@cvrator I wouldn’t say I was disappointed by 4, but 4 didn’t have the same impact as the previous games for me. It’s still a 9/10 for me, just was overshadowed by releasing in 2023, which had some massive games, so it didn’t feel as important as it could have felt. If the game would’ve released in 2024, it’d have been a GotY contender for me, even as the least impactful Pikmin game for me… though it probably would’ve had more impact if it would’ve released in a weaker year.
Loved Pikmin 3. Might be my favorite in the series, which I know is an odd opinion. It’s just the most fun I’ve ever had as a co-op game when I played it with my wife years ago. I know 1+2 have more nostalgia factor for most people and that 4 is technically superior, but 3 just felt right to me in so many ways. One of my favorite games of all time. I’ll take an upgrade.
@urfaverenegade Have fun with the Megaman series! Every single mainline game is an absolute classic as is most of the X and Zero series. You’ve got a long road to series completion, but it’s going to be a truly enjoyable ride.
I have two more Christmases this weekend to do, so probably not much of anything. I’m feeling ok with the amount of 2025 games I’ve beaten to compile my year end list now, so there’s that. And because of that, I’ve sort of drifted towards playing through comfort food in the form of NES games. Little Nemo, Little Samson, Bucky O’Hare, Whomp ‘Em, Wallstreet Kid, Princess Tomato, and Mitsune Ga Tooru are ideas for what I might finish next. Beat Adventure Island 2, Kung Fu, and Friday the 13th over Christmas Eve/Day. Wallstreet Kid might be my first choice since I failed at it miserably on Christmas Day.
The real problem with Final Fantasy is that the games are excellent. Rebirth and XVI are the best the series has had to offer since the perfection of VII.
Rebirth > Remake > VI > VII > XVI > IV > X > Tactics > XV > VIII > IX > V > XIII> XII > I > III > II for me. Not including XI and XIV because I’m not an MMO guy, so I didn’t really connect with those games in the same way.
The game is honestly refreshingly vintage. I loved how the combat felt like it was a modernization of old Prime combat and felt a bit Halo-y. The level design was solid and interesting too, even if it was dated. It’s not the best Metroid game, but it is a solid one. I’d rather play something like this than most modern FPS titles. The older sensibilities of the game felt positively unique in 2025 to me. I liked it far better than the latest Doom, for instance.
@Polvasti I still think they should just be in a separate list. Ports and old games can get credit by being in a best ports of 2025, whereas new games can get credit as best new games of 2025. Love UFO 50, for example, but it’s a 2024 game in my eyes because that’s when the game released on its first platform. Great games can come to consoles late, but the Witcher 3 when it was ported to Switch should not have been a GotY contender, you know? It already had its time. These older games getting ported also are typically high profile games with plenty of recognition in their back pocket already. Newer games need time to shine. Cyberpunk on Switch 2 is quite impressive, sure, but it’s a 5 year old game. BotW is8 years old. Both have had their awards and sales when there are plenty of newer games that aren’t even a blip on anyone’s radar right now and that may be because ports are carrying the marketing weight of the industry. We’ve got studios closing every day because they’re struggling to find exposure, regardless of the level of quality of the games. These ports don’t need any help with that.
It’s great to see Prince of Persia back in such a strong force. I’ll admit that perhaps I’m getting a little burned out of roguelikes, but I do like this one, just not as much as I loved Dead Cells or Lost Crown, but it’s a solid step forward for both teams.
This list goes to show that more curation is needed when making these types of lists. How many games aren’t getting exposure because X game released on Switch 2 even though it released years ago on another platform? It feels disjointed. I’d imagine some viewers downvoted some classics just to keep them off the list, but that ended up conflicting with the smattering of 10/10 votes, causing them to actually flood the placements. We’ve probably hit an era where ports/remasters deserve a separate list from new releases for the sake of getting new, smaller games more exposure and credit.
All that said, I’m sort of surprised to see Hades 2 rank so highly, just as I was surprised to see it be the best reviewed game on Meta/Opencritic this year. It’s undeniably a great game, but if there ever was a game that felt like a sequel, that’s it. I know a lot of people leverage that complaint on Silksong, but I dunno. I enjoyed Hades 2, but it just felt like more of the same. Perhaps I liked Hades 1 a bit less than most, though I’d still consider it a classic, and I’d say Hades 2 is a tad bit better, but it just doesn’t feel like a GotY to me, you know? Even though Silksong’s my favorite game on a Nintendo platform this year, I do think Bananza deserves the gong for not only being accessible, but also for being wildly experimental and new.
Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo’s my favorite of this bunch. I’d add Henry Halfhead, Time Flies, Lego Voyagers, and Is This Seat Taken too. And for good measure, a few non-Switch recommendations: To a T, Öoo, and Level Devil need far more recognition and I hope they make it to Switch next year. Öoo, in particular, totally belongs on Switch.
And I know some people may hate me for saying this, but if we’re talking underrated games on Switch 2, just saying that Nintendo’s first party line-up this year feels underrated at large. Personally, Nintendo first party and indies carried the year.
@PharoneTheGnome I believe you that it’s a tool and, when used properly, it’s a benefit, but let’s be real here: it’s more often used for cost savings and cutting corners when it comes to games. Gen AI isn’t inherently the problem with Gen AI, but rather the whole CoD thing where trillion dollar companies will abuse these programs at the expense of employees and the quality of their product.
Thus far, I’m sure it’s utilized in fine ways somewhere and is a different form of creative design, but just like many other advancements in technology, I’m not sure it’s made things “better” yet. I couldn’t argue currently that I believe games have gotten better over the course of this generation, for instance, as these tools have become available. Perhaps the impact is yet to come.
Personally, I’m in the service industry, and I sort of see people using AI to be less hand-crafted and thoughtful in response sometimes, and I’ve noticed a type of autopilot from it. I can’t say I don’t use AI, because I do, but in my particular field, I’d say the rise of AI has been more a side step than a step forward. Most of the time, I’ve noticed the time saved from using ChatGPT or Gemini to generate something has been reinvested into time used to review what it says or suggests. Again, perhaps the truly positive impact is yet to come.
I’m not particularly a fan of generative AI. There’s some novelty there, but it doesn’t truly improve much in terms of quality and doesn’t expedite anything either. It’s just another hurdle being tossed at us to make life more complicated while draining our physical resources.
Pipistrello is absolutely one of the best games this year. Loved my time with it. The game’s unique in comparison to Zelda for its cynical cartoon tone. More people need to play this one.
Just beat Metroid Prime 4. Fantastic game. Time to finally compile that personal year end list.
Onto some assorted oldies like The Sims 1, SimCity 3000, Adventure Island 2, Rampage Universal Tour, Half Life, etc, whatever I feel the random urge to play the rest of the year.
@DennisReynolds I’d say they run pretty similarly, though my eye isn’t as good as DF. Shadows wasn’t my favorite game this year, but I’ll definitely say it’s one of the most impressive games I’ve ever seen visually. Surprisingly enough, I wouldn’t even say Yotei is that much better of a game than Shadows.
Actually agree that AC Shadows looks and runs better than Yotei. I’d pick Death Stranding over Doom, but this is a solid top 10 for performance and visuals and it’s hard to argue with it. Glad to see Earthion get a shout.
@Rattustheratt @DennyCrane The nice thing about the green crystals is that more and more of them appear on the map the further you get. I’ve filled up the green crystal almost halfway and I’m not really trying to. I expect I’ll have to do a little grind. I’m sure I’ve got to go back to the snow biome for “retraversal” as Nintendo called it back in the day, but really, I was a little nervous about it too, and it seems like my nerves were nothing more than unnecessary fear… at least I think so at this point! I think people that are upset with the level design must have a lot more free time than I do because I agree that I think the level and world design feels very strong, very Nintendo.
And yeah, the internet is absolutely negative right now. I started posting on here rather than lurking because I felt I needed to say things about games, hopefully in a positive manner (though not always). Prime 4 deserved better than the internet gave it. At least Happy Console Gamer gave a genuine review. Watched the MattyPlays review last week though and he almost seemed nervous to say the game was good because his fanbase probably wanted a hit piece. Lol
Shame about Metroid Prime 4. I’m 4 keys in now and I’m absolutely loving the game. I’d even go so far as to say I think it might be better than Prime 2 so far. Sure, it doesn’t top the original, but honestly… what does? It’s the best first party game this year, outside Bananza, of course.
I hope the game has legs and grows in reputation over time.
Probably a mix of Metroid Prime 4, Öoo, Level Devil, maybe Arc Raiders as I race to complete games just in time for a year end list. I’ve got Seance of Blake Manor to fire up too, but I’m not certain if I’ll squeeze that one in for end of year or not. I’m prioritizing Prime 4 and loving it.
Also, maybe SimCity 3000. On a whim, I played it a bit last night and it’s sort of deeply relaxing. I’m going to try my best NOT to play anything else retro as well, but it’s sort of comfort food this time of the year.
@Pat_trick Yeah, I mean, I loved Astro Bot and Death Stranding, but I’m not so big on Marvel and that feels like it’s as integral as live service shooters to Sony’s plan. It’s such a disconnect for me. With Square shifting away from exclusivizing their games too, it feels like Sony’s losing value for me. I can’t think of a single game that I want next year that is “Only on PlayStation.”
See, I don’t care about it being underpowered because I largely enjoy the first party output and buy the third party games on PS5. Switch 2 seems to be running games far better than the Switch 1 did though.
You and I want the same thing out of Pragmata. Been a while since I’ve been so interested in a brand new IP. I hope it’s technically solid and has been worth the wait.
@Pat_trick I tend to buy third party games on Playstation myself because they do seem best optimized there. I’m most likely getting Requiem on there, even though now I’m in a contemplation mode with Switch 2 and Steamdeck. Arc Raiders ran far better on the Deck than I anticipated. I can understand your frustration with PC, which is why I haven’t been a PC gamer for 20 years, but I just felt like now might be the time to jump. See, I’m more an indies kind of guy. I would say, like you, that I love first party PlayStation, but this generation hasn’t hit the way the last few have for me, you know? Totally understand the viewpoint though because I use my PS5 for the high horsepower games still… just wish there were more of them. I’m going to try the Pragmata demo on both platforms in the near future and looking forward to comparing.
Megaman getting an announcement was my showstopper moment for this year’s show. After waiting for a release date for five-ish years, getting a release date for Pragmata also felt really cool. There is some irony that the game that sold me on the PS5 most during its initial showcase might be a game I pick up on Switch 2 instead too…
Outside that, Control 2, RE Requiem, and Orbitals looked fantastic. And I’m more interested in 007 and Tomb Raider than I was before the show, but still not sold on either of them.
@Pat_trick Look at that! I think we’ve proved the old adage that you can’t get somewhere from discussing opposing viewpoints on the internet quite wrong.
I think that honestly it’s good that we’re at a point where we can discuss that everything has flaws and strengths and regardless of what is said, there is enjoyment to be had. I’m sure you had a rough time convincing others to play Veilguard, as that game basically received the Pokemon reception, but without the “other fanbase” to support it. It’s sort of interesting with Forspoken. At launch, everyone thought I was crazy, but then the game was a PS+ game and I noticed opinions change on it since the game was “free.” Once people that wanted to try it, but didn’t want to spend $70 on it gave it a chance, it seemed like a lot of people enjoyed it.
If you don’t mind my asking, what’s pulling you to PlayStation these days? For me, I’d say over the course of my gaming, I’d probably say in my adult life I’d been mostly PS first, but I’m drifting now. I’m even buying a Steam Deck today too, and I haven’t been on Steam in 15, 20 years or so.
@Pat_trick Thank you very much for having a real conversation about these things. I appreciate it. I don’t believe that everyone that believes those things are trend followers either, but I’ve argued with enough of them that I feel I need to check sometimes. I can respect your point of view, surely, despite us disagreeing on things. I mean, I felt Expedition 33 was rather average and would rank Z-A and Prime 4 above it this year. I’m not saying that to argue over it, but rather to highlight our different points of view.
There are certainly the Nintendo die hards too, which I feel myself sharing more common ground with that group lately, though it hasn’t always been the case. I abandoned Nintendo at one point in the Wii/DS era after all because I felt Nintendo had lost their quality marker and became a shovelware platform.
I’m sort of at a place right now where I feel myself drifting from Playstation and Xbox and honestly the Switch 2’s line-up was some of the most fun gaming I’ve had this year (though Death Stranding 2 would be my pick for GotY), and as a result I’ve felt the negative opinions circulating in gaming culture this year were sort of shocking. It’s the spice of life to have differing opinions though. And maybe I tend to champion games that don’t get respect in the mainstream. I liked Forspoken, after all! 😂
@AussieMcBucket @Randomarcadedude It’s definitely YouTube culture that’s swaying these types of things. It’s been an echo chamber in 2025. I get that these awards are “a joke,” but it’s a tasteless chase for clicks, as many of the YouTubers that complained about these experiences didn’t even play them… If GameStop had a bit more courage, would’ve been nice for them to give the award to Black Ops 7, which actually cut corners with AI and was clearly the worst game yet in a storied series. If there’s a game for us to point our fingers and laugh (all six of them), it’s BLOps7. Halo 3 is a solid choice for GotY though and better than many of the game nominated for GotY this year! 😂
@Pat_trick I can’t argue with you that Welcome Tour should have been free, but I can say that the experience for Welcome Tour is relatively solid and smooth and certainly worth the price of admission since there is a price. Again, it’s tacky there’s a price, but it is a solid experience for a couple hours of play. If it would’ve been free, I’m sure the narrative around the game would’ve been completely different.
Have you played Prime 4 or Z-A yet? As others have posted, the desert in Prime 4 is allegedly supposed to be silent and the radio is an unlock. Honestly, it’s better silent. It feels more Metroid that way. I’m probably a little more than halfway through Prime 4 and I’d disagree completely with most of the negativity towards the game. It feels like a fine vintage to me, and honestly, if the game keeps going the way it’s going, for me, it’s not going to even end up being the worst Prime game. Does it beat Prime 1? No, but neither did Prime 2 or 3.
As far as Z-A goes, it’s got some of the best gameplay in the series and better visuals than one would expect. Are they a generational leap? No, but no Pokemon game ever has been. Could Gamefreak put more budget into these games? Yes, but it doesn’t detract from the fact that what they put out is a solid game with some curiously aged details. As a complete package though, it’s honestly one of the better Pokemon games. It’s no Arceus, but it’s certainly better than Sword and Shield, and honestly it’s probably slightly better as a game than X and Y.
That said, I do have high standards in gaming. I’m critical of many trends in the industry, but still purchase a couple dozen games a year, play through 20-30 games a year. I’ve played all the GotY nominees except for Peak, got opinions on all of them. Beat almost all of them too. I’ll admit that I’ve not completed Hades 2, though I’m pretty close to it. I just form my own opinion from playing games. I do listen to YouTube too with regards to gaming, but it’s impossible not to notice that it feels like a lot of people nowadays are just saying what other videos are saying. I enjoyed MattyPlays’s video on Prime 4 yesterday though, but it sort of seemed like he was nervous to praise Prime 4 because he was aware of how his base feels about the game… though most likely based on other videos and a Metacritic score rather than from actual experience. My belief is that people should form their own opinion based on actual interaction with a media and be open minded before dismissing something because the crowd says to.
I sort of like the more recent villains better, but think there should be some background about who is actually creating these problems nowadays. They don’t need to be the focal point though. VII and VIII are the best games in the series for me.
An 8 or 9 so far from me. I’m maybe four hours into it and it’s really nice having that feeling about being excited to play something.
You see, I was in a place just prior to Prime 4, where I wanted to play something I didn’t have, but wasn’t sure what. I was struggling to play Yotei and Silent Hill F and Prime 4 just feels right. It’s just good. I like that vintage FPS feel to the game. Love that I can’t sprint too.
This was a Nothing November for me. Gotta be honest and say I’m glad this November was so barren, so I could catch up or drop things to make space for Metroid.
This is a weird year where December actually has some interesting releases too.
He deserves one for that research article! That’s incredible. I know I always felt like Christmas was my time of the year for consoles and hoarding games. My parents liked games but they were casuals, so I was always a mid to late gen adopter. I mean, I got an SNES in 1997, but a 64 in 1999 (though I bought that one with Christmas money I saved starting in 1996…), which feels sort of goofy to think about these days. I really hope you guys get a Switch 2 because getting a console on Christmas is the best feeling.
I honestly think “Switch 2 editions” of Switch 1 games should be omitted unless they released on both consoles simultaneously. I mean, BotW and TotK are so obviously fantastic, of course, but do either of them really need the nod just because they’re already better performing versions of two of the best games ever made? It’s not like I want to downvote either of them either because they’re both so perfect.
But seriously, on Switch, my personal pick is Silksong with an honorable mention to Donkey Kong Bananza. Two absolutely incredible games. Curious how I’ll feel about Prime 4 as I complete it.
I’ve been very happy with the console so far. I’ve not loved a console so much to start since the Switch 1. It does everything the Switch 1 does, but does it better and it feels better too. It’s been my primary console since release when I expected it to be secondary as my Switch 1 was for most of its life. I’m picking up a Steamdeck next week, so I’m excited to compare them, but, as things stand right now, my Switch 2 is my current favorite piece of gaming hardware in spite of the controversies.
I also think most of the Switch exclusives have been great this year. I can’t comment much on Metroid Prime 4 yet, but I’d say most of the releases hit very strongly for me. Kirby Air Riders is probably the only one that didn’t hit for me (outside Zelda Musuo, but I was never getting that one anyway).
Dread should be much higher. The game’s flawless. Top 5 games in the Switch 1 era for sure. Personally was my GotY in 2021.
Just started Prime 4, but it being so close to Other M feels… wrong. It sort of feels like review culture has changed a lot in the last 10 years, let alone the 20+ years since Prime 1. I think we’ve all grown more critical in our voices over that timeframe.
@Dr_Awkward @sketchturner It’s December and doesn’t have a release date. This is a big game. It’ll have a release date announcement. Unless it’s a shadow drop at TGA, it’ll launch next year.
And I know it’ll be good because the demo was fantastic! Yacht Club hasn’t missed yet.
List it and I’ll buy it. Now that it’s a 2026 game, it’s got a real shot at GotY, given the current release schedule. I mean, this year it had a shot, based on the demo, but next year it REALLY has a shot.
Love Cerny’s picks. Those are definitely some of my favorite games of all time as well.
For my picks, I’ll just say the five games I would never delete from my consoles: 1. Galaga 2. Megaman 6 3. Castlevania 4. Balatro 5. Donkey Kong Country 2
Not necessarily my absolute favorite of favorite games, but games I can play endlessly and always return to no matter what.
Well, looks like Kirby’s a flop in the west (as is the new Zelda musuo). Really surprised to see them both bombing out of the top 40 so fast, but honestly… I’m still wondering if there was much a strategy for them to be hits by Nintendo at all either. Hopefully Metroid sticks the landing…
Tomb Raider is more a relic of its time now than an actually great game, in my opinion. The first two games are fun to go back to, but they don’t hold up like many other games from the era do. There’s charm, but the gameplay doesn’t feel as good as it once did.
Tomb Raider 2013, on the other hand, was a solid reboot for the series back in 2013. Hopefully Rise and Shadow make their way to the Switch at some point, as I’d say Rise is the best game in the series.
And honestly the game topping the list doesn’t even make sense right now…
Honestly, I really want to play something new, but I feel bad about buying anything new right now, given that Metroid is coming this week and I’m about to buy a Steamdeck and will be sinking some money into starting a Steam library very soon. I have to work today, but it’s snow storm weather, so I sort of want to just curl up and play some games. Realistically though, I think I’m just going to plan my early Steam library and play Arc Raiders… but I keep thinking about The Outer Worlds 2 at random too…
I should go back to Yotei and finish that though, shouldn’t I? Or Silent Hill F? Or Hades 2? For some reason, as good as those games are, man, I’m struggling getting back to them.
Comments 2,256
Re: Pikmin 3 Deluxe Nintendo Switch 2 Rating Pops Up Online
@cvrator I wouldn’t say I was disappointed by 4, but 4 didn’t have the same impact as the previous games for me. It’s still a 9/10 for me, just was overshadowed by releasing in 2023, which had some massive games, so it didn’t feel as important as it could have felt. If the game would’ve released in 2024, it’d have been a GotY contender for me, even as the least impactful Pikmin game for me… though it probably would’ve had more impact if it would’ve released in a weaker year.
Re: Pikmin 3 Deluxe Nintendo Switch 2 Rating Pops Up Online
Loved Pikmin 3. Might be my favorite in the series, which I know is an odd opinion. It’s just the most fun I’ve ever had as a co-op game when I played it with my wife years ago. I know 1+2 have more nostalgia factor for most people and that 4 is technically superior, but 3 just felt right to me in so many ways. One of my favorite games of all time. I’ll take an upgrade.
Re: My Nintendo Metroid Prime 'Legacy Sweepstakes' Offers A Bounty Of Prizes (North America)
I hope NLife users sweep the wins here! I know I’d love to win!
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (27th December)
@urfaverenegade Have fun with the Megaman series! Every single mainline game is an absolute classic as is most of the X and Zero series. You’ve got a long road to series completion, but it’s going to be a truly enjoyable ride.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (27th December)
I have two more Christmases this weekend to do, so probably not much of anything. I’m feeling ok with the amount of 2025 games I’ve beaten to compile my year end list now, so there’s that. And because of that, I’ve sort of drifted towards playing through comfort food in the form of NES games. Little Nemo, Little Samson, Bucky O’Hare, Whomp ‘Em, Wallstreet Kid, Princess Tomato, and Mitsune Ga Tooru are ideas for what I might finish next. Beat Adventure Island 2, Kung Fu, and Friday the 13th over Christmas Eve/Day. Wallstreet Kid might be my first choice since I failed at it miserably on Christmas Day.
Re: Square Enix Wants Feedback About The Final Fantasy Series In Its New Survey
The real problem with Final Fantasy is that the games are excellent. Rebirth and XVI are the best the series has had to offer since the perfection of VII.
Rebirth > Remake > VI > VII > XVI > IV > X > Tactics > XV > VIII > IX > V > XIII> XII > I > III > II for me. Not including XI and XIV because I’m not an MMO guy, so I didn’t really connect with those games in the same way.
Re: Nintendo Suggests Metroid Prime 4's Tortured Development Meant It Was "Divorced From The Changing Of Times"
The game is honestly refreshingly vintage. I loved how the combat felt like it was a modernization of old Prime combat and felt a bit Halo-y. The level design was solid and interesting too, even if it was dated. It’s not the best Metroid game, but it is a solid one. I’d rather play something like this than most modern FPS titles. The older sensibilities of the game felt positively unique in 2025 to me. I liked it far better than the latest Doom, for instance.
Re: Best Nintendo Switch 1 & 2 Games Of 2025
@Polvasti I still think they should just be in a separate list. Ports and old games can get credit by being in a best ports of 2025, whereas new games can get credit as best new games of 2025. Love UFO 50, for example, but it’s a 2024 game in my eyes because that’s when the game released on its first platform. Great games can come to consoles late, but the Witcher 3 when it was ported to Switch should not have been a GotY contender, you know? It already had its time. These older games getting ported also are typically high profile games with plenty of recognition in their back pocket already. Newer games need time to shine. Cyberpunk on Switch 2 is quite impressive, sure, but it’s a 5 year old game. BotW is8 years old. Both have had their awards and sales when there are plenty of newer games that aren’t even a blip on anyone’s radar right now and that may be because ports are carrying the marketing weight of the industry. We’ve got studios closing every day because they’re struggling to find exposure, regardless of the level of quality of the games. These ports don’t need any help with that.
Re: Review: The Rogue Prince Of Persia (Switch 2) - A Worthy, Approachable Follow-Up To Dead Cells
It’s great to see Prince of Persia back in such a strong force. I’ll admit that perhaps I’m getting a little burned out of roguelikes, but I do like this one, just not as much as I loved Dead Cells or Lost Crown, but it’s a solid step forward for both teams.
Re: Best Nintendo Switch 1 & 2 Games Of 2025
This list goes to show that more curation is needed when making these types of lists. How many games aren’t getting exposure because X game released on Switch 2 even though it released years ago on another platform? It feels disjointed. I’d imagine some viewers downvoted some classics just to keep them off the list, but that ended up conflicting with the smattering of 10/10 votes, causing them to actually flood the placements. We’ve probably hit an era where ports/remasters deserve a separate list from new releases for the sake of getting new, smaller games more exposure and credit.
All that said, I’m sort of surprised to see Hades 2 rank so highly, just as I was surprised to see it be the best reviewed game on Meta/Opencritic this year. It’s undeniably a great game, but if there ever was a game that felt like a sequel, that’s it. I know a lot of people leverage that complaint on Silksong, but I dunno. I enjoyed Hades 2, but it just felt like more of the same. Perhaps I liked Hades 1 a bit less than most, though I’d still consider it a classic, and I’d say Hades 2 is a tad bit better, but it just doesn’t feel like a GotY to me, you know? Even though Silksong’s my favorite game on a Nintendo platform this year, I do think Bananza deserves the gong for not only being accessible, but also for being wildly experimental and new.
Re: Feature: The Best Hidden Gems And Underrated Switch 1 & 2 Games Of 2025
Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo’s my favorite of this bunch. I’d add Henry Halfhead, Time Flies, Lego Voyagers, and Is This Seat Taken too. And for good measure, a few non-Switch recommendations: To a T, Öoo, and Level Devil need far more recognition and I hope they make it to Switch next year. Öoo, in particular, totally belongs on Switch.
And I know some people may hate me for saying this, but if we’re talking underrated games on Switch 2, just saying that Nintendo’s first party line-up this year feels underrated at large. Personally, Nintendo first party and indies carried the year.
Re: Talking Point: Does It Bother You That Big Games Companies Are Using GenAI?
@PharoneTheGnome I believe you that it’s a tool and, when used properly, it’s a benefit, but let’s be real here: it’s more often used for cost savings and cutting corners when it comes to games. Gen AI isn’t inherently the problem with Gen AI, but rather the whole CoD thing where trillion dollar companies will abuse these programs at the expense of employees and the quality of their product.
Thus far, I’m sure it’s utilized in fine ways somewhere and is a different form of creative design, but just like many other advancements in technology, I’m not sure it’s made things “better” yet. I couldn’t argue currently that I believe games have gotten better over the course of this generation, for instance, as these tools have become available. Perhaps the impact is yet to come.
Personally, I’m in the service industry, and I sort of see people using AI to be less hand-crafted and thoughtful in response sometimes, and I’ve noticed a type of autopilot from it. I can’t say I don’t use AI, because I do, but in my particular field, I’d say the rise of AI has been more a side step than a step forward. Most of the time, I’ve noticed the time saved from using ChatGPT or Gemini to generate something has been reinvested into time used to review what it says or suggests. Again, perhaps the truly positive impact is yet to come.
Re: Talking Point: Does It Bother You That Big Games Companies Are Using GenAI?
I’m not particularly a fan of generative AI. There’s some novelty there, but it doesn’t truly improve much in terms of quality and doesn’t expedite anything either. It’s just another hurdle being tossed at us to make life more complicated while draining our physical resources.
Re: Opinion: Who Needs Link? This Top-Down Metroidvania Is The Best Zelda Game Of 2025
Pipistrello is absolutely one of the best games this year. Loved my time with it. The game’s unique in comparison to Zelda for its cynical cartoon tone. More people need to play this one.
Re: Poll: Box Art Brawl - Ice Climber
Europe is the best of both worlds
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (20th December)
Just beat Metroid Prime 4. Fantastic game. Time to finally compile that personal year end list.
Onto some assorted oldies like The Sims 1, SimCity 3000, Adventure Island 2, Rampage Universal Tour, Half Life, etc, whatever I feel the random urge to play the rest of the year.
Re: Digital Foundry's 'Graphics Of The Year Awards' Nod To Some Switch 2 Beauties
@DennisReynolds I’d say they run pretty similarly, though my eye isn’t as good as DF. Shadows wasn’t my favorite game this year, but I’ll definitely say it’s one of the most impressive games I’ve ever seen visually. Surprisingly enough, I wouldn’t even say Yotei is that much better of a game than Shadows.
Re: Digital Foundry's 'Graphics Of The Year Awards' Nod To Some Switch 2 Beauties
Actually agree that AC Shadows looks and runs better than Yotei. I’d pick Death Stranding over Doom, but this is a solid top 10 for performance and visuals and it’s hard to argue with it. Glad to see Earthion get a shout.
Re: UK Charts: Metroid Prime 4 Falls From The Top Ten
@Rattustheratt @DennyCrane The nice thing about the green crystals is that more and more of them appear on the map the further you get. I’ve filled up the green crystal almost halfway and I’m not really trying to. I expect I’ll have to do a little grind. I’m sure I’ve got to go back to the snow biome for “retraversal” as Nintendo called it back in the day, but really, I was a little nervous about it too, and it seems like my nerves were nothing more than unnecessary fear… at least I think so at this point! I think people that are upset with the level design must have a lot more free time than I do because I agree that I think the level and world design feels very strong, very Nintendo.
And yeah, the internet is absolutely negative right now. I started posting on here rather than lurking because I felt I needed to say things about games, hopefully in a positive manner (though not always). Prime 4 deserved better than the internet gave it. At least Happy Console Gamer gave a genuine review. Watched the MattyPlays review last week though and he almost seemed nervous to say the game was good because his fanbase probably wanted a hit piece. Lol
Re: UK Charts: Metroid Prime 4 Falls From The Top Ten
Shame about Metroid Prime 4. I’m 4 keys in now and I’m absolutely loving the game. I’d even go so far as to say I think it might be better than Prime 2 so far. Sure, it doesn’t top the original, but honestly… what does? It’s the best first party game this year, outside Bananza, of course.
I hope the game has legs and grows in reputation over time.
Re: Poll: Box Art Brawl: Duel - Mega Man 6
The North America one. It’s the first game I ever personally picked to purchase in a store. How could I pick a different cover?
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (13th December)
Probably a mix of Metroid Prime 4, Öoo, Level Devil, maybe Arc Raiders as I race to complete games just in time for a year end list. I’ve got Seance of Blake Manor to fire up too, but I’m not certain if I’ll squeeze that one in for end of year or not. I’m prioritizing Prime 4 and loving it.
Also, maybe SimCity 3000. On a whim, I played it a bit last night and it’s sort of deeply relaxing. I’m going to try my best NOT to play anything else retro as well, but it’s sort of comfort food this time of the year.
Re: Random: Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour Wins GameStop's "Worst Game Of The Year" Award
@Pat_trick Yeah, I mean, I loved Astro Bot and Death Stranding, but I’m not so big on Marvel and that feels like it’s as integral as live service shooters to Sony’s plan. It’s such a disconnect for me. With Square shifting away from exclusivizing their games too, it feels like Sony’s losing value for me. I can’t think of a single game that I want next year that is “Only on PlayStation.”
See, I don’t care about it being underpowered because I largely enjoy the first party output and buy the third party games on PS5. Switch 2 seems to be running games far better than the Switch 1 did though.
You and I want the same thing out of Pragmata. Been a while since I’ve been so interested in a brand new IP. I hope it’s technically solid and has been worth the wait.
Re: Random: Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour Wins GameStop's "Worst Game Of The Year" Award
@Pat_trick I tend to buy third party games on Playstation myself because they do seem best optimized there. I’m most likely getting Requiem on there, even though now I’m in a contemplation mode with Switch 2 and Steamdeck. Arc Raiders ran far better on the Deck than I anticipated. I can understand your frustration with PC, which is why I haven’t been a PC gamer for 20 years, but I just felt like now might be the time to jump. See, I’m more an indies kind of guy. I would say, like you, that I love first party PlayStation, but this generation hasn’t hit the way the last few have for me, you know? Totally understand the viewpoint though because I use my PS5 for the high horsepower games still… just wish there were more of them. I’m going to try the Pragmata demo on both platforms in the near future and looking forward to comparing.
Re: Round Up: Everything Announced At The Game Awards 2025 - All Switch 1 & 2 Reveals
Megaman getting an announcement was my showstopper moment for this year’s show. After waiting for a release date for five-ish years, getting a release date for Pragmata also felt really cool. There is some irony that the game that sold me on the PS5 most during its initial showcase might be a game I pick up on Switch 2 instead too…
Outside that, Control 2, RE Requiem, and Orbitals looked fantastic. And I’m more interested in 007 and Tomb Raider than I was before the show, but still not sold on either of them.
Re: 'Orbitals' Brings Awesome-Looking Asymmetrical Co-Op Anime Antics To Switch 2 Next Year
This was absolutely one of the best looking games announced for TGA. Love the 80’s aesthetic on this one, reminds me of the anime I grew up with.
Re: Hades 2 Dev Shares Adorable GOTY Nominee Artwork Ahead Of The Game Awards
Hoping for an upset tonight! Go DK! (or Silksong or Death Stranding)
Re: Limited Run Games Is Bringing NES 'Jaws' To Switch In "Massively Expanded" Form
Where’s AVGN when you need him? This seems tailored to be assaulted by an older iteration of him.
Re: Random: Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour Wins GameStop's "Worst Game Of The Year" Award
@Pat_trick Look at that! I think we’ve proved the old adage that you can’t get somewhere from discussing opposing viewpoints on the internet quite wrong.
I think that honestly it’s good that we’re at a point where we can discuss that everything has flaws and strengths and regardless of what is said, there is enjoyment to be had. I’m sure you had a rough time convincing others to play Veilguard, as that game basically received the Pokemon reception, but without the “other fanbase” to support it. It’s sort of interesting with Forspoken. At launch, everyone thought I was crazy, but then the game was a PS+ game and I noticed opinions change on it since the game was “free.” Once people that wanted to try it, but didn’t want to spend $70 on it gave it a chance, it seemed like a lot of people enjoyed it.
If you don’t mind my asking, what’s pulling you to PlayStation these days? For me, I’d say over the course of my gaming, I’d probably say in my adult life I’d been mostly PS first, but I’m drifting now. I’m even buying a Steam Deck today too, and I haven’t been on Steam in 15, 20 years or so.
Re: Random: Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour Wins GameStop's "Worst Game Of The Year" Award
@Pat_trick Thank you very much for having a real conversation about these things. I appreciate it. I don’t believe that everyone that believes those things are trend followers either, but I’ve argued with enough of them that I feel I need to check sometimes. I can respect your point of view, surely, despite us disagreeing on things. I mean, I felt Expedition 33 was rather average and would rank Z-A and Prime 4 above it this year. I’m not saying that to argue over it, but rather to highlight our different points of view.
There are certainly the Nintendo die hards too, which I feel myself sharing more common ground with that group lately, though it hasn’t always been the case. I abandoned Nintendo at one point in the Wii/DS era after all because I felt Nintendo had lost their quality marker and became a shovelware platform.
I’m sort of at a place right now where I feel myself drifting from Playstation and Xbox and honestly the Switch 2’s line-up was some of the most fun gaming I’ve had this year (though Death Stranding 2 would be my pick for GotY), and as a result I’ve felt the negative opinions circulating in gaming culture this year were sort of shocking. It’s the spice of life to have differing opinions though. And maybe I tend to champion games that don’t get respect in the mainstream. I liked Forspoken, after all! 😂
Re: Random: Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour Wins GameStop's "Worst Game Of The Year" Award
@AussieMcBucket @Randomarcadedude It’s definitely YouTube culture that’s swaying these types of things. It’s been an echo chamber in 2025. I get that these awards are “a joke,” but it’s a tasteless chase for clicks, as many of the YouTubers that complained about these experiences didn’t even play them… If GameStop had a bit more courage, would’ve been nice for them to give the award to Black Ops 7, which actually cut corners with AI and was clearly the worst game yet in a storied series. If there’s a game for us to point our fingers and laugh (all six of them), it’s BLOps7. Halo 3 is a solid choice for GotY though and better than many of the game nominated for GotY this year! 😂
@Pat_trick I can’t argue with you that Welcome Tour should have been free, but I can say that the experience for Welcome Tour is relatively solid and smooth and certainly worth the price of admission since there is a price. Again, it’s tacky there’s a price, but it is a solid experience for a couple hours of play. If it would’ve been free, I’m sure the narrative around the game would’ve been completely different.
Have you played Prime 4 or Z-A yet? As others have posted, the desert in Prime 4 is allegedly supposed to be silent and the radio is an unlock. Honestly, it’s better silent. It feels more Metroid that way. I’m probably a little more than halfway through Prime 4 and I’d disagree completely with most of the negativity towards the game. It feels like a fine vintage to me, and honestly, if the game keeps going the way it’s going, for me, it’s not going to even end up being the worst Prime game. Does it beat Prime 1? No, but neither did Prime 2 or 3.
As far as Z-A goes, it’s got some of the best gameplay in the series and better visuals than one would expect. Are they a generational leap? No, but no Pokemon game ever has been. Could Gamefreak put more budget into these games? Yes, but it doesn’t detract from the fact that what they put out is a solid game with some curiously aged details. As a complete package though, it’s honestly one of the better Pokemon games. It’s no Arceus, but it’s certainly better than Sword and Shield, and honestly it’s probably slightly better as a game than X and Y.
That said, I do have high standards in gaming. I’m critical of many trends in the industry, but still purchase a couple dozen games a year, play through 20-30 games a year. I’ve played all the GotY nominees except for Peak, got opinions on all of them. Beat almost all of them too. I’ll admit that I’ve not completed Hades 2, though I’m pretty close to it. I just form my own opinion from playing games. I do listen to YouTube too with regards to gaming, but it’s impossible not to notice that it feels like a lot of people nowadays are just saying what other videos are saying. I enjoyed MattyPlays’s video on Prime 4 yesterday though, but it sort of seemed like he was nervous to praise Prime 4 because he was aware of how his base feels about the game… though most likely based on other videos and a Metacritic score rather than from actual experience. My belief is that people should form their own opinion based on actual interaction with a media and be open minded before dismissing something because the crowd says to.
Re: Random: Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour Wins GameStop's "Worst Game Of The Year" Award
The ire over Welcome Tour, Pokemon Z-A, and even Metroid now is sort of ludicrous. There’s been actual junk released this year instead, you know?
Re: Opinion: Resident Evil Requiem Needs To Solve The Series' Villain Problem
I sort of like the more recent villains better, but think there should be some background about who is actually creating these problems nowadays. They don’t need to be the focal point though. VII and VIII are the best games in the series for me.
Re: Nintendo Places Outside Top Ten In Metacritic's 13th Annual Game Publisher Rankings
@Greenspark Appreciate the insightful necro-response.
Re: Poll: What Review Score Would You Give Metroid Prime 4: Beyond?
An 8 or 9 so far from me. I’m maybe four hours into it and it’s really nice having that feeling about being excited to play something.
You see, I was in a place just prior to Prime 4, where I wanted to play something I didn’t have, but wasn’t sure what. I was struggling to play Yotei and Silent Hill F and Prime 4 just feels right. It’s just good. I like that vintage FPS feel to the game. Love that I can’t sprint too.
Re: Feature: Nintendo Life eShop Selects (November 2025)
This was a Nothing November for me. Gotta be honest and say I’m glad this November was so barren, so I could catch up or drop things to make space for Metroid.
This is a weird year where December actually has some interesting releases too.
Re: Feature: My NES Longing, My Son's Terrifying Switch 2 Obsession
He deserves one for that research article! That’s incredible. I know I always felt like Christmas was my time of the year for consoles and hoarding games. My parents liked games but they were casuals, so I was always a mid to late gen adopter. I mean, I got an SNES in 1997, but a 64 in 1999 (though I bought that one with Christmas money I saved starting in 1996…), which feels sort of goofy to think about these days. I really hope you guys get a Switch 2 because getting a console on Christmas is the best feeling.
Re: Poll: Box Art Brawl: Duel - Metroid Prime Pinball
I voted for Japan because it looks more lively, even though I prefer the layout of NA’s box art.
Re: Community: It's Time To Rate Your Switch 1 & 2 Games Of The Year
I honestly think “Switch 2 editions” of Switch 1 games should be omitted unless they released on both consoles simultaneously. I mean, BotW and TotK are so obviously fantastic, of course, but do either of them really need the nod just because they’re already better performing versions of two of the best games ever made? It’s not like I want to downvote either of them either because they’re both so perfect.
But seriously, on Switch, my personal pick is Silksong with an honorable mention to Donkey Kong Bananza. Two absolutely incredible games. Curious how I’ll feel about Prime 4 as I complete it.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (6th December)
Metroid Prime 4
Re: Talking Point: Six Months Since Launch, How Would You Rate Switch 2?
I’ve been very happy with the console so far. I’ve not loved a console so much to start since the Switch 1. It does everything the Switch 1 does, but does it better and it feels better too. It’s been my primary console since release when I expected it to be secondary as my Switch 1 was for most of its life. I’m picking up a Steamdeck next week, so I’m excited to compare them, but, as things stand right now, my Switch 2 is my current favorite piece of gaming hardware in spite of the controversies.
I also think most of the Switch exclusives have been great this year. I can’t comment much on Metroid Prime 4 yet, but I’d say most of the releases hit very strongly for me. Kirby Air Riders is probably the only one that didn’t hit for me (outside Zelda Musuo, but I was never getting that one anyway).
Re: Metacritic Shares Updated List Of "Every Metroid Game, Ranked"
Dread should be much higher. The game’s flawless. Top 5 games in the Switch 1 era for sure. Personally was my GotY in 2021.
Just started Prime 4, but it being so close to Other M feels… wrong. It sort of feels like review culture has changed a lot in the last 10 years, let alone the 20+ years since Prime 1. I think we’ve all grown more critical in our voices over that timeframe.
Re: Rolling Stone's GOTY List Shows A Whole Lot Of Love For One Nintendo Mascot
Interesting list. Can’t say I agree with it much though, even if half of this list is the same as mine with the games picked.
Also, because I’m that guy….
Mario Kart World > Clair Obscur
Oh, and it’s sorta sad we won’t see Metroid Prime 4 (or any of the other releases from a atypically solid looking December) in many of these lists.
Re: "It's Make-Or-Break For Sure" - Shovel Knight Dev's Fate Rests On Upcoming Zelda-Like
@Dr_Awkward @sketchturner It’s December and doesn’t have a release date. This is a big game. It’ll have a release date announcement. Unless it’s a shadow drop at TGA, it’ll launch next year.
And I know it’ll be good because the demo was fantastic! Yacht Club hasn’t missed yet.
Re: "It's Make-Or-Break For Sure" - Shovel Knight Dev's Fate Rests On Upcoming Zelda-Like
List it and I’ll buy it. Now that it’s a 2026 game, it’s got a real shot at GotY, given the current release schedule. I mean, this year it had a shot, based on the demo, but next year it REALLY has a shot.
Re: "I'm A Sucker When It Comes To Story" - PS4/5 Architect Recalls "Transformative" Experience With A GameCube Classic
Love Cerny’s picks. Those are definitely some of my favorite games of all time as well.
For my picks, I’ll just say the five games I would never delete from my consoles:
1. Galaga
2. Megaman 6
3. Castlevania
4. Balatro
5. Donkey Kong Country 2
Not necessarily my absolute favorite of favorite games, but games I can play endlessly and always return to no matter what.
Re: UK Charts: Kirby Is Nowhere To Be Seen In A Quiet Week
Well, looks like Kirby’s a flop in the west (as is the new Zelda musuo). Really surprised to see them both bombing out of the top 40 so fast, but honestly… I’m still wondering if there was much a strategy for them to be hits by Nintendo at all either. Hopefully Metroid sticks the landing…
Re: Best Tomb Raider Games, Ranked - Lara Croft On Switch & Nintendo Systems
Tomb Raider is more a relic of its time now than an actually great game, in my opinion. The first two games are fun to go back to, but they don’t hold up like many other games from the era do. There’s charm, but the gameplay doesn’t feel as good as it once did.
Tomb Raider 2013, on the other hand, was a solid reboot for the series back in 2013. Hopefully Rise and Shadow make their way to the Switch at some point, as I’d say Rise is the best game in the series.
And honestly the game topping the list doesn’t even make sense right now…
Re: Opinion: City Trial Is Kirby Air Riders At Its Best, But It Needs More Maps To Thrive Long-Term
If you want more content for this game, I think it just needs to hit proper sales and engagement metrics to generate Nintendo’s attention.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (29th November)
Honestly, I really want to play something new, but I feel bad about buying anything new right now, given that Metroid is coming this week and I’m about to buy a Steamdeck and will be sinking some money into starting a Steam library very soon. I have to work today, but it’s snow storm weather, so I sort of want to just curl up and play some games. Realistically though, I think I’m just going to plan my early Steam library and play Arc Raiders… but I keep thinking about The Outer Worlds 2 at random too…
I should go back to Yotei and finish that though, shouldn’t I? Or Silent Hill F? Or Hades 2? For some reason, as good as those games are, man, I’m struggling getting back to them.