#31
Command & Conquer
(Change YoY: -9)

The game that made me a fan of real-time strategy games, the original Command & Conquer still remains a huge favourite of mine all these years later. It's not the objectively best game in the series in terms of gameplay by a long shot, but I think it actually still has the best story in the entire series. It's also much more serious than the later entries. Red Alert has always been very tongue-in-cheek, and the later Tiberium games went increasingly over-the-top, but this original has a certain sense of grittiness and realism to it. Much of this was down to the character of Kane, who in my opinion is one of the greatest villains in video game history.

Actually, Command & Conquer is the biggest loser in my top 50 this year, falling nine places from last year's list. Part of this is because of new games entering the list, and some of it is just games shifting around a little in my mind. Regardless, this is one of the games I can always go back to and enjoy no matter what. 

I love the Pikmin series. All three games in fact, but the first one really represents what I like about it. This is in part real-time strategy commanding your Pikmin solving task. It involves also environmental puzzles, as you try to overcome obstacles.

The story is simple: Captain Olimar crashed on the planet which looks like earth. He has to repair his spaceship in 30 days, because this is the time his life-support works. For this task he employs the creatures of the planet called Pikmin. They are pretty simple and follow your orders, but they are also cute. Olimar and Pikmins are all a few centimeters small, even bugs are bigger and a terrible danger. But if you fight them and win, the Pikmin can work with the remains and new Pikmins are seeded.

This is a lot of fun. I hope we will see a fourth installment some time in the future.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWiscnnBT90

Nothing was guessed, so some more hints.

#29
a) Doesn't it hurt, if you change your form so radically?
b) Use the Wiimote for pointing and targeting.

#28
a) Words of power.
b) Dragons.
Guessed by S.Peelman: Skyrim

#27
a) "Хорошо! Я буду работать на тeбя, проклятый капиталист!"
b) "Reuban... Good prices!"

#26
a) Dwarfs and elves on a hexfield.
b) Win with fewer turns to have more gold for the next level.

#25
a) Became popular especially in Korea.
b) Terrans against two alien factions.
Guessed by The_Liquid_Laser: Starcraft/Broodwar

Twilight Princess and Skyrim?

SimTower

• Mac OS
• 1994
• Construction & Management Simulation
• OpenBook Co./Maxis

'SimTower' is a personal classic, my introduction into the 'construction and management sim'-genre and my introduction to the series of 'Sim' games. SimCity, SimTown, SimAnt, SimCopter; I played most, though only a few would be able to enter my personal hall of fame, and few would resonate as much in the rest of my gaming life.

In 'SimTower', the player is the manager of a skyscraper, which is under construction, starting from scratch, while it is in use. The end-goal is to build the 'Cathedral' on the 100th floor and receive the 'Tower' rating after going through the usual 1-5 Star hotel-style ratings. In this skyscraper, you can build condominiums, office space, shopping malls, food courts, hotel rooms and several utilities, while in the basement there can also be waste management, parking garages and even a subway station.

As one of the earliest computer games I ever played, it was an event in my family. Going so far as leaving it on while having dinner, turning up the volume and overhearing the money rolling in while we were eating downstairs. This is also the very first game that ever got pirated in our house, which is a questionable distinction, but there it is. Back then, pirating was so easy, you could literally just copy/paste the entire game by dragging the files from the floppy disc onto the computer. Maybe the read-protect switch on the side needed to be flipped, but nothing more complicated than that. Those were the days!

#30: This game was the third game in it's series, while the title mentioned it was the second game. Basically the previous game renamed the series due to the protagonist becoming some sort of knight, though that game did mention it was the second game in the series under it's original name. Complicated?

25.  Starcraft

Surprised no one guessed this one  

#32
Based on the characters in this PS1 game, you'd think it was a prequel to Zoo Tycoon.

#31
A rare console conversion considered superior to the arcade original, this game inspired many sequels--one which launched in October.

Well, you already guessed Twilight Princess for my #38, so this time it is something else.

But yes, #28 is Skyrim, it is obvious, isn't it?

This is indead Starcraft.

#33 maybe Windwaker?

^ Wind Waker is right