Pokémon is my absolute favorite franchise and it was very unfortunate there was no entry to the series this year. However, Pokémon was wise enough to appease me by releasing something, even if it was a puzzle game. Pokémon Shuffle has been a game I’ve constantly replayed. I’ve been enjoying it for over a year and I show no sign of stopping. New levels are constantly being added and timed challenges keep it interesting. It’s perfect to play on the go and with it now on mobile devices I highly recommend giving it a play.

While the whole editorial staff contributed to our 2015 awards, we wanted to allow everybody the opportunity to publicly name their personal top 10 games of the year. While many did play the majority of releases in 2015, please remember that unlike our main awards, the editors are not naming the best games, but their personal favorites out of the selection they played.

Many gamers’ first memories involve swapping a controller back and forth during the original Super Mario Bros. , or memorizing the fatality combos in Mortal Kombat . Today, young gamers are far more likely to remember being cussed out on Xbox Live. Multiplayer games have undergone a massive shift in recent decades. Compared to the cozy prevalence of couch co-op games in the 90s, very few games today include local multiplayer as an option. Online multiplayer games are the new standard, but when and why did this trend be

I saved the best for last on this list. While many folks pointed out Nintendo’s lack of original titles, Splatoon made a splatastic debut and made up for the last few decades. The cute, colorful, simple online shooter is a friendly way to introduce players to the genre. Clever weapon designs and fresh gear to wear makes Splatoon a uniquely designed MOBA game advanced tactics. It’s not serious or violent like many others, which appeals to players of all ages. Friends, parents, kids and squids can all enjoy this game together and not have to yell or scream about campers. Inking the entire level and fending off the other team is a big task, but Nintendo made it enjoyable. Plus, you might run into a Squid Party and those are always fun to mess with. Splatoon is my choice for best game of 2015.

Mario is not only a staple in video game history; he is THE pinnacle of the industry. His games have defined what it means to be a video game. But guess what? I can make a video game too! Super Mario Maker is a phenomenal concept that allows fans to bring to life their very own versions of the plumber’s classic adventures. I’ve had tons of fun just imagining my own Mario levels and feeling like a real developer at Nintendo. If only they could see my creations…sigh. Whatever, Super Mario Maker is in fact a fantastic game despite all the extremely hard user-created levels that I’ve skipped over.

On an Earth with fewer and fewer old school role-playing games, Citizens of Earth brought back the genre, at least for me. Comparing many of these games to Earthbound is pretty standard and Citizens of Earth compares pretty well. The storyline, cast of characters and writing are all hilarious. Every situation you find yourself in is not only fun but the companions you encounter add to the game’s whacky antics. Attacks and art style also come with a cheesy nature. It’s an all-around fun game to play and enjoyable just to watch.

Randomly pointing at various options and hoping for the best, I pushed through the confusion and found myself taking control of Leeds, a team that I didn’t know much about. Again, the list of options was incredibly daunting. Who do I choose to make up my team? How do I train them? In which position should I have them play? I just wanted to get into a match and watch my team play, how on Earth was I supposed to know the rest of this st

We also received confirmation this week from NetherRealm Studios that long-time Mortal Kombat veteral Liu Kang will be joining the Mortal Kombat X roster. With just a few weeks left until release, the Mortal Kombat developer is releasing information at a rapid rate, so we’re sure to see even more reveals and rumors hit the streets s

But after a few rounds of revision, the big thing we found is that anything that was clever and strategic fit him really well. Like “Healing Potion” right out of the gate stuck; part of that was the fact that as Deckard, I can be clever and put the healing potions down in advance where my allies are going to need the healing; I can maybe cluster healing potions in one spot or spread them out; I could put healing potions in multiple lanes at once and support allies all over the place. You really feel like, instead of being forceful, you’re outwitting your enemies and just being clever; that is what Deckard does. That really ended up working well for

Code Name S.T.E.A.M. is a remarkable game for a couple of reasons. It’s a turn-based strategy game set in a steam punk past, the action is simple to understand and the storyline is unique. As a special agent, taking orders from the President of the United States is part of the job; especially if those orders are to eradicate swarms of alien armies. Combining characters from literary classics makes it an even more fantastical journey. It’s the kind of game you’d usually see on PC, which makes it being on the 3DS refreshing for fans of strategy games.