Looks like it does in that screenshot, at least on the Switch OLED, which is how I played it. I did get the bad (not really bad, as not that sort of game) ending as I arrived at the lighthouse (is this BioShock?) a few days after Beltane.
Still this feels like a 2D Journey crossed with
That's the most Scottish thing I can think of, though a game called Highland Song doesn't have enough musical sections for me, unless I missed some due to the way I climbed peaks.
EDIT
What was good? Looks great being 2D-HD, decent music, fun real-time combat and maybe the best JRPG (FFXVI isn't a JRPG and Xenoblade FR is an expansion) I've played this year by a long way.
What was less good? The big bads aren't really that present.
What was bobbins? Not for me, but for a Balla who should be playing, is that this has 99 endings.
Would I recommend it? Hell yeah, I'm shocked a Balla hasn't already picked this up.
I know this is a remake of a PS1-era JRPG and Sea of Stars takes inspiration from 16-Bit JRPGs, so are different, yet I don't know if I want to jump into a SoS anytime soon. As I've downloaded on my PS5 for a while now, thinking it be a great Portal game like Star Ocean was.
Edit 2
What was good? It was cheap / "free" as I say cheap (I paid £6 for a physical PS5 game) because EofGiz bought it for CW a few months ago now after a bet, then it went on sale during Black Friday that EofGiz & myself picked it up to do some #content, then a few days later went on Plus. With that in mind, that it is on Plus, it isn't a bad racer.
What was less good? It feels like an even more underbaked Forza Horizon than Crew Motorfest though guess kids want the LEGO cars etc, yet Forza Horizon 4 has LEGO DLC which is much better.
What was bobbins? This is a kids game which has season pass, microtransaction, bundles etc in your face soon as you load the game up.
Would I recommend it? Umm if you want a kids racing game which is open-world over a kart racer along with it being in Plus then sure give it a go.
Edit 3
What was good? The music cues are right, such as the song playing Tech Noir.
What was less good? As it is set after Judgement Day in 1997, the game looks like a PS360 game with the colour palette of grey, brown, brownish grey and the like.
What was bobbins? Early on you have to do a lot of sneaking as you're a human with human weapons that aren't any good against T-800, which makes the game slow and boring. When you get plasma weapons, it is way more fun. Though, why would Skynet make weapons that are really effective against themselves, without those humans can barely take down a roomba.
Would I recommend it? After playing Robocop Rogue City, this is a huge step back as for a lot of the game being a human isn't fun, later on it does get better and as it has a lot of nods to the films, that a fan would like it. You can also see the groundwork for Robo in this and where & how they improved the game.
I will say the Enhanced Version which I played on PS5 comes with one lot of DLC included where you play as a Terminator in a bit of roguelite permadeath mode thingy, which is pretty fun as a lot like Robo you can mow down humans with ease. There is one other bit of DLC, which I would have to buy (is in the complete edition on Xbox Series X|S) where you play as Kyle Reese that might be good.
I'd love to be able to blame this all on the Postman from Zelda getting lost amongst some sky islands or something like that, but of course that would be unfair on Hyrule's hardest worker. I won't get into too much detail, but I had a pretty rough go of things earlier in the year and even the simple act of logging in here and updating this thread ended up feeling like a massive mountain. Sounds daft, but aye, that's what happened. Still, I wanted to get this out before we all lost ourselves in Tears of the Kingdom, so let's crack on, shall we? The “andyman949 will probably note vote in this category” award for Best Music Track in a video game in 2022
Seeing as we've got a few awards to get through, why not have some tunes on in the background whilst you read? Here's what GNamer thought were bangers in 2022.
Like the other side categories, don't expect a winner or anything - was more for a bit of fun! I'm also not going to embed the tracks as it'll likely murder the thread's ability to load, so I'll link the tunes through the titles of the tracks.
The Tunes:
No Tomorrow (Metal: Hellsinger)
You say: “Sets the scene of the final boss perfectly.”
I say: Serj Tankian is one talented dude. Massive massive thumbs up.
Ghost (Bayonetta 3)
You say: ...
I say: Scratches an early Paramore itch. Enjoyable!
A Few Screws Loose (TMNT: Shredder's Revenge)
You say: “Tee Lopes has been consistently composing gaming’s best tunes for a good few years now, and on a soundtrack that’s nothing but highlights this is thee highlight”.
I say: A proper homage to the 80s this!
Brat Overflow (13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim)
You say: “Credit to Mas for pointing this out to me, this title theme is an absolute banger and I could listen to the almost comprehensible warblings of it for days.”
I say: Sounds like something out of a peppier Nier game. Thumbs up!
The battle theme against Professor Sada/Turo
You say: “Got that adrenaline pumping! It was so good!”
I say: Yep, a fitting tune for a surprisingly good finale. Love how keeps the eerie vibes of Area Zero but obviously at a much higher tempo.
Jubilife Village (Pokemon Legends Arceus)
You say: “I loved wandering around the village for many reasons but mainly it's down to this incredible piece, really relaxing and had the nice touch of evolving as you progressed through the story.”
I say: Such chill vibes. Loved returning to the village after being out in the wilds and being greeted by this tune.
Team Star Battle (Pokemon Scarlet/Violet)
You say: “A bop.”
I say: Can't disagree with that! I love the bit that kicks in at around 1:28 - even better when it syncs up with a triumphant moment in your battle.
Anything from Tunic
You say: “Er, anything from Tunic. Let's say the main overworld music, but I love all the ambient bloopy-ness in that game.”
I say: Chill and ethereal. I like it!
But would you believe it... a winner?!:
Shadows Rising (Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin) – 2 votes
You say: “How dare you doubt me, there is one choice.”
“The perfect track to turn on and walk away from stupid backstories.”
I say: In what was definitely not a co-ordinated effort, STRANGER OF PARADISE DOES IT AGAIN BABY!
THE BIG REGGIE AWARD FOR CONTRIBUTOR OF THE YEAR
The posts are fun. The topics are a battle. If it's not fun, why bother?
Thankfully, you lot always serve up some great #content on the good ship GNamer to keep us all enthralled and coming back. Let us pose the question: for which big men has it been a good year? Let's find out!
THIRD:
Masofdas (two votes)
You say: “The contributor of any year where volume is under threat. Trust Mas to churn out the content religiously and take part in every project going, including plenty of tunes. Also his recent wanking on about how BotW is still shit happened on a Discord channel so I can't vote him down for that.”
“It's hard ever to not vote for Mas in this category. Without his threads and discussion starting points, I don't think we'd do a lot of chatting on the forum.”
I say: The ever beating engine of GNamer. Always a threat in this category indeed!
JayMoyles (two votes)
You say: “It's been a good year for the big man.”
I say: Whilst I honestly can say I do not deserve to be recognised for contributing to this place over the last year, I still appreciate the votes a lot. Thanks guys.
SECOND:
The Cappuccino Kid (three votes)
You say: “The John Cena of forum awards, you can deny him all you want but he's inevitable, full of the bants and has more retro knowledge than I've had disappointing trips to my local charity shops to emulate his exploits.”
“He’s got a real passion for games both old and new, and it really shows from his contributions to the forum. I like reading his retro insights on games that I remember reading about but have never played, as well as the more obscure curios that I know I will never play.”
I say: As always... a good year for the big man.
Balladeer (three votes)
You say: “I guess he posts sometimes.”
“Just endlessly dedicated to the forum really isn’t he? Kind of the face of GNamer in some ways. I always look forward to the lukewarm reception he gives to games he’s put days worth of his life into.”
I say: The face of GNamer is a great way to put it. Also, sorry for the picture, it had to be brought back though!
CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS:
Treesmurf (four votes)
You say: “An all-round solid lad who posts a decent amount, plays a wide variety of genres, and has a generally positive outlook. I always feel like I'd love to just go to the pub with Smurf, so long as I didn't try to play him at Mario Strikers while doing it.”
“Why not?”
“Whether it was playing the role of the villain in the Mario Strikers league or just generally popping into threads to keep us chatting or to drop a zinger, it's been a quality 2022 for Treesmurf on the forum.”
“It's been a good year for the big man.”
I say: His Cityesque performance in the Strikers league will go down in history. A well deserved win for our very own Papa Smurf!
How about some honourables and dishonourables before we find out our GOTY for last year?
Honourable Mentions:
The Cappuccino Kid - If Cappa hadn't won the last three(?) contributor votes on the bounce I'd be voting for him here. Not for his tireless retro or bargain posting, not for heading up Secret Santa, not even for contributing this year's forum meme through his love for comedy headlines - but for being so daring, so bold, so heroic, as to actually give me a full set of votes and mentions in the voting thread at the beginning of the year. I'll even overlook the terrible Xenoblade slander.
“It's been an alright year innit”.
What's The Score? - Still quality in 2022, shame it died on its backside halfway through the year. Everyone should definitely have tried harder when Balla tried to revive it, and it definitely isn't Balla typing this.
Pokemon Scarlet/Violet – Buskalilly put it best when he typed that he hadn’t read or heard any criticisms that he agreed with or cared about. Millions of people massively over-exaggerated its performance issues; once you’re settled in I think Scarlet/Violet is one of the best Pokemon games of the lot.
Lunistice – Altogether it’s highly admirable considering that it’s come from just one guy on his tod and made in his spare time.
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series – It’s an unfancy and no-frills remaster, but these remain two of the best 2.5D platformers there’s ever been. They’re just as brilliant here as a remembered them from twenty/twenty-five years back.
Bayonetta 3 & Sifu - These would have likely been in my top 5 Nintendo & Nontendo votes but I just haven't got around to playing them yet.
Easy Come Easy Golf – In the absence of a new Everybody’s Golf, this is a valued substitute. If it were a bit less grindy and if the progression structure allowed for shorter three-hole challenges like in the Apple Arcade original then this might have made my year’s top five.
Nintendo Switch Sports – It won’t have the lasting cultural impact that Wii Sports or Wii Sports Resort did, but there’s certainly lots of fun to be had and it’s overall a really good addition to anybody’s Switch library.
Was Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon 2022? I had a lot of fun with that.
Wales getting papped out of the World Cup group stage in humiliating fashion – Superb.
An Imposter Among Aux - An excellent little thread from Smurf, if it'd had another couple of pages I'd be voting for it. As it was I had a good time making my one (correct) guess.
“My Switch list could have been bigger, and I've got games higher on my personal Top 10 on Switch then Nontendo
6th Pokémon Violet 7th Kirby and the Forgone Land 8th Neon White 9th Behind the Frame 10th Fire Emblem Warriors Three Hopes”
Open-World Pokémon - If 2022 did anything, it was convincing us that the way forward for Pokémon is sprawling open worlds. With its intriguingly vertical environments, thoroughly enjoyable monster-riding, open-world catching, and limited use of troves of crappy collectables,
“Overall the Switch had a great 2022 for me with all its exclusive games and RPG's “
Chained Echoes - Only played it in earnest after the year's end and nobody else will vote for it, but this is a compulsive and enjoyable RPG, bringing interesting twists to turn-based battling, fantasy RPG plots, levelling up, flying robots, and giving you a goat character who eats his enemies. It risks missing out on both 2022 and 2023 by virtue of being a small game with an awkward release date, so I'm giving it a little bit of love here.
Pokémon Legends Arceus: Made a play for the future direction of the series that really struck a chord with many. Roll on the next such game!
Clodsire - Just an excellent dopey lad.
Elden Ring “Would've been my game of the year probably if I'd got round to playing it. Now Zelda's coming out this year, WHEN WILL I HAVE THE TIME (*sobs*)”
Ninja Hideaway - A quality addition to a quality multiplayer experience.
Portal on Switch? So sexy.
Liz Truss - ahahahahahahahaha... (pauses for breath)AAAAAAAAhahahahahahaaaaaa...
Dishonourable Mentions:
Voice of Cards: The Forsaken Maiden - Could be extended to the entire series and its low-effort shenanigans; but with the humour of the first all but removed and a horrendous closing boss gambit, this was the worst of the first two. An absolute disgrace of a game.
Mario Kart Tour - Just... stop, okay? Stop with the banal real-city tracks that bleed into 8 Deluxe. Stop with the mucking up of existing tracks (Peach Gardens never needed a shoehorned-in u-turn in the final lap). Stop with the egregious microtransactions. Just stop.
Open-World Pokémon - If 2022 did anything, it was convincing us that the way forward for Pokémon is tightly tailored linear paths. With its sloppy environments and duff towns, low-effort monster-riding, lack of open-world catching, and use of troves of crappy collectables, Pokémon Scarlet/Violet made a play for the future direction of the series that left many feeling cold. Let's hope the next such game is nothing like that!
Mario Strikers – Most of the forum’s highlights throughout the last six months have been through this and I appreciate them, but bugger me this is a poor effort from Nintendo. It’s another half-hearted Mario sports game on Switch, once again lacking customisation features, content and staying power.
Taito Milestones – A stingy and context-free compilation of just ten arcade games from across the late ‘70s and ‘80s, none of which I’d say are particularly significant nowadays. Those old Taito collections on Xbox and PS2 had amazing stuff like Bust-a-Move 2, Rainbow Islands and The New Zealand Story. This has “Front Line” and “Space Seeker”.
Bayonetta’s characterisation in Bayonetta 3 wasn’t my fave.
Sonic Frontiers – I’m honestly undecided if I think Sonic Frontiers truly deserves an honourable mention or a dishonourable one. The gameplay is addictive, oftentimes interesting and can be genuinely good fun – they’ve found a formula that they should stick with for their next Sonic game. There’s no question that it’s an extremely ropey Switch port though, with a chugging framerate and environmental pop-in that’s so much worse than what Pokemon Scarlet/Violet got slaughtered for. It's receiving a dishonurable mention because it's the first time where I’ve played a game on Switch and though ‘aye, this system’s showing its age a bit, time for them to announce the Nintendo 64 2’.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet had amazing highs but a fair few mediocre lows - it’s just not quite the game it could have been.
WWE 2K22’s GM Mode – People were screaming for this to be readded to the WWE games for nearly fifteen years but what 2K returned with was lazy, overly-simplified and so much more basic than even the first GM mode in WWE SmackDown Vs. Raw 2006. There were no multi-man matches, no mid-card titles, no storylines, no trades…it was massively disappointing.
Evercade – Releasing a third version of its hardware in two-and-a-half years is pretty shoddy. Splitting the userbase further by having exclusive digital-only games on that third hardware revision was more than a bit mince. Yet it’s that the Evercade EXP launched with the same software bugs and manufacturing problems as the previous two that was the riddiest of all the behaviour.
Nintendo of America - I'd like to forget that NoA were embroiled in a sex assault and general contractor mistreatment mini-scandal that the games media quickly swept under the rug, and that NoJ hasn't said a damn thing about. I almost did when putting together my votes. But I didn't, and neither should you. (UbiSoft and Activision are still run by cunts by the way.)
“Just basically everything in 2022. Except the Euros, I'm so proud of the ladies (*sobs but tears of joy this time*). But just everything else was terrible.”
Neon Violet - Manic Pixie Nightmare Girl with horrendous voice acting and some horribly unenjoyable spiky levels to her name. Bin.
“Might just be me, especially as I didn't play Elden Ring Nontendo was lacking in 2022 outside it and God of War.”
Lunistice's graphics - I'll say nothing about the rest of the game, but if you have nostalgia for these then you don't just have rose-tinted specs, somebody's painted over them.
“Worst Game Pupperazzi 2nd Boreal Tenebrae 3rd Chocobo GP 4th House of the Dead Remake 5th Worst As Dusk Falls”
Vodeo Games' closure - If Beast Breaker had been released in 2022, when I played it, it would have been my runner-up for GotY. Quite an incredible hidden gem of a first and now only game. The loss of its developer isn't quite Cing levels of injustice, but it's close, for reasons beyond the great title they released. Buy the game today in their memory.
The Switch's 2022 - Up there in the conversation for the worst year the Switch has had so far IMO. Even several of the Nintendo big hitters seemed to elicit "they were still good I guess" reactions rather than actual enthusiasm, and the top-quality indies that normally make up the supporting cast didn't seem to appear. Elden Ring - Look, I'll stop ragging on FromSoft's games when people stop forgetting to vote in my vote threads because of them. Until then the hissy fits will continue.
And how about some GNew Year's Resolutions? How are you all getting on with these?
GNew Year's Resolutions:
“Keep up studying, keep up gymming, keep being excellent.”
“We just did something like this for the last Pod of War Gamecast, and I'd like to say I'll play more backlog, buy less games etc, but I won't. I'll certainly try and lookat keeping it to like two retail games per month (4 weeks) Jan Fire Emblem & Forspoken for instance with the odd retro & indie pick up.
More #content on the Pod of War channel as it can do well, like my GT7 video has over 300+ views, I'd like to keep that going.
Still looking at getting a flat, I've said this before, but we all know what the market is like at the moment plus it's been like 3 years & my Dad isn't getting better I do feel bad, yet how long is a piece of string.”
“Calm it down with the old retro gaming a bit. I don’t need to go out for my lunch break and come back with Animaniacs: Lights, Camera, Action!, Dino Master and ATV: Quad Frenzy on the Nintendo DS and forget my food. New experiences both through and away from gaming are what I want and need, but, you know, good ones. The resolution is to declutter my collection, focus on better games and spend more of my time doing different things.”
“Finish more games than I did in 2022! My Backloggery says I only beat 8 in 2022… it was 17 in 2021 and 21 in 2020, and obviously lockdowns and not working 40 hour weeks contributed to that, but I’d like to hammer away at more of my catalogue this year!”
THE GOLDEN GRACKLER FOR GNAMER NINTENDO GAME OF THE YEAR
Whilst 2022 might seem like a distant memory by this point and you're probably all salivating at the prospect of tucking into Tears of the Kingdom, we can't forget that there were some absolutely top notch games served up to us on Switch last year. Which of those games proved to be GNamer's favourite? Let's find out.
THIRD PLACE:
Bayonetta 3 – 12 points (four votes)
You say: “The first two are better, but that's a bar not even Bayonetta herself could reach if her long legs were on tippy toes.”
“I loved the gameplay, but was a little less sold on the characterisation. Still a banging action game but with some hum dinging aspects.”
I say: One that passed me by last year - I've still got Bayonetta 2 waiting in the wings - but one that's still very much worth a look according to you guys!
SECOND PLACE:
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 – 14 points (three votes, two first places)
You say: “The best in a series full of great games, miles ahead of anything else that released this year. The battling, the characters, the themes, the music, the world... Absolutely astonishing stuff. Some people will dump on this based on their partial experiences of 2. Those people are wrong.”
I say: I sadly didn't get a chance to finish this before it was time to get my votes in otherwise this certainly would have featured highly. There's some things that are executed better in the earlier Xenoblade games, but looking at it on a whole, this is the best in the series.
WINNER:
Pokémon Legends Arceus – 26 points (seven votes, two first places)
You say: “Literally a Pokémon game set in Edo/Meiji Japan. Made for me, personally.”
“Everything I could have asked for in a Pokémon game, sure performance is a bit ropey but it gets the rest right, gameplay is satisfying, it's easy to get lost in its world and the story is actually interesting.”
“It was the first time in years that Pokémon felt like it was, no pun intended, evolving. There were some stumbles in the execution, but this was a treat to play.”
“Pokemon tried to do something different and interesting! It didn’t always pay off perfectly but broadly speaking it was fun, exciting and addictive.”
“It’s the bravest and most exciting Pokemon game in years and a much-needed rejuvenation of a series that to many – myself included - felt like it was flatlining.”
“The best Pokémon game since HGSS, and the most exciting one perhaps since GSC. For ten glorious months, the future of the series was as bright as ever.”
I say: A worthy winner! Whilst there was a lot to enjoy in S/V, Arceus really felt like a shift in direction for the series. It was genuinely exciting to see how Pokémon was changing and instilled a sense of wonder in me that I hadn't felt playing a Pokémon game in years.
DIDN'T QUITE MAKE IT:
Pokémon Scarlet/Violet – 10 points (four votes)
“Maybe this should be higher, but my connection to Arceus felt more personal and I didn't want two Pokémon games in a row.”
“If a Pokémon game convinces me to finsh the 'Dex, it's doing something right. The admittedly rough performance didn't detract from what was a really great adventure. It feels like slowly but surely that Game Freak are piecing together how to refresh Pokémon.”
“A lot of fun, but not as exciting to play as Arceus. I enjoyed it but it didn’t feel like as fully realised a world and concept… feels like the series is getting there, though.”
“It's a slow starter but once I got in to the story a bit more it was a non stop smilefest right until its epic conclusion.”
Splatoon 3 – 10 points (two votes, two first places)
“I'm already at about 150hrs played on this, which is like 40 more than I put into the previous game. When I saw reviews starting to drop for this I saw some say it was "more of the same" which I think is wildly unfair, when looking at the multiplayer (the real meat of the game) the feel of the game is totally different from 2 especially when you get your head around the new movement options squid surge and roll which give you more options during your gun fights. The motions controls are a lot smoother & the special weapons have some great counter play to them which the previous entry didn't really have. It's easily the best multiplayer game out at the moment.”
“All I needed. More Splatoon with slightly nicer visuals, some improvements here and there and lots of new stuff.”
Kirby and the Forgotten Land – 8 points (three votes, one first place)
“A Nintendo 3D platformer came out this year! It wasn't as mad as day, a Mario Odyssey or Galaxy, but instead it had a very physical sense of presence. Grounding Kirby in that odd post-apocalypse made the wackier stuff really shine.”
“An excellently crafted video game. There’s very little else on the Switch that’s got the amount of imagination, playability and finesse that this does.”
The Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe – 8 points (three votes)
“It’s not totally new, but it has a lot of new parts, and it made me laugh out loud several times. A lot of fun and lots of silly, silly birds.”
“I'd liken this to going to see a comedy set – yes, not all of the jokes are going to land, but you'll at least find yourself laughing pretty regularly. It does require a bit of knowledge around gaming tropes, but I can't imagine anyone posting here missing the punchline on any of the jokes.”
“Yes it counts picky rule people, it's basically twice as big as the original game. The original (and in most cases the best) way to do "meta" in a videogame. Genuinely funny, and does a great job of thinking of everything you might try and catch it out with.”
“This is the slickest and most accomplished side-scrolling beat ‘em up that there’s been since the days of Turtles in Time. Time might tell that Shredder’s Revenge is even better than Turtles in Time, it’s that good.”
“This is just a great modern take on a Ninja Turtles beat em up, great action & music.”
Neon White – 7 points (two votes, one first place)
“Top-quality silky smooth first-person puzzle platforming. Shame it didn't have any writing or characters to flesh out the experience. (puts fingers in ears, says 'la la la')”
OMORI – 6 points (two votes, one first place)
“One point from me to keep Moyles' vote company. An intriguing and deeply disturbing RPG with lovely art and music.”
“I lavished praise on this after I'd finished it last year and whilst I'm maybe not as glowing in my praise as I once was, I still consider this one of the best games I played last year. It scratched that itch of games in the vein of Mother whilst bringing its own fresh take on the genre.”
Atari 50 – 5 points (one vote, one first place)
“because I'm an old man and I love old game shit. And this was one area of nostalgia I totally missed out on. OK, most of the early games are not fun at all today, but the whole package, with the documentary elements, is brilliant - some of the peeps involved are quite old now and you may not get a chance to do this again. This is of course irrelevant because all y'all are voting for Pokemon and all that shit.”
Return to Monkey Island – 4 points (one vote)
“Well worth the wait, tells a great story as the series always has, I loved the art style and has some great accessibility options for those who are less familiar with the point and click genre.”
Olli Olli World – 4 points (one vote)
“A brilliant sequel for the skateboarding score attack platformer. Lot's more charm as well with it's psychedelic world/characters along with some neat changes to some mechanics like lane switching and vert ramps. Gnarly duuuuude!”
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim – 4 points (one vote)
Triangle Strategy – 3 points (one vote)
Pilotwings 64 – 3 points (one vote)
“in that I needed to pad out this list, and it Switch Onlined in 2022. But this is still great, and it's the first time it's been available in ages.”
Nobody Saves the World – 3 points (one vote)
“The best and most fun class system in games.”
Signalis – 2 points (one vote)
“Only played about 3 & a half hours of the apparent 8 hour play time but in that time I've really enjoyed the atmosphere and classic RE survival horror gameplay.”
Earthbound – 2 points (one vote)
“in that I needed to pad out this list, and it Switch Onlined in 2022. But this is still great, and more interesting than any of your spiky haired lads”
Mario Strikers: Battle League Football – 2 points (one vote)
“It should have been a lot better, completely lacking in modes and options however I can't deny that it's been just pure no nonsense fun that never failed to make me smile.”
Two Point Campus – 2 points (one vote)
“It has all the depth, character and interestingness that you’d want from a management sim, but it’s made even better by being really intuitive, nicely accessible and an obvious labour of love too.”
Inscryption – 2 points (one vote)
Banjo-Kazooie – 1 points (one vote)
“In that I needed to pad out this list, and it Switch Onlined in 2022. But this is still great that it made its way to a Nintendo console again.”
Tinykin – 1 point (one vote)
“I do love a collect-a-thon and this fits the bill perfectly. It may not do anything new but the gameplay is pleasant and I enjoy the whole tiny world vibe.”
Windjammers 2 – 1 point (one vote)
“All that was required here was to slightly refine the 1994 original and that’s what’s happened, they’ve not ars ed about with it at all. Stylish, addictive and as intense as Windjammers ever was, it’s a well worthwhile sequel. I just wish there was more surrounding that core/match gameplay to keep everyone’s interest up – just twelve months on most people have probably already forgotten that Windjammers 2 even exists.”
Portal Companion Collection – 1 point (one vote)
“These games still hold up brilliantly, but there’s nothing new to them, so I ranked them lower. Still, absolutely stunning babes.”
Phew. And that's the lot. Thanks for reading all of that folks and apologies once more for the massive delay on getting these out for y'all.
Was there any doubt? In seriousness, I do think giving each person one vote apiece for GotY is no way to reflect actual taste.
THE RATHALOS AWARD FOR CONTRIBUTOR OF THE YEAR (13 voters, 25 votes)
The final award, and almost a full house of voters.
Third Place:
= Buskalilly (2 votes)
You say: “He’s busier than ever before and we’re all jealous, but between dancing videos, music projects, podcasts, streaming, and posting in most threads, Buska’s had a grand year. Also his trademark humour’s still there, but it feels less acerbic this year - which (I think) is a good thing.” “It’s been a good year for the big man."
= GJones (2 votes)
You say: “A constant presence with a lot to input into the conversation” “It’s been a good year for the big man.”
= masofdas (2 votes)
You say: “Has committed to the role of "News Editor"” “Once there was an explosion. A bang which gave rise to release threads as we now know them. And then came the next explosion.”
= Muss (2 votes)
You say: “Might not necessarily create a lot of topics or post as much as others but when he does it's always really well thought out/explained.” “Purely for What's the Score - a numbers game that I think is Very Good.”
I say: That's a lot of people on two votes! Whether it's the humour of GJones and Buska, the volume and reliability of Mas, or the text walls and games of Muss, they're all good folk who have helped to keep us chugging away.
Second Place:
Balladeer(5 votes)
You say: “I feel like he’s made the forum keep ticking over in 2021 and is more than happy to drop an in-depth post. Sometimes I question if the lad even likes games with the hyper-critical approach to reviews, but I enjoy the thoroughness and personal touch of a Balladeer opinion.” “I've not been very active on the forum at all this past year due to various different reasons, but Balladeer's picked up the slack on the admin side of things and then some. He's handled things like the vote threads, updating the taglines and other behind the scenes stuff that most won't know about that. That's not including his continuous efforts in contributing to discussions on the forum and generally keeping this place afloat during quieter months whilst still getting involved in the busier discussions. He's done a lot this past year and I think that deserves recognition. I'll be looking to pick up my end of things in 2022!” “An ever present top tier contributer, always gets involved in a meaningful way and has something interesting to say. Somehow has the ability to play and review most of the big Switch games through to completion.” “Good games are valuable, but centuries stick in the mind. There are influential people who might not notice a good innings of 60 or 70, but they will react if you get a hundred.” “Just for the sheer amount of #content”
I say:SECOND A-FUCKING-GAIN Thanks a bunch you five! I can promise more quantity with dubious aspirations of quality in 2022!
And The Winner Is...:
The Cappuccino Kid (8 votes)
You say: “Cappa knocked it out of the park this year. Carefully crafted reviews, sharing bargains, organising the Secret Santa, putting me (and my family) onto Still Game…it was an excellent year for Mr. Nagano 98.” “I can't remember if I've said this before in a previous reply to Cappa or perhaps even in a vote thread from yesteryear, but Cappa's longer posts like his reviews, retro roundups and flashbacks at gaming content from times gone by always remind me of something you'd read in NGamer. He's got a great writing style and his contributions to the forum in this way really are top notch.” “For his retro reviews mainly, sure I don't comment about them all but always nice to see and always adding to the forum” “Although I have almost no overlap with him tastewise he's certainly a key driver in keeping the forum going and it's always interesting seeing his takes.” “His regular retro reviews are top regular contributions, and even though I rarely reply to them I think they are Very Good.” “The undisputable king of retro, do you want a review of a licensed game for some shit early noughties movie? Well you've got it and you're gonna enjoy it if Cappa is writing it. Also puts the boot in better than anyone else, NGamer style.” “He's just everywhere at all angles making interesting things happen - legend”
I say: Cappa stormed this one. Anybody can write a piece on Metroid Dread or Deathloop. It takes a special kind of man to write a piece on an obscure 1990s platformer, and a forum great to make that piece funny and interesting - then turn around and tell you where he got it for pittance. All that while running Secret Santa. For the third year in a row, congratulations to Cappa: you are 2021's Contributor of the Year!
Also got a vote:
All of these fine fellows got the one vote each:
Dusty Knackers - “Good to see him back”
Jimbob - “For his game jam game (actually 2020 but I played it and there was discussion this year...) and for actually playing my Unawakening game ”
stu_the_great - “Good to see him back”
Treesmurf - “Treesmurf is a man who seems to be a chill fellow, likes most games, and is ever-present in the forum and its projects. There’s a lot to appreciate about a chap like that.”
I say: There's a lot to appreciate about all of these chaps. Here's to more from all of them in 2022!
With that, voting is now open for the Five Years Of Switch Awards! Aaaaaaaand has been for the last couple of weeks as well. I'll edit the OP tomorrow, and maybe put up a Switch-related discussion topic after I've had a break from looking at this thread. Just as a reminder, we're looking for: - Ten top games on Switch (with comments ideally!); - Honourable mentions - I'm not looking for entire games here, ten comments on individual games is going to be enough to sift through, but anything else Switch-related you want to praise. Companies, characters, worlds, the layout of the eShop... - Dishonourable mentions - including games that stank out the joint, and anything else Switch-related that did likewise. Often the best part of our votes, so spread yer bile. Deadline will be 2359 on Thursday 3rd March at the earliest. Maybe take a week away from anything vote-related if you fancy it. I know I do.
I shall answer questions about my avatar elsewhere. For here, we celebrate...
THE GNAMER FORUM AWARDS 2021
THE SENRI THE MAILMAN AWARD FOR POST OF THE YEAR (11 voters, 29 votes)
This year's winner of the Most Improved Award Award, which posts were award award-worthy for you this year? (Also: drafted this entire post earlier today, then wiped it with my draft for the next post. Excuse me if it's a little scrappy.)
You say: “What a great way to cap off last year’s music thing. Lots of effort spent that deserves my vote in thanks.” “Narcissist that I am, have listened to my own several times” “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and Smurfs keep everything in order ~ Plato”
I say: My first place. I appreciate the effort spent on one of my favourite projects in one of my favourite threads. Great work Smurf.
You say: “A very strange post from Mas that had me laughing a lot, coupled with all our responses to the concept of a human burger. ” “Asking the important questions." “Are we human? Or are we vegans? My words are vital. But uncontrolled. And I’m on my knees, looking for the answers. Are we human? Or are we vegans?” “Jesus Christ Mas.”
I say: I remain unsure whether Mas intended for this post to be as funny as many clearly found it. I hope he did!
You say: “Just a stellar effort, sensational posting, a GNamer all-timer.” “Biggest laugh I've had on the forum all year.” “Like GNamer’s own TikTok viral hit.” “Buskalilly is a man of the many talents” “I'm not sure it was actually that good a post as his actual score predictions were way off.”
I say: No competition here. Goes to show what a webcam, a Mario plush, and a total lack of shame can do for you. Congratulations Buska!
GJones' Fun Time Art Corner:
Bower's Fury (2 points, 2 votes) “GJones did a few of these brilliant pictures over the year but this was the pick of the bunch, something I never realised I needed to see.” “People responding to spelling mistakes is always funny”
Mad Mas (2 points, 2 votes) “My favourite of GJones’ artworks this year. It’s the WiiMote and Zelda with bulletholes in that elevates it.”
And one point for in general: “Sonia Mania, Del Boy Cappa, Bower’s Fury, take your pick!"
I say: GJones really lit up the forum this year with these. Truly a grand contribution. My only slight surprise is that Del Boy with Nagano didn't get more attention!
Missed the cut:
Rum reviews Superola (5 points, 2 votes, 1 first) “How much of this vote is for the review, and how much is for the picture of a llama with ‘cunt’ MSPainted onto it? Honestly I’d rather not say.” "Rum calls out that llama, Kant.”
All the rest had one vote apiece.
Balladeer reviews two years’ worth of Switch games (2) - “The sheer effort to review everything he'd played on Switch was a great read and a good way to look back at the console so far.” Cappa's Evercade reviews (2) (example as the vote was for the category as a whole) - “This seems like such a niche and forgotten bit of 2021 but I was interested in the content even though I’m not interested in the Evercade itself! That in itself is worthy of praise.” GJones' Gintendo PS2 retrospective (2) - “Was that here? Was that Gintendo? It’s all the same thing, right? Excellent post.” Cappa's 3DS launch post (2) (no comment)
I say: A couple of slightly cheeky votes, voting for Gintendo articles or categories of posts... but these only helped to put a broader spotlight on some of the fine examples of #content we've had this year. Well done to all involved! (Including me apparently.)
Talk amongst yourselves, next post goes up tomorrow or Friday!