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Negative World's Top Games of the Decade [roundtable]
 
Saw this exact thread happening over on another forum, and figured I wanted to get the opinions of the Negative World members. What are some of your favorite games (or least favorite?) of the past decade? I tried to list mine as a "Top 10" but you don't have to if you don't want to.

9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors
SUPER Street Fighter IV
Tatsunoko vs Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars
Kid Icarus Uprising
Resident Evil Revelations
Pokémon Moon
Animal Crossing: New Leaf
Shovel Knight
Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth
Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon/Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
(yeah, these are technically two different games, but I'm grouping them together for no particular reason. )

BONUS SHOUT OUT: Monster Hunter 4 ULTIMATE I haven't really ever cared for a game in this series, but for whatever reason, this one finally got me. Maybe it was playing online with several of you, maybe it was the presentation (that opening battle was pretty sweet) or maybe it was the interaction with others via Miiverse (RIP)...but this was the one Monster Hunter that I really got into.

I have enjoyed Monster Hunter Stories, but I haven't gotten very far yet.

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11/12/19, 22:03  
 
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Oh man, I'll have to look up release dates and probably miss some games but...

AAA / Retail
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Super Mario Odyssey
Xenoblade Chronicles
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Portal 2
Resident Evil 2 Remake
Persona 5
Valkyria Chronicles 4
The Last Guardian

Indie / Digital
Rocket League
Undertale
Celeste
Guacamelee!
Fluidity
Pushmo
Human Resource Machine
Towerfall
BIT.TRIP RUNNER
Downwell
11/12/19, 22:19   
Edited: 11/12/19, 22:19
How have you not played Breath of the Wild yet!?

Anyway, this sounds fun. So from 2010 to 2019, right? Let's see...

Just missed the list: Pikmin 3, Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice, Skyward Sword, Donkey Kong Country Returns, Splatoon, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Virtue's Last Reward, Cuphead, Dragon Quest Builders 2, Mario Maker 1 or 2.


10. Fire Emblem: Awakening
9. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

8. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
7. Octopath Traveler
6. Super Mario Galaxy 2
5. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
4. Kid Icarus: Uprising
3. Super Mario Odyssey
2. Dragon Quest XI S (!!)
1. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild


The Switch has been awfully good to me.

EDIT: Forgot Octopath! Switch is killing it.
11/12/19, 22:22   
Edited: 12/23/19, 07:44
I'm just going to put my Top 30 because there was just too much not have on here.


1. Splatoon - WiiU
2. Breath of the Wild - Switch
3. Super Mario Odyssey - Switch
4. Outlast - PS4
5. Xenoblade Chronicles - Wii
6. REmake 2 - PS4
7. Dragon Quest XI S - Switch
8. Portal 2 - PS4
9. Batman: Arkham City - PS3
10. Freedom Planet - WiiU
11. Doom - PS4
12. Ghost Trick - DS
13. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Switch
14. Super Mario Galaxy 2 - Wii
15. Amnesia: The Dark Descent - PS4
16. Sonic Mania - Switch
17. God of War - PS4
18. Spider-Man - PS4
19. Batman: Arkham Asylum - PS3
20. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze - WiiU
21. Shadows of the Damned - PS2
22. Metroid: Return of Samus - 3DS
23. Last Window - DS
24. Alien Isolation - PS4
25. Shantae and the Pirate's Curse - WiiU
26. Shantae 1/2 Genie Hero - Switch
27. Mega Man 11 - Switch
28. Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening - Switch
29. Shadow of the Colossus - PS4
30. The Last Guardian - PS4

And I still feel like I am forgetting things.
11/12/19, 23:15   
I always have trouble narrowing down these kinds of things since there are so many games I like, so if you asked me tomorrow then you'd probably get a different list.

Super Mario Odyssey
Super Mario Maker 1 + 2
Luigi's Mansion 2 / Dark Moon
The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Splatoon
Pikmin 3
Etrian Odyssey IV
Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon
Paladins: Champions of the Realm
11/12/19, 23:32   
Oh baby, this was a good decade! I have many thoughts, and I wanna see your guys' as well! At least five pages, single-spaced!

To start with some that don't really fit in...

Honorable Mention A: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Splatoon 2, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Mario Maker 2 - To me, these are just timeless fun, usually in a multiplayer setting. I love them, and I mentally set them aside from all other games as being something that I want to go back to over and over and over again.

Honorable Mention B: P.T. - I never actually played this; I've only watched playthroughs of it. But I love what it stands for, I love the mystery behind it, I love the story behind it's development and removal, and I love that it's now this elusive thing that's super hard to get your hands on. This was without a doubt one of the craziest gaming experiences of the past decade whether your directly played it or not.

Wait, crap, that reminds me, I haven't beaten Death Stranding yet! That's bound to land on here somewhere! Alright, we'll call it Honorable Mention C.

On to the main list!

21. Super Mario Odyssey - Like I always say: this is a Marvel movie in an industry that hasn't figured out how to make Marvel movies. It's a darn good game, but there are no other darn good games, so it stands out! (The freedom it gives the player is great.)

20. Baba is You - This was shaping up to be one of my favorite puzzle games ever--and it still is!--but there's one end-game puzzle that I've been stuck on for nine months now. Not having a nice conclusion to my experience did sour it a bit, but it was still a great game.

19. Save the Date - This game really blew my mind when I first played it. Its whole storytelling gimmick has been done a million times since--by games on this list, even!--but I've gotta give it a shout-out for being the first.

18. Nintendo Labo Variety Kit - I love the Gameboy Camera. I love the N64 DD. I love the e-reader. This is just the next in that series of weird experiments, and it was awesome. The music stuff in this game--cutting waveforms out of paper and scanning them in as sounds with the IR camera, using the Joy-Con's rumble as an instrument--was just brilliant. I don't know that I needed four Labo kits, but this first one was fascinating.

17. Metal Gear Solid V - This game is a blast, it's opening level is an amazing horror movie, and it succeeded in telling a story so subversive that almost no one understood it. The "V" isn't a Roman numeral, it's an English letter; MGS4 was the series' climax, whereas this is a much more personal story masquerading as a Metal Gear game, and it's brilliant.

16. Zero Escape Trilogy - I'll lump all these games in one, since that's how I think of them. 999 was mindblowing, Virtue's Last Reward both refined and expanded on all of its concepts, and Zero Time Dilemma... was weird and had a hilarious Mr. Poopy Butthole level twist, and I appreciate it! Metaphysics, game theory, and fourth wall breaking are all my jam.

15. Starseed Pilgrim - It's like a new kind of Tetris, but interspliced with poetry about heartbreak! The perfect game!

14. BIT.TRIP - This was really the first game series that showed me that a story could be told through gameplay allegory... and it's still kind of the only one to try anything like it? Even if you ignore all that though, these are some really great, unique rhythm games. BEAT and RUNNER were especially mindblowing at the time, let's not forget that RUNNER kind of pioneered a whole genre. Speedrun levels are the most popular category in Mario Maker 2 by far!

13. Little Inferno - This game hit me at just the right time as I was entering adulthood. I love Kyle Gabler's music, sense of humor, and overall style, and this weird experimental Wii U launch game was such a beautiful little story about pursuing your dreams to play curled up under a blanket with the gamepad. One of the best title screens of any game ever, too.

12. Hotline Miami - Yet another game that hit me at just the right time--when I was an angsty teenager! Loved the fun, violent gameplay and bumping soundtrack.

11. Frog Fractions - Mindblower.

10. Stephen's Sausage Roll - The antithesis of Frog Fractions. Around the time this game came out, I'd been trained to expect that every heavily-praised indie game was some kind of subversive sneaky thing... but nope, turns out this is just a damn good puzzle game! It might be the most elegantly-designed puzzle game ever, in fact. Every. Single. Level. Of its 200 levels. Puts a totally new twist on this really simple set of mechanics, and it explores everything to it's fullest potential. I'd love if this came to Switch, you guys need to try it.

9. Rhythm Heaven Fever - I am such a sucker for this series. Remix 9 of this game is my favorite level of any game ever (with Remix 8 being a close second). As someone who's always loved mashups, I have not experienced joy in any other game like Rhythm Heaven brings me.

8. Fez - Maybe the closest that any game has come to the beautiful, empty mystery of the original Zelda game? With crazy math puzzles? I want to replay this one, but all of it's amazing puzzle solutions are still so fresh in my mind nearly a decade later. What a work of art.

7. Pokemon Go - The first three weeks that this game was out may have literally been the most fun three weeks our world has ever experienced. It was insane being able to go outside on a gorgeous summer day and see everyone outdoors catching Pokemon and being friendly with each other. You could run into groups of people at 3am. "Smart critics" whine about how this game wasn't everything it could have been, but whatever, those three weeks were magical and you have Pokemon Go to thank for them.

6. Minecraft - Minecraft is so good, dude. It's so good that we've forgotten how good it was. Every time I go back to it, I get sucked in for days. What a wonderful source of creativity for kids; this was the most popular game in the world for the longest time, and it deserved it. I still love seeing what people program with Redstone.

5. Portal 2 - Damn good game.

4. Undertale - After my first playthrough, I thought, "Okay, this was pretty good, I can see why people like it so much. Fun little indie game." After my second playthrough, I thought, "ALRIGHT, yeah, I can see why people put this up there with the great SNES JRPGs. It's a classic." After my third playthrough, I thought, "Wow, I can't believe what I'm seeing, this is a subversive masterpiece and an awesome piece of commentary on video games."

3. The Witness - Masterpiece. I don't understand how it's possible for this game's world to have been put together... every single object is doing like three different things, and tweaking any one little detail would have rippling effects throughout the whole surrounding area. I loved the puzzles, I loved the philosophy. This sucked me in.

2. Spelunky - It's kind of hard to talk about what makes Spelunky so great eight years later, since it's been ripped off so many times and everything it introduced is so ingrained in our brains that it all feels normal now. (Like Minecraft!) And despite all that, Spelunky is still the king. This article blew my mind back in the day, and it's crazy that people are still finding new ways to break this game and beat it faster. It's also the first instance I can think of of people doing "challenge runs" in games, which has now blossomed into one aspect of my favorite genre of internet video.

1. Breath of the Wild - A design revolution. Nintendo crafted the biggest, most beautiful game world in the history of the medium, filled it to the brim with hilarious puzzles and mysteries, gave the player ridiculously fun powers to control with such satisfying controls--and then backed off and said, "Yeah, you can skip it all if you want. You do you." It respects its player's intelligence. It's good for hundreds of hours of entertainment. It's got a five disk soundtrack despite having "no music" (and 120 dungeons despite having "no dungeons!"). It's the best game I've ever played.
11/12/19, 23:43   
Edited: 11/13/19, 00:35
Spelunky
Downwell
Towerfall
Duck Game
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Mario Kart 8
Super Mario 3D World
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Splatoon
Monster Hunter Tri


... mostly multiplayer. I'm not as much of a misanthrope as I thought!

Honorable mentions: Binding of Isaac, Jackbox, Earth Defense Force

I'm probably forgetting tons of stuff, though...
11/13/19, 00:38   
Edited: 11/13/19, 00:49
chrisbg99 said:
7. Dragon Quest XI S - Switch
My man!
11/13/19, 01:48   
Edited: 11/13/19, 01:48
@TriforceBun

I beat the main quest in a month. I think that counts for something.

Man now I am remembering games like Pikmin 3, Smash Bros. Ultimate, Guacamelee, Mario Maker 1 and 2, Super Mario 3D Land/World, A Link Between Worlds, I could really go on and on.

It is easy to forget how much good stuff came out in the last 10 years.
11/13/19, 02:26   
Ocarina of Time 3D




I'll be back later.
11/13/19, 08:18   
Limiting myself to ten because I could go on and on. Pretty great decade for gaming IMO.

#10 -- 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors
Cheating a bit because this was a 2009 game in Japan, but it has one of the better video game narratives I've ever experienced.

#9 -- La-Mulana
I didn't think a game like La-Mulana could exist. It's rewarding both as an action-platformer and a puzzle game, and its tragic flaw is that it gets a bit overzealous with both at times, which is the opposite problem of most games. Even its problems are interesting!

#8 -- Sin & Punishment: Star Successor
Another 2009 Japan release, but I'll take any opportunity to boost this game. There weren't a lot of games that totally justified the Wii remote. And none of those games were as unique and bombastic and tightly polished as SPSS.

#7 -- Overwatch
It takes a lot to get me into a team shooter. Overwatch was a lot.

#6 -- Super Mario Odyssey
I thought 3D exploratory platformers were dead and buried, but then along came Odyssey.

#5 -- Rocket League
Few multiplayer games have ever had a better balance of accessibility and depth, and it's consistently a ton of fun whether you're playing your first game or your five thousandth.

#4 -- Fire Emblem Heroes
Look, I'm not proud of this. It's a smartphone gacha game. But I've at least logged in every single day for close to 3 years now, and completed 99% of the content, of which there is now quite a lot. And I still enjoy getting new heroes and making new teams to take on new challenges, even as the "new" stuff feels increasingly familiar. Pacing counts for a lot, and FEH has a pace that suits me well.

#3 -- Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
What's left to say about this game? A lot, surprisingly, which is a big reason why it's such a phenomenon.

#2 -- Sonic Mania
Sonic Mania didn't just recapture the character's heyday in the '90s. It managed to make 2017-18 Sonic's best year ever. It's a game that can be finished in just a few hours, but it's easily in my top 5 most played games of the decade.

#1 -- Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
Why Smash 4 instead of Smash 5? Personal reasons, mostly. Smash 5 is definitely a numbered sequel, not an expansion pack, but Smash 4 was by far the bigger jump for me.


Just missed the list:
Kid Icarus Uprising
Freedom Planet
Celeste
Undertale
Crypt of the Necrodancer
Red Steel 2
Fluidity
Spelunky
11/13/19, 20:29   
Edited: 11/13/19, 20:35
Sin & Punishment: Star Successor was a definitely #11 or #12 or so for me. So good.
11/13/19, 20:45   
chrisbg99 said:
10. Freedom Planet - WiiU
My man! The sequel got a Nintendo Direct style update recently. I hope it's on track for release early next year, but they haven't provided a release date yet. And not confirmed for any consoles yet, either.

@Secret_Tunnel Oh man I still have such an appreciation for Rhythm Heaven Fever. And there are a number of games on your list that I should really really really get around to playing.

@Zero The fact that Star Successor is Treasure's last major game is one of the biggest industry failings of the decade. Treasure deserves so much better.
11/13/19, 20:51   
Edited: 11/13/19, 20:52
@nate38

Until Sonic Mania came out I often proclaimed it the best Sonic game released since the Genesis. Which is fitting since it started as a Sonic fan game. I've been looking very forward to the sequel.
11/13/19, 22:27   
nate38 said:
#10 -- 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors
Cheating a bit because this was a 2009 game in Japan, but it has one of the better video game narratives I've ever experienced.

My man! And don’t worry, it came out in 2010 here in North America, so it’s all good. I also enjoy the sequels to this game...but you’ll never forget your first time.
11/13/19, 23:34   
Edited: 11/13/19, 23:56
@Shadowlink My man!
11/14/19, 01:54   
No mention of Galaxy 2? I am disappointed.

Anand said:

Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate
FTFY.
11/14/19, 05:34   
Edited: 11/15/19, 08:38
@pokepal148

Number 6, bud!

I eagerly await my "My man!" now...
11/14/19, 06:36   
I have Galaxy 2 on my list as well.
11/14/19, 08:33   
pokepal148 said:
No mention of Galaxy 2? I am disappointed.
My man...
11/15/19, 01:27   
@pokepal148
A great game! But the first time is always more special.
11/15/19, 05:22   
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