Jeff's Top Ten Games of 2014!

(Triumphant Music)

(Applause)

Thank you, thank you, you are all too kind. Of course that applause is due to the fact that I was able to take 10 games and make a list out of them. 2014 was an up-and-down year and the first full year of a new generation of consoles. While this led to many overhyped games, it also brought us several stand-outs. Here are my top 10 games for the year 2014:

10. Wolfenstein: The New Order

A rebirth of sorts for the franchise, New Order looks amazing (which, no doubt, is the reason for the 50GB install size), plays fast and frantic, has some of the best cutscenes I've ever seen (though there will be another game on this list that did them slightly better), and mixes in a dash of dark humor. Oh, also it came with a code for the new Doom beta. What more do you need? Play it!


9. Titanfall

The first shooter I have ever "Prestiged" in, (Though I'm sure I will in another game on this list), Titanfall did what it set out to do: carve a new niche in the shooter genre. What's more badass than being a giant mech with rockets? Taking down that mech with other rockets! Luckily both of those experiences can be found here. While it may be missing a true single player campaign, that doesn't take away from the unique and addictive experience. As I stated before with this game, the highs are higher in Titanfall than in many other games.

8. Destiny

Probably the most talked about game of the year (both in good and bad terms I'm sure), there is something about Destiny that keeps bringing me back. Sure, the story (or lack thereof) has been a lightning rod for negativity, and that's a big reason why it's not higher on my list, but the game looks gorgeous, the shooting feels nice, the loot system gives you that "carrot-on-a-stick", and it is a lot of fun to group up with your friends and take down a difficult raid. There is plenty of deserved criticism towards this game, but there also is a lot of deserved praise.

7. Mario Kart 8

It would be so easy for Nintendo to just pump out a new Mario Kart every year and make a ton of money, but no, Nintendo finds new ways to make this the premier kart racing game. New characters (even if some are questionable....Pink Gold Peach?) new, gorgeous looking tracks, remakes of old classics, driving on walls, online racing, everything you want in a new Mario Kart. This is the best game in the franchise.


6. Far Cry 4

Take one of the best games of 2012 (Far Cry 3) and make it bigger, make more things explode, make it all look even better, and slap a "4" on it. Of course, that's a baseline summary, but there is just so much to do in 4 and it all looks so good. This may sound a bit clichè, but Far Cry 4 is a hell of a wild ride.


5. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare

It happened. Call of Duty was able to redefine itself. Many people (myself included) were getting fatigued with the formula, until AW put its spin on it and gave the franchise a second wind. By the way, this is the game I was talking about earlier that I want to "Prestige" in, and also the game that had the best cutscenes of the year (Kevin Spacey, once again, nails it). This is the beginning of a new era for Call of Duty.

4. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Is it just me, or did Nintendo have a hell of a year? The best console exclusives appeared on the Wii U and Smash Bros was the best of the year. Superb graphics, plays fast and chaotic, chock full of Nintendo fan service, online play (for better or for worse), and plenty of reasons to gather up your friends. I say this again, best game in the series.

3. Sunset Overdrive

How about a game that doesn't take itself seriously, full of energy drink monsters, crazy weaponry, fast action, fun traversal, and in-your-face humor that hits a lot more than it misses? Well that would be Sunset Overdrive. This is one of those games where you just enjoy playing it, rather than speed-running through the main story. I knew this game was going to be good, but even I was surprised at HOW good.

2. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor

What a game! Take the free-running aspect of Assassin's Creed, add the combat system from Batman: Arkham, set it in the world of Lord of the Rings, make it looks damn good and also give it one of the most coolest game mechanics ever in the "Nemesis System", and you have the best Lord of the Rings based game, and one of the best action games ever.

1. South Park: The Stick of Truth

The fact that playing this game is like playing an episode of the show is one thing, but to actually make it fun AND make it a deep and rewarding RPG is a whole other thing. I seriously laughed out loud SEVERAL times playing this game, to the point where I needed to pause the game due to a laughing fit. The game is full of South Park fan service, the combat is fun, the interface is slick, the humor is spot-on, and it all adds up to to my pick as my favorite game of the year.

Game of the Year Awards, Part 2: Best Sports Game, Best Use of Troy Baker, Best Use of Plastic Figures, nominees for GAME OF THE YEAR!

Another post, another slew of awards to hand out, let's get right to it!

Best Sports Game:

Madden NFL 15

Runner Up:

- FIFA 15
- MLB 14: The Show
- NBA 2K15

Best Use of Troy Baker:

Call of Duty: Advance Warfare - Jack Mitchell

(Bonus points for making me think of MST3K whenever anyone said his name)

Runner Up:

- Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor - Talion
- LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham - Batman/Bruce Wayne/Atom/Terry McGinnis/Hush/Killer Moth/Red Hood/Sinestro/The Trickster/The Music Meister
- Infamous: Second Son - Delsin Rowe

Best Use of Plastic Figures:

Disney Infinity 2.0: Marvel Super Heroes

Runner Up:

- Skylanders: Trap Team
- Nintendo's Amiibo
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 I will be posting a video later today talking about why I chose what I did for both parts 1 and 2.

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And now...... I reveal my nominees for best overall game of 2014! These 16 games (or more if I think of them later) will be narrowed down to a top 10 list which will be unveiled after X-mas. They are (in no particular order):

- Titanfall
- Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft
- Plants Vs Zombies: Garden Warfare
- Destiny
- Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
- Super Smash Bros for Wii U
- Wolfenstein: The New Order
- Dragon Age: Inquisition
- South Park: The Stick of Truth
- The Sims 4
- Sunset Overdrive
- Infamous: Second Son
- Mario Kart 8
- FarCry 4
- Watch_Dogs
- Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor

Let the madness begin!

Game of the Year Awards, Part 1: Best Handheld, Best Re-Do, Most addicting, Most Used App, Biggest Disappointment

As we draw closer and closer to a new year, it's time to look back at the year that was and look at some of the games that made 2014 what it was. It's time to hand out some awards!

Part 1 will encompass 5 awards and for these (and future) awards, the criteria is:

- No Mobile Games (Way too many to even try to put together)

- Released this year (unless specified for some novelty awards)

- No HD Remakes/Collections (Unless it's for the "Best Re-Do" award, obviously)

- I have to have played it. (I don't get free games, so my only limit is my bank account)

Simple enough? Here we go!

Best Handheld Game:

Super Smash Bros for Nintendo 3DS

Runner Up:

- Mario Golf: World Tour
- Kirby: Triple Deluxe
- Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

Best Re-Do/Remake/Collection/HD Whatever:

 Grand Theft Auto V - (Xbox One, PS4)

Runner Up:

- Pokèmon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire
- Halo - The Master Chief Collection
- Sleeping Dogs Definitive Edition

Most addicting PC game I played in 2014 (Does not mean it HAD to have came out in 2014)

World of Warcraft

Runner Up:

 - The Sims 4
- Smite
- Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft

Most used app in 2014 (Again, not necessarily released in 2014)


Wake up Club (Vita)

Runner Up:

None really, just wanted to give some love to the Vita and to Wake Up Club since it's a pretty cool app.

Biggest Disappointment:

WWE 2K15

Runner Up:

- RBI Baseball '14 
- Halo - The Master Chief Collection's online functionaltiy
- Destiny's lack of story

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Keep checking for future awards posts as it all leads up to my Overall Top 10 Games of 2014!

Awesome Video Game Music: "Light the Fire Up in the Night" - Persona Q

With the release of Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth on Nintendo 3DS, two things happened: (1) Nintendo finally got a Persona game and (2) There will be many gamers who get to experience the music of the Persona games for the first time.

That last part is key since the series boasts some of the best music in gaming. That trend continues here with my favorite track from Q: "Light the Fire Up in the Night".

A little set-up: this is the theme that plays during battles and there are 2 different versions of the song, depending on whether you choose to play the game from the Persona 3 side or the Persona 4 side.

While the Persona 3 version features more guitar and has a heavier feel to it, the Persona 4 version has a lighter feel and more of a horn section.

Just have a listen and prepare to be bobbing your head along to it:

The Persona 3 version:

...and the Persona 4 version:

Subtle, but noticeable differences. I lean more towards the P4 version just because I love that game and the characters in it, but both are great songs.

Or, if you don't want to pick sides, don't worry, the YouTube community's got your back with an unofficial mash-up of the two versions:

One word that kept popping up in the comments for that last video: "Eargasm", and I'd have to agree.

The Persona games have a history of awesome music and other games in the series are bound to be featured here, but this may be my favorite song in the entire series. Sure, Persona Q may be more of a "Persona + Etrian Odyssey" mash-up than a proper Persona game, it still carries the name and the lineage of awesome video game music.

What I Think Of... Super Smash Bros for Wii U

Nintendo's most anticipated Wii U game was released a few weeks ago, and while the handheld version is an absolute delight (and you can read what I thought of that game HERE), it mainly just made gamers want that full HD Smash experience. I will focus on what sets this apart from the 3DS version.

The look of Wii U vs 3DS

First and foremost, the game looks tremendous. It's the little touches that make it effective, like the reflection of the colors on characters standing next to a bomb going off, the bandages and bruises on Little Mac's face as he gets beat up, etc. Nintendo first-party games are looking better and better with each game and this is no exception.

The Wii U specific stages:

While the 3DS had stages devoted to Tomodachi Life and Pictochat, the Wii U boasts some of the best stages in the series with levels like Wuhu Island and Wrecking Crew. The Wii Fit level is impressive with the reflective mirrors in the background, and Gamer from Game & Wario adds the element of the mom seeing the characters, getting mad, and dealing damage. The stage that give me the most nostalgia would have to be the Duck Hunt level, since it faithfully recreates the game screen and all the sounds, even allowing you to hit the ducks out of the air. It is also the hardest one to unlock since you have to get a KO in "Cruel Smash" which took me SEVERAL tries to get. Here is how I did it though: I used Little Mac (naturally) and was able to build my KO meter up thanks to getting the crap beat out of me, and I was lucky enough to catch an enemy with the KO attack.

The stages aren't all winners though, as Pac-Land may actually be my least favorite in the series. In its normal mode it is a constant fast side scroll (and I don't like those to begin with) and in its "Omega" mode, it's just a mixture of grey and green mess. I understand why you need to have something for Pac-Man in the game, but the 3DS stage that was a Pac-Man level was a lot better than this and I would have rather had an HD version of that.

Goodbye "Smash Run", here's "Smash Tour"

The dungeon crawling/beat-em-up/platformer mode from the 3DS version is replaced by a board game. You choose one of 3 boards, you are delegated a couple fighters, you spin the wheel and travel around the board picking up items, stat boosts, and other fighters. If 2 players bump into eachother, then everyone fights, these fights could be normal smash fights, or have special rules like "Pokèmon items only" or "Galaga boss Smash" and the winner will also receive the fighter the knocked out last. Throughout the game, random events can happen, like Nabbit grabbing items, or a Metroid which steals your stats, or an appearance by Ripley which grants a huge stat bonus to the vanquisher. This goes anywhere from 15 to 25 turns and it all culminates in a final bout. It is NOT a last man/woman standing however, as the winner is judged by how many KO's they get. So you could have 8 fighters against someone with 1 but if they KO 2 of your fighters and you only KO their 1, you lose.

Overall, I like this mode better than Smash Run, and this concept can totally work, but I just don't see me playing this very often. There is a lot of things being presented to you at any given time and it's only local for up to 4 players. An online version of this would have been nice.

Speaking of Online...

Ugh. I tried playing a match last night and it was unplayable. The lag was out of control and I somehow got 2nd and don't really know how. Sure, not every match will be like this, but the general consensus with this and the 3DS version is that the online may work sometimes and be downright brutal other times. Also, still no "invite" option. If I go to "Play with friends" it would be nice to be able to send or receive invites from those friends.

Amiibos for my Amigos...

I ended up buying 2 Amiibos (Amiiba? Amiibi?) just to see what purpose they had. I ended up buying a Link figure and a Villager figure. Let me get this out of the way up front: YOU DO NOT CONTROL THE AMIIBO. You place the Amiibo on the controller, the game sees it, you choose what stat items you want to feed the character, which moves you want to give them, what you want to name them, etc, but when it's time to send them into battle, the AI takes over. You can choose to fight against the Amiibo or with them in a team battle, and through time and usage, they level up towards the 50 cap.

I guess I might be missing something, but what's the point of this? What makes the Skylanders and Disney Infinity characters work is the fact that the character comes to life on the screen and you get to control it, also, if you don't own that figure, you don't see that character in those games. Here with Amiibo, these characters are already in the game and you can play as them, which makes the whole "come to life" thing a little less interesting. One good note though is that they can pick up trophies and equipment that spawn during the match, so you can start a 99 Stock match with your Amiibo, put the game down, play something else, come back and see a bunch of free trophies.

We'll see how the Amiibo system works in other games but I will say I am unimpressed by the system, though the figures look alright and I will be buying a Little Mac one because it's Little Mac.

8-PLAYER SMASH!!!

This may seem ridiculous (and it is) but it is a LOT of fun. Only certain levels can hold the 8 man battle, but it's crazy and chaotic without being TOO crazy and chaotic, and it is a perfect way to play in a party atmosphere.

If you have a controller, you can play Smash

Whether it's the gamepad, a Wiimote, a pro controller, a Gamecube controller, even your 3DS, you can play Smash for Wii U and have an enjoyable time.

Final Results

Super Smash Bros for Wii U is the best Smash game to date and is a perfect companion to the 3DS version. It boasts the best graphics (obviously), some of the best stages in the series, and even more Nintendo fan service that keeps this series as one of the best selling in the Nintendo library. Sure, not everything hits a home run but the core experience is still intact and still an absolute blast to play. The reasons keep piling up why you should own a Wii U, and if this game doesn't swing you towards getting one, I don't know what will. Get this game!

What's Coming Up in December?

We have made it! We got past the minefield of releases in November and have made it to the relative safe haven of December. Not a lot of big releases left in 2014, so hopefully you saw your game on sale for Black Friday (and didn't get tasered for it). So here are the games rounding out 2014:

December 2nd:

Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix - PS3

The HD collection features Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix, Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep Final Mix, and a Theatre Mode version of Kingdom Hearts Re:coded, which will be 3 hours of cinematics. Lots to love here for fans.

The Crew -  PC, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360

It's finally coming out! An open-world racer across America, which also claims to take an hour and a half (real time) to go from coast to coast. Sounds impressive, and with the many delays to the game's release, we shall see if this all adds up to a successful title. Internet access required.

December 5th: (December's Nintendo Day)

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker - Wii U

That minigame thing from Super Mario 3D World is getting a full-blown retail release and it looks freaking adorable!

NES Remix Pack - Wii U
Ultimate NES Remix - 3DS

Basically the same thing for both of Nintendo's platforms. The Wii U version is both NES Remix and NES Remix 2 on retail disc (you can download them both off the Wii U Shop) and the 3DS version is essentially a "Best Of".

December 9th:

Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris - PC, PS4, Xbox One

A download-only adventure much like Guardian of Light. Features co-op for up to 4 players.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy - 3DS

Absolute yes! The original Ace Attorney trilogy (Ace Attorney, Justice for All, and Trials and Tribulations) get a graphical update and get a 3D coat of paint. Plus gives me a reason to yell OBJECTION!

Other Notes

- Great time to be a Telltale fan since Game of Thrones and Tales from the Borderlands get their 1st episodes on a multitude of platforms.

- Final Fantasy XIII-2 comes to PC on December 11th

- Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes is slated for PC on December 18th

- Currently in 'TBA' territory, we may end up seeing The Elder Scrolls Online for Xbox One and PS4 before the year is up.
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That's a lot different from last month huh? There are other games slated for December that I didn't mention, including a couple fighting games from BlazBlue and Guilty Gear, as well as an appearance by King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match Final Edition on PC, but the huge blockbusters are behind us as far as 2014 is concerned and we can start looking forward to all the titles that were pushed into 2015. Until then, enjoy a few more games from 2014.