Around this time of year, I like to make a list of my best games SO FAR, because usually the AAA titles are released later in the year during the holiday season, and the titles that came out earlier tend to be forgotten.  So here’s when those games get their due.  Keep in mind that this is my list only and no other outside opinions contributed.  And if a game isn’t on this list, it either just didn’t appeal to me as much or I haven’t had a chance to play it yet.  Ok with that out of the way, let’s begin!

WEIRDEST GAME

Pokémon Pokopia (Switch 2)

This game ALMOST won my GOTY SO FAR award.  Another game just barely beat it.  Some have described this game as a mix of Pokémon meets Animal Crossing and Minecraft.  But really, it’s basically Dragon Quest Builders 3, as it was made by the same folks who did the previous one in that franchise.  You move around a post-apocalyptic Kanto region as a shape shifting Ditto, making friends with other Pokémon as you make their life happy and possibly bring back the humans that left you there.  There’s always something to do and while I probably won’t get any of the DLC, I’ve already spent 45 hours on this game which is the longest I’ve spent on a new game this year so far!

Runners Up:

Tomodatchi Life: Living the Dream (Switch)

It’s a sequel to the 3DS title which lets you make Mii characters and have them interact with each other on an island.  They can even get married and have kids!  I think I like the 3DS game better as it had more gameplay options (like a mini RPG), but the Switch one does have more customization features, so it’s a trade off.  At any rate, this game let me marry Reiko Nagase from Ridge Racer, so it can’t be all bad, right?

Pictonico (Mobile)

The weirdest thing about this game is not that it’s a WarioWare styled title where they take your photos and make mini-games out of them.  No the weird thing is that this is a new mobile game developed and published by Nintendo!  I thought they were done with mobile, but I guess not!

BEST ARCADE COLLECTION/REMAKE

The Disney Afternoon Collection (Switch 2)

Back in the late 80’s and early to mid 90’s, Disney had a block of weekday after school cartoons on TV called The Disney Afternoon.  They featured such memorable and high-quality shows like DuckTales, Chip N Dale Rescue Rangers, TaleSpin, Darkwing Duck, and many more.  Tons of people, including myself, have very fond memories watching these cartoons as kids.  Game maker Capcom even made some bonafide classic games based on those Disney Afternoon cartoons.  About a decade ago, they released a collection of those games.  I loved that collection, but two things always baffled me.  Why wasn’t it released on Switch, and why was it missing two other SNES Disney Afternoon games?  Well now those questions are answered with The Disney Afternoon Collection on Switch 1 and 2!

Runners Up:

Star Fox (Switch 2)

I’m not a super big Star Fox fan, but I don’t hate it.  There’s just a lot of Nintendo franchises I like much more.  But this remake is still pretty darn good.  I just wish I was better at Star Fox games!  Peppy is awesome, he’s my favorite.  At the very least, this one is way better than Star Fox Zero, which I think was one of the worst games Nintendo ever made!

Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection (Switch)

I never got into the Star Force games as by then I was getting a bit tired of the Battle Network formula.  But this is still a nice collection and I’m glad to have it.  If only Capcom would release a collection of the Mega Man Legends games.  It’s the only series they haven’t done that with!

CyberBlocker: Complete Edition (PS4)

It may sound like an Internet security program, but CyberBlocker: Complete Edition is actually a game that combines paddle and ball block breaking action like BreakOut or Arkanoid, mixed with 2D shooters with a power-up system similar to Gradius.  And it’s also really fun and one of the best Arkanoid clones I’ve played in decades!

R-Type Dimensions III (Switch 2)

Even though they’re no longer around, game maker Irem made some of the most popular games in the arcades back in the 80s.  Some of these include Moon Patrol and Kung Fu Master, but probably their most famous was the shooter series R-Type.  Consoles back then would often times show off their version of R-Type for its graphical prowess, and it was one of the most challenging shooters back then.  It’s so popular they still make R-Type games today, and I even reviewed one a few years ago (R-Type Final 2).  And here’s another one with R-Type Dimensions III.  I reviewed the first R-Type Dimensions, which was a remake of R-Type 1 and 2. And this one has R-Type 3, which was originally on the SNES and later on the GBA.

BEST PUZZLE GAME

Namco Legendary Mountains (Switch 2)

It’s basically a 3D version of Suika Game, but features themes and characters from classic Namco games like Pac-Man, Dig Dug, Mappy, Xevious, and more!  Yeah they know how to push my buttons!

BEST KIDS GAME

Bluey’s Quest for the Gold Pen (Switch 2)

Bluey is one of the most popular shows streaming right now, and it’s no wonder why.  It may be a preschool show on the surface, but it deals with subject matter that any age can enjoy.  The show is about Blue Heeler dog Bluey, her sister Bingo, and their parents, family, and friends as they learn life lessons through imagination and play.  I’m a huge fan of the show, and we’ve already seen plenty of Bluey on GamerDad.com with another video game review, a board game, and podcast.  And now there is a second video game with a story written by Joe Brumm, the show’s creator!  In the game, Bluey and Bingo and their parents are amusing themselves inside on a rainy day by drawing and coloring pictures and making up stories.  Bluey tells a story about a poor girl who can’t afford to repair her cottage.  So she calls upon Bingoose (her sister Bingo) to lay a golden egg for her.  But their dad has the gold pen for the egg and won’t give it back!  Now Bluey and Bingoose must go on a quest in their imagination to get the gold pen.  The game is presented with crayon styled drawings, similar to Bluey episodes like “Escape” and “Dragon.”  Gameplay is viewed in a top down perspective and you’ll solve Zelda dungeon styled puzzles to progress.

BEST MUSIC/RHYTHM GAME

Rhythm Heaven Groove (Switch)

This one kind of wins by default, but it’s still very good.  Has that Wario Ware style quirkiness and charm, but then it’s made by the same folks so that’s why.  Just more of what you liked from Rhythm Heaven Fever on the Wii.  I just wish it wasn’t so darn hard!

BEST 2D ADVENTURE

Yoshi and the Mysterious Book (Switch 2)

It plays like a typical 2D Yoshi game on the surface, but it’s one of the most creative 2D platformers I’ve played in a long time.  Instead of making it from point A to B, your job is to play and experiment with the creatures you’ll find in a mysterious research sketchbook you come across and can adventure inside.  It’s nothing like I’ve ever played and it’s a lot of fun!

And now it’s time for my best game of 2026 SO FAR!  Taiko drum roll, please…

The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales (Switch 2)

What do you get when you combine a time travelling story like in Chrono Trigger, weapon variety like in Secret of Mana, combat and exploration like Ys, and dungeon puzzles like Zelda?  Well you get a game that’s right up my alley!  This game really took me by surprise.  The HD-2D graphics really shine and it’s just so much fun.  Yeah sure the game isn’t perfect, as it bottlenecks when you’re trying to get the true ending.  But it’s still engaging and worth it.

You know what’s interesting is that thanks to that last underwhelming Nintendo Direct in June, there’s not a whole lot I’m looking forward to for the rest of the year.  We’ve got Splatoon Raiders, Switch 2 Sports, and that Zelda Ocarina of Time remake but that’s it for me.  There might be some third party stuff like the Switch 2 version of Digimon Story: Time Stranger and a Hello Kitty party game (don’t judge me), but I don’t know what else. Oh yeah there is that new Final Fantasy game with the HD 2D graphics like Elliot.   I wanted to get Bubsy 4D and see if it would go on this list, but the demo didn’t impress me enough and I read it only has 15 levels, so I may wait for a sale or something.  But that’s about it.  At any rate, in the comments section, let me know what YOU think of my list, and tell me your favorite games this year SO FAR.

Because of all the recent news going on lately, I wanted to end this blog with some of my thoughts.  While my top two favorite games this year: Pokémon Pokopia and Adventures of Elliot were fun and I liked them a lot, both of these games have something in common that I HATE!  The only ways to get these games physically on Switch 2 is a game key card.  I don’t know if you can get Elliot on disc on PS5 or Xbox, but I don’t have those consoles so I’m not worried about that.  I just think game key cards are worse than digital download only.  At the end of the day they’re just a hunk of plastic.  I try to buy physical when I can, even as far as importing some things when I really want them.  I only do digital if I can’t get it any other way, or if it’s too hard.  I tried to get the game key card for Pokopia, but I have yet to see it in a store (I think Nintendo did that on purpose), and the Elliot game key card is an Amazon exclusive.  With that and also knowing that eventually all consoles will be digital only (I don’t think Nintendo is going to be the ‘savior’ of physical games or anything), I’m not a happy gamer right now.  But I think I’ll TRY and end this blog on a positive note with a quote they always say in my GOTY SO FAR winner game The Adventures of Elliot:

“Hope is Always There.”

Thanks for reading folks.  –Cary

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