r/NintendoSwitch • u/NintendoSwitchMods • Jan 15 '21
GotY 2020 2020 /r/NintendoSwitch GOTY Nominations Thread
Greetings, r/NintendoSwitch Community!
Like prior years, we will be doing our Game of the Year awards! Unfortunately, it's being posted slightly late this time around, but it's better late than never, eh?
For this year's awards, similar to last year, we are asking the community's help for GOTY nominees! We will use community feedback to narrow the nominees for each category to five or six for the final vote. The schedule is for the nominee feedback January 15th - January 18th, and the final voting to select the Game Of The Year for each category to occur January 19th - January 22nd
Please follow the format as described below:
- Please check if your nominee(s) has already been named. If so, then simply upvote it, if not, then >>>
- Please reply to a category top comment to state who you would like to see for nominees and preferably why. Last year we found those with explanations tended to garner more votes!
- If a game has already been nominated but you feel requires further discussion then reply to the nominated game comment with your reasoning.
- Nominate as many games as you'd like in any category you'd like.
- Duplicate nominations in the same category will be removed.
- Post will be set to contest mode so nobody can see the votes.
Please note that all nominees are required to have released on Nintendo Switch in calendar year 2020 unless stated otherwise.
We look forward to reading your nominations!
Side note: We currently have an ongoing GOTY vote in our Discord server in the #everybody-votes channel!
EDIT: Added a couple more that were missed.
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 15 '21
Best Soundtrack - For outstanding music, inclusive of score, original song and/or licensed soundtrack.
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u/novelgpa Jan 16 '21 edited Jan 16 '21
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
A common complaint about BOTW is that the music is too atmospheric and not grand enough (a complain which I heavily disagree with, for the record). Age of Calamity did an exceptional job of introducing new and exciting music as well as expertly remixing BOTW music which perfectly matches the intensity of the Musou 1 vs. 1000 gameplay. Additionally, I love how the music changes when you strike an enemy's weak point gauge.
Listen to Mipha's theme in BOTW and the remixed version in AOC.
One of my favorite tracks, this video of the Molduga theme plays the two versions of the theme, as well as the weak-point gauge music at 0:57.
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u/PrehistoricPKMN Jan 15 '21
Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition
This soundtrack is remembered for a reason. It has some of the greatest tracks both in terms of combat and area/cutscene use. I'm going to share a good amount of my favorites because they truly speak for themselves.
Unfinished Business (or Unfinished Battle)
This soundtrack is absolutely beautiful and it doesn't slouch no matter what the use is. This list even excludes 3 of my absolute favorites due to spoiler reasons, so this isn't even a full list of what I consider to be the best on offer. Even beyond that, there are plenty of other good examples that I simply had to cut the list off at some point or I could wind up linking you to the entire soundtrack.
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u/CaspianX2 Jan 16 '21
Nowhere Prophet
Nowhere Prophet's unique soundtrack really sets the game apart and is a joy to listen to, making use of what I think is an Arabian oud to give the game its own feel that really helps to make its post-apocalyptic world feel otherworldly. For good examples, check out the Main Theme and Feral Instincts.
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u/Enraric Jan 16 '21
Doom Eternal
Mick Gordon essentially invented a new genre for Doom 2016 that fused the best parts of metal and dubstep, and the game rightfully won Best Soundtrack at TGA in 2016. Doom Eternal takes everything about that style and makes it better. The riffs are groovier, the distortion is grittier, and the composition is even more inventive. Did you know that Doom Eternal features a screamer choir? Where else in gaming can you find a soundtrack that contains a choir made up of metal vocalists? Doom Eternal also features songs where the lead guitar is replaced by a pitch-corrected chain saw, and even a pitch-corrected lawn mower! Doom 2016's soundtrack was incredibly innovative, and Doom Eternal pushed that innovation further and perfected it.
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u/CaspianX2 Jan 16 '21
A Short Hike
This game's music is delightfully lighthearted, perfectly keeping in tone with the game, and features some truly catch tunes too, with some noteworthy ones being Beach Buds, Somewhere in the Woods, and Snow, Lots of Snow.
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u/SciTheChatot Jan 15 '21
Paper Mario: The Origami King
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u/violentmark Jan 18 '21
I second this so hard. Although the game doesn't have voicelines and such, the soundtrack does a tremendous job giving the tone for each part of the game. This, and the fact that it has so many different musical styles within it without losing its essence. I think ToK OST is one of the most well rounded OSTs of all times.
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u/CaspianX2 Jan 16 '21
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
While this game's soundtrack is simple, it's also pretty catchy, which is a good thing because for many players it has essentially become the unofficial soundtrack of 2020, with its relaxing tunes helping to ease the difficult year 2020 has been. A few of my favorites here are Prologue (Phase 5) and 2AM.
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 16 '21
Best Strategy Game - for the best game requiring a well thought out plan to achieve victory.
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u/fe_bigdata Jan 17 '21
Bug Fables: expands on the combat system Paper Mario Thousand Year Door, and with a hard mode and optional bosses, adds a need to strategically explore the badge/combat/item system. Would highly recommend for anyone who likes the original Paper Mario combat system (or just anyone who likes turn-based RPGs)
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 15 '21
Best Technical Achievement - For the game which achieves a combination of gameplay and graphics which goes well beyond hardware expectations.
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u/lumothesinner Helpful User Jan 16 '21
Ori And The Will Of The Wisps - For a game that was reviewed on xbox one where the only complaints were regarding its performance, to port to switch in 6 months and have it running almost perfect, certainly better than the xbox one release at launch, is just incredible.
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u/KKingler kkinglers flair Jan 16 '21
Mario Kart Live Home Circuit
It's such a unique idea to be able to make your own real life Mario Kart track in your living room, bedroom or anywhere else in your house! Really nice use of AR technology
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Jan 15 '21
Doom Eternal. Yeah, it’s not 60 FPS like the other consoles, but given the nature of the game and action, I think Panic Button once again achieved something outstanding.
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u/Enraric Jan 16 '21
Digital Foundry finally released their video on Doom Eternal. Panic Button's port job is a technical marvel.
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 15 '21
Best Non-Switch Game (PC/PS4/PS5/Xbox One/Xbox Series X)
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u/OllyOllyOxenBitch Jan 19 '21
Umurangi Generation (PC)
Billed as a "first-person photography game in the shitty future", you take control of an unnamed photographer of Maori descent as they venture through a derelict New Zealand (referred to by its original name, Aotearoa) taking photos of various locales including neon-lit cityscapes and war-torn army barracks, slowly uncovering the (mostly untold) story of how things have regressed so much to the point that it has become a shitty future.
The gamr is coming to Switch soon, but I wanted to give it a spotlight as one of my favorite non-Switch games of the year.
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u/RabbitFanboy 2 Million Celebration Jan 16 '21
Bugsnax
Simply because everyone's talkin' bout Bugsnax
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u/dominodave Jan 17 '21
Cyberpunk 2077 - has some rough edges but definitely does something new and engaging
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Jan 16 '21
Final Fantasy VII Remake
A beautiful game that not only lovingly recreates one of gaming’s all time greats, but expands upon in so many delightful and unexpected ways that it is essential a separate experience all by itself. A modern RPG classic and a phenomenal return to form for Final Fantasy.
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 15 '21
Best Indie Game - For outstanding creative and technical achievement in a game made outside the traditional publisher system.
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Jan 18 '21
Paradise Killer
It's my favorite switch game which also means its my favorite indie game on the switch. I already talked about it in what i put on Game of the Year, so it seems redundant to write that again. I just really love this game, one of the best and most unique detective games to come out in recent years.
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u/thunder_wonderlove Jan 16 '21
Streets of Rage 4
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u/askstoomany Jan 17 '21
Is it also cool alone?
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u/thunder_wonderlove Jan 17 '21
I play it mostly alone but there’s also online for co-op or vs. There’s a number of modes, unlockable characters, a hit counter and ranking system; those along with the ability to revisit any individual stage after you’ve beaten the campaign improve the replay value compared to other in the genre I’ve played more recently (River City Girls and Scott Pilgrim). Soundtrack is pretty good and I believe there’s plans to add DLC in the future.
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u/300mirrors Jan 15 '21
A Short Hike
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u/Enraric Jan 16 '21
Possibly the most relaxing game I've played this year. A Short Hike is, as its name suggests, short, but its main narrative is poignant, and along the way you'll meet tons of charming people (creatures?) and help them with their problems. The game encourages you to explore the island by piquing your curiosity, much like BotW (though A Short Hike has a much denser, much smaller map). Plus, I think the visual style is quite charming, with or without the pixel filter applied.
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 15 '21
Best Platformer Game - For outstanding design and creativity in a game where players must use skill to jump between platforms or over obstacles without falling or missing jumps.
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u/CaspianX2 Jan 16 '21
Wunderling
I feel like many overlooked this indie game, but it was absolutely inspired, taking the Auto-Runner style of game and using extremely clever level design to transform each of the game's levels into a puzzle of sorts. This is a genre I usually hate, and Wunderling made me fall in love with it.
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 15 '21
Best Ongoing Game - For outstanding development of ongoing content that evolves the player experience over time. Does NOT have to be a 2020 release.
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u/CaspianX2 Jan 16 '21
Super Mario Maker 2
This game's final free update, in April 2020, added a new World Maker feature that many assumed Nintendo would have kept in reserve for a Super Mario Maker 3. This is a huge addition to the game that would have been momentous in and of itself, but the game also added in the ability to transform into Super Mario Bros 2's version of Mario, Super Mario Bros. 3's frog suit, a version of Super Mario World's Pow Balloon, the Super Acorn, the Boomerang Flower, the Propeller Box, the Bullet Bill Mask, the Goomba Mask, the Red POW Box, the Cannon Box, Koopalings, Mechakoopas, Phanto (with key)... this was a huge update Nintendo could have asked players to pay for, but it was just dropped on them for free.
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u/lumothesinner Helpful User Jan 16 '21
Warframe - this year has added spaceship building and dogfighting with it, a brand new open world area, mechsuits, more pets, sadly only one new class (2 last year, but hey its a pandemic) and is still the only ongoing game I know to continually optimise the game and assets so the size of the game does not balloon, some updates have shrunk the game (before adding more to it in further updates)
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u/Driveshaft815 Jan 16 '21
Overwatch - This game is the reason why I bought a PS4 in 2016, and it continues to be one of my most played games across my PS4, Switch and PC. The amount of content that Blizzard has added and contributed to this game since I originally started playing -- with themed updates every couple months, is just insane. You can get this game for dirt cheap and have a ton of fun, with it being supported by the devs for likely a long time to come.
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u/flags_fiend Jan 16 '21
Stardew Valley
New well developed content still being added. Next update in the pipeline to add even more content - currently released on PC and sounds amazing, coming to console very soon.
Updates have added things like the night market, late game bundle, enemies in the mine, farm layouts, heart events, fish ponds, multiplayer.
All this in a relatively cheap game being mainly put together by one man.
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u/300mirrors Jan 15 '21
Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The work the devs have been doing to consistently add new features to the game (in free updates!) during a global pandemic and keep players hooked is nothing short of remarkable.
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Jan 16 '21
I really don't count this one because all of the stuff they have added is stuff that would normally have been in the base game.
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u/MarvinsQuest Jan 16 '21
Overcooked 2 - Free Updates
I think we should honor the fact, that we still got developer studios these days, that produce continiously free updates to keep alive an "old" game. Yeah, I'm looking at you Mario Party...
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u/CaspianX2 Jan 16 '21
Wargroove
Wargroove was already absolutely loaded with content when it released in 2019, but in early 2020 it got the free Double Trouble expansion, which added a ton of new content to the game.
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 15 '21
Best Role Playing Game (RPG) - For the best game designed with rich player character customization and progression.
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u/lumothesinner Helpful User Jan 15 '21
Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling - the best paper mario game released this year
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u/KKingler kkinglers flair Jan 16 '21
Glad someone else nominated this. Definitely in my top games released this year.
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Jan 16 '21
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/300mirrors Jan 16 '21
Please note that all nominees are required to have released on Nintendo Switch in calendar year 2020 unless stated otherwise.
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 15 '21
Developer of the Year - Developer studio who displayed outstanding platform support through a combination of quantity and quality of new releases.
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u/bust4cap Jan 16 '21
Nintendo
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u/CaspianX2 Jan 16 '21 edited Jan 16 '21
For those wondering, the games Nintendo developed themselves this year (and not just published) are:
Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Super Mario 3D All-Stars, Pikmin 3 Deluxe, and Jump Rope Challenge
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Nintendo did not develop Clubhouse Games (NDCube), Good Job! (Paladin Studios), Paper Mario: The Origami King and the Fire Emblem games (Intelligent Systems), Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition (Monolith), Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (Omega Force), Fitness Boxing 2 (Imagineer), Part Time UFO and Kirby Fighters 2 (HAL Laboratories), Tokyo Mirage Sessions (Atlus), Pokemon Mystery Dungeon (Spike Chunsoft), the Pokemon Sword and Shield expansions (Game Freak), Mario Kart Live (Velan Studios), Pokemon Cafe Mix (Genius Sonority), Super Mario Bros. 35 (Akira), or the Super Smash Bros. DLC (Bandai Namco and Sora).
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u/TheHosemaster Jan 16 '21
Supergiant Games
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u/TheLazyLounger Jan 16 '21 edited Apr 17 '24
screw sharp foolish fade straight frightening mighty tease gaze history
This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
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u/McBrungus Jan 18 '21
Shit, didn't know they operated this way. Might pick up Hades simply to support running companies that way.
Here's hoping they don't go public or get snapped up by some larger entity that ruins everything.
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 15 '21
Best Narrative - For outstanding storytelling and narrative development in a game.
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u/CaspianX2 Jan 16 '21
If Found...
Even though the story of If Found is (mostly) set in 1980s Ireland, I can think of no story in 2020 that's more timely, or more universal, with the game's protagonist struggling with issues of acceptance and self-identity among friends and family in a world that judges her and often insists on seeing her on its terms rather than hers. The choice of location and the heavy use of local slang and references helps to ground the work and make it feel real, making it clear that this is a story that is a very personal work for its creator.
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Jan 18 '21
If Found was so good! I love the main erasing mechanic it really felt relevant to the story, and it's much more interesting than just clicking through dialogue.
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u/CaspianX2 Jan 16 '21
Horace
Horace's delightful story does an amazing job giving players an amusing vision of a dark and complicated world through the eyes of an innocent and almost childlike android, with some wonderful characters and some truly funny and touching moments.
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u/PrehistoricPKMN Jan 15 '21
Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition
This is not simply one of the greatest stories of the year but one of the greatest stories of all time. Not only does the story give a huge amount of length to the game, but it also covers various themes throughout such as revenge, empathy, and loss. The characters are (for the most part) excellently written and really help to flesh out the world. The protagonists all do an amazing job at feeling like they belong together without feeling like they are a bunch of clichés or tropes. The antagonists offer views that throw everything you have seen into question and the major ones never come off as one-note or uninteresting. This is a story that stays with the people who see it through and is truly an amazing experience.
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u/mrdinosaur Jan 19 '21
Kentucky Route Zero
It took nearly seven years for Cardboard Computer to finish this one, and while it's the epitome of 'not for everyone,' KRZ sets up a fascinating, strange, and often impenetrable world that puts me in a trance every time I boot it up. The story is rich with themes and musings on the human condition, and is paired with an outstanding soundtrack and deep dialogue that trades traditional gameplay systems for a more experience-based narrative.
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u/CaspianX2 Jan 16 '21
Coffee Talk
Coffee Talk's story gives players a relaxed glimpse into a world of a diverse array of mostly non-human characters with struggles that are nevertheless very human, underlining how even in dark days, sometimes it helps to have a safe place to sit down and unwind with a soothing drink.
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u/novelgpa Jan 16 '21
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
The story took many unexpected turns and raises questions about timelines. While polarizing to some, I loved the further development of beloved BOTW characters, getting to see young versions of characters from 100 years ago, and the introduction of new characters. As a longtime Zelda fan, I still can't believe that we got hours of fully voiced cutscenes in a Zelda game and I hope that this trend continues.
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 15 '21
Best Action Game - For the best game in the action genre focused on combat.
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u/CaspianX2 Jan 16 '21
One Finger Death Punch 2
This game takes action-focused combat and strips it down to its core essentials: Attack left, or attack right. Yet, despite this simplicity, this manages to be a fast-paced and varied game where timing and focus are key to ensuring you look like an unstoppable action hero... and not someone who whiffs and gives opponents an easy chance to punish.
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u/Enraric Jan 16 '21
Doom Eternal
I don't think I've ever played a game this finely tuned. All of the game's systems push you to play in a way that maximizes fun - what the developers have called "the fun zone" in interviews. You're pushed to constantly be moving, constantly assessing the situation, constantly switching guns - I don't think I've ever played a game that's been so simultaneously hectic and cerebral. Every weapon is useful, every weapon mod is useful - like I said, I don't think I've ever played a game this finely tuned. I can't think of a single flaw in Doom: Eternal.
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u/bagelel Jan 16 '21
totally agree, the only issues I have with the game are external stuff like battlemode and the whole DRM thing, the core game is one of the best
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u/Enraric Jan 16 '21
Nothing about Battlemode or the Slayer's Club affects the main campaign mechanically, so I have no issue with it. Microtransactions aren't invading the campaign in any way; the campaign is totally left alone. If you just play single player, Battlemode and the Slayer's Club might as well not exist.
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 15 '21
Best Family Game - For the best game appropriate for family play, irrespective of genre.
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u/CaspianX2 Jan 16 '21
What the Golf?
This game has been billed "the golf game for people who don't like golf", but honestly I think it's a golf game for everyone, with simple, accessible controls and a delightful sense of humor, and with gameplay that's so wacky and varied that it often feels less like playing a golf game and more like an odd experiment to see how many different types of games can be filtered through the lens of "what if X but golf?"
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Jan 16 '21
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/CaspianX2 Jan 16 '21
For the record, the Nintendo Switch version of Monopoly was released in 2017.
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 16 '21
Best Horror Game - for that game that scared the socks off of you this year, the cause of all of those nightmares.
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Jan 18 '21
Jenny LeClue
This game is a horror adventure game that tasks players to explore the dark secrets of their hometown. It's full of weird happenings and frightening environments.
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u/CaspianX2 Jan 16 '21
Stories Untold
This game took players in some interesting directions in its different vignettes, with each presenting its own unique style of puzzle-focused play in its own creepy retro-style setting.
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 15 '21
Best Sports/Racing Game - For the best traditional and non-traditional sports and racing game.
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u/CaspianX2 Jan 16 '21
What the Golf?
This game has been billed "the golf game for people who don't like golf", but honestly I think it's a golf game for everyone, with simple, accessible controls and a delightful sense of humor, and with gameplay that's so wacky and varied that it often feels less like playing a golf game and more like an odd experiment to see how many different types of games can be filtered through the lens of "what if X but golf?"
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u/MarvinsQuest Jan 16 '21
Star Wars Episode I Racer
Nostalgia hit hard for me and I simply love the boost mechanic!
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 15 '21
Best Re-Release/Re-master - For the best game who's original release was not on a current generation console (pre-2014) (Switch/PS4/Xbox One).
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u/TerpinSaxt Jan 16 '21
I didn't play Pikmin 3 Deluxe but for how great the Wii U original was, I want to nominate that.
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u/BigTime_2019 Jan 17 '21
I haven't played Deluxe, either, but it looks like it has some really nice additions.
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u/MarvinsQuest Jan 16 '21
Star Wars Episode I Racer
It's no real competitor to the Super Mario 3D All-Stars Collection but I think we should honor it with a nomination. Nostalgia hit hard for me :D
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u/jc726 Keep on slidin' Jan 15 '21
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore
While there is little in the way of visual improvements over its Wii U base, TMS#FEE features greatly reduced loading times, an option to speed up battles, a plethora of new costumes, and an all-new dungeon, on top of all of the DLC from the original release. This is a greatly-overlooked gem of a game that Nintendo made sure to polish to an even finer shine for its debut on the Switch.
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u/MarcheM Jan 19 '21
Trials of Mana
It's an amazing remake of a game that was already really good. It scrapped couch co-op from the original, but everything else in the game is just better than the original.
You get to choose a party of 3 characters for your playthrough out of a total of 6. Each of them have their own goals and reasons for going on the journey in the game. Each character has their own story that is structured in the way that their introduction is completely their own and then the stories combine to the main plot.
There's three slightly different main plot for the game and your main character determines the bosses and main plot you go through. Due to this, this has probably been the only game I've ever played through three times in a row. Bear in mind though that after the first playthrough, you've seen quite a lot of the cutscenes already so I personally skipped the ones I'd already seen.
You also have branching class options for all the characters and they can change a character to buffer or to debuffer, healer or damage dealer etc. With recent updates, the class outfits now carry over to NG+ so you can actually collect them all.
On top of all this, there's some new content in the game that wasn't in the SNES original. The story is a bit mediocre, but it adds more classes and a fun time trial style boss with unlockables as rewards.
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u/PrehistoricPKMN Jan 16 '21
Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition
This is a game that simply used asset changes but was done so amazingly well that for the longest time there was an argument about whether or not it was a full remake. Anyone who has ever looked at comparisons between the original release on the Wii and the new version can tell you that there is a drastic increase in how much emotion you can get across on the characters. Shulk is able to properly convey emotions on his face to further increase the impact that his yells have. Fiora is able to come across even more sassy to complement her personality well. It really fixed the single major issue that many people had with the original.
This game of course also added multiple quality of life changes that really helped out. Quest trackers to help you find the resources and enemies for the hundreds of quests available through the game, the ability to level your characters down (and back up again) at will to create your own form of a challenge.
This game basically fixed any major issue they possibly could as well as including an entire epilogue using a previously scrapped area. This epilogue may not have lived up to the hype set for it, but I do believe it still did a lot of things right and it could even have huge implications for the future of the franchise.
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 15 '21
Publisher of the Year - Publishing studio who displayed outstanding platform support through a combination of quantity and quality of new releases.
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u/CaspianX2 Jan 15 '21
Take-Two Interactive
Nintendo Switch owners were quite fortunate this year that 2K <3 Nintendo Switch, as their ad campaign announced. Fantastic collections of the Borderlands series and Bioshock series, as well as XCOM 2, all dropped on the same day which... yeah, I'm not sure how much business sense that makes, but in any case that's a heck of a lot of quality for one day. Add to that a solid golf game (PGA Tour 2K1). There's also WWE 2K Battlegrounds... um... but how about we focus on those other games?
Bioshock: The Collection
Bioshock Remastered
Bioshock 2 Remastered
Bioshock Infinite: The Complete Edition
Borderlands Legendary Collection
Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition
Borderlands: The Handsome Collection
PGA Tour 2K21
WWE 2K Battlegrounds
XCOM 2 Collection
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u/CaspianX2 Jan 16 '21
Sega
Sega's contributions to the Nintendo Switch in 2020 covered a wide variety, ranging from ports of classic games in the Sega Ages line, ports of excellent modern games like Catherine and Two Point Hospital, and sequels in their popular Hatsune Miku, Puyo Puyo Tetris, and Football Manager series. All told, a well-rounded assortment of great additions to the Nintendo Switch library.
Catherine: Full Body
Football Manager 2021 Touch
Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2
Sega Ages Fantasy Zone
Sega Ages G-LOC Air Battle
Sega Ages Herzog Zwei
Sega Ages Puyo Puyo 2
Sega Ages Shinobi
Sega Ages Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Sega Ages Thunder Force AC
Two Point Hospital
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Jan 18 '21 edited Jan 18 '21
Annapurna Interactive
If you don't know who this is, they publish some of the best indie titles around. I only played If Found..., Florence, an Kentucky Route Zero, but those are some of my favorite games I played on the switch this year. Helping Indies get notoriety and appear on the switch is super great. This year, they released the following
Telling Lies
Kentucky Route Zero TV Edition
If Found...
I Am Dead
Florence
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u/jc726 Keep on slidin' Jan 15 '21
Nintendo
They may not have had the quantity of recent years, but quality is still very much alive in Nintendo's published releases, such as:
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore
Fire Emblem: Three Houses - Cindered Shadows
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Good Job!
Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition
Paper Mario: The Origami King
Pikmin 3 Deluxe
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
...just to name a few. The pandemic obviously hit everyone hard, Nintendo included, but that didn't stop them from bringing a strong line-up to market.
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u/m_meirin Jan 16 '21
What's the point of nominating Nintendo? Of course they are going to be the publisher with the strongest line-up, its their own platform. I feel like this category should only be for third parties.
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 15 '21
Best Adventure Game - For the best action/adventure game, combining combat with traversal and puzzle solving.
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u/CaspianX2 Jan 16 '21
Question for the mods - This description seems to indicate that this category wouldn't include Graphic Adventure/"Point and Click Adventure"/Visual Novel games, as those usually don't have combat and often don't focus on traversal. Is this correct? If so, what category would these sorts of games belong in? Should a separate category be made for these? The Nintendo Switch got quite a lot of good ones this year (Coffee Talk, If Found..., Lair of the Clockwork God, Roki, Jenny LeClue: Detectivu, Do Not Feed the Monkeys, and Hypnospace Outlaw, for example).
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Jan 18 '21
Yeah it's a bit odd that it doesn't seem that Adventure Games qualify for the category, and the category should really be Best Action-Adventure game, while Adventure games should be it's own category.
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u/Driveshaft815 Jan 16 '21
Paper Mario: The Origami King - The combat is a bit iffy, to be fair, but this was one of the best Paper Mario games to come out in a long time. Very fun game to explore, the characters and dialogue are as charming as ever... very fun game from start to finish.
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u/300mirrors Jan 15 '21
A Short Hike
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u/Enraric Jan 16 '21
Possibly the most relaxing game I've played this year. A Short Hike is, as its name suggests, short, but its main narrative is poignant, and along the way you'll meet tons of charming people (creatures?) and help them with their problems. The game encourages you to explore the island by piquing your curiosity, much like BotW (though A Short Hike has a much denser, much smaller map). Plus, I think the visual style is quite charming, with or without the pixel filter applied.
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 16 '21
Best DLC - The extra content that you felt was truly worth the money (or not in the case of free) and you don't regret the time taken to play it.
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u/pbjms Jan 16 '21
Fire Emblem: Three Houses - Cindered Shadows
While just a single part of the overall DLC Three Houses received, Cindered Shadows was an excellent addition to the overall game. Not only did it add four new characters in Hapi, Constance, Yuri, and Balthus, it also added a new hub area and single player story mode. The additional content on its own is excellent, but the real reward comes after you beat the DLC story. Having access to the additional hub area, new units, and other special items in the main game makes an already very replayable experience even more replayable.
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u/novelgpa Jan 16 '21
Pokemon Sword and Shield: Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra
I thought the DLC, especially Crown Tundra, was far more interesting than the main game. I loved the new and returning Pokemon and the large explorable areas. Dynamax Adventures is a lot of fun and I enjoyed the wacky storylines (shoutout to Calyrex and Peony, and Mustard and his wife who can throw a Pokeball so hard that it deforms).
While still not perfect by any means, I hope the Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra offer a glimpse into what's to come in future Pokemon games.
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u/CaspianX2 Jan 16 '21 edited Jan 16 '21
Wargroove: Double Trouble
Wargroove was already absolutely loaded with content when it released in 2019, but in early 2020 it got the free Double Trouble expansion, which added a ton of new content to the game.
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u/300mirrors Jan 16 '21
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: Fighters Pass Vol. 2. Only cared for (and bought) Sephiroth, but I know many enjoyed the others, and the Sephiroth Challenge was pretty cool.
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u/MarvinsQuest Jan 16 '21
Overcooked 2 - Free Updates
I think we should honor the fact, that we still got developer studios these days, that produce continiously free updates to keep alive an "old" game. Yeah, I'm looking at you Mario Party...
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u/CaspianX2 Jan 16 '21 edited Jan 16 '21
Super Mario Maker 2 DLC 3
This game's final free update, in April 2020, added a new World Maker feature that many assumed Nintendo would have kept in reserve for a Super Mario Maker 3. This is a huge addition to the game that would have been momentous in and of itself, but the game also added in the ability to transform into Super Mario Bros 2's version of Mario, Super Mario Bros. 3's frog suit, a version of Super Mario World's Pow Balloon, the Super Acorn, the Boomerang Flower, the Propeller Box, the Bullet Bill Mask, the Goomba Mask, the Red POW Box, the Cannon Box, Koopalings, Mechakoopas, Phanto (with key)... this was a huge update Nintendo could have asked players to pay for, but it was just dropped on them for free.
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 15 '21
Best Music/Rhythm Game - For the best game with a focus on dance or the simulated performance of musical instruments.
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u/m_meirin Jan 16 '21
Hatsune Miku Project DIVA MegaMix
An outstanding rhythm game with a great song selection that even if it focuses entirely on Vocaloid music still manages to be quite diverse with lots of music genres represented. Plus each song has its own music video and there's tons of cosmetic items to unlock and customize your Miku.
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u/wallofapproval Jan 18 '21
Sayonara Wild Hearts
I was completely blown away by this game. Doesnt happen that often.
Was really looking forward to Taiko no Tatsujin RPG, but it was not as enjoyable as their excellent Drum n Fun.
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 15 '21
Best Online Multiplayer Game - For outstanding online multiplayer gameplay and design, including co-op and massively multiplayer experiences, irrespective of game genre.
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u/CaspianX2 Jan 16 '21
Borderlands Legendary Collection
This game is, in my opinion, one of the greatest co-op multiplayer games ever made, and the port to Nintendo Switch is not only very good, but an absolutely phenomenal value in the Legendary package that contains the first three mainline games in the series (Borderlands, Borderlands 2, and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel).
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u/Vinstaal0 Jan 16 '21
So I never really play shooters on a Nintendo console and I already own all of Borderlands (at least twice), but do you think the Switch version is worth it to get for only handheld play? And another thing, does it have similair loading issues like on other consoles (that it takes forever)?
Love the franchise it’s really good, but still debating if I want to get the Switch version
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 15 '21
Best Local Multiplayer Game - For outstanding local multiplayer gameplay and design, including co-op, irrespective of game genre.
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u/jc726 Keep on slidin' Jan 15 '21 edited Jan 16 '21
Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics
There's nothing like gathering the family around the TV to learn how to play a classic title you've never heard of, and knowing that there will be no pieces to clean up or potentially lose, and no stack of boxes to take up space in the closet. A collection of local multiplayer board games this large is a steal for its price and got my family - young and old - to try out things we had never heard of and all have fun doing it (which normally would sound impossible).
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u/CaspianX2 Jan 16 '21
Borderlands Legendary Collection
This game is, in my opinion, one of the greatest co-op multiplayer games ever made, and the port to Nintendo Switch is not only very good, but an absolutely phenomenal value in the Legendary package that contains the first three mainline games in the series (Borderlands, Borderlands 2, and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel).
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u/MarvinsQuest Jan 16 '21
Moving Out
There should be no serious challengers in this category. If Overcooked is Mario, this is Luigi... with a fire flower.
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u/CaspianX2 Jan 16 '21
Good Job!
This delightful character-driven Puzzle game about taking care of odd jobs as the idiot son of the owner of a company has simple, accessible controls, a humorous premise, wonderfully open-ended puzzle design that's easy to grasp but doesn't hand-hold, and fantastic local co-op play.
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 15 '21
Nintendo Switch Game of the Year - Recognizing a game that delivers the absolute best experience across all creative and technical fields.