Noi

On the flipside, here's my top 9 favorites as of start of 2026!

Hopefully some contenders for the top shoot their shot this year

POV: you are Nagoshi starting your first day working on Like A Dragon 26

Pogui
Short game about a dog trying to take a nap, and the weird dreams that follow. I think the dog needs help.

Pogui
Short game about a dog trying to take a nap, and the weird dreams that follow. I think the dog needs help.

Text description of prior image: Mario World - First game ever, wouldn't be here without it FF7 - first game i mentally registered as an rpg/narrative game Ace combat 4 - first "Sim" game/recognized that "alternate" games could have narrative/gameplay depth Ragnarok Online - formative online social culture with school friends KH2 - formative online interactions / "fandom" culture Persona 3 - learned that rpgs not made by square are worth playing Dissidia - interest in fighting games/locals blooms Demon's Souls - interest in new developing genres birthed from the traditional experiences Outer Wilds - birthed passion for these kinds of knowledge based experiences, small interest in game dev if I ever have time for it

rationale behind the nine picks

made the distinction to pick 9 games that rewired my brain and taste in games through my life rather than just 9 favorites

would probably add another row for even nicher genres

(Remade cause I forgot what my true formative online experiences were)

The Garfield Movie (2024)
We got close to halfway through before we turned it off from how boring it was. Chris Pratt using his Chris Pratt voice didn't help.

The Garfield Movie (2024)
We got close to halfway through before we turned it off from how boring it was. Chris Pratt using his Chris Pratt voice didn't help.

The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi
Been on my to-do list since playing through Lies of P, had constant reverse leopoint.gif moments when seeing the inspirations behind stuff. Short read, glad I got to it!

Pinocchio's a brat that deserves everything that happened to him.

The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi
Been on my to-do list since playing through Lies of P, had constant reverse leopoint.gif moments when seeing the inspirations behind stuff. Short read, glad I got to it!

Pinocchio's a brat that deserves everything that happened to him.

Resident Evil Requiem
Two halves of a game that mix together like oil and water. Grace's half is fun with some very creative enemy arrangements; Leon's plays like a mindless shooting gallery through the series' greatest hits without much thought or care. One step forward, two steps back.

Every professional translator I know has the same position on this and can easily explain the reasons for it when asked. The fact that executives don't even bother to ask and force translators to work on AI/MTL slop regardless makes it clear where their priorities lie: money trumps quality.

Resident Evil Requiem
Two halves of a game that mix together like oil and water. Grace's half is fun with some very creative enemy arrangements; Leon's plays like a mindless shooting gallery through the series' greatest hits without much thought or care. One step forward, two steps back.

I love “cozy games” on an individual level but “cozy” used to include replaying resident evil 2 for the 5th time

now as a genre it’s starting to feel like it is locking people into aesthetic tradwife boot camp

We cannot and should not let generative AI take away these tiny, insignificant, but probably fun as hell jobs from artists

Paranormasight: The Mermaid's Curse
A delightful sequel that trades the horror vibe from the first game for a more fleshed and thought out story, adding in some neat twists that ask you to actually put your thinking cap on. Maybe a BIT too repeat info-dumpy. Still has great faces.

God of War: Sons of Sparta
A very workmanlike search action game that functions as a weird pastiche of past and present God of War games. For how elaborate the spritework is, I wish it had a bit more spectacle to it!

Seeing the old greek enemies and their attacks translated to 2D is fun.

God of War: Sons of Sparta
A very workmanlike search action game that functions as a weird pastiche of past and present God of War games. For how elaborate the spritework is, I wish it had a bit more spectacle to it!

Seeing the old greek enemies and their attacks translated to 2D is fun.

23. Paranormasight: The Mermaid's Curse

It is Dave the Diver. You do not manage a sushi shop.

It was okay! Don't stop making these games!

However I would appreciate tighter writing ; I thought the game unfortunately fumbled the romance aspects and felt like a clunkily-implemented last addition.

Paranormasight: The Mermaid's Curse
A delightful sequel that trades the horror vibe from the first game for a more fleshed and thought out story, adding in some neat twists that ask you to actually put your thinking cap on. Maybe a BIT too repeat info-dumpy. Still has great faces.

Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere
Forgot to staple this here! A very unique entry in the series, one that I believe that Wings of Theve will be taking notes from based entirely on its reveal trailer and nothing else.

The EVO situation is dire.

Debating with @acenoi.bsky.social whether or not we order breakfast for the gold medal game lmao

Yankee Doodle, keep it up
Yankee Doodle, keep it UP
YANKEE Doodle, KEEP it UP
Yankee DOODLE, keep IT up
YaNkEe DoOdLe....

Good to be back

well, evo's dead

What's a half a year wait or two? Here's part four of A Sky without Borders, my Ace Combat series playthrough. On today's episode: the flawed yet undeniably ambitious Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere!

(I'll try not to keep you waiting as long for the next one, I promise.)

I watched my wife play through all of this and she was bored for like 95% of it, it wasnt a ringing endorsement.

Then I had to play 5 hours of a shit minigame so I could get her to 100% completion and that made it worse.

21. Shin-Chan Shiro and the Coal Town
I enjoyed the first few in-game days, and then I struggled to figure out what the point of the game was. There is no calendaring system/time limits, the original town you start in stops mattering 25% in, and Coal Town is so limp. The story is so limp. Boring.