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The year is already half over, so it’s that time for me to do my Best Games of the Year SO FAR Awards Show!  Most of the big name games come out in the later half of the year during the holiday season, so sometimes the games that come out in the first six months tend to be forgotten. Well this is where those games get their due!  Keep in mind that no outside opinions went into making this list, and since it’s my list, if a game didn’t appear on here, I either haven’t played it yet or it just didn’t appeal to me as much.  OK with that out of the way, let’s begin!

BEST RPG

Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story (3DS)

This one really wins by default because it’s the only RPG I played this year so far.  It’s a remake of the DS game, and it is probably the best in the Mario & Luigi series.  And it’s the closest thing we’ll come to Bowser having his own game.  Overall it’s not as good as I remember the DS game being, but it’s still a lot of fun and I still enjoyed the main quest.  The side game they added to it, Bowser Jr.’s Journey, is unfortunately not as good as the Bowser’s Minions mini quest from the last M&L remake, and it makes Bowser Jr. one of the most unlikeable characters in Mario history.  I didn’t even finish it.

BEST 3-D ADVENTURE

The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame (PS4)

This also actually wins by default.  I did play a better 3-D adventure this year so far, but it’s getting an even bigger award so we’ll throw this other one a bone.  The thing that really surprised me about The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame is that it’s not like any other LEGO game.  It’s more open world and actually plays mostly like LEGO Worlds.  So that was a pleasant surprise.  I wish LEGO games would do that more often!

BEST 2-D ADVENTURE

Yoshi’s Crafted World (Switch)

Even though I think I like Yoshi’s Woolly World better, Crafted World is still a lot of fun.  The craft based graphics are amazing, and they give room for more creative levels, like ninja worlds and outer space.  It also kind of reminds me of Yoshi’s Story, but in a good way.  Very cute and cheerful game that’ll put a smile on your face.

Runner Up:

Kirby’s Extra Epic Yarn (3DS)

Speaking of Good Feel games with graphics made from crafting material.  Normally I’m not into ports, but this is a Kirby game and was one of the Wii’s best, so I got the 3DS version. Unfortunately, the graphics take a bit of a cut and the stuff they added doesn’t really improve the game at all.  So yeah, it’s kind of a bad port of a good game.  If you can play it on the Wii, I’d go that route.  But if you have no other way to play it, the 3DS version is fine, too.  It’s also a shame that this is probably Nintendo’s last first party game on the 3DS.

WEIRDEST GAME

Labo VR Kit (Switch)

Last year I named Nintendo Labo my Game of the Year.  But building things out of cardboard to play games on the Switch is still definitely weird!  Even weirder is that this set lets you play VR games!  Granted, it’s not the best VR in the world, but for 70 to 80 bucks as opposed to hundreds if not thousands of dollars for other VR options, it’s not too bad.

Runner Up:

Super Mario Maker 2 (Switch)

I would’ve put this game a bit higher, but I think I like the Wii U interface from the original game just a little more, and it also had a bit more of that Mario Paint weirdness.  Plus I kind of played out the game on the Wii U anyway.  But the Switch sequel is still no slouch and is super fun.  They added a great single player story mode and more fun ways to build levels.  I imagine this’ll be a hit for years to come.  Here are a few of my Mario Maker 2 level codes if anyone wants to play them.

19T-PV8-V7G

S28-P0T-RTG

K65-MB2-6RG

BEST PUZZLE GAME

BoxBoy + BoxGirl (Switch)

Originally the BoxBoy games were puzzle platformers on the 3DS.  You are a box with legs and can make other boxes to use as stepping stones, shields, etc.  They made three games on the 3DS and said the last would end the BoxBoy trilogy, but I guess they had a few more ideas because here’s another one on the Switch.  The game is made by HAL, the same folks behind stuff you might know such as Kirby and Smash Bros.  The new game has a bunch of neat new ideas and there are hundreds of levels.  It’s a whole lotta game for only ten bucks!

Runners Up:

Crystal Crisis (Switch)

Two great things about this puzzler. One, it plays almost EXACTLY like Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo, one of my all time favorite puzzle games.  And two, one of the characters you can play as is FREAKING ASTRO BOY! 

Tetris 99 (Switch)

When Nintendo first came out with their paid online service, I didn’t get it right away.  Playing Smash Bros. online was a big selling point, but while I love that game, I’m not good enough to play online, so I didn’t get the service then.  But when Mario Maker 2 came out, you could get a version of it with the online subscription for half off, so I got it then since you pretty much HAVE  to be online to play and download and upload levels.  So after that, one of the first things I did was download Tetris 99, which is free but you must have the online service to play it.  Tetris is one of my other all time favorite puzzle games still, so I was certainly curious about it.  It’s a Battle Royale style game with you vs. 99 other players, and will probably be the only Battle Royale style game I play.  It’s pretty neat as a little time waster.

And now it’s time for my Best Game of the Year SO FAR award.  Taiko drum roll please…

BEST GAME OF 2019 SO FAR

Kingdom Hearts 3 (PS4)

The storyline may be garbage and it may be more style than substance and has way too many cutscenes, but I just have fun tromping around through Disney Worlds.  The graphics are great and I enjoyed the Disney worlds so much I wrote a blog about them!  Will KH3 be my Game of the Year by the end of the year?  Well, it’s got some stiff competition.  Mainly in the form of the Link’s Awakening remake.  Link’s Awakening is my all-time favorite Zelda game and the remake looks right up my alley.  But we’ll have to wait and see!

Conclusions

And that’s all for now!  Let me know what you think of my picks and tell me your favorite games of the year so far.  There were a couple of games that came out already that I haven’t gotten a chance to get or play yet.  They’re both mascot racing games.  I loved the Sonic and SEGA Racing and Transformed games, and there is one now called Sonic Team Racing.  I liked the first two a lot and I felt they did some things even better than Mario Kart.  The other mascot racer is a remaster of the first Crash Team Racing game from the PSOne days.  That was another game that did a few things better than Mario Kart at the time.  I want to play both those games, but I don’t want to spend much money on them.  So I’m thinking about asking for them as birthday or Christmas presents.  Oh yeah, and even though Collection of Mana is downloadable on the Switch, I’m waiting for the physical version that comes out in late August.  Later!  --Cary