{"id":8999,"date":"2012-12-29T00:01:43","date_gmt":"2012-12-29T00:01:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/?p=8999"},"modified":"2012-12-29T00:01:43","modified_gmt":"2012-12-29T00:01:43","slug":"carys-best-game-of-the-year-2012-awards-show","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/2012\/12\/29\/carys-best-game-of-the-year-2012-awards-show\/","title":{"rendered":"Cary’s Best Game of the Year 2012 Awards Show!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"TERRA\"<\/a>Welcome ladies and gentlemen, to the \u201cCary\u2019s Best Video Games of the Year 2012 Awards Show!\u201d Now, keep in mind that this is MY list only. No other outside opinions contributed. And since I\u2019m only one person, I can\u2019t play ALL the games out there, so some of your favorites might have been missed. Expect some surprises and games you might not have heard of, or ones I would\u2019ve even picked! So without further ado, here\u2019s my awards show!<\/p>\n

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

Soul Calibur V (360)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Even though I didn\u2019t like the characters and single player modes as much as in SC4, the character creation mode was improved, and that\u2019s one of my favorite parts. I spent a lot of time creating my own characters, and I bet later on I\u2019ll come back and make more! As a novice with fighting games, I appreciate Soul Calibur\u2019s more simplistic controls (but experts can master them, too). And as always, it looks great. If any of you have the 360 version, we should play online and I can show you some of the characters that I\u2019ve made!<\/p>\n

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

Street Fighter X Tekken (PS3)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cNow wait a minute,\u201d you might exclaim. \u201cHow can you put this on the list when Capcom went way too crazy and greedy with the DLC?\u201d If you can get past all the crap Capcom pulled (which admittedly, is hard to do), the game is still pretty fun, especially if you like Super SF4. But really, the only reason why I liked it was because it had Pac-Man and Cammy in it.<\/p>\n

Dead or Alive 5 (PS3)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

If you can get past all the fanservice, you\u2019ll realize that underneath all that is a pretty decent fighter. I\u2019m glad I finally got the opportunity to play and review a game in the DOA series. Can you guess who my favorite character is?<\/p>\n

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale (PS3)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

It may be a Smash Bros. clone with some rather unbalanced characters, but it\u2019s still pretty fun. Lots of cool beloved characters to play as and stages to fight on. I liked it, anyway. Guess who my favorites are in this one, too.<\/p>\n

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

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

It\u2019s just a mini-game collection, so I guess it\u2019s not THAT weird. But seeing your Mii dressed up as an Animal Crossing critter barfing up candy is pretty strange, you have to admit. But one of my criteria for \u201cWeirdest Game Award\u201d is that it also has to be fun, and Nintendo Land is especially fun. Jeff and his friends still come over and play it! Definitely the game to get if you have a Wii U already.<\/p>\n

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

Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir (3DS)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s just a gimmicky game that uses the AR function of the 3DS. But I like gimmicky stuff and I like ghosts, so that\u2019s why this is here. Plus, I\u2019ve always wanted to try a Fatal Frame game, and now I got the chance to, even if it really is just a spinoff.<\/p>\n

Pokemon Conquest (DS)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Even though the game is just Final Fantasy Tactics with Pokemon in it, you have to admit that Nobunaga\u2019s Ambition mixed with Pokemon is the weirdest cross-over game ever!<\/p>\n

Rhythm Heaven Fever (Wii)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

This music and rhythm game was done by the same folks who did WarioWare, so it\u2019s just naturally weird. I don\u2019t think I need to say any more than that.<\/p>\n

Retro City Rampage (PS3)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

A 2-D GTA clone with 8-bit graphics and funny classic game jokes around every corner. Yeah that\u2019s pretty weird. And creative and fun.<\/p>\n

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed (360)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

I know it\u2019s not really THAT weird of a game, but I didn\u2019t feel like making a separate category for Best Racer this time. You have to admit, putting Danica Patrick in there is pretty weird, though.<\/p>\n

Art Academy: Lessons for Everyone (3DS)<\/strong><\/p>\n

It may be just a sequel, but I think an art teaching program on the 3DS handheld is still pretty weird. But it\u2019s also a fun little game, so if you have a budding artist around the house, they may like it.<\/p>\n

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

The game is as weird as you make it. Those who have played any game in the series know what I mean.<\/p>\n

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

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron (360)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

This is one of the surprises I was telling you about. You\u2019d think I\u2019d pick a cutesy, colorful 3-D adventure to win this award. But, nope. I don\u2019t even like third person shooters that much, so for me to play all the way through this one, you know it has to be good (granted, I did play it on Easy). The main reason why I liked this one so much is the nostalgia factor. The team did such a good job of recreating the feel of the old toy line and cartoon from the 80\u2019s. Forget the recent Michael Bay movies. THIS is what Transformers should be!<\/p>\n

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

PokePark 2: Wonders Beyond (Wii)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Just a fun little 3-D adventure for younger Pokemon fans. I enjoyed this cute little game, anyway.<\/p>\n

LEGO Batman 2: DC Superheroes (360)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Fine choice, especially if you like superheroes and have kids around. It\u2019s too bad that travelling around Gotham City wasn\u2019t easier, and the way you save wasn\u2019t so wonky.<\/p>\n

Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance (3DS)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t really care about the storyline in Kingdom Hearts games; all I want to do is tromp around Disney worlds beating up bad guys. And this game lets you do that pretty well.<\/p>\n

Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two (360)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Speaking of Disney, even though Epic Mickey 2 has a laundry list of problems, if you are a Disney fan and can look past those, this is still a pretty decent little 3-D romp.<\/p>\n

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

New Super Mario Bros. 2 (3DS)<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019d rather give the award to a more obscure 2-D platformer, and not to another same-y Mario game. But I do have to give credit where credit is due. The coin collecting gimmick was actually fun, Nintendo provided a lot of DLC Coin Rush levels (including one temporary free one), the Koopa Kids were awesome as always, and even the play control wasn\u2019t quite as slippy slidey as in other New Super Mario Bros. games. The quest was just the right length, not too short but not too long. So while it isn\u2019t the most original, it\u2019s still pretty fun.<\/p>\n

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

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

Not quite as good as the 3DS one, but still a fun same-y Mario game. The multiplayer is a bit chaotic, but I do like how you can make platforms with the Wii U controller. I\u2019m glad they keep using the Koopa Kids in these games.<\/p>\n

Adventure Time (3DS)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

I almost wanted to give the award to this game, but it was just a little too short for that. It\u2019s still an excellent game that reminds me of Capcom\u2019s classic cartoon games on NES and SNES. The music is awesome, too. If you like WayForward\u2019s other games; you\u2019ll definitely want to try this, especially if you are a fan of the cartoon.<\/p>\n

Dungeon Fighter LIVE (360)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

I really got into this Xbox LIVE version of a popular PC online game. It plays like a classic beat \u2018em up, with more complicated RPG elements. I also really liked the character designs, especially the Brawler class. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

Code of Princess (3DS)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Another 2-D beat \u2018em up. Not quite as good as Dungeon Fighter, but still neat with fantastic animation. And you can\u2019t go wrong with a cute girl character with a sword!<\/p>\n

Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion (3DS)<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think it\u2019s so cool that they made a sequel to the Sega Genesis classic Castle of Illusion. It plays like a 16-bit platformer, including the sometimes frustrating difficulty. This may be better than the main Epic Mickey game.<\/p>\n

Sonic 4: Episode 2 (360)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Sonic 4: Episode 2 is a decent 2-D platformer. I do like the team moves with Tails, and just the fact that Tails is back in general. I also thought it was neat how the roller coaster level played a small little lick from the Twinkle Park song. I still don\u2019t like how SEGA has handled their episodic content, releasing it a year and a half after the first one. Only company I know that has gotten episodic gaming right is TellTale.<\/p>\n

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

Final Fantasy Dimensions (iPad)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s another surprise winner that I might get a lot of flak about. Many reviewers and fans did not like this one, and they do have good reasons. Sure it\u2019s not as good as other FF games, but here\u2019s the thing. I think this is one of those \u2018what\u2019s in a name\u2019 deals. If this game did not have the Final Fantasy name on it, people would\u2019ve said, \u201cOh this is almost just as good as a classic FF title!\u201d People may say that a more deserving RPG should have this award, like Tales of Graces f. But you know what? Dimensions is exactly the kind of RPG I enjoyed on the 16-bit SNES back when I was in high school and big into RPGs, so it made me happy and I liked it. So it gets the award.<\/p>\n

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

Paper Mario: Sticker Star (3DS)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Mario RPGs are always good fun, but unfortunately, after playing Sticker Star for a while, I may have to put it on the BOTTOM of my list. I did not like the sticker gimmick. Since you didn\u2019t level up, there was no point in fighting enemies often because it just depleted your sticker supply. And item management was not fun either. I haven\u2019t had the desire to go back and play it anytime soon, but I will eventually.<\/p>\n

Harvest Moon 3D: A New Beginning (3DS)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

This one caused me to put the \u2018simulation\u2019 add on to this category. Normally, I\u2019d say Harvest Moon games are all the same. But the new additions to this one, including all the customization features and better pacing, make it one of the best Harvest Moon games out there. And trust me; I\u2019ve reviewed a lot of them!<\/p>\n

Tales of Graces f (PS3)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

I love action RPGs, and the Tales series have some of my favorites. Graces was a lot of fun, and I think I even almost made it to the end before getting distracted by something else. And that\u2019s always a good thing.<\/p>\n

Hyperdimension Neptunia MK2 (PS3)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

You know, this series is known for its suggestive themes, but I didn\u2019t think they were THAT bad. It was more campy than suggestive, really. The game itself still has a fun sense of humor regarding making fun of game consoles, companies, and characters. And I guess I should also give a shout out to that Atelier Meruru<\/strong><\/a> game I reviewed, too, as it was fairly decent as well.<\/p>\n

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

20th Anniversary Kirby\u2019s Dream Collection (Wii)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

I\u2019m sure you all saw this one coming. But it is a really good collection, and one of the last great Wii games. You get a lot of stuff, too. Six great main Kirby titles to play, a nearly comprehensive museum of every Kirby game to view, a soundtrack and book, and even a few cartoons! A must-have for any Kirby fan. Everyone should already own this.<\/p>\n

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

Frogger Hyper Arcade Edition (360)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

This is what Frogger should be. I thought it was funny that they used Buckner & Garcia\u2019s Frogger song from the Pac-Man Fever album in it!<\/p>\n

Double Dragon Neon (360)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

WayForward did it again! If you were expecting a more serious DD game, this one is not for you. It\u2019s goofy as all get out. But it\u2019s still very fun and all the 80\u2019s jokes and references really made me laugh. Too bad it was so hard, though.<\/p>\n

The Journey Collection (PS3)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

On their own, I probably wouldn\u2019t have played any of these games on here. So I\u2019m glad they put them all on one disc for me to experience. If you have an interest in how games are made, you should check this one out.<\/p>\n

Ratchet and Clank HD Collection (PS3)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The R&C games were some of the best 3-D platformers of last generation\u2019s consoles, and they\u2019re what a 3-D Mega Man game should be (no disrespect to Mega Man Legends, though). So I\u2019m glad Sony put the first three games on a disc for play on PS3.<\/p>\n

Midway Arcade Origins (360)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

It\u2019s been done before, but a solid collection of arcade titles anyway.<\/p>\n

Monster World Collection (360)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Even though I reviewed it on PSN, the 360 version of Monster World IV is a better deal because it comes with two other Monster World games. But MW4 is worth it on its own. This lost Genesis game mixes 2-D platforming with Zelda style puzzles and exploration. If you enjoy games like Shantae, you\u2019ll really want to download this. Still not sure? Just read my glowing review. I don\u2019t know why 16-bit adventures captivate me so, but they do!<\/p>\n

The Simpsons Arcade Game (360)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Not really an arcade collection, but it was nice to finally have this on a home console. And they added a few unexpected surprises, like the Japanese version of the game, so it was a nice treat.<\/p>\n

Capcom Digital Collection (360)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

It\u2019s just a collection of Capcom\u2019s downloadable titles. But it DOES have Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix on it, so that was nice.<\/p>\n

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

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

Rhythm Thief and the Emperor\u2019s Treasure (3DS)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cHey wait a minute, Cary,\u201d you may say, \u201cHow come you\u2019re starting with the runners up in this category?\u201d Well, it\u2019s because the overall Game of the Year is a music game, so I didn\u2019t want to list it twice. Anyway, Rhythm Thief surprised me with how good it was. With this and Space Channel 5 and Samba de Amigo, it\u2019s clear that SEGA can make a good music game. There\u2019s even mini games based on those other titles in Rhythm Thief. If you loved the Prof. Layton games but hated the math problems like I did, just replace those with fun music games and you have Rhythm Thief!<\/p>\n

Retro\/Grade (PS3)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

This was a really creative one. It looks like a 2-D shooter, but you play it backwards, catching bullets you\u2019ve fired back into your ship, while avoiding shots going into enemy ships! But surprisingly, it\u2019s really a cleverly disguised music game! You can even use a guitar controller! I highly recommend downloading it.<\/p>\n

And now, for my Best Game of the Year 2012 Award! You already know it\u2019s a music game, so Taiko drum roll, please!<\/p>\n

CARY\u2019S BEST GAME OF THE YEAR 2012<\/strong><\/p>\n

Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy (3DS)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Did this surprise anyone? Here\u2019s why it gets my award. First of all, I was really anticipating this game. I even waited in line to play it at E3, knowing full well it would be out in less than a month later. And when I did get it, I played it for TWO MONTHS STRAIGHT nonstop. And when one of my brothers picked it up when he got a 3DS later, I started playing it again! I really love Final Fantasy music, and have been to two different FF orchestra concerts and have several CD soundtracks! The game plays similarly to Taiko Drum Master, one of my overall favorite music games. And all the music in Theatrhythm is good, even the songs from FF games I don\u2019t like! (such as 8, 10, 11, 12, 13). There are tons of challenges, and the StreetPass Dark Note feature constantly adds new ones. And I love the cutesy art style. If other FF games still looked like this, I\u2019d still be playing them! Plus the game is surprisingly deep, with unlockable characters to place in your party, equippable items and experience points, and much more! I hear there is an iPad version now, too, and I\u2019d like to try it.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a funny story regarding Theatrhythm. When I was playing multiplayer with a friend (which is also fun), someone was talking to him, and in his distracted state, he said, \u201cJust a minute, I\u2019m trying to play a music song.\u201d When he quickly realized the silly thing he just said, we all started laughing and I decided that we should rename the game \u201cFinal Fantasy Music Song.\u201d Hey, it\u2019s no more ridiculous than \u201cTheatrhythm.\u201d So yeah, that\u2019s why Final Fantasy Music Song gets my Game of the Year 2012 award, which may or may not be a surprise to anyone.<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s all for now! In the comments section, let me know what you think of my picks, and tell me your favorite games of 2012! Next time, I\u2019ll talk about games I\u2019m looking forward to in 2013! Later! –Cary<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Welcome ladies and gentlemen, to the \u201cCary\u2019s Best Video Games of the Year 2012 Awards Show!\u201d Now, keep in mind that this is MY list only. No other outside opinions contributed. And since I\u2019m only one person, I can\u2019t play ALL the games out there, so some of your favorites might have been missed. Expect […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":9001,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8999","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\/8999","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=8999"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8999\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9003,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8999\/revisions\/9003"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9001"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8999"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8999"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8999"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}