The GNamer Forum Awards 2019

Drunkalilly - 1 vote



The_Jaster - 1 vote

"It's been a good year for the big man.



Masofdas - 1 vote

"The rest of you didn't post in my music thing. Also, he does the release threads and that. Nice boy. No diddling for him this year."



The Cappuccino Kid - 1 vote



Kriken - 1 vote

"They've got an unfair advantage over everyone else in that they contribute something nobody else can: new blood. Nonetheless it's worth noting that they've taken part in most of the big discussion threads, and done some good longposts too. A splendid new forumite to have. "

-----

I say: A wide spread of love here! It's great to see a fair few folks here picking up some appreciation for their contributions this year. Lovely stuff.

Balladeer - 5 votes

You say: "Can’t imagine this place without him; keep the good posts coming."

"The rest of you didn't post in my music thing. Also, he tends to have something to add to almost every thread so coming on here feels less like shouting into the void."

"Has some good ideas and posts a lot."

"Always wants to be part of the conversation and is often the one to keep a number of threads alive and interesting."

I say: This place genuinely wouldn't survive without Balladeer. Forget all his admin duties like nudging me for forum projects, keeping our taglines cycling through and running forum events - he does things you don't even really notice that are so vital to the forum. He'll bump a thread with an interesting observation which will spawn a good chunk of discussion, or get us talking about a new game or something. And it's not drivel he's typing either - it's properly good stuff that I enjoy reading.

JayMoyles - 6 votes



You say: "Every forum needs an edgelord and ours just happens to be a mighty fine poster too."

"It's been a good year for the big man."

"For all the hard work running the forum, all the extra bits like Admintendo and the podcast and for always bringing in some top quality posts."

"Started the quiz and fantasy critic which I was a big fan of."

"I know the man's been busy with his house and therefore hasn't been around quite as much as of late. He's still found time to be one of the most prolific posters on here, entering into every thread and project with gusto, running a fair few himself (quizzes, leagues, HoF, this vote), and being darned funny to boot. Normally I wouldn't vote for last year's winner, but... it's Jay. He's been immense."

I say: You guys.  

I've had a really really shit start to this year - without going into too much detail, I've had one of the worst months of my life and this place is somewhere I know I can return to and lose a couple of hours typing nonsense about videogames. I enjoy putting together wee projects and love seeing you guys engage with them and enjoy them too. My current crippling lack of self-worth makes me feel like I don't even deserve this, which is daft as it's only a forum award at the end of the day, but I really do appreciate it.  

"Game Pass gets a massive honourable, the value and the quality of games on it is excellent including stuff I might not have played but has made me think about some of my gaming buys as let's take the upcoming Journey to the Savage Planet that looks like a Game Pass game and I likely won't buy it as I'll wait till it comes to Game Pass."

"Andyman's new iPad"

"GJones - Not around enough to make my contributor votes, but he brought Super Play to the masses this year and his his longposts are up there with the best. Even Switchless, GJones hitting the forum is cause for joy."

"My Time at Portia served me well during the quiet first half of the Switch's year, if it were more polished and less laggy it might have made my top 5 this year."

"Celeste, Horizon Chase Turbo, Katamari Damacy REROLL - Three absolutely excellent games from 2018 that I completed in 2019."

"As there are only two votes, I couldn't award Contribution kudos to Balla and Cappa, but they probably deserve them as well Smile - likewise the Crumpster has also been a funny man and deserves another reward.

"The Switch's September - I'm still reeling from the impact. One month turned a mediocre year into a really good one for the machine."

"Link's Awakening for reminding me how great traditional Zelda games can still be, never played the original but it's very very good."

"Other games that were great this decade:

• Dark Souls III was good but too similar to the others
  
• The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds was good but too similar to a Link to the Past
  
• Starbound is an absolutely staggering game, especially in multiplayer
  
• Horizon Zero Dawn actually told a compelling story through the medium of Videogames. That title is a shitshow though.
  

"

"Focus Home who published A Plague Tale, Greedfall which looks good along with a few other games of decent quality which is nice to see these smaller publishers doing well."

"Honk."

"SEGA Mega Drive Mini - The best retro mini console ever made, doing a fantastic job of honouring the Mega Drive’s legacy."

"New Super Lucky's Tale was a really pleasant game to play through, it's not a long game but what's there is full of charm and clever moments."

"Tangle Tower - Phoenix Wright meets Layton by way of snarky voice acting. It even has a bullshit twist at the end. Up until that point, it's an excellently voiced mystery with very amusing writing, effective setting, and decent puzzles. Just missed out on my votes for the year, but it's still great and highly recommended."

"Untitled Goose Memes - The game is only half the story. There's a lot of excellent fanart out there that has really made my autumn."

"Shovel Knight, which I bumped off my top 10 games of the decade list. Very solid game."

"Pokemon Sword - It could - and should - have been better. But, it kept me entertained, and it’s a solid foundation for the future all the same."

"masofdas - We're into another year where quantity is at a premium. Masofdas delivered the unenviable task of taking over the GNamer quiz from Jay, took part in most of the big threads (including but not limited to music, voting, and Secret Santa), and of course we know he does his normal grand job of keeping the releases threads running; and still found time to have a phenomenal postcount. If only half of those weren't slagging off BotW...   "

"OrangeRakoon - Still impressed with him juggling two fora."

"The avatar award has gone, but there's something comforting about seeing the Uncle Cannon and Papa Smurf."

"The adaptive controller from Xbox, more people can play games which is always a good thing."

"Focus Home.. but then they were jerks about rights to older games."

"Activision Blizzard - Kowtowing to the worst parts of East and West alike in snivelling pathetic fashion. Crawl back under your rock Kotick, you putrid worm."

"FIFA Volta Football - ...nah. It’s okay, but it’s too complicated to be anything like the FIFA Street quasi-sequel that I think everybody was hoping for."

"2019 was a fucking shit year."

"That disgusting thread about getting rid of Pokémon."

"Mario Kart Tour - Easily one of the dodgiest things Nintendo have put out money-wise. The fact that it's probably a decent underlying game only compounds this."

"Balla refusing to honour my swearing in my taglines."

"Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes - Approach only with a binbag: a downright manky game. "

"The games on eShop that are constantly "on sale" for 89p. The majority look like absolute trash but end up clogging up the storefront and I'm sick of seeing their stupid faces."

"The Switch in the first half of 2019 - It's easy to forget after September that major releases before September were a bit thin on the ground. Not what the Best Machine Ever needed after a mixed 2018."

"We had no forum meet this year which was a shame."

"Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz HD - Just a missed opportunity, was all. Probably time to call it a night with the series, sadly."

"The Debatably United Kingdom - I don't want to live in this country any more."

"Go on holiday."

"Paint something on par with Jimbob's avatar."

"I started to work on a book properly in 2019. I'd like to finish a beta version and have it torn apart in 2020. I can take it, honest..."

"I should really (I say this every year) get to making a game. The trouble is it'll have to be in my spare time, without distractions - I was only able to do anything last year due to some quiet time at Christmas (and the drive to make a novelty Christmas present for my sister). However, any suggestions and inspirations welcome!"

"I’m gonna get swole like Machamp and I’m gonna study Japanese every day".

"I'm also gonna finally convince Jay to give me my name change request." (Jay: I won't let you hurt yourself in this way, "anonymous" voter)

"Make more creative #content."

"Take part in every forum project while not monopolising the postcount like what I currently do."

(games in italics received multiple votes, games in bold were someone's first place, games in both bold and italics received multiple votes and were also someone's first place vote)

Mass Effect 3 - 1 point

Grow Home - 1 point

"Grow Home is indie gaming grown up, a physics platformer of simple, joyful escapism that reaches new heights."

Kirby's Epic Yarn - 1 point

"This is one of the most captivating and charming games I’ve played in my life. I admire so much of what Good Feel did with this – it’s boundless enthusiasm, superlative animation and gorgeous soundtrack are all as good as it’s dazzling and peerless visuals (except on 3DS, where it looks rougher than a junkie’s carpet). On Wii though, *Italian chef kiss*"

Kid Icarus Uprising - 1 point

"Flawless diamonds generally sell for less, under the assumption that they're man-made.  KIU was a flawed diamond, its grounded control scheme a great crevasse running through the middle.  For those who could look past that, its tremendous aerial segments, deep and nuanced weaponry system, substantial variety in gameplay, and remarkably entertaining translation and characterisation shone out like the light of a goddess reflecting off a diamond's flaw."

Alien Isolation - 1 point

Overwatch - 2 points

ARMS - 2 points

"I properly got into this fighting game and I was almost good at it?"

Batman Arkham City - 2 points

"I'm Batman."

Tokyo Jungle - 2 points

"You have never played a game like Tokyo Jungle, and you likely never will - which is fine, because it's already perfect."

Yakuza 4 - 2 points

Yakuza Kiwami - 3 points

Super Meat Boy - 3 points

"Platforming gold standard. Intuitive, tight and addictive."

Hotline Miami - 3 points

"Every part of Hotline Miami gets in your head, coming together in a frighteningly addictive tight loop of murder performance."

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds - 3 points

"The best 2D Zelda, its not insubstantial flaws papered over by the genius of its central conceit.  With a click of the 3D depth slider and the ability to shuffle Link inside and around walls, 2D Zelda became 3D and much better for it.  The way it riffs on its prequel is the icing on the multi-layered cake."

Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice - 3 points

"After two somewhat disappointing titles, had the Ace Attorney team lost their touch?  Not a bit of it.  Those two titles had merely been building up to this: a story on a grander, national scale, with laugh-out-loud translation, old characters redeemed, and new characters sold well.  A duff fourth case away from being the best game in its series, and probably on the 3DS."

Life is Strange - 3 points

Catherine - 3 points

Monster Hunter Tri - 4 points

Pokémon Sword - 4 points

"Maybe its just recency bias, but I feel like not only was this a fun one to play through, the quality of life changes make me glad this will be the main one I’m playing if and when I work on putting together a competitive team and/ or filling up a dex in Pokemon Home."

Dark Souls II - 4 points

"A lot of people were down on this sequel; however (possibly because I played it first) I still thought it was great - although I appreciate that, if you didn't, it was perhaps over-familiar. But I'd say that, like the first game, there are so many environments that wouldn't exist in any other game."

Untitled Goose Game - 4 points

"What an odd game to sit amongst such lofty company!  However, it made me smile as much as any game in this list.  Not all of the best games have to be 100h epics: sometimes they evolve out of the silliest of ideas, the recognition that other people find them silly too, and the realisation that this silly idea could actually become something.  So we ended up with one of the most appealing and memeable characters in gaming of the decade, in maybe the most charming game."

Mount and Blade: Warband - 4 points

"Mount and Blade: Warband is the perfect sandbox, a truly free-form roleplaying game that you will completely lose yourself in - along with hundreds of hours of your life."

Red Dead Redemption - 4 points

"Built on the GTA formula and slapped a load of rooting tooting antics in to it to great effect. The story and characters are great as you'd expect from a Rockstar game and the setting is as authentic as I'd imagine it can be. The sequel was great too but the pacing is much better in this."

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 -  4 points

Journey - 4 points

Yakuza Kiwami 2 - 4 points

Yakuza 5 - 5 points

Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor - 5 points

"The nemesis system, great idea brilliantly executed, and little has touched its potential since!"

Splatoon 2 - 5 points

"I really fucking loved Splat1, but the sequel improved on it in pretty much every way. This game just drips with style, and I love it. I love the characters, music, visuals, the whole shebang. I enjoyed the campaign, I really enjoyed the expansion, and I never tire of hopping on for some multiplayer."

Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes - 5 points

"In its depth and breadth of mechanics, Metal Gear Solid V is the best playing third person action game of all time - but Ground Zeroes provides the perfect playground."

Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate - 5 points

Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia - 6 points

God of War - 6 points

"Norse pantheon meets Kratos, a boy, and a lovely story with white hot combat."

Uncharted 4 - 6 points

Minecraft - 6 points

"Yeah yeah yeah I know kids game etc.; but it's the first game to really deliver on a promise on being able to craft the world (Huh?! Huh?!) in your image. Initially I played it on my own, and enjoyed it plenty. But it also became the perfect game to play at 50% concentration while talking to friends online - and contributing to a constructive end rather than a destructive one. It's also one of the first games to be continually updated with new content, and an example of procedural generation done right."

Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate - 6 points

"Monster Hunter is really bloody good, innit? Give these points to World or 4 or 3 if that is in with better odds for winning..."

Pokémon Sun and Moon - 6 points

"By no means reinvented the wheel but put enough nice new details on it to set this generation apart from previous ones. The story was the most enjoyable we've had in the series and Alola is definitely the most interesting region, the addition of Alolan forms was more than welcome too."

Rainbow Six Siege - 6 points

Yakuza 3 - 6 points

Yakuza 0 - 7 points

Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest - 7 points

Crusader Kings II - 8 points

"Feudal Lord simulator with unbelievable mod support (GoT,TES,LotR). You'll laugh, cry, conquer and lose it all whilst staring at a map for the rest of your life."

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective - 8 points

"This was this decade, just, and what a this decade game it was.  An impeccably constructed plot, combined with ingenious gameplay.  Its short length was its only problem, yet it was perfectly sized for the story it wanted to tell.  An incredible feat."

Hollow Knight - 8 points

"Challenging, immersive and expertly crafted, Hollow Knight is the best metroidvania ever made."

Yakuza 6 - 8 points

Nier Automata - 8 points

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - 9 points

"It only went wrong a few times for me, so I loved it. Hours and hours of exploring and doing stuff, and socities and relationships that actually feel important, as opposed to robotic NPCs. The years have aged it a little bit (hint Zelda hint), but there are so many layers of things to explore."

Sonic Mania Plus - 9 points

"It’s one of the most exciting, playable and uplifting games I’ve played in years. It’s a complete overload of the senses – it looks, sounds and feels absolutely sensational. Sonic Mania reminds why I started playing games in the first place and, honestly, I was touched by how good this turned out to be."

Grand Theft Auto V - 9 points

"The game that just won't die if the charts are anything to go by. It's best known for its online mode now and rightly so as it's created so many laugh out loud moments with friends. However it also features a corker of a story mode full of action, humour and cool moments."

Telltale's The Walking Dead - 9 points

Fallout: New Vegas - 9 points

"Quests with character and choices with consequence, Fallout: New Vegas is roleplaying heaven."

Bayonetta - 10 points

"Sleazy, stupid and ludicrous, but that’s so much of what makes it stand apart from other hack n’ slashers. It’s the best action game I played all decade."

"Oh my god this feels so good to play! The best fighting in games, with astoundingly good and unique style."

Disco Elysium - 10 points

"This game is bespoke, genuinely funny and superbly written. It has a skill-tree seamlessly incorporated into the narrative. It has a great level up system. It's one of the few games you'll simultaneously be sad to have finished yet excited to play again. I could talk about this game for days, literal days, without so much as taking a break. I love it."

Rocket League - 11 points

"I could play this game forever, no two matches are ever the same, instantly enjoyable, can be played by anyone and if you wanna master it there's plenty of depth to it under the surface. The best sports game ever made."

"As approachable and ever-lasting as ever, it’s ageless fun. Rocket League isn’t just the best arcade football game ever, but, probably, one of the best realised ideas for any game, ever."

Monster Hunter World - 12 points

The Last of Us - 13 points

"Beautiful, visceral and enrapturing, The Last Of Us is a personal blockbuster, every element painstakingly refined."

Super Mario Galaxy 2 - 13 points

"Older than all of us put together, but it stays a stunning platformer that I’ll never get bored of."

"Pure unapologetic fun, the Galaxy games have a lot of freedom thanks to the setting and it shows in the sheer variety of levels. Opted for a more direct approach compared to Galaxy 1 but that just means the new levels come at you thick and fast."

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain - 14 points

"A complete departure for the series but it worked so well, apparently its unfinished but I was very satisfied with the time I had with it. The freedom you have in your approach feels like a true stealth experience."

Undertale - 14 points

Persona 5 - 14 points

Celeste - 16 points (two votes)

You say: "Sublime gamefeel and a mountain of artistry, Celeste is the perfect marriage of mechanics and themes."

"Some places higher up than its occasionally flawed nature deserves, perhaps; but Celeste was such a momentous game for me.  A sublime marriage of gameplay and story, mechanics and characters, visuals and audio, that taught a jaded 2D platformer fan what 2D platformers could and should be.  Tipping its hat to the old yet completely new, Celeste outranks a couple of games with fewer foibles on this list because it doesn't build on previous decades.  It is entirely a product of the 2010s and a splendid one at that."

I say: I'm not all too surprised to see this chart in our top 10 - Celeste really took this place by storm in 2018 and I think salvaged what was a pretty sparse year on the Switch for many. A smooth and satisfying platforming adventure intertwined with a really important story. It absolutely deserves its place among our best games of the 2010s.

Bloodborne - 17 points (three votes, one first place)

You say: "Use a triangle!"

"As good a Souls-y thing as the other Souls-y thing - but perhaps a bit too similar for my liking, and what the fuck is any of what is going on? However, I know all y'all like it, so I'm sure it'll feature somewhere!"

I say: This is easily the game I feel most guilty about not getting to vote for - by all accounts, I would adore Bloodborne for being perhaps the pinnacle of the traditional Souls style games as well as introducing lots of creepy Lovecraftian goodness. Some would argue that 9th is too low for this one, but 9th is where it lands in our top ten.
_

Animal Crossing: New Leaf - 18 points (three votes)

You say: "Utterly beguiling and idyllic; Groucho the bear is the best villager."

"After the Wii game, I got worried that gimmicks were going to take over. But the new aspect of being mayor, being involved in more of your town, made a huge positive difference. This is a game people have played constantly since its release. I can only hope that it's superseded by the New Horizons - it seems almost impossible."

"This was a little ray of happiness at a sad time in my life. I wonder how I’ll find NH when I’m actually enjoying my real life?"

I say: From a grim and horrible nightmare in Bloodborne to perhaps the most wholesome game around - AC:NL clearly meant a lot to some of you here. It's the outpouring of love for this game that has me so interested in checking out New Horizons

Mass Effect 2 - 22 points (three votes, one first place)

You say: ... ASSUMING DIRECT CONTROL...

I say: Harbinger Jay here to actually put some words to our 7th placed game of the decade. This picked up a few points from me actually - whilst I absolutely loved the world and characters of Mass Effect, it wouldn't be a stretch to say that the shooting and combat wasn't ME1's strong point. ME2 totally changed that with some brilliant action-based shooting and setpieces and a fantastically told story about putting together a crew for what many would call a suicide mission. I loved the new characters to bits - Mordin Solus is a hero.