PixlBit

Can you believe this year is already half over?  What I like to do this time of year is write about the best games of the year 2015 so far.  Everyone is all excited over the E3 announcements, and most of the really good titles come out during the Christmas season at the tail end of the year, and the games that come out earlier tend to be forgotten.  So this is where those games get their due.

Keep in mind that no outside opinions went into the making of this list.  It’s just my own picks.  And if a game is missing from my list, it either didn’t appeal to me as much, or I just simply haven’t played it yet.  Can’t play all the games out there, you know!  Plus I do apologize if this list leans toward the Nintendo side.  I don’t have an Xbox One or PS4 yet, so you’ll just have to deal with it. 

I also have to note that last year at this time; we had more interesting and better games than we do at this point in the year.  Last year at the halfway point, we had a new Kirby game, a new Yoshi’s Island game, Shovel Knight, and Mario Kart 8.  But not so much this year so far.  Hopefully it’ll get better as the year goes on.  Anyway, without further ado, welcome to the Cary’s Best Games of 2015 SO FAR Awards Show!

BEST PUZZLE GAME

Pokemon Shuffle (3DS)

This has really been the year for puzzle games so far.  And all of them on this list are by Nintendo, no less!  I really didn’t want to give the award to a free-to-play game, but Pokemon Shuffle does two things right.  One, it doesn’t really pressure you too much to buy things, or make the game overly difficult so you can’t continue without spending money.  I got to past stage 150 before I felt it was getting too hard, and that’s not bad at all.  The other thing the game does right is that it’s just plain fun.  Not too simple, but not too hard either.  And they have lots of special events and Pokemon you can catch, too!

Runners Up:

Puzzle & Dragons Z/Puzzle & Dragons Super Mario Bros. Edition (3DS)

I REALLY wanted to give the award to this game instead of Pokemon Shuffle.  This one’s not a free-to-play puzzler and it has loads of content, what with it being two games in one.  But at the end of the day, I felt that Pokemon Shuffle was more fun.  Puzzle & Dragons just got too hard and fiddly, even on the Mario version, which was supposed to be easier.  It took me forever to get to World 3!  And there are 8 worlds plus 8 harder worlds after that!  I just don’t think it should’ve been that hard, and managing all your teams and powers just got too complicated.  I guess I just wanted a more relaxing puzzler, and this wasn’t it!

Stretchmo (3DS)

I really like the Pushmo games.  In this one, you can stretch blocks to the side as well as the front.  You can even buy a whole set of levels based on NES characters.  But the character you play as in these levels is the old guy.  What are they trying to say with that?  Are they saying I’m old?

Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars (Wii U)

This Lemmings style puzzler plays almost exactly like the ones on the DS, but this one has a more involved online community where you can build levels and share them with others.  You buy level packs with stars, and while you can earn stars in the single player game, it’s easier to earn stars online by playing a bunch of people’s levels.  If you want a good idea how Super Mario Maker is going to work, you can download this game and try the level builder.  I even made my own level that looks like the original Donkey Kong arcade board.  I don’t know how you can find it, though, but the level is called “Arcade Bliss.”  Also, if you download the Wii U version, you’ll get it on the 3DS for free, and vice versa!

Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure (3DS)

This is just a collection of Dr. Mario games that includes the original, Dr. Luigi, and Brain Age’s Virus Buster.  And they added new miracle pills to keep the game somewhat fresh.  I’m working on a review of it right now, so keep your eyes open for it!

WEIRDEST GAME

Galaga: Tekken 20th Anniversary Edition (iPad)

So apparently, Tekken is 20 years old.  So how does Namco celebrate it?  In the weirdest way possible: combining Galaga with 8-bit graphics of Tekken characters!  But the game is still pretty fun (you can’t ruin Galaga) and best of all, it’s free!

Runner Up:

Dot Arcade (Wii U)

Remember the old Mattel electronic games from the 70’s that didn’t use graphics, but blinking lights instead?  Well someone made three of their own and released them on the Wii U eShop!  They’re actually pretty neat mini-games and even the artwork looks like something you’d see back then. 

BEST EDUCATIONAL GAME

Never Alone (Wii U)

This is a puzzle platformer where you play as a Native American Alaskan girl and her white artic fox.  But the story of this game is based on a legend from the native people in that area!  They even have videos and images of artifacts and stories of their way of life.  So it’s like a Social Studies lesson in a game.  And the game is pretty fun, too, and very calming.  I’m working on a review of it right now, so keep an eye out for it!

Runner Up:

Fruit Ninja Academy: Math Masters (iPad)

This one teaches elementary school math skills with Fruit Ninja gameplay.  It has some problems here and there, but if Halfbrick keeps at it and improves, they could become as good as educational game maker greats like Humongous Entertainment!

BEST RPG

Story of Seasons (3DS)

This one kind of wins by default, since it’s the only RPG I’ve played.  And some wouldn’t even consider this an RPG, but it’s as close as I get for now.  It’s really a Harvest Moon game, but since they have a new publisher now, they had to call it something different since Natsume still owns the Harvest Moon name.  It’s still a fun game, though, and Iris is still my favorite character.

BEST 2-D ADVENTURE

Kirby and the Rainbow Curse (Wii U)

This is a sequel to Kirby Canvas Curse on the DS.  Believe it or not, Canvas Curse is one of my least favorite Kirby games.  But this one is a little better.  It’s still not the best Kirby game out there and it does have some problems here and there.  But it’s still fun, the clay graphics are amazing, and the multiplayer mode is nifty.  It has catchy music and replaying levels to find all the hidden treasures is fun.  So yeah, still a pretty slick game.  It probably won’t beat out Yoshi’s Woolly World later this year, though.

Runners Up

Adventure Time: Game Wizard (iPad)

The main game is a fun little Metroid style 2-D platformer where you can play different Adventure Time characters in a sketchbook world.  That part is pretty fun on its own (surprising for an iPad game), but what’s cool is that you can draw symbols on graph paper and scan them into the game to make your own levels!  Or just use the in-game level editor, which works a little better.  It’s not perfect, but still a neat idea, I thought.

BoxBoy! (3DS)

In this puzzler platformer, you play as a box in a black and white world.  You can create boxes to solve all sorts of creative puzzles.  You can use boxes like stepping stones, shields, and even use them to climb up ledges.  This game was made by HAL Laboratory, makers of Kirby, so you know it has to be good!

Adventures of Pip (Wii U)

There sure are a lot of games out there where you just play as a box, huh?  In this 2-D platformer, you can defeat certain enemies to evolve from a pixel, to an 8-bit sprite and even a 16-bit one!  Each type has different skills and abilities, and you’ll use them to solve puzzles and overcome obstacles.  It’s also made by ex-WayForward employees, so you know it’s good.  It’s not quite “this year’s Shovel Knight” like I had hoped it would be, but it is still very fun and reminds me of SNES games I used to rent back in the day.

BEST 3-D ADVENTURE

LEGO Jurassic World (Wii U)

While it’s still very buggy and not a whole lot different from other LEGO titles, LEGO Jurassic World is still fun and probably one of the silliest and absurd in the series, at least as far as humor goes.  And video games can certainly use more humor.  There is actually a better 3-D adventure out there, but it won an even better award, so here it is…

Taiko drum roll, please…

BEST VIDEO GAME OF 2015 SO FAR

Splatoon (Wii U)

I was on the fence about this game for a long time, because it was a shooter and I’m not as big into those kinds of games.  But it was colorful and neat looking, so I still kept my eye on it.  I enjoyed the Global Test Runs they did, but I still wouldn’t get the game unless I could get the Splatoon Amiibo 3-pack, because it would unlock some single player modes you couldn’t get anywhere else.  Luckily, I got the 3-pack so now I have the game!

I think what I like best about Splatoon is that it is very accessible and not intimidating.  A non-gamer could look at a game like Call of Duty and be very intimidated by it.  Heck, I’ve been playing games for 30 plus years, and I would be intimidated by Call of Duty.  But Splatoon is very encouraging to play.  In fact, I’ve had several non-gamers and inexperienced players over to my house, and they pick up Splatoon right away and even win in online matches!  Like Wii Sports, anyone can look at Splatoon and say, “I can do this!”  And that’s a really good thing for a game to be.

Splatoon does have some problems here and there.  There’s not a whole lot to the game if you look at it closely.  I think it would’ve been an arcade game if arcades were still popular.  But it’s still really fun, uses all the unique features of the Wii U, and best of all, it’s a new Nintendo IP.  You can’t complain about Nintendo making nothing but Mario and Zelda games now (well, you still could I suppose).  And it looks like Splatoon certainly has legs to stand on, and should have a future at Nintendo.  So that’s why it wins the award.

Conclusions

And that’s my awards show!  In the comments section, let me know what you think of my picks, and tell me YOUR favorite games of 2015 SO FAR!  That’s all for now, later!  --Cary