#37 Freedom Planet / Wii U

The only great Sonic game, which feels like a Treasure Inc. game, due to its intense bosses and set pieces, with a story that makes sense half of the time and audio settings for the voices that feels like it was recorded in some ramdom basement, is all a recipe for a memorable masterpiece, filled with great levels and some design choices that I wish certain hedgehog would learn from after 25 years, overall a winner.

added hints

33 - Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia?

32 - Mario Kart Double Dash

Yes! Very good.

#36 Nier Automata

SPOILERS IN BLACK! SPOILERS IN BLACK! SPOILERS IN BLACK! SPOILERS IN BLACK! SPOILERS IN BLACK! SPOILERS IN BLACK! SPOILERS IN BLACK!

Nier: Automata is a game that uses machines to ask deep existential questions. In Nier Automata two different types of Automata fight a proxy war for their masters, the Aliens, and the Humans. Androids fight to reclaim earth for Humanity, and Machines fight to make the earth suitable for their Alien masters. Except both Aliens and Humans have been extinct for thousands of years. Without Masters the Machines have been slowly going insane (What would you do if you had no purpose in life?). Most Machines that reach a level of human consciousness wind up killing themselves, because of a lack of purpose. The Androids have made Humanity's extinction a top secret fact, and have kept up a charade for most of their army. Fake broadcasts sent from the moon have been telling 99% of Androids that humanity is alive, and to keep fighting the machines. This is because there is a virus left over by the humans, to wipe out the Androids once they discover they are no longer needed. In the middle of all this we have 9S and 2B fighting to survive from mission to mission. 2B is a combat unit and 9S is a recon/spy unit. Their mission is to wipe out as many Machines as possible, while gathering info on the enemy.  Over the course of their mission together they slowly discover that there is more to the machines than their commanders have been letting on about. Eventually this culminates in a bittersweet tragic love story between two characters. After the virus left over by the Humans wipes out nearly all the Androids (including 2B), it is revealed that 2B wasn't a combat unit, but an assassin unit. Her main mission was to monitor 9S for instability and kill him before he goes insane, (by discovering the truth about humanity and the machines) or accidentally triggers the old Human virus. 2B has "killed" and reset 9S countless times before. Unfortunately 2B's death at the hands of A2 and the Virus winds up driving 9S insane. Throughout the story 2B treated 9S coldly, while 9S always tried to form a friendship with her. During the final moments of her death, 2B calls 9S by the affectionate nickname "Nines", revealing that she had feelings for him the entire time. This meant that she was forced to kill someone she felt close to repeatedly. Neir Automata's director Yoko manages to tell us more about our own humanity, while ironically telling a story involving characters that aren't human at all. 

The music is freaking amazing in this game, and the combat is just as good as any other Platinum developed title. 

I picked NieR: Automata for #36 as well. I not only enjoyed the general twists and turns of the storyline, but in particular the ending (the last one), which brings into question why we go about living, and for that matter (in my interpretation anyway) why we play games like this and where redeeming value can be found. Those who have completed that part of the game a certain way know the developer's simple yet needed and clearly heartfelt answer.

It's for similar thematic reasons that I also recently put Out of This World (a.k.a. Another World for our non-American gamers) on my list. In point of fact, the further along on my list we go, the more you'll sense this same kind of thematic pattern emerge, especially as we close in on the top 10 picks. Guess you might say that my attachment to the theme of companionship (when delivered in a heartfelt manner anyway) says something about what my personal needs are in life.

#37

An indie metroidvania where you play as a scientist in another planet.

#36

The last game in this series where the region is based on Japan.

Yes.

Nier Automata is also in my list, but waaaaay higher than #36.

#38  Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2
Previous Year: #33

The Command & Conquer series has always been my favourite RTS franchise, and Red Alert 2 is in many way the best game in it. This was still before the series began to experience a slow decline at the hands of EA, with the trademark Red Alert humour at its best here. However, this is not my favourite game in the entire series, but we'll get to that later. 

#37 Mega Man 4
Previous Year: #32

Although many people see either Mega Man 2 or 3 as the peak of the original Mega Man series, for me it has always been the fourth entry. The introduction of the Mega Buster was a great way to add new elements to the gameplay, and the bosses and music are among the series' best. 

#36 Batman: Arkham City
Previous Year: #36

The peak of the Arkham games. Arkham City built upon the foundation laid by Asylum, improving on its shortcomings and expanding the game's world, while still staying small enough and focused so as to not lose what made the first game so great. The battle system is still excellent, the story is the best in the series, the boss battles were vastly improved over the first game, and the voice acting is near perfect. The best superhero game ever made in my opinion.

And here are the hints for the next three games:

#35: Climbing ancient landmarks, but this time in Italy.

#34: The last member of a species of dangerous aliens helps you defeat the game's final boss.

#33: The second game in the series. Has one of the most famous train levels ever.