, for one thing, and some of the puzzles are really something. Maybe not all that intuitive at times, but fairly well conceived, and generally challenging without being ridiculous. I also think it's one of the better isometric games in terms of perspective. Some jumps were a little awkward at times, but I generally felt fairly comfortable about where I was in relation to platforms/enemies/hazards/etc.


4 - Ristar (Genesis)

Ristar is really an incredible platformer. Ristar himself is often a little bit slower than I would prefer at times, but the level design, and mechanics more than make up for it. I'm not sure a more charming platformer exists, honestly, The music and graphics were superlative, as well.


3 - Little Nemo: The Dream Master (NES)

If any game were to contend with the charm of Ristar, it would probably be Little Nemo. That charm seriously belies its difficulty, though. If this game were released today, I think a lot of people would question why this game appears to be targeted toward kids. The game is really a testament to Capcom's workmanship, in all facets, though. The enemy placement/AI was made just frustrating enough to keep me working at it until I succeeded, and I think that's the real benchmark for success of this type of platformer. Victory felt obtainable, but it was not easy. It also helps to have a really good soundtrack backing up the game. I didn't find the soundtrack to be especially fitting of all the stages the tracks were placed in, but on their own, they're really special.


2 - Rockman Mega World (Mega Drive)

Technically three or four games; playing through these remakes of the classic Mega Man trilogy was some of the most fun I had this year. I came into the games relatively cold; only having played brief stages of the NES versions before, and not really caring that much about them. I found these remakes to be much more playable versions of the NES games. At an average of 4 hours per game it took me somewhere around 14 hours to make it through the bonus Wily Tower, and it was damn near the pinnacle of my game playing this year, if not for—


1 - Elemental Gimmick Gear (Dreamcast)

Oh my. Zelda clone though it may be, I would take this one over anything Zelda past, present, or future. There's a very real sense of exploration, and expedition to this game, that I feel rarely comes across in other games. I really felt like I was opening up a new world as I progressed through the game, gaining more abilities, and better durability in order to open up new areas of the dome, or find a way to make it into space. If there's one area where the game lags behind, it's probably in the 3D, 1v1, arena boss battles. Not to say that they're bad, but I think they're more unnecessary, and not as fully realized as the other areas of the game play. This is another game that's a treat visually and aurally.


Honerables: Chu Chu Rocket (DC), Rayman 2 (DC), Sin and Punishment: Star Successor (Wii), Dragon Quest (SFC), Little Inferno (PC), Rockman 8 (Saturn), Biohazard (Saturn).

[BoneSnapDeez]

6 - Shin Souseiki Ragnacenty (Mega Drive)

—Or: Crusader of Centy. I'm sure it won't be a popular opinion, but I enjoyed this game more than any of the 2D Zeldas (or 3D, for that matter) even with the weird glitch I was having with the game on my JP Mega Drive where it would freeze after 30 minutes or so, in RGB, and even lost my save once or twice.

Interesting - I've had freezing issues with my (North American) copy too. I wonder if it's a common bug...

[o.pwuaioc]

How much text is in Hikari o Tsugu Mono and Shin Souseiki Ragnacenty? The high prices for English versions have so far kept me away. Is knowing Japanese for these essential?