{"id":12980,"date":"2015-01-02T00:01:20","date_gmt":"2015-01-02T00:01:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/?p=12980"},"modified":"2014-12-28T17:42:29","modified_gmt":"2014-12-28T17:42:29","slug":"carys-best-games-of-the-year-2014-awards-show","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/2015\/01\/02\/carys-best-games-of-the-year-2014-awards-show\/","title":{"rendered":"Cary’s “Best Games of the Year 2014 Awards Show!”"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"PACSMASH\"<\/a>It\u2019s that time again.\u00a0 What I like to do this time of year is write about the best games of the year.\u00a0 Keep in mind that no outside opinions went into the making of this list.\u00a0 It\u2019s just my own picks.\u00a0 And if a game is missing from my list, it either didn\u2019t appeal to me as much, or I just simply haven\u2019t played it yet.\u00a0 Can\u2019t play all the games out there, you know!\u00a0 Plus I do apologize if this list leans toward the Nintendo side.\u00a0 I don\u2019t have an Xbox One or PS4 yet, so you\u2019ll just have to deal with it.<\/p>\n

Anyway, so without further ado, welcome to the Cary\u2019s Best Games of 2014 Awards Show!\u00a0 I\u2019m your host, Cary, and today we\u2019ll have special guests like Chibi-Robo, Yumi, Agnes from Bravely Default, Aurora from Child of Light, Kirby, Captain Toad, Shantae, and Pablo form LocoCycle.\u00a0 So let\u2019s take a look at our first category.<\/p>\n

WEIRDEST GAME<\/strong><\/p>\n

This list is a pretty big category (and admittedly a little vague, too), but I do like to play weird games, and there sure were a lot out there this year!<\/p>\n

Chibi-Robo! Photo Finder (3DS)<\/strong><\/p>\n

I love the Chibi-Robo games.\u00a0 They\u2019re so creative and fun.\u00a0 Too bad we didn\u2019t see the DS sequel to the GameCube game outside of Japan.\u00a0 Anyway, this downloadable oddity isn\u2019t the best Chibi-Robo game around, but it sure does use the 3DS camera in unique ways.\u00a0 Your job is to take pictures of items so they can be in a special \u2018NostalJunk\u2019 museum.\u00a0 You must take pictures of things that have a particular outline around them, like a coffee cup, plug outlet, or roll of toilet paper.\u00a0 It\u2019s like a photo-taking scavenger hunt.\u00a0 To earn money for the film you use, you\u2019ll play Chibi-Robo themed mini-games.<\/p>\n

Runners Up:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Weapon Shop de Omasse (3DS)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

It\u2019s like a Cooking Mama game mixed with a music game, except you\u2019re a blacksmith making weapons for RPG characters!<\/p>\n

Yumi\u2019s Odd Odyssey (3DS)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Combining 2-D platforming with\u2026fishing?\u00a0 This game actually isn\u2019t new, as it dates all the way back to the Super Famicom in Japan.\u00a0 But Natsume brought over the remake on the 3DS.\u00a0 Folks who enjoyed Bionic Commando will love this.\u00a0 But be warned, this game is hardcore!\u00a0 The main character is cute, though.<\/p>\n

NES Remix 2 (Wii U)<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think this is the shortest time for a sequel to come out after the original.\u00a0 NES Remix 2 lets you play challenges from classic NES titles in WarioWare fashion.\u00a0 What makes the sequel better is it has more \u2018contemporary\u2019 games that more people probably remember playing, like Mario 2 & 3, Metroid, Kid Icarus, Kirby\u2019s Adventure, and many more.\u00a0 Only problem is the price is just a tiny bit too high.\u00a0 Luckily, now you can buy hard copies of this and the original game combined on the Wii U and 3DS!<\/p>\n

Gardening Mama 2: Forest Friends (3DS)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Any of the \u2018Mama\u2019 games are weird by default.\u00a0 But this one is a great kids\u2019 game as it plays like a very simplistic Harvest Moon title.\u00a0 And while we\u2019re on the subject, Cooking Mama 5<\/strong><\/a> came out this year, so I need to mention that as well.<\/p>\n

Tomodachi Life (3DS)<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s like The Sims except a bit more simplistic.\u00a0 But you can use your Miis you\u2019ve created in the game to make some fun and silly (and impossible situations).\u00a0 For instance, my Mii married Princess Zelda and we had a baby.\u00a0 I named him Zelda Jr.\u00a0 Yeah I know that\u2019s a weird name, but no weirder than me marrying Zelda in the first place!<\/p>\n

Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright (3DS)<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s the mash-up crossover we\u2019ve always wanted, but never thought we\u2019d get.\u00a0 They just replaced the investigation phases of Phoenix Wright games with the puzzles of Prof. Layton, and it works pretty well even though I\u2019m not a big fan of the Layton titles.\u00a0 One thing I\u2019ll say about this game, though, is the story is really good!\u00a0 I kept playing it just to see what would happen next!<\/p>\n

BEST ARCADE CLASSIC COLLECTION\/REMAKE<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pac-Man Museum (360)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Since this was the only kind of game I played in this category, it wins by default.\u00a0 It\u2019s a decent downloadable collection of Pac-Man classics, but the \u2018Arrangement\u2019 version is from the PSP, not the arcade, which is much better.\u00a0 And they use the \u2018Ghostly Adventures\u2019 version of Pac-Man in the game.\u00a0 Ugh.<\/p>\n

BEST RPG<\/strong><\/p>\n

Child of Light (360)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

I thought that Bravely Default would win this award by, well, default.\u00a0 But Child of Light came out of nowhere and won the award by being simple and NOT being too long and meandering.\u00a0 Plus its creative mix of 2-D platforming and turn-based battles won me over, as well as its hand-painted graphics, hauntingly beautiful music, and memorable characters.<\/p>\n

Runner Up:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bravely Default (3DS)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

This was a good RPG, too.\u00a0 Just a straight-up JRPG that used every feature of the 3DS very cleverly, even if they didn\u2019t explain everything clearly.\u00a0 They should\u2019ve just called it a Final Fantasy game, though.\u00a0 Probably would\u2019ve sold better.<\/p>\n

BEST 3-D ADVENTURE<\/strong><\/p>\n

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (Wii U)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

The best way to describe this game is it is a \u201cCary\u201d game.\u00a0 I loved the Captain Toad mini-game levels in Super Mario 3-D World so much that I posted a Miiverse message that said they should make a whole game out of them!\u00a0 Did Nintendo take my advice?\u00a0 Anyone who reads my blogs and reviews regularly know that Toad is my favorite Mario character, too.<\/p>\n

Runners Up:<\/strong><\/p>\n

The LEGO Movie Videogame (360)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

The LEGO Movie was one of the best films I\u2019ve seen this year so far.\u00a0 While the video game based on the flick is just a typical LEGO game, it\u2019s still pretty fun.\u00a0 Especially if you enjoyed the movie.\u00a0 I should also give a shout out to the LEGO Hobbit<\/strong> <\/a>and LEGO Batman 3<\/strong> <\/a>games that came out this year as well, as they were fun, too.<\/p>\n

Armillo (Wii U)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

This fun little downloadable indie game was like a cross between Mario Galaxy, Sonic, Marble Madness, and Pac-Man.\u00a0 And it reminded me of classic N64 and GameCube games because it starred a cartoon character, wasn\u2019t too long or too hard, and it didn\u2019t get too big for its britches.<\/p>\n

Hyrule Warriors (Wii U)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

I never was interested in the Dynasty Warriors games, but put Zelda characters in them and you\u2019ve got my attention.\u00a0 This was a pretty fun and simple little hack and slash, and it finally let me play as cool Zelda characters like Impa, Agitha, and Zelda herself.\u00a0 And it was especially fun with two players, and there were lots of things to do.<\/p>\n

Skylanders: Trap Team (Wii U)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Sure these games may not be very original and they are very gimmicky, but they\u2019re still fun.\u00a0 Admit it, if you were a kid right now, Skylanders would be a big thing for you.<\/p>\n

Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures 2 (Wii U)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

The cartoon may be awful, but the games based on it really aren\u2019t that bad.\u00a0 Just fun little colorful 3-D romps.<\/p>\n

Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric (Wii U)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Everyone bashed on this game, but I didn\u2019t think it was THAT bad.\u00a0 Sure it wasn\u2019t that great either, but it was like a cross between a Sonic game and Jak and Daxter, and it held my interest longer than I thought it would.<\/p>\n

BEST 2-D ADVENTURE<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kirby Triple Deluxe (3DS)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yeah this probably comes at no surprise to anybody.\u00a0 But this was a really good Kirby game with lots of stuff to do.\u00a0 Not too hard yet not too easy either.\u00a0 This actually won my Game of the Year SO FAR when I did this back in July at the halfway point in the year.<\/p>\n

Runners Up:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yoshi\u2019s New Island (3DS)<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re trying to settle an argument with someone who complains that Nintendo doesn\u2019t do anything new and different anymore, do not show them this game.\u00a0 It\u2019s so much like the original SNES classic that it\u2019s almost shameful.\u00a0 BUT, that\u2019s also a good testament to how fantastic the SNES game was, that if another game that comes along that\u2019s just like it is still extremely fun.<\/p>\n

Tales from Space: Mutant Blobs Attack (360)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

This one kind of came out of nowhere and surprised me.\u00a0 You play as a blob and try to eat everything in sight to grow bigger so you can eat more things.\u00a0 It\u2019s like a cross between Katamari Damacy and an old SNES game called Smartball (Jelly Boy in Japan).\u00a0 This game was done by the same folks who did Guacamelee.<\/p>\n

Shovel Knight (Wii U)<\/strong><\/p>\n

This downloadable gem reminds me of the many NES games I rented back when I was a kid.\u00a0 Back then, game rentals only cost a buck at the local movie rental place, so I rented a lot of games instead of buying them.\u00a0 Sometimes even renting games multiple times (like with Mega Man and Final Fantasy).\u00a0 Only problem I have with this one is that it\u2019s a little on the hard side.\u00a0 But the music is VERY GOOD!<\/p>\n

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Wii U)<\/strong><\/p>\n

I originally wasn\u2019t going to put this one on my list, because it\u2019s too much like DKC Returns and way too hard for its own good.\u00a0 But the level designs are so clever; I had to at least give it that.<\/p>\n

Guacamelee: Super Turbo Championship Editon (360)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

It may be a bit politically incorrect, but the best way to describe this game is a \u201cMexican Metroid.\u201d\u00a0 You play as a Luchador and can switch from the world of the dead and the living to explore new places.\u00a0 It\u2019s really good if you like 2-D Metroid style games, but it\u2019s also hard, too.<\/p>\n

Shantae and the Pirates\u2019 Curse (Wii U)<\/strong><\/p>\n

I love the Shantae games, and I\u2019ve been playing them since the first one on the Game Boy Color.\u00a0 This new one is like a long lost SNES game.\u00a0 I was mad because I downloaded it for the 3DS, and a few days later I found out it was going to be released for Wii U.\u00a0 So I bought it twice.\u00a0 Oh well, what can I say?\u00a0 I\u2019m a sucker for cute characters!<\/p>\n

BEST RACING GAME<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mario Kart 8 (Wii U)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yeah you know this would get the award.\u00a0 Of course I don\u2019t really play too many racing games.\u00a0 It may not be my favorite Mario Kart game in the series, but it certainly has the best visuals.<\/p>\n

Runner Up:<\/strong><\/p>\n

LocoCycle (360)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Not really a racing game, more of a driving battle & chase game like Spy Hunter.\u00a0 But it was made by Twisted Pixel so it has lots of laughs and fun arcade action.<\/p>\n

BEST SPORTS GAME<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mario Golf: World Tour (3DS)<\/strong><\/p>\n

It really just wins by default, as I don\u2019t play too many sports games.\u00a0 I really haven\u2019t gotten into this one as much as I did with Mario Golf on the GameCube.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know what it is.\u00a0 Maybe the touch screen controls or the fact that half the single player game is DLC.\u00a0 Still a pretty decent game of golf otherwise.<\/p>\n

BEST MUSIC GAME<\/strong><\/p>\n

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Curtain\u00a0 Call (3DS)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The first Theatrhythm game was my GOTY for 2013, I liked it that much.\u00a0 The sequel doesn\u2019t get as much praise because it\u2019s just more of the same, but when more of the same means more fun, it\u2019s not all bad.\u00a0 Especially if you like Final Fantasy music.<\/p>\n

BEST EDUCATIONAL GAME<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pokemon Art Academy (3DS)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

This game teaches kids art and cartooning skills as well as confidence, because it lets them draw their favorite Pokemon characters pretty well.\u00a0\u00a0 Nintendo\u2019s Art Academy games are severely underrated.<\/p>\n

BEST FIGHTING GAME<\/strong><\/p>\n

Super Smash Bros. (3DS)<\/strong><\/p>\n

There is a better fighting game than this, but it won an even better award so I\u2019ll give the 3DS version its due here.\u00a0 The portable Smash isn\u2019t perfect, as the screen is so small it\u2019s hard to see items and such, but there is so much to do and it\u2019s still a fun game.\u00a0 A must have for every Nintendo fan.<\/p>\n

And now it\u2019s time for Cary\u2019s Best Game of 2014!\u00a0 Taiko drum roll, please\u2026<\/p>\n

BEST GAME OF 2014<\/strong><\/p>\n

Super Smash Bros. (Wii U)<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s probably not a surprise that I chose this.\u00a0 I\u2019m not very good at the Smash games at all, but I sure do enjoy them anyway.\u00a0 You don\u2019t have to be great at the game to still have fun with it, and like the 3DS version, there are tons of things to do whether you\u2019re playing by yourself or eight of your closest friends.\u00a0 And plus, it has Pac-Man in it, so you know I\u2019ll like it anyway!<\/p>\n

Conclusions<\/strong><\/p>\n

And that\u2019s all for now!\u00a0 In the comments section, let me know what you think of my picks and tell me YOUR favorite games of 2014.\u00a0 And tell me if you would watch me on TV if I had my own awards show like this.\u00a0 Later!\u00a0 –Cary<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s that time again.\u00a0 What I like to do this time of year is write about the best games of the year.\u00a0 Keep in mind that no outside opinions went into the making of this list.\u00a0 It\u2019s just my own picks.\u00a0 And if a game is missing from my list, it either didn\u2019t appeal to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":12977,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12980","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-miscellaneous"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12980","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12980"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12980\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12983,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12980\/revisions\/12983"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12977"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12980"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12980"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12980"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}