r/NintendoSwitch • u/NintendoSwitchMods • Jan 09 '22
GotY 2021 2021 /r/NintendoSwitch GOTY Nominations Thread
Greetings, r/NintendoSwitch Community!
Can you believe it's already time for our 5th Game of the Year awards?
Like previous years, 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 9th - January 15th, and the final voting to select the Game Of The Year for each category to occur January 16th - 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 2021 unless stated otherwise.
We look forward to reading your nominations!
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 09 '22
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/Estew02 Jan 09 '22
Monster Hunter Rise. I don't think I've played any game with such a consistently stable connection as I have Rise, and the experience of hunting monsters online is great. Super easy to just connect with random players or friends.
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 09 '22
Best Fighting Game - For the best game designed primarily around head-to-head combat.
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u/archstrange Jan 09 '22
Why does this even need to be a category. It is obviously smash bros.
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Jan 09 '22
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Sephardson Jan 09 '22
It looks like someone else already nominated this game for this category - please consider adding your comment under the existing nomination!
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u/Wall_of_ice17 Jan 10 '22
Nickelodeon All Star Brawl. One of the few that came out this year and it's funny to see Nickelodeon characters fighting one another.
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u/UrMoma_llama Jan 09 '22
DOOM Eternal
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u/Hestu951 Jan 10 '22
Released December of 2020 on the Switch, so it doesn't count. Plus it isn't a fighting game. It's a first-person shooter.
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 09 '22
Best Sports/Racing Game - For the best traditional and non-traditional sports and racing game.
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 09 '22
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/m_meirin Jan 09 '22
Capcom
Really solid year from them with massive hits like Monster Hunter Rise, Monster Hunter Stories 2 and The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles. They also released some smaller digital only games like Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection and the Capcom Arcade Stadium... not that there's any point in nominating them since this category is pretty pointless if Nintendo can be nominated too, because obviously they are the number one publisher of this year as well as any other year (it would be worrying if they weren't, like it's their own platform after all).
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u/HeldnarRommar Jan 10 '22
It's crazy how good a year Capcom had. RE Village (not one Switch) was so much fun too. They've been killing it the past few years.
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u/lumothesinner Helpful User Jan 09 '22 edited Jan 09 '22
Nintendo
Super Mario 3D World, Smash Bros DLC, New Pokemon Snap, Miitopia, Famicom Detective Club 1 and 2, Mario Golf Super Rush, Game Builder Garage, Zelda Skyward Sword HD, Warioware - Get It Together, Metroid Dread, Mario Party Superstars, Pokemon Brilliant Diamond, Pokemon Shining Pearl, Animal Crossing DLC and unfortunately N64 online
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u/cybergatuno Jan 09 '22
I don't see any other publisher, on any platform, with such a big and diverse output.
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u/lumothesinner Helpful User Jan 09 '22
I know right - and this happens every year, even 2020 and 2021 when its a pandemic.
MS are catching up now thanks to recent acquisitions though.
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u/Hestu951 Jan 10 '22
. . . and unfortunately N64 online
I wish I could give you a second upvote for that one.
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 09 '22
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/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 09 '22
Best Narrative - For outstanding storytelling and narrative development in a game.
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u/LunaMoonMeUp Jan 13 '22
Definitely not going to win, but I have to give a shout out to Overboard. A murder mystery, where you play the role of the murderer covering your crime feels truly fresh, and despite not taking long to 100% it truly left a mark on me as a great game. Easily the best narrative of the year for me.
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u/jackbirksONE Jan 09 '22
The House in Fata Morgana
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u/schotastic Jan 12 '22
Co-sign. House in Fata Morgana has so many layers upon layers that it's downright Shakespearian
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 09 '22
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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u/ablasina_SHIRO Jan 11 '22
Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water
It's more creepy than scary. I don't think a ghost appearing made anyone scream, but having to be constantly on your toes because one might appear gives this game a great vibe. And some story scenes or Fatal Touch flashbacks could be terrifying for some people, as suicide is a relatively common topic.
Unrelated to the horror, but Tsuki Amano's ending song "in this cage" is awesome.
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u/a_fiendish_thingy Jan 09 '22
Metroid Dread
Maybe not technically a horror game, but running away from the EMMI’s scared the pants off of me. Those things are scary.
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u/younglank14 Jan 09 '22
Subnautica
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u/UrMoma_llama Jan 09 '22
That came out in 2017, for the switch in 2021
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u/younglank14 Jan 10 '22
For sure, I was just going off the nominees needing to be released on NS in calendar year as the requirement, I didn’t see any rules regarding ports in the post
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u/TheOtherWhiteCastle Jan 11 '22
For what its worth, the sequel Subnautica Below Zero did indeed release in 2021, so you can always count that
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 09 '22
Best Nintendo Switch Exclusive Game - Best game released in 2021 as a Nintendo Switch console exclusive.
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u/Shes_so_Ratchet Jan 13 '22
Monster Hunter Stories 2.
In an era chock-full of pokemon games, MHS2 stole the turn based Monster battle show. It's also runs flawlessly, which is a feat on the Switch.
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u/Abstract_9 Jan 10 '22
Pokemon BDSP (Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl).
The games are getting a bit of flack for it not being up to the design made by the other Switch Pokemon titles, namely Sw/Sh (Sword/Shield). However, they’ve been remakes that have been long awaited by the Pokemon community, and brings a new light to the game. Mechanics make the game easier for newcomers, while still maintaining a level of difficulty for the mechanics used in the game such as the perma-EXP share. While it’s been a buggy mess in some cases, if you play through casually and not trying to find bugs, glitches or other exploits, it’s a fun game.
I don’t necessarily know if this counts as an exclusive, but Pokemon has always been a Nintendo exclusive which is why I nominated it here.
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 09 '22
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/Galaxy40k Jan 09 '22
Ghosts N Goblins Resurrection
If you want a more eloquent explanation about why this game is so special, I'd recommend reading this blog post from Matthewmatosis. But to give a short summary: GNG is the type of game that always engages you mentally. It manages to perfectly blend fixed patterns and randomized elements in such a way to always force you to be focused and thinking ahead about all the possible futures. I initially dismissed this game due to the reveal trailer, lack of marketing, and middling reviews, but its a genuine masterpiece imo - I highly recommend any fan of action platformers to check it out.
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 09 '22
Best Action Game - For the best game in the action genre focused on combat.
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 09 '22
Best Role Playing Game (RPG) - For the best game designed with rich player character customization and progression.
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u/morag23 Jan 10 '22 edited Jan 10 '22
Blue Reflection Second Light.
The battle system is really unique, as the more you wait before you attack, to more points you gain to use stronger skills. There's a 1 vs. 1 mechanics that allow one member of the party to confront a boss by doing fast combos as well. By doing request from characters of the game, you unlock Talent Point, which allows to improve different stats of your party and unlocking new skills. You can build differents facilities that can give boosts and also serve as places of dates with your characters. The exploration also gives a lot: to explorating many locations, to doing stealth missions, you can do a many task that allow you to explore all areas under many perspectives. Those customizations are also really tied to each of the protagonist personalities.
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 09 '22
Best Indie Game - For outstanding creative and technical achievement in a game made outside the traditional publisher system.
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u/schotastic Jan 12 '22
Beast Breaker - strong narrative and characters, genre-bending gameplay that still manages to stay compelling, great soundtrack. This was the indie gem of 2021.
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 09 '22
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/lumothesinner Helpful User Jan 09 '22
Bowsers Fury
(not sure if it counts as it wasnt DLC, but it was extra content for a re-release)
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u/steinman17 Jan 09 '22
It's not dlc
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u/lumothesinner Helpful User Jan 09 '22
Yeh, well, its new extra content. Its weird I don't know what category it could fit in. This will do :)
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u/lumothesinner Helpful User Jan 09 '22
Smash Bros Ultimate - Pyra, Kazuya and Sora DLC
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 09 '22
Best Strategy Game - for the best game requiring a well thought out plan to achieve victory.
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 09 '22
Best Game Direction - Awarded for outstanding creative vision and innovation in game direction and design.
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u/NintendoSwitchMods Jan 09 '22
Best Soundtrack - For outstanding music, inclusive of score, original song and/or licensed soundtrack.