Now that 2018 is actually over and I can stop being ATTACKED by new games that I don’t have time to play, here’s a look back at what my 2018 looked like.
I finished a remarkable 21 games in 2018, which is crazy if you know anything about my lifestyle. And since I’m a crazy person, I kept a list of them in the order I finished them. I even included the year I started the game if it wasn’t 2018! You’ll notice that only TWO of them were brand new 2018 releases, ONE of them was a 2018 port of a 2015 game, and the rest came out in all kinds of different years. Oops?
1. Pokemon Sun (started 2016) - 3DS
2. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (started 2017) - Switch
3. Bravely Default (started 2017) - 3DS
4. Mega Man 2 - 3DS
5. The Sexy Brutale - PS4
6. Back to Bed - Mac
7. Professor Layton and the Unwound Future - DS
8. Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap - Switch
9. Mega Man 2 - NES Classic
10. Mega Man X (started 2017) - SNES Classic
11. The Swapper - Mac
12. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds - 3DS
13. Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D - 3DS
14. Mario Tennis Aces (Adventure Mode) - Switch
15. Mega Man II - Game Boy
16. Oxenfree - Mac
17. Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom - PS4
18. Hitman: Absolution - XBOX 360
19. Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of The Cursed King - 3DS
20. Kingdom Hearts Final Mix - PS4
21. Undertale - Switch
And then I also made a list of every game I played for the first time in 2018 enough to form an opinion on it. Some of these games you can’t really “finish” and others I just never got around to completing. In no particular order:
Nier Automata - PS4
Fire Emblem Awakening - 3DS
Hitman - PS4
Mega Man - 3DS/PS4
Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology - 3DS
Overwatch - PS4
Puyo Puyo Tetris - Switch
1-2-Switch - Switch
Cuphead - Xbox One
Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth - Hacker’s Memory - PS4
Super Mario Party - Switch
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle - Switch
The Witness - Mac
Detective Pikachu - 3DS
Brawlhalla - Online
The Last of Us Remastered - PS4
Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu - Switch
Iconoclasts - PS Vita
Spyro Reignited Trilogy - PS4
If I sort it out to make a list of my top 10 games released in 2018, whether a first release or a port, it would look something like this:
Iconoclasts - PS Vita
Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom - PS4
Undertale - Switch
Spyro Reignited Trilogy - PS4
Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu - Switch
Mario Tennis Aces - Switch
But uh…that’s only six games…
So let’s do things a little differently and I’ll give you my Top 10 games I played this year, regardless of when each game was released.
10. Spyro Reignited Trilogy - PS4 - Released 2018
After all that talk, I start the list with a 2018 game! To be fair though, this one might be cheating because the bulk of my experience with this game is watching my wife play it. I never really played Spyro as a kid, since I never had a PS1 until well after its time. I had one of the lesser regarded entries on the PS2, but it never clicked with me. My wife on the other hand was a big Spyro fan, it being one of the few games she played growing up. It was the first game she installed on her PS3 (which was otherwise used pretty exclusively as a blu-ray player). I bought her the Reignited Trilogy for Christmas hoping it would…reignite something in her. It worked fantastically, but what I didn’t expect was how much I would enjoy the experience. We’ve been playing together in turns, and so far have only almost finished the original Spyro the Dragon, but it is a remarkably solid game for something that came out three generations ago. I went into it thinking it was a 3D action platformer, but it’s really a straight up collect-a-thon, and an incredibly well designed one at that. The levels feel open and you can always find a way to loop back for some new hidden treasure chest on your way to 100% completion. I’ve heard the sequels are even better so expect this to show up again on 2019’s list.
9. Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D - 3DS - Original Wii Release 2010, 3DS Relese 2013
Boy this game can be tough! I like to think I’m pretty good at platformers but there were some levels in this one that frustrated the hell out of me. But it was the good kind of frustration that comes because you know you can do better, not because the game is frustrating to play. The level design is top notch with each world evoking its own unique aesthetic and challenges. The “dark” levels in particular stand out for their art design. If you still love your 3DS as much as I do and you haven’t picked this one up, give it a shot.
8. Mega Man 2 - 3DS/NES Classic/Game Boy/PS4 - Original NES Release 1989, Legacy Collection Release 2015
This should probably be my number 1 because I played 4 different versions of it this year (but didn’t finish the PS4 version). The only Mega Man games I had played before this one were Powered Up on the PSP, and a bit of Mega Man X on the SNES-C. I liked X a lot, but something about Mega Man 2 just felt better to me as a whole. The platforming felt tighter, the combat was slower yea but also smoother. I also realllllllyyyyy love the Metal Blade as a weapon….like one of my favorite weapons in any game ever. The Game Boy version is technically a different game that Frankensteins the NES 2 and 3 together with some unique stuff, but I felt it worth mentioning anyway. It’s nowhere near as good but the core of Mega Man is still there so it’s enjoyable enough. The Legacy Collection is available on every platform so give it a go and you’ll understand what all the fuss is about.
7. Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu - Switch - Released 2018
I’ve already written about how Pokemon Let’s Go switches (ugh) up the formula in a way I hope sticks around. The lack of random encounters isn’t revolutionary, but it is revolutionary for this particular series, and the way it changes up the game flow is just the kick in the pants I think the series needed. I also loved how they really catered to the audience who thinks Pokemon are just the most adorable because my Pikachu and I can have matching hats and it’s a 10/10 I think you see why it’s on my list. Yes it’s nostalgia bait but it’s not phoned in; Game Freak really put some effort into this one and it shows. Sometimes nostalgia bait can be just plain fun.
6. Undertale - Switch - Original Release 2015, Switch Release 2018
I played Undertale on Mac at the start of 2017 and fell super hard for it. Everyone talks about it as a game you should play without knowing anything about it, so no spoilers here. Let me just say that I did a complete replay of the game on Switch and it felt like a whole new world. If you still need to be sold on the game…. it’s a retro style RPG with great writing, and a combat system that is turn based on the surface but when enemy’s attack the UI turns into something like a bullet hell shoot ‘em up where you have the ability to dodge their attacks to escape damage. The characters and the writing are probably the most immediate draw, but that’s all I can say without taking away part of the experience, so if you haven’t played it by now please just go check it out. I’m hoping the Switch version gets it out to some people who haven’t had the chance to try it yet.
5. Iconoclasts - PS Vita - Released 2018
I debated about putting this one on the list since I haven’t finished it and I have no idea how long it is…but I’ve enjoyed the ride so much that I felt it deserved a shoutout. It’s a 2D action platformer with Metroidvania style exploration and a slick combat system. You start with a stun gun that has something like a Mega Man feel to it, and a wrench for melee attacks. The story is cool, and I’ll try to refrain from spoilers, but basically you play as a mechanic in a world where everyone has a set job assigned to them…and you’re not supposed to be a mechanic. So things get bad when you’re caught in the first few minutes, and I’ll leave it there because it really goes places.
I can be hard to please when it comes to exploration based games, but Iconoclasts succeeds by limiting the player early on. You can’t go anywhere from the start, instead you have a series of maps you’ll move through as you progress through the story. Within each of these maps you’re free to explore to your heart’s content, but they’re still self contained so you don’t get into a situation like in some Metroid games where you have this one massive map you need to keep in your head. When you do unlock the ability to move between areas you have a good number of abilities under your belt so you can go explore a bit more. This is one of the few Metroidvania games where I’ve personally felt like I’m solving a puzzle as I move through the world. You can get it on Vita if you have one, or PS4 or Switch.
4. Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom - PS4 - Released 2018
I never played the original Ni No Kuni, which is probably for the best because I read a lot of hot takes this year about Revenant Kingdom being inferior to its predecessor. Personally I thought it was an excellent action JRPG, if on the easy side (and they improved that with a Hard Mode update). The combat is a lot of fun so even though you smash through enemies too fast, it feels fun to smash through them. It’s like being OP at the end of a JRPG, but for the whole game. I doubt it was the developer’s intention to do that but here we are.
But the best thing about NNK2 is the kingdom building system. The story concerns a boy king who is chased out of his home kingdom and decides to build a new one with the help of a colorful band of friends. It’s then up to the player to populate the kingdom with citizens and places for those citizens to work. The work they do can help you out in the rest of the game, by crafting new weapons, or giving you support abilities that help out in battle. What made the system work for me was how each new citizen felt like a unique person who was joining my adventure. Recruiting each of them requires some kind of side quest, ranging from a simple item fetch, to beating a monster, to one person who requires you complete all of the special “Dreamer Maze” dungeons before she’ll join you. This was the main loop of the game for me: building my kingdom, recruiting citizens, and going on quests to improve what I was creating. The easiness of the battles or the occasional silliness of the story didn’t matter as much because I wasn’t playing the game for those things, they were just what I had to do to improve my kingdom. I did a rundown of tips to get you started if this sounds like your jam!
3. Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of The Cursed King - 3DS - Original PS2 Release 2005, 3DS Release 2017
Fun story: I first played this game on the PS2, but my memory card got corrupted and I lost all the data around the time you meet Jessica. In hindsight that isn’t particularly far into the game, but at the time it was far enough for me to be discouraged about trying again. I picked up the 3DS redo back in January and decided to give it another try. Turns out it’s an excellent game! The story is about a king who has been cursed by an evil magician, and you play as one of his guardsmen on a mission to find the magician and break the curse. The cool thing though is how you move through different towns and find how people’s lives have been negatively impacted by the villain, and you make it your duty to fix their problems. It has this episodic feel to it, like each town has its own mini-story within the bigger umbrella plot. It has humor, drama, good dialogue, bad dialogue, and characters you just have to love. The combat system is truly traditional turn based, but there’s a pretend job system in the way you assign skills and weapons to your characters, so you eventually need to decide who is going to be a dedicated healer and who will deal damage, etc. This is the kind of game you might what to play with a wiki of available skills so you can plan ahead a bit, if only to save yourself some end game grinding.
As a closing note, the ending to this game is one of the best I’ve ever played. No content spoilers, but there’s an epilogue after the final boss that is completely playable and still has you interacting with the world and making choices. So few games let you live in the world after you’ve “finished” it, this really stood out to me. Also the fact that a JRPG, my self professed “preferred genre” only comes in at third place is a shock to past Alex.
2. Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap - Switch - Released 2017
I rented Wonder Boy on a whim because I didn’t have many Switch games at the time, and it was one of my biggest surprises of the year. You play as a boy (or a girl!) who has been cursed by the Mecha Dragon, and turned into Lizard Man. You journey through various lands on a quest to turn yourself back into a human, gaining other animal transformations along the way. I won’t spoil what each animal does because part of the fun is figuring it all out, but trust me when I saw it’s one of the simplest but most fun game mechanics out there. The gameplay is 2D side scrolling action in the vein of Metroid meets Zelda, and is exploration based as you use your animal forms to figure out where to go. I wouldn’t quite call it a Metroidvania, but the DNA of the genre is there. This game is actually a remake of a Master System game from 1989, but you’d never know based on how modern it feels. One of the coolest features is the ability to revert to the “original” art style and music at the touch of a button. It’s kind of crazy to me how this game isn’t talked about more in classic retro circles, especially because of how modern the core gameplay feels. If this game had come out on the NES instead of the Master System, maybe it would’ve already been part of the classic canon. I’m hoping more people get around to picking this one up.
1. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds - 3DS - Released 2013
I never got around to playing A Link Between Worlds when it first released - I had just started my senior year in college and had more or less quit video games for the year. I am so glad I finally picked it up though, because it instantly jumped into my favorites list. As much as I loved Breath of the Wild, one thing that bugs me about massive open world games is how cumbersome traveling from area to area can get. Worlds avoids that with a smaller game world built out of distinct areas and screens. You can travel from one end to the other in only a minute or two, so even though there is fast travel, you don’t usually need it, which means you have more opportunities to explore the world and look for secrets. Zelda secrets are infamously obscure, but Worlds streamlines exploration a bit by giving you access to every key item at a shop instead of having to earn them through dungeons. This means you can more or less complete every dungeon in any order you want. At first I thought I would dislike this, since it turns key items into things you can lose when you die, but I was surprised to find it worked well. It really opens up your options in how you can get around the world because when you come to an obstacle you know exactly where to get the item you need.
The dungeon design is also excellent, full of twisting paths and challenging puzzles. Some of the bosses are total pushovers (a consequence of the non-linear design; you don’t want to run into Boss 8 as your first boss) but I didn’t feel any of them were a waste of time. I appreciated the way the game takes the Zelda mythos and twists it ever so slightly to create something new and memorable. And I just realized I haven’t even addressed the main gimmick! Link gains the ability to flatten into walls like a painting, and the first time you use it you can instantly understand how much it changes the game world. You can slip in between areas you weren’t able to before, or cross gaps as long as there’s a wall nearby. Highly recommend this one, particularly if you’re into 2D Zelda, but like me just missed this one.
Honorable Mentions
Bravely Default - 3DS
I waffled on this game for a while because I really truly loved it, but I played most of it in 2017 so even though I finished it in 2018, it didn’t feel right to include it on this year’s list. A truly classic JRPG with one of the all time best battle systems. Some people complain about the 2nd half of the game but what they don’t understand is that it’s actually a GENIUS plot device that also allows you to grind the hell out of all of your job classes. The job system takes a bit before you can really start to play around with it, but once you have the chance to really burn through some job levels you can do some moves that feel like they shouldn’t be allowed. Like giving your Dark Knight a build that lets him drain HP instead of lose HP when he attacks! The story is set up to mimic some of the original Final Fantasy games, but it’s aware of the legacy it is following so it does some creative things with the mythos.
Mario Tennis Aces - Switch
This should be my Game of the Year but it doesn’t even crack the Top 10 because Camelot so catastrophically dropped the ball on the Adventure Mode. I made a video about The RPG History of Mario Tennis back when it came out, to give you an idea of how much this one disappointed me. Mario Tennis Power Tour is one of my Top 10 games ever so maybe I’m being too harsh on this one. The moment to moment gameplay is worth checking out for sure, otherwise I wouldn’t have even put it on my Honorable Mentions, but it lacks the replay value to really get it into the top spots.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Switch
Another game that could’ve been a contender if I didn’t associate it so much with the previous year I started playing it. A lot of what I loved about Worlds applies here, except for some of the nagging stuff around world traversal. It is still buckets of fun to just ride around and fight baddies though. I wish the dungeon design was a bit stronger, but there’s just so much game between the Divine Beasts and the Shrines that sometimes I feel bad complaining. I’m also one of the seemingly few people that thinks weapon degradation makes this game BETTER because it forced me to learn weapons and fighting styles that I literally never would’ve touched otherwise. Weapons are consumables in this world and it works.
And that’s my list! 50% actually 2018 games isn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. I know there are some big titles that I didn’t even get to play, but that’s just how these things go sometimes. I’d love to hear what some of your favorite games are, and whether you’ve played what ended up on my list.