Wow, I'm actually doing my year in review on time for once, haha. Looking back over the games I played this past year, I'm actually pretty satisfied with the variety and the number of games I've been able to cross off of my to-do list, such as classic games like Pilotwings, Crazy Taxi, and Grand Theft Auto III, and also more modern games such as Overwatch and Undertale. I also made progress on various long-running series, mixed in some replays and indie games, and started livestreaming via some very mediocre "Let's Plays". Not being able to travel during the summer due to the pandemic definitely helped on that front.
As for my highest-ranked games of the year, it's no surprise that replays of a pair of classic Nintendo platformers topped the list, but I was pleased at how much Super Mario Maker 2 added (especially in the form of free DLC), and Xenoblade Chronicles X even surpassed the original in my opinion. Rounding out that list was my revisit of the smartphone game Dr. Mario World. In truth I never stopped playing it since it released, but this year was a good opportunity to reevaluate my original opinion of it and even though it's at heart a match-3 puzzle game, in the end it did sneak its way onto my greatest games of all time list. And of course, I do have to give my annual shout-out to Fire Emblem Heroes which for the fourth year running continues to be my most-played game by far.
Anyway, here's the summary of what my 2020 looked like gaming-wise (games listed in approximate descending order) with links to each game’s corresponding blog review:
HIGH
- Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES, Switch online) (replay; previous 2011)
- Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (SNES, Switch online) (replay; previous 2009)
- Super Mario Maker 2 (Switch)
- Xenoblade Chronicles X (Wii U)
- Dr. Mario World (Android)
MEDIUM
- Overwatch (Switch)
- Mario Bros. (NES) previous 2018)
- Puyo Puyo Tsuu (Gen)
- Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation (3DS)
- Fire Emblem: Awakening (3DS) (replay; previous 2017, 2013)
- Dynasty Warriors 3 (PS2)
- Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (N64)
- Sayonara Wild Hearts (Switch eShop)
- Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne (PS2)
- Fitness Boxing (Switch)
- Ring Fit Adventure (Switch)
- Fire Emblem Warriors (Switch) (replay; previous 2017)
- BTS World (Android)
- Wario: Master of Disguise (DS)
- Undertale (PC)
- Just Dance 4 (Wii U)
- Picross DS (DS)
- Dr. Mario 64 (N64)
- Baba is You (Switch eShop)
- Crazy Taxi (DC)
- Pokemon Cafe (Android)
- Pilotwings (SNES)
- Grand Theft Auto III (PS2)
- NightSky (Steam)
- Blind Men (PC)
LOW
- Pokemon Rumble U (Wii U)
- Grand Theft Auto (PS)
- Donut County (Switch eShop)
- Pokemon Rumble Rush (Android)
In terms of stats, I did play more old school games than usual, although the number of non-console games I played continues to be low since I play a lot on my phone. I think I had just one non-game post, which was on the movie The Wizard which I hadn't seen since I was a kid. Good times, haha.
Well, I think that's it for another year in review! As always, thanks as always to anyone who’s stumbled across my little patch of cyberspace and found it even mildly diverting, and welcome to another full year of video games at the Intergalactic Video Game Academy! ;)