Game of the Year 2022

10. Radiant Silvergun - This game is a trip. I went from thinking it was impossible to turning up the difficulty for a second playthrough. Its complex controls seemed nonsensical at first and then became second nature. The story is also all kinds of wacky. If you care about Treasure's legacy, you should probably pick this up because it's super interesting. It's also rarely re-released, so being able to get it on a modern system is great.
9. Spidersaurs - Do you remember ProStars? The cartoon with Michael Jordan, Bo Jackson, and Wayne Gretzky playing superheroes? How about Jem and the Holograms? Well, some of us do. WayForward took a bunch of those old cartoons that aren’t and mashed them all together into Spidersaurs. Look, I know the IP isn’t going to hit with everyone, but this is an awesome Contra-like Run ‘n Gun shooter. If you’re jonesing for a new Contra, give this a look.
8. Capcom Fighting Collection - This is the only place you can get the full DarkStalkers collection. That alone is worth the price of admission. The online was always dead, but if you're buying something like this, it's because you're a hardcore Capcom fan. It's the games, art collection, and music that are really important.
7. Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course - I thought Delicious Last Course was just a clever way of saying DLC, but it's actually a very fitting name. Cuphead DLC is like dessert after the main course. I really wanted it to be an all you can eat buffet after the 5 year wait, but what's there is still awesome.
6. Pokemon Legends Arceus - Pokemon SV took all of this game’s thunder, but it’s still a really good game I think Pokemon fans would enjoy. I think it’s the best spinoff they’ve ever done. I loved the Japanese setting, story, and the new designs for old Pokemon. But honestly, I just kept wishing it was more like the mainline games. I’m not into the Pokemon Go thing where you catch tons of the same Pokemon and then release them, I didn’t like the Strong and Agile Style battle mechanic, the human VS Pokemon battles were terrible and very weird, and the way trainers make you battle 2 or 3 Pokemon at the same time was just cheating. I could go on. I had issues with this game, but I want them to make another one and keep experimenting with this style of Pokemon game.
5. River City Girls 2 - It's that game I just reviewed! What more can I say? It's better than RCH1 in every way. It has awesome combat, great graphics, a killer soundtrack, and funny dialogue. Beat 'em Up fans can't go wrong with this one.
4. Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak - Any other year, this might have been my GOTY. This expansion did just about everything better than the original. It has tons of more content, awesome new features, like the NPC partner missions, and a lot more post launch support. I fell off after they introduced the real endgame, though. I’m just not into grinding for mats to get randomized upgrades.
3. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet - Technical issues aside, this is the best Pokemon game of all time. You heard me! They did it. We finally have a seamless, 3rd person, open world that feels like a modern RPG. This isn't Monster Hunter or a dressed up 8-bit RPG that's constantly blocking off paths and funneling you through. This is the Pokemon game I've been wanting since the GameCube days.
2. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge - I expected this game to be awesome and it far exceeded my expectations. They did everything I wanted and then some. It's got April, Splinter AND Casey Jones! They didn’t just throw in Bebop and Rocksteady, they threw in villains I didn't even remember. Even Vernon is in it. Every background, Foot Soldier, and move feels like it’s something from the cartoons, comics, or old games. The combat system is one of the best in any BEU from any era, it has beautiful 2D graphics, and a great soundtrack. This is one of my favorite arcade style BEUs of all time.
1. Tunic - This game is special. Last time I saw my brother, I told him about how everything in the game is written in a runic language you can't understand and you have to piece clues together by looking at the pictures in the manual. He said "So, like how we played Zelda when we were kids?". Yes, exactly! Tunic isn't just a game that plays like Zelda, it's a game that plays like the experience of playing Zelda for the first time. I doubt Nintendo themselves would ever make a Zelda game like this. It would probably be too 4th wall breaking and self referential for them.