Last year I attempted to do a write up for all the games I completed last year. I wrote like 5-7 entries and got bored. I complete too many games (or maybe my criteria for completing games is too loose), and don’t really have any great insights into the majority of them. I decided this year to do a top five trends or categories that really stuck out to me this year. So, in no particular order, the top five good things in video games for me:
Nintendo Comfort games (Mario 35th and Animal Crossing)
This year was really all about comfort. If I was doing a traditional games of the year list, Animal Crossing would be top if only for the sense of normalcy it gave me during these crazy times. It allowed me to exist in a place where people cared for each other, and I was working for something that was for the good of the community. It was something that the real world was sadly lacking. When I wanted to take a break from my Animal Crossing village, I chose to jump and hop around with 35 years worth of Mario goodness. The 35th anniversary of the red plumber was this year, and I played through most of the mainline Mario games, and watched plenty of fools playing through Mario Maker 2 levels. It was something that gave me joy (and some frustration, looking at you Super Mario Sunshine) without having to search too far.
VR Games
I got a Playstation VR set last year, but I didn’t really get the chance to dive into it until this year. Games like Super Hot VR, Astrobot, and Beat Saber breathed new life into their respective genres, and made me a believer that even if VR isn’t the future of video games, it is something everyone should at least try out. Many people will talk about immersion in games, and how things will add or take away from feeling like you are “in the game,” but until you dodge a bullet in Super Hot VR, find a secret collectable in Astrobot by literally looking behind you, or sweat your butt off by swinging the best lightsaber simulator that has probably ever come out in Beat Saber, you have not, in my opinion, yet felt what it really feels to be immersed in a video game.
Workout Games
Talking about sweating your butt off, with gyms closing down, and/or being potential vectors for fatal disease, working out via video games become a fun way to keep fit at home. While the aforementioned Beat Saber and the VR Harmonix game Audica were very fun ways to exercise, the real MVP was Ring Fit Adventure. This Switch game comes with a leg strap and the Ring-con which allows you to do various strength exercises along with the typical aerobic exercises. The way it is able to do both aerobic and anaerobic exercise while couching the workouts in a fun game wrapper makes working out everyday compelling and something I want to do. Leveling up and choosing skills may not directly make me healthier, but it helped to motivate me in ways the gym just can’t.
Old Namco Games
Earlier this year, Namco released the Namco Archives Vol. 1. It had classic games like Mappy and Pac-Man (including a fun de-make of Pac-Man Championship edition), but the game that stood out to me was Splatterhouse: Wanpaku Graffiti. The game had never come out in the US before, and here it was with no fanfare. The game isn’t exactly “game of the year” material (Kid Dracula for the NES takes the concept of adding cuteness to horror themed games with better results, also most of the boss battles are just endurance tests instead of something more interesting), but it felt like Namco was bringing something special to us. A few days later, Namco released a HD version of Mr. Driller DrillLand. With new HD visuals and a new casual mode, Namco brought out what I would argue is one of the best puzzle games ever made with a soundtrack to match. It is a perfect blend of puzzling out which route you should drill through with, and actually going through with the route with the speed and precision needed to succeed. The default game requires time and practice to even get past the 2nd level of all the challenges, but the casual mode cushions that a bit, enough to make the game more accessible. If that wasn’t enough, then Namco updates their taiko drum rhythm game to include songs from Mr. Driller DrillLand, Katamari Damashii and more. It made it feel like Namco was really feeling its own history this year, and it made it one of my favorite things to experience in 2020. I didn’t even mention all the cool Namco games on the Turbo Graphix 16 Mini, but that is probably too niche at this point (Galaga ‘88 is amazing).
Itch.io bundle and indie games in general
Itch.io earlier this year offered the Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality which directly supported Black Lives Matters by giving all their proceeds to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and the Community Bail Fund. The sentiment was strong, and it was incredible how many creators supported this effort. The bundle raised over 8 million dollars, and provided people with over 1,700 games, video and otherwise. Supporting this bundle essentially created a game and board game collection all on its own. I am still going through all the games, and finding stuff that is the epitome of video game goodness and freshness. Dominique Pompelmousse 1 is a musical adventure game that charmed the heck out of me, and the sequel is an almost End of Evangelion style reflection on the nature of video games and sequels (though a lot less depressing than that anime movie). A Short Hike is basically if they combined Animal Crossing and Zelda Breath of the Wild, but made it 4 hours and managed to keep all the charm. Celeste is probably my favorite 2D platformer from the last 10 years or more. Far From Noise is a contemplative game about a car dangling off the side of a cliff that gave me more catharsis about this trash fire of a year than anything else. All those games, and hundreds more, all came in one bundle. It was incredible. If you missed out on these, I still would recommend getting these games as they made me thankful that I play video games as a hobby more than anything else. Shout outs to Frog Detective 1 and 2, Dicey Dungeons, and Hades for also being amazing.
