What a first year or better said the first nine months it have been for the Nintendo Switch! The fiscal year will continue until the end of March 2018 but I guess I could say without any shadow of a doubt that the Nintendo Switch is a resounding success.
This year there where quite a number of titles released for the Nintendo Switch and like any good medium we have asked the Nintendo Reporters staff to pick their own Game of the Year. For the public award there can still be voted , the results will be revealed next week, December 28th, and the winner will be announced.
Preface
There are quite a few titles that were really really well but have not made it into my top three this year.
I want to briefly mention a few of these titles; Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Splatoon2, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Sonic Mania, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Arms, Steam World Dig 2, Ittle Dew 2+ are all titles that actually deserve a spot in your Nintendo Switch collection. All for various reasons, of course.
Mario + Rabbids – Kingdom Battle
Let’s face it, perhaps the nicest surprise of the year. A game that almost everyone said “Why”, “That is never going to work”, “Nintendo WTF are you doing!” when we saw the first leaked artwork.
But man oh man did the team at Ubisoft Milan, Ubisoft Paris and Nintendo show us what they can do. This title is just pure pleasure to play. Everything from audio, video to gameplay. It’s just so well put together.
The cutscenes are a pleasure to the eye and the humor fits both the Rabbids and Mario universe so damn well.
In terms of audio must of course also a word of thanks to the master Grant Kirkhope! Since his early days with Rare I have been a fan of all the work that he has been able to support. Sound simply makes or breaks a setting.
Usually I was not a fan of turn based strategy games, but this game has a made a change to that. I’ve had no chance so far to yet test the new Versus mode but alone this addition makes the game more interesting than it already was. Add to that that there is new content arriving next year.
This game should be part of your Nintendo Switch collection despite the objections you think have to the Rabbids.
Super Mario Odyssey
Mario is back and how!
For the first time in a 60fps version where you are again relatively free compared to Mario games of recent years. Super Mario Odyssey gives us a glimpse into the future of what we can expect new Mario titles.
The throwbacks to other games, the retro elements all combine to make this a title to remember. The number of kingdoms give a very wide range of settings, problems, enemies etc.
Visually the game is a jewel but in this title, the choice of music is so very well. I would wonder myself what would a combination of Mario game with Grant Kirkhope sound like. But who knows, if ever.
Mario showed with this title that he still lord and master in the field of platforming after 30 years. We look forward to Mario’s next adventure! For our full thoughts on Mario check our earlier review of Super Mario Odyssey .
Super Mario Odyssey is an amazing game that comes close to perfection at many levels. But it is not perfect and we should be totally able to state that because that doesn’t makes the game worth less in any way!
The Legend of Zelda – Breath of the Wild
In advance; The choice between Mario and Zelda is an awful difficult one, this is because both games are really extremely good. They both know only slight criticisms of an otherwise near-perfect performance. But as Henny Huisman (yeah something Dutch) said it; There can be only one winner.
And with any certainty that still has to be; The Legend of Zelda – Breath of the Wild!
For the first time we could witness a launch of a Nintendo console with a Zelda game. That was never done before. But I still believe that that alone has given the Nintendo Switch a huge boost.
But combine that fact as to how Nintendo is marketing both The Legend of Zelda – Breath of the Wild as the Nintendo Switch. They have never been good at marketing!
Before I digress too far, back to The Legend of Zelda – Breath of the Wild. The game gives you complete freedom in an open world that is unparalleled. Do you want to try and go directly to Hyrule Castle and take on Ganon. Sure you can do that? Chance that you make it is small but hey speed runners have proven it is possible.
But you choose your own path, growt how you like (hearts / stamina), complete what you want. The game lives and breathes freedom.
In addition, it is not a Zelda game that holds your hand. Something that is a welcome thing. The latter becomes clear in master mode, or even more at the beginning of the second DLC pack Champions’ Ballad. DLC? Precisely Zelda DLC … a first … and it makes the game more interesting. The DLC we have discussed recently .
Minimalist music; I also would have appreciated an orchestral score but I found the music more than fitting.
Gameplay is unprecedented, alls that is possible based on the gaming world seems to be only limited to what you can imagine. If you can think of is often possible. Again freedom.
In addition, the game has since its launch consumed about 420 hours of my time (thanks koroks). But after 400+ hours I was still playing the game with absolute pleasure. Was cause I’m really through everything there is to do in the game on both normal and master mode.
The Legend of Zelda – Breath of the Wild has created a new standard for the Zelda franchise but perhaps even more for open world games in general. This game will be used as a blueprint for heaps of games that will greet us in the future.
Therefore my sincere thanks and therefore this game also earned the fitting title Nintendo Reporters – Game Of The Year – 2017 !
I’m eager to find out what you think of my top 3 games of the year and look forward to what you vote for as the public. Look for the results on December 28th on our website!
