Press Start: Top Ten Anticipated Games of 2016

Unless stated otherwise, all pictures are from Wikipedia.

2015 has come and gone, and I think it’ll be remembered as a mixed year. Sure, we got some truly great games, but many big name releases fell flat or failed to meet some basic expectations. For every Splatoon, there was a Star Wars Battlefront. Fortunately, 2016 is shaping up to be much better. With tons of big names like Street Fighter and Uncharted, as well as new IPs like Battleborn and Horizon Zero Dawn, 2016 is looking to have some massive payoff. This list is dedicated to the ten games I’m looking forward to the most. Keep in mind, this is my opinion, and you won’t be seeing a ton of big name games on here. With that said, let’s get started.

Note: All release dates are for the North American releases.

#10: Project X Zone 2

Publisher: Bandai Namco

Platform: 3DS

Release Date: February 16

I know I’m in the minority here, but I really enjoyed Project X Zone. True, it had many problems, but I thought it was an entertaining love letter to hardcore fans of Bamco, Capcom, and Sega. So of course I’m looking forward to the sequel. PXZ2 is shaping up to be bigger and badder than its predecessor, bringing characters such as Vergil (Devil May Cry), Phoenix Wright (Ace Attorney), Axel (Streets of Rage), and even several Nintendo characters. On top of that, the game is going to feature customization options for both paired and solo units, as well as a shop that can be accessed in between battles. The game looks like a major improvement from the last one, but still retains that “love letter” type feel, which makes a winner in my book.

#9: Digimon Story- Cyber Sleuth

Publisher: Bandai Namco

Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita

Release Date: February 2

I only have a passing familiarity with Digimon, but I really admire the franchise’s creative spirit and Energizer-like like ability to remain active. However, I adore both Digimon Dawn/Dusk and Digimon World 3, so I’m really excited to see a full fledged Digimon adventure coming to the west. I’m not expecting much from the story, but just the fact that the game comes packing traditional dungeon crawling Digimon goodness makes me happy. It also helps that it’s a turn-based RPG in an era where they are few and far between. This game may not be at the top of my wishlist, but it’s near the top of the games I’m getting when I get my hands on a PS4.

#8: Yooka-Laylee

Publisher: Playtonic Games, Team17

Platforms: Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Wii U

Release Date: October

Banjo-Kazooie is one of my favorite games of all time. It has a sense of pure fun that few platformers have matched. So I’m really looking forward to Banjo’s spiritual successor coming from the same people who made the original: Yooka-Laylee. This game looks every bit as fun as Banjo-Kazooie, which is great news in and of itself. With vibrant colors and delightfully silly designs, it looks to be every bit as wacky and fun as the adventures of the bear and the bird. It’s also a 3D platformer in an era where they have all but died out. Yooka-Laylee is looking to be a nostalgic, cartoonishly good fun, and I hope it paves the way to a new wave of 3D platformers for the future.

#7: Star Fox Zero

Publisher: Nintendo

Platform: Wii U

Release Date: April 22

Star Fox Zero is one of several games that was slated for 2015 that got pushed back a year. And while I was disappointed when Star Fox Zero was delayed, my excitement for the game has not waned. A return to the vehicle based shoot-em-up action is exactly what Star Fox needed. And yes, the graphics leave a lot to be desired, but the improvements made to the fluidity of gameplay as well as the number of enemies present. Not to mention that the various vehicles and their alternate forms all look very fun to play as. Star Fox Zero looks like a much needed update in a series that’s been MIA for far too long, and I anticipate its return.

#6: Ni-Oh

Publisher: Koei Tecmo

Platform: PlayStation 4

Release Date: TBA 2016

You know what’s cool? Samurais. You know what else is cool? Dark Souls-style, brutally hard combat. Put them together and you get Ni-Oh. Taking cues from both the Onimusha series and the Souls franchise, Ni-Oh is a dark and brutal action RPG set in 16th century Japan. Staring a mix-raced samurai, you slice your way through enemies in flashy, savage ways with the various weapons and spells at your disposal. With a great visual style and rewarding-looking combat, this game both panders to my inner weeaboo and my thirst for a stylish and hard hack and slash. This is my number three reason I’m getting a PS4 in 2016.

#5: Mario and Luigi- Paper Jam

Publisher: Nintendo

Platform: 3DS

Release Date: January 22

The Mario and Luigi series is home to games with a boatload of charm and addicting gameplay. Its games are usually fantastic, and I look forward to every new installment. Paper Jam is no exception, but this time the new gimmick has me really excited. In this installment, the legendary brothers team up with Mario’s 2D counterpart from the Paper Mario series. A crossover between the two big Mario RPG franchises alone is great enough, but the game actively tries to tie in elements of both series in both its combat and puzzles. This looks to be the best Mario and Luigi game yet, as it’s brimming with the series’ charm as well as its great concept.

#4: Battleborn

Publisher: 2K Games

Platforms: Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Release Date: May 3

Battleborn was originally slated for 2015, and I was disappointed to learn that it had to be pushed back. However, after viewing several gameplay videos, my excitement for the game has not waned in the slightest. Battleborn looks to be every bit as outlandish and intense as the Borderlands games. Bursting with action and personality, this MOBA-like shooter looks to be some of the most fun you can have with a multiplayer driven game. This game is my number two reason I’m getting a PS4 in 2016 thanks to its hectic and colorful fun, and I look forward to dishing out punishment as Caldarius and Benedict.

#3: Dragon Quest VII and VIII

Source: Nintendo Everything

Publisher: Square Enix/Nintendo

Platform: 3DS

Release Date: TBA 2016

For the longest time, it appeared certain that the Dragon Quest remakes would never make it to the west. And now that they are, I cannot wait. Not only has VII gotten a much needed graphical facelift, but tons of new content was added to VIII, including two new party members. Both games bring classic Dragon Quest titles to the 3DS, promising huge adventures to carry with you wherever you go. As a Dragon Quest fan, it makes me very happy to see two magnificent titles finally come to the west, and I can’t wait to experience them again.

#2: Fire Emblem Fates

Publisher: Nintendo

Platform: 3DS

Release Date: February 19

Fire Emblem is one of my favorite franchises, and I am ecstatic that Fates is finally coming to the west in early 2016. Fates involves a branching storyline, where you can either side with the Japanese-influenced Hoshido in Birthright or the European-influenced Nohr in Conquest. Each side offers a unique experience. For example, Birthright includes a world map and chances to engage with wandering armies, and Conquest have stronger enemies to fight. Top that off with vastly improved combat animations, and you have a game I plan on getting the moment it comes out.

#1: Ratchet and Clank

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Platform: PlayStation 4

Release Date: April 12

Much like Star Fox and Battleborn, I was disappointed when Ratchet and Clank was delayed. However, after seeing new gameplay videos, I can say with certainty that no other game in 2016 can distract me from this game. It has everything that makes the series as great as it is, and looks gorgeous to boot. It has the same great weaponry the series is known for, and I am very interested in where the creator’s will go with this new universe. Ratchet and Clank is hands down my most anticipated title for 2016, both because I’m a huge fan of the franchise, and because what they’ve shown me has truly impressed me.

Honorable Mentions

Genei Ibun Roku #FE

Horizon Zero Dawn

Nights of Azure

Doom

Pokken Tournament

Press Start: Top 5 Guilty Pleasures

We all have those things we know those things we know aren’t good but we still enjoy. Some TV shows, movies, songs, and games are still enjoyed by many despite their obvious faults. These guilty pleasures vary from person to person; what one finds to be a guilty pleasure another could just dislike as something terrible. I’m no exception, especially when it comes to video games, so I’m here to count down my five favorite. When picking these games, I took into account how much I liked the game and how much the game is disliked as large or how little it’s known. Let’s get started!

#5- Project X Zone

Like all the games on this list, I can see why people don’t like this massive crossover. It could be its paper-thin story, its lack of any real strategy, the overabundance of enemy reinforcements in each map, the repetitive combat, or the overly long late-game missions. I recognize each of these flaws, but honestly, I can’t hate the game. In fact, I find it to be one of the most entertaining games on the 3DS. Why? Because it’s freaking awesome!

Like Super Robot Wars, the game is filled with flashy and impossibly awesome attacks which are a visual treat, as well as a huge cast of kickass characters from tons of great franchises. And while many didn’t like the combat, I found it to be quite enjoyable, and it’s satisfying to dispatch enemies with a single single combo. The game also has a great soundtrack, and I can’t think of a single bad song in it. And let’s not forget the huge number of in-jokes and references that only a hardcore gamer could get. This game may be decent at best, but I still love it.

#4- Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak

Is it wrong that one of my most nostalgic game is a little girl’s game? Probably. I’ve made some questionable gaming choices as a young kid, like playing a Sesame Street racing game that didn’t involve any opponents, or a game based on the astoundingly unfunny Cat in the Hat movie, but this takes the cake. I didn’t even like the Hamtaro franchise growing up; I just bought the games because they looked cute. I have found memories of the games, which is questionable to say the least.

Ham-Ham Heartbreak is an adventure game meant for small children. It involves Hamtaro and his partner Bijou traveling the land as they learn new vocabulary words (called “Ham-Chat”), solve puzzles, and restore the relationships of hamsters everywhere. The game, as you would expect, is very easy, and most gamers can beat it in a few hours. However, it has a great deal of charm to it, and even today I find myself smiling at it. I probably wouldn’t play it again today, but it remains a nostalgic title for me.

#3- Anarchy Reigns

Platinum Games stand as one of my favorite developers out there. They are masters at the high octane action game. Bayonetta is fantastic, Vanquish is great, MadWorld is freaking amazing, and The Wonderful 101 is easily one of the best games on a 8th gen console. But even the most talented people can screw up every now and then. In Platinum Games’s case, the blemish on their otherwise perfect record is Anarchy Reigns, a mediocre brawler with enough testosterone to give you a heart attack.

Even as someone who’s beaten Anarchy Reigns, I have to admit this game isn’t very good. It suffers from some serious balancing issues, an incomprehensible story, limited combo potential, and not enough variety between characters. Still, I enjoyed it quite a bit. The combat might have been mediocre, but it was very flashy and satisfying, especially with the fights against giant mutants. The weapons were cool, and the sheer awesomeness of their combos was incredible. And let’s not forget the amazing soundtrack the game had. Yes, the game could have been much better, but I still enjoyed it.

#2- Dragon Ball Z: Buu’s Fury/Dragon Ball Z: Supersonic Warriors

While I don’t usually watch anime that doesn’t involve giant robot, there are a few that have caught my attention. Dragon Ball Z is one of them. Is it stupid? Oh God, yes. But the sheer amount of awesomeness and testosterone (or “awestosterone,” as I like to call it) makes it very enjoyable. And being the anime giant that it is, it has tons of video games, stretching back before even the Famicom (the Japanese version of the NES). There are several on the GameBoy Advance, and two were a key part of my childhood, and like other games on this list, I enjoy them despite being...meh.

Buu’s Fury is a RPG with gameplay similar to 2D Zelda games. You play as Goku, Gohan, Trunks, Vegeta, and Goten as you play through the entire Majin Buu saga, filler and all. The game has simplistic combat, limited RPG elements, and pitiful AI. It’s also very grindy, as you’ll need to fight tons of enemies before the game lets you move on to the next area. But despite this, I still enjoyed the game, partly because it was a faithful adaptation of the anime storyline, and partly because it was fun to wipe out enemies with the Big Bang Attack. There are better RPGs on the GBA, but Buu’s Fury appeals to me thanks to being a Dragon Ball Z game.

Supersonic Warriors is a fighting game. Thanks to the limited control options on the GBA, the actual fighting isn’t terribly complex, and the characters not having a lot other than their super techniques doesn’t help. That being said, I still find Supersonic Warriors to be a fun fighter, thanks to the high speed of the fighting and the quick nature of most matches. The matches actually felt like a Dragon Ball Z fights (minus all the screaming and posturing, of course). Not the most well constructed game, but it’s still a lot of fun.

#1- DmC: Devil May Cry

Before the pre-emptive hate strike on Metroid: Federation Force, I never saw so much universal hate for a game than what DmC got. To this day, people will speak nothing but hate and vile for this game. And I can understand why. Yes, the combat is comparatively unimpressive when compared to past Devil May Cry games. Yes, the new Dante is a terrible character, as is every other character in the game. Yes, the writing is some of the worst put in any video game ever and totally lacks the charm the older games had. But despite all this, I still found it to be a fun game.

The combat may have been simplified from other games, but I still found it to be very satisfying, even if most enemies are total pushovers. I actually liked the appearance of Limbo and the designs of the demons. I also liked the weapons and combos each one came with. Would I rather play DMC 3 or 4 instead? Of course; those are just better games. But despite the hate the game gets and my awareness of its many flaws, I can still say I had fun with it, and at the end of the day, that matters most. Besides, when it comes to action games, you can do far worse.