Negative World 2025 GOTY Awards | Negative World Nintendo

Before we get started, I want to clarify to anyone who has stumbled upon our GOTY awards that we are a Nintendo-focused site, and our awards reflect that. For these awards we define eShop as anything that seems more focused on the eShop than retail (indies, etc.), while our regular awards apply to games that seem more focused on a retail release. We do the best we can to put games into the categories that make the most sense!

Ok yeah it is the middle of March. So what?! So let’s get to it!

Best Visuals
And the winner is…

Donkey Kong Bananza (37 points)
Runner-ups:
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond (36 points)
Mario Kart World (14 points)

Not quite:
Kirby Air Riders (8 points)
Hollow Knight: Silksong (7 points)
Skate Story (5 points)

It was an incredibly tight race with Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, but Donkey Kong Bananza benefitted from being a full on Switch 2 exclusive that showcased some huge and amazing looking worlds and characters.

Best Audio
And the winner is…

Mario Kart World (36 points)
Runner-ups:
Donkey Kong Bananza (30 points)
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond (20 points)

Not quite:
Kirby Air Riders (12 points)
Hollow Knight: Silksong (11 points)
Once Upon a Katamari (6 points)

Is it really the best audio or is it just nostalgia speaking? Who cares?! Mario Kart World had remixes from all of our favorite Mario games, and it's pretty tough to beat that!

Best Narrative
And the winner is…

Donkey Kong Bananza (27 points)
Runner-ups:
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment (19 points)
Hades II (18 points)

Not quite:
UFO 50 (12 points)
Skate Story (8 points)
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond (4 points)

Sure it's just a silly platformer, but Donkey Kong Bananza did a great job of making Pauline into a full-fledged character with her own hopes and dreams, telling an inspirational tale. And Cranky Kong was there too!

eShop Most Wanted
And the winner is…

Mina The Hollower (35 points)
Runner-ups:
Mega Man: Dual Override (29 points)
Mewgenics (11 points)

Not quite:
Mouse: P.I. For Hire (9 points)
Dispatch: Nintendo Switch 2 Edition (5 points) (tie)
Haunted Chocolatier (5 points) (tie)

With its eShop release date changed to 2030 (hopefully a placeholder) who knows if and when Mina the Hollower will release. But a Zelda style game from the makers of Shovel Knight is a tough one to beat.

eShop GOTY
And the winner is…

UFO 50 (23 points)
Runner-ups:
BALL x PIT (20 points)
Hades II (16 points)

Not quite:
Hollow Knight: Silksong (14 points) (tie)
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound (14 points) (tie)
Skate Story (4 points)

It's almost unfair, putting single games up against a collection of 50 games. And most of those 50 games are pretty darn good to boot! UFO 50 had a bit of something for everyone. Surprisingly, neither Hades II nor Hollow Knight: Silksong made it near the top. Interesting.

Most Wanted
And the winner is…

Rhythm Heaven Groove (31 points)
Runner-ups:
Splatoon Raiders (21 points)
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book (17 points)

Not quite:
The Duskbloods (14 points)
Professor Layton and the New World of Steam (13 points)
The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales (7 points)

It might be surprising that even after the release of the Switch 2 our most wanted retail game is an upcoming Switch 1 game. But it's less surprising once you realize it is the first Rhythm Heaven game in over 10 years, and boy do we love Rhythm Heaven over here.

GOTY
And the winner is…

Donkey Kong Bananza (42 points)
Runner-ups:
Mario Kart World (20 points) (tie)
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond (20 points) (tie)

Not quite:
Kirby Air Riders (13 points)
Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time (6 points)
Pokémon Legends: Z-A (5 points)

Was there ever any doubt? Donkey Kong Bananza came out of nowhere to stand as one of the best 3d platformers ever made. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond might have stood a chance if it lived up to the hype, but alas, it did not. Mario Kart World also did alright, but ultimately, Bananza demolished the competition.

And that’s it for our GOTY 2025 awards. If you’re interested, you can view our GOTY results for past years here!

PS. Thanks again to the members of the Negative World… those who are left!

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