Feature: Vote For Your 2018 Nintendo Game Of The Year (Reminder)

Let's see some of that Picross S2 love!!!

For me it's gotta be:

Nintendo Switch exclusive:

1.) Smash
2.) Torna: The Golden Country
3.) Octopath Traveler

Nindies

1.) Celeste
2.) Overcooked 2
3.) The Messenger

(Hollow Knight doesn't count unfortunately because it came out last year on other systems or else it would be my number 1)

My game of the year is easily Luigi's Mansion HD remake on Swi....oh yeah, right. Ah, never mind.

Even though Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is definitely my Switch game of the year, Hollow Knight and Celeste were so close behind that. Amazing year for indies. Not so much for 1st party stuff. Hopefully there's more quality 1st party stuff from Nintendo next year.

Nindies for me are Screen Cheat, No Thing, and Celeste.

Gris looks amazing though.

1. Torna The Golden Country
2. SNK Heroines
3. Shining Resonance

Personal 2018 Switch all categories mixed top 5
1.Hollow Knight (by far)
2.Smash (so much fun with friends)
3.Into the Breach (so simple yet so deep)
4.Dead Cells (addictive)
5.Celeste (just started but so far so good)

I want to see some love for:

Bomber Crew
Little Nightmares: Complete Edition
Fe
Pool Panic
West of Loathing
Yoku's Island Express
Late Shift
10 Second Run Returns
Sushi Striker
Dragon Quest Builders
Night in the Woods

Super Smash Bros Ultimate is #1....hard to decide on what's worthy for 2 and 3, but we'll go with Starlink and Hyrule Warriors.
Eshop has to be Broforce followed closely by Bloodstained Curse of the Moon. Honestly can't decide on a 3rd.....

I never really got around to many Switch exclusives this year. But, I guess Hyrule Warriors if that counts.

I'll be honest, because no one else seems to have the problem lol, but I get awfully confused what classes as a retail game when it's only released physically in one region yet digital only in another. (I confuse easily)

Retail:
1) Valkyria Chronicles 4 (Switch)
2) Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana (Switch)
3) Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Switch)

eshop:
1) Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon (Switch eShop)
2) Hollow Knight (Switch eShop)
3) Detention (Switch eShop)

DLC:
1) Torna: The Golden Country
2) Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion
3) Donkey Kong Adventure

Overall GOTY:

1. Smash
2. Celeste
3. Hollow Knight (released on Switch in 2018)

I tried typing Super Mario Bros. 2 on a few of them and just wanted to point out that it didn't work, hoping you guys get it fixed soon!

Let's show some love for Spintires Mudrunners!!

I can’t remember what came out this year...

I played a total of 6 games this year and 2 of them aren't even this year's release
Xenoblade 2,
Resident Evil Revelations 2
Okami HD
Starlink
Let's go Eevee
Super Smash bros ultimate.

I'm so sad that this site has given zero love to Marble It Up! Genuinely my favorite game of the year, even over Smash, God of War, Spider-Man, etc.

Fifa 19, obviously

@sketchturner

Is it that good? I'm trying to use up a gift card and I've been eyeing it on the eShop

Celeste for sure.

I sent most of my love towards The Messenger. What a game.

Surprised to see a couple of persons saying they wish but they can´t vote for Hollow Knight...I mean, the game even appears on the "need some inspiration?" link, the fact that it appeard previously on PC shouldn't be an issue.

For me.
1. Xenoblade chronicles 2 torna the golden country.
2. Civilisation VI
3. Broken sword 5.

@Yomerodes

Well I personally can't consider it my GotY, but if I didn't care about release dates it most certainly would be. Hollow Knight is not only the best singleplayer game I've played this year, it's one of my favorite games of all time.

@JamesR I actually voted for the Kemono friend's one, though.

Smash and Celeste are my favorite games from this year.

Super Smash Bros. in every category it's eligible for. Nintendo's 2018 was not as exciting for me as 2017.

Smash, Starlink, Pokemon

Game of the Year has to be Smash, with Ultimate Chicken Horse as a close second!

There have been good games released to this point on the thing to be sure but it wasn't until Smash these last two weeks that I've finally felt like I got my money's worth buying a Switch.

There were no really really great games this year. I didn’t roll credits on any of them because I got bored halfway through.

I'm not sure if I should even vote TBH. Other than literally 30 seconds with Starlink, my Switch experience is nil. I'm pretty much restricted to the 3DS voting.

I haven't bought a lot of retail games this year but even if I had I still think my overall game of the year, best indie game, best developer and best artstyle votes would have gone to the same game...

Inside

What a game! Loved it the first time I played it and played through it again a couple of weeks ago and enjoyed it just as much, perhaps even more so despite knowing the solutions to all the puzzles. I played through Limbo right after it and loved that too, so Playdead gets my votes. Can't wait to see what they come up with next.

The results are in! The Messenger wins it all!

Ys 8 was the game I enjoyed the most, to be honest.

Wish there was a DLC category...I would definitely pick Splatoon 2 Octo expansion, Best DLC played in awhile (Beside shovel knights)

I’m going with Hollow Knight

Honestly I can't really vote because..........My Laptop is sucking my time up XD

But I am gonna vote anyways, but it will be mostly a "blind" vote heheh.

Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom!

Indies game of the year for me was: 1.Dandara, 2.Flipping Death, 3.Gris

I got a little screwed up and voted what I thought were my best multiplayer games in the overall game of the year bracket but tbh my answers would be very similar. Top answer was anyway.

Honestly, I don't really know of any games worth mentioning aside from Super Smash Bros Ultimate. I've heard Octopath is good, but I never played that... So Ultimate is the only (new) game that came out this year for Nintendo systems that caught my eye.

I loved Okami HD. But it is a late release of a port of a 12 year old game, so I can't count it.

I'm giving a lot of love to Night in the Woods, and I hope you guys do too! <3

No wonder I kept thinking this was a fairly crap year, I've hardly put any time into the few of these I own. I can't really justify voting.

My five Go2018

1) Kirby Star Allies (Switch)
2) Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition (Switch)
3) Mega Man 11 (Switch)
4) Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana (Switch)
5) Guacamelee! 2 (Switch)

This was quite a year for me, even though it wasn't as good as 2017 as the fair many stated.

Monster hunter all the way!

Everyone is here, but only Smash shall win

Many great games released this year. And I got my Switch last December, so I’ve also been playing a lot of games released in 2017. It’s been one busy gaming year for me! So much fun!

@Lordplops watch it, these fanboys on here will tear you a new one for saying anything negative about the clearly dying 3DS (down 65% year-on-year shows it is a dying system), since neither them nor Reggie wants to actually admit that it's the successor for 3DS, even with the biggest franchise on it (Pokemon) moving to Switch next year.

i've pick Celeste for a few categories

Dead Cells is the game I had the most fun with this year.

Surprisingly, Starlink is right up there too. I loved that game way more than I thought I would.

Also surprisingly, I haaaaaaaaaate Celeste! I wish I could love it like everyone else does, but it is just a hateful, joyless grind (its not the difficulty...I've completed Super Meat Boy...it's just missing that spark for me that makes it worth persevering).

@Frenean Yes, Marble It Up! is amazing. Controls are tight, visuals are simple but appealing, music is great. Most importantly, it's crazy fun and I'm always in the mood to play it. Even after getting 100% (which is no small feat), I find myself regularly returning to it and have started a new file. Trying to beat the diamond time trials forces you to learn all sorts of intricacies to the game that aren't immediately obvious, and it's incredibly satisfying.

I guess Oxenfree released last year although I just played it this year. That and Celeste were the best games this year. Steamworld Dig 2 was great as well. Major titles for me were MH, Smash, Diablo, and Katamari.

2K deserves credit for NBA 2K19. It plays well on Switch.

Monster hunter gen
Smash
Octopath

I have now realised that I’ve not bought a single Retail game from 2018!

And I’ve only bought a couple of Indies, because the eShop is so terrible, and there are too many crappy mobile games that I can’t be bothered trawling through.

I bought a lot from 2017 though...

I actually had the most fun with retro compilations this year. psikyo, megadrive & capcom belt were all incredible.. oh n darksouls is great!

I can’t seem to vote for Katamari.

Had a hard time filling in the polls. This was the year I started retro game collecting so of the 300+ Physical games I bought only 9 where current gen, only 8 where switch and only 3 released this year. Most of the games I played this year where psvita, ps2, ps1 and ds games. (Especially vita, went up from 7 games I already owned for 4 years to 35 games and a local store has 16 more games reserved for me)

Trying to remember if Detective Pikachu was this year or not for the 3DS... this year has been so long it feels like.

Smash Ultimate was the only Switch game I bought this year. Just shows the quality of this year compared to 2017. Yeesh.

Smash, Starlink, and Horizon Chase Turbo are my top 3 for Switch....followed by Super Mario Party, Mario Tennis Aces, DK Tropical Freeze, Mega Man 11, Runner 3, Hollow Knight, and Dragon Ball FighterZ

Overall category top 3:

1. Celeste (best platformer I have played in 25 years of gaming)

2. Diablo 3 Eternal Collection (huge Diablo fan since the first game and loving D3 on Switch)

3. Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection (I used to play so much street fighter in the arcades when I was a kid and having those arcade games on Switch complete with the art and animation in the Museum mode makes this my 3rd choice)

Torna, Octopath, and Smash. The Messenger was also great.

Alright Torna. I'm pulling for you. Let's see what you got

If I'm being honest, this poll just made me realize what a crappy year it's been. The only 2 categories i really had a game that I would actually want to vote for were Best 3DS Game (Luigi's Mansion), and Best Multiplayer (Mario Party). Everything else is pretty meh. We all know Smash is gonna clean up anyway, and I'm glad you're all enjoying and all, but it's really not for me.

The world ends with you was hands down the best game, despite it being a port, but that doesnt eliminate the fact that its still a brilliant game with an amazing soundtrack

Smash is my close second with octopath being third

Shout outs to couch co_op diablo 3, a lot of fun to be had whilst playing coop

Nintendo didnt do it for me, but nonetheless still a fantastic year for gaming when looking at third party support

Great to see such a strong third party year!

I see that no one played Monster Boy yet, eh?

The only thing I’ve bought this year is Thunderforce IV ☺️

Shining Resonance Refrain
Torna
Valkyria Chronicles 4
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana

All of these are genuine all-timers, unlike 5-minute wonder Smash.

Well of course the GotY is Smash. I almost wish it wasn't out yet so I could vote Celeste number one. Such a gem of a game.

Getting smash for Xmas from the wife I'm sure but hyper light drifter and messenger were top 2 for me

mostly just just bayonetta , dbfz and xenoblade

My top 3
Super Smash Brother Ultimate
Ys VIII lacrimosa of dana
Pokemon lets go (Pikachu for me)

2018 was way to back heavy hopefully 2019 is more spread out.

I predict that the best selling, most played games will win.

I Choose the Vote:

1. Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu
2. Super Smash Brother Ultimate
3. Warframe

@Rohanrocks88
I think you mean Super Mario Country of Time VII Blue Version Extended Cut DX Watersports Invitational U

Hmmm I wonder what will win 😉

Lets see some love for Earthlock and Octopath Traveller

Palm Reading Premium

Monsterboy would be my no.1. Hollow Knight blew me away. Y'S 8 was awesome. Smash Ultimate is absorbing my time at the moment, and even though it was a 2017 game, Xenoblade was an amazing experiance well into 2018.
I dont know which order to put these in haha.

Dark souls. Having never played it before I found it to be amazing.

Not that much love for Octopath.
💕 from me.

@Littleeddie yeah I was kinda disappointed with Octopath, amazing visuals and music but the story wasn’t great.

I had to enter quite a few games manually because they didn't appear in the scroll box after entering the first word/letters of a specific game. It was a bit tough deciding which games were the best and even tougher on the Nintendo 3DS due to the 3DS having a VERY bleak year. I feel 2018 was the year of the Indies/E-shop games for the Nintendo Switch because the E-shop was absolutely filled with TONS of great games. I ended up buying more indie/e-shop games on the switch than physical games which is a first for me since I usually prefer physical games. Here's hoping 2019 will be the year of Nintendo games on the Switch since we got Metroid, Animal Crossing, Luigi Mansion 3, Yoshi coming and hopefully some more surprises!

Retail:
1. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
2. Bayonetta 2
3. Mega Man 11

Download:
1. Bayonetta 1
2. Guacamelee 2
3. Horizon Chase Turbo

Overall Game of the Year:
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

BOTW and Splatoon!

Smash is pretty lame, wish I could get my money back for digital purchase somehow.

Dark souls remastered was my overall GOTY followed by smash

Did Nintendo even release 3 retail Switch games this year?

My personal Switch games of the year:

1. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
2. Celeste
3. Octopath Traveler

If I wanted to include ports, I'd throw Tropical Freeze in between Smash and Celeste. I love that game!

Only played SSB Ultimate with a cousin so I only voted for that one and Hollow Knight as digital but I played that one in my PS4

As for the 3DS
1-The Alliance Alive
2-Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon
3-Detective Pikachu
For a system that is dying it really have a nice year with games like WarioWare Gold, Yokai Watch Blasters, Captain Toad, Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido, Jake Hunter Detective Story: Ghost of the Dusk and remakes like Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology, such an amazing console

My top 3 on switch this year

1: Dead Cells Signature Edition
2: Monster Boy and the cursed kingdom (physical)
3: Octopath Traveler

For me, best of Switch 2018 are:

1) Octopath Traveler
2) Hollow Knight
3) Dragonball FighterZ
4) Super Smash Bros
5) Celeste

It's gotta be Smash for me (even though I don't have it, I played it once), but Star Allies is an EXTREMELY close second, the first game I ever 100%'d. LABO 01 is third.

@Grant007 Hmm... Neither of your top two are 2018 games. This year is tough. There are a bunch of games I though were good, but none I really loved except Ys VIII. (Smash just isn't my thing, I know, sacrilege). And it's kind of embarrassing to say my favorite game on Switch is a port of a PS4 game originally released a year earlier.

@Frenean Why is Torna one of the options? It's not even technically a full separate game, just a really elaborate DLC expansion for Xenoblade Chronicles 2

@BlueBlur101

Eh, it's a standalone game as well though. You can buy it without ever having owned XBC2.

I played and bought 4 Switch games this yearMHGU, Octopath, Smash and Let’s go evee ! So voting is not really fair XD

Smash, Octopath and surprisingly Starlink...I’ve been playing that game like crazy for a couple weeks now lol did not expect it to be as good as it is.

If only there was a DLC category.

By the way, using an iPad sucks on this poll. The entry line keeps disappearing. Obviously Smash Brothers or Octopath are the Switch GOTY 2018. As for 3DS, I voted for Radiant Historia, The Alliance Alive and Shin Megami Strange Journey Redux.

@Rontanamo_Bay It was given a physical release, but it's not a separate game. Even Nintendo themselves marketed it and touted it as DLC. It was even included in the Season Pass content for Xenoblade in the first place.

That'd be like saying that the Smash Bros Fighters Pass is a separate game, just because physical download codes are being distributed for it as well

@Rontanamo_Bay I did vote numerous times for Dragon Ball FighterZ in the polls, particularly for Best Art Direction and GOTY alongside Smash and Octopath

Technically it still counts otherwise since FighterZ is a 2018 game anyway lol

@Frenean It’s not THAT good, but it is a lot of fun.

Crap. I forgot about West of Loathing until after it was too late. Sorry, Jick & Co.

Hollow Knight, Furi and Night in the Woods. Played a ton of games from 2017, though. Smash, Overcooked and Aces for multiplayer games.

Not a huge fan of the categories. Wonder how much % even played 3 3DS games this year that they think are worth "game of the year".

1. Smash brothers
2. Civilization 6
3. Diablo 3
(although civ and diablo are both ports I think they should both be recognised as really good third-party games)

Why is there no Mario Odyssey as an option?

@JamesR Picross S2 is my first ever Picross game and I think I have logged over 45 hours on it now... It's certainly good value for money... haha

@Medic_alert persona 4 golden and castlevania symphony of the night. Both climbed to my top 5 all time favourite games.

Hollowknight....

This year I had the most fun with
1-NBA Playgrounds 2
2-Ys VIII
3-Smash
4-Starlink (might go higher next week when I finally have to time to play more)

Note-Torna might have made it, but I haven't beat Xenoblade 2 yet, I put about 40 hours in recently and I'm loving it. As soon as I finish Xenoblade 2 I'll start Torna

Best Switch retail

1 Smash
2 Crash Bandicoot

Best Switch download

1 Hollow knight
2 Owlboy

Best 3DS title

1 Warioware gold

Best artstyle

1 Owlboy
2 Hollow knight
3 Yoku's island (2 and 3 can be switched, it was a hard choice)

Best game overall

1 Hollow knight (sorry smash)
2 Smash

It will be funny if Pokemon Crystal wins the best 3ds game category. Smash will smash the competition i think

I made a dumb misstake in my comment. I said several times Shovel knight, but I meant of course Hollow knight. Its fixed now!

One of my personal hilights was Bloodstained Curse of the moon - while it did not reinvent the wheel, it was really a suprise. I played 4 or 5 times through it just to see all the endings and depending on the constellation of Characters / Mooves you got along the way is was every time differnt to play.
I really wish they would make a direct sequel to this version (not talking about the Metroidvania game that is coming)

Besides that:

• Octopath Traveler was really lovely
• with Smash I have still a lots of fun an a lot more to go
• The Messenger was relly good to...

It was not a bigger a year than 2017 - this was hard to top – but in general a really good Switch Year -> when I think that one WiiU year would have just been like this... would have been the best WiiU year ever...

I know Smash will win anyway but I'm just not a fan of it.

My Switch game of the year is a game that some were calling a lazy uprezzed port of an expansion of a 3 year old 3ds game, that wasn't worth the full retail price, and that came out a year too late and has been rendered obsolete by a newer iteration on other platforms.

Well for me, even if I had bought a Switch just for this game alone it would still be worth it. Man do I love playing Monster Hunter on the Switch!!! I've played practically nothing else in the last 4 months.

Indie game of the year for me is Hollow Knight, although I still haven't played some others like Celeste and Dead Cells so maybe my vote there isn't fair. Something about the style of those games turned me off, despite the near universal praise for them.

Anyway I thought Hollow Knight was great.

I spammed Hollow Knight for no. 1 in all applicable categories (eshop, art design, dev, and overall game), and Super Smash Bros for best retail title.

In typical Nintendo fanboy fashion my choices were Smash, Let’s Go and Mario Party.
All great games and enjoyed by my family over Christmas too.

I would vote if it were multiple choice, but I don't think I actually played enough games to justify voting this way.

I got Physicals of Yoku's Island Express, Sonic Mania and Candle: The Power of the Flame, but can't put them in the retail vote

https://nintendad.co.uk/2018/12/05/feature-nintendads-game-of-the-year/

Octopath traveler GOTY

It would not let me vote for fortnite on multiplayer, even though I could vote for it for all other categories... unfortunately Nintendolife probably won’t see this comment since there are already so many on this article

If there was a category for "Game you've played most, in 2018" then it'd still be BOTW!! Had to struggle to remember what other games I've been playing, beside that and Smash!

Smash Bros is the only Nintendo-made game I'd even consider. The only really great game in all of 2018 from them. All of my other tops would be 3rd parties due to lack of competition

Some comments seem to think only Smash has been released. The Switch lineup has been pretty good. Not as much on the 3DS, but they are worth checking out.

These were my votes:

Switch Retail Game Of The Year - 2018
1 - Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
2 - Mario Tennis Aces
3 - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Switch eShop Game Of The Year - 2018
1 - Sonic Mania Plus
2 - Puyo Puyo eSports
3 - Shantae and the Pirate's Curse

3DS Game Of The Year - 2018
1 - WarioWare Gold
2 - Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido
3 - Luigi's Mansion

eShop Developer Of The Year - 2018
1 - Sonic Mania (PagodaWest Games Headcannon)
2 - Celeste (Matt Makes Games)
3 - Shantae and the Pirate's Curse (WayForward Technologies)

Art Style Game Of The Year - 2018
1 - Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido
2 - Blade Strangers
3 - Puyo Puyo eSports

Multiplayer Game Of The Year - 2018
1 - Kirby Star Allies
2 - Super Mario Party
3 - Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition

Overall Game Of The Year - 2018
1 - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
2 - Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
3 - Sonic Mania Plus

@sketchturner
Now I want to play some Comix Zone! I will have to download "Marble It Up!". Sounds like a classic.

@zocker-hias
I'm waiting for a discount on "Bloodstained Curse of the Moon", but I have heard good things about it. Maybe one to play in October.

Overall Game Of The Year - 2018
1 - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
2 - Octopath Traveller
3 - Diablo III: Eternal Collection

@Mando44646 funny that the game was made by Bandai Namco and Sora

I find these things very hard. At the moment I'm really into Diablo 3, Octopath seems like a distant (but great!) memory, and Valkyria Chronicles 4 is next on my list, and even though I know I'll love it (loved the earlier games and played the demo), I can't say it's my GOTY without actually finishing it. As for Smash, I'm waiting for a REAL ultimate release. And there's so many I never even played and probably never will...
Then there's great AAA titles of amazing overall quality but no originality, and low budget indie games that deserve (and need) the spotlight way more for concept or art style for example.
I'll just say this: it's been another great year, with too many great games to pick a few and rank them. It's like asking what my top 3 Zelda games is. It's impossible to answer that.

@antdickens appreciate the reply!

I voted for Undertale, Okami HD, and Katamari for the e'shop, but they all actually came out physical. I don't know why I wasn't allowed to pick them in the physical Switch games.

Not much point to do this. Smash wins easily and the other categories are too much work.

Favourite retail purchases in general this year for Switch as I don't do digital whatsoever. ...... Super Smash Bros, Hyrule Warriors, Kirby Star Allies and Warriors Orochi 4. 3DS goes to Luigis Mansion.

Starlink, Sky Force Reloaded, Horizon Chase Turbo and Manticore were my favorites. Threw Milanoir some love for art style, but could never make it past that stupid driving stage.

If they would add mario 2 to the online service it would win goty every year

GOTY is definitely Smash for me. No contest.

@Mars I voted NBA 2K19 best game. Nothing comes close from an overall package perspective for me. Graphics, sound n commentary, gameplay, game modes, online, replayability....they really nailed it.

The only switch games I play came out last year, Zelda, mk8 and Mario odyssey, don't like any other game so far.....

Reviewing all my purchases and games played through to the credits--this was a good year for the switch. Mostly indie, but still a great year of gaming.

@sketchturner 100% on marble it up? Are you kidding, that is amazing! I also think the game is great, I hope to get to 50%. Good job on your completion!

@__Ret55

Thank you. I’m glad someone else recognizes the great effort from 2K Games.

Kirby: Star Allies is my game of the year. With all the extra contend Hal added over the year it all became worth it.