#12
This game first includes an enemy, which became a mainstay in subsequent games in this long and successful franchise, which was based on the creator's bad experience with a dog during his childhood.

Nice that it managed such a high position in such a short time! The post-game content is generally top notch and very fun so it could go up your list once you get more time with it!

Super Mario Bros. 3 (Chain Chomp?)

Correct, very good.

I remember that game. It does look like a fun game to play.

#20 Mario Kart 7

Mario Kart is one of the most fun franchises in existence, and this 3DS instalment is one of the best in the series.  The races are crazier and greater than ever before. I spent hours trying to beat the other ghosts at the time races and trying to beat my own record. The online was also pretty good. And while the graphics may not look great compared to Mario Kart 8, they're actually quite an improvement compared to Mario Kart DS.

#19 Mario Party DS

How can anyone not like this game? There are about 50 minigames, and almost all of them are pure fun. The games are creative and vary from boat racing to soap surfing to goomba catching. You can play these minigames in a party, in a competition, or you can just select the game you want to play. Mario Part DS can be best enjoyed with a few friends, because this was without a doubt the best local multiplayer game on the system.

#18 The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

There are few games that have such a unique and strong atmosphere as this one. Everything, even the seemingly innocent and happy stuff, has a sort of dark and macabre layer. This makes the game very special and memorable. The mask mechanic is also really really good. Oh, and it's a Zelda game. So of course it's amazing.

#17 Super Mario Odyssey

You can be a tree! You can be a dinosaur!! You can be a Goombas!!! The hat-capturing in Mario Odyssey is even better than the masks in Majora's Mask. There's a wonderful variety of things you can change into. And they're not just a gimmick: each creature/thing/whatever has its own unique set of abilities. This gives you so much more possibilities. Wherever you look, there's something to do.

#16 Pokémon Black 2 & White 2

The only sequels in the Pokémon franchise. I did actually enjoy them more than the originals. The new areas that the games give you are more interesting than the usual towns and routes in the Pokémon games. The story is also one of the best in the whole franchise. I still didn't enjoy as much as most other games, but it's a great game nonetheless.

#13 Plants vs Zombies 2

Why did it make the list?
Plants vs Zombies does tower defense exactly right.  It is easy to learn and difficult to master which is the biggest hallmark of a great game.  While the PvZ 1 is a more tight and polished game, PvZ 2 just has far more content than the first game.  More levels, more plants, more zombies, more everything. 

Also they added plant food.  During the fight you can occasionally give one of your plants some plant food, which makes it do a one time super attack (or super defense, if it is a defensive plant).  This adds a whole new dynamic to the game that the first PvZ doesn’t have.  I also love that you can speed up or slow down gameplay whenever you like.  I still go back and play PvZ 1 from time to time, but I really miss both the plant food and the fast speed features that PvZ 2 has.

I also have a gripe about this game.  “What its your 13^th favorite game of all time and you are going to gripe about it?”  Yes, it is unlucky number 13 so here goes.  I really don’t like this is a free-to-play, mobile only game with ads and microtransactions.  I would be willing to shell out $60 cash, day 1, for a good and complete version of this game on a console that is microtransaction free.  So far, I have not given EA any of my money for this game and I don’t plan to until they port it to a console.

Original experience:
I am one of these people that resents getting a smartphone, and I held out as long as I could.  However, when I finally did get one I immediately downloaded PvZ2 and started playing.  I was surprised that it was even better than the first game, which is a very tough feat to accomplish.

How does it hold up today?
I play it almost every day.  There really is so much content to this game, and it is the perfect game to get out when you are out somewhere and have just a few minutes to kill.

I'll try to make my hints slightly harder this time.

#15 It's a bit like a shooter, but it's actually fun.

#14 It's a bit like a fighting game, but it's actually fun.

#13 In the version of the game that I've played, you go to a sort of an alternate dimension. You're here to stop the bad guys.

#12 A ghost haunts a mysterious village.

#11 Easter Island is one of the places you visit.

Nope.

It is somewhat arbitrary whether I picked Rock Band 1 or 2?  Who knows?  Maybe next year I will have Rock Band 2 on the list instead.  The main thing that makes these games great is just the experience of being in a Rock Band.