#29: Metroid Dread

Metroid Dread has actually moved up in my list a good ten positions!

Last year, I was cautious with its placement because I thought it was affected by recency bias but over this year I've replayed it two more times just because this game is so damn fun to play! Everything Samus does in this game is so fluid, jumping off walls, aiming from a platform, sliding under small gaps, switching between regular beam, missiles, grapple beam. Mercury Steam nailed to gameplay to a degree I didn't think was possible. EMMI rooms transitioned from tense sections I careful threaded to avoid detection to fun playgrounds I navigate as fast as possible making use of every tool available to outrun an EMMI who can't keep up.

The story is also pretty interesting and allows us to learn more about the Chozo and Samus herself. It might not be as open ended a Super Metroid with sections where the game forces you through a defined path but it has some very neat sequence breaks and easter eggs attached to those.

#12

YoY: -3      My Rating: 9.4/10

To put into perspective just how much I enjoy the Soulsborne games from FromSoftware, this is the second lowest of five of their games on my list. Dark Souls III serves as a perfect send-off to the series, bringing the story that had always existed on the background full circle, while also making some wonderful improvements to the gameplay the series had become known for. There are elements that don't quite reach the heights of the first game, but others were also the best in the whole series.

There were some absolutely wonderfully designed locations in this game, and it also contains the absolute best boss fights out of all the Dark Souls games. The music composed by Yuka Kitamura and Motoi Sakuraba is excellent, the visual design and art direction were FromSoftware at their best, and the gameplay was the most fluid and varied in the series, taking some notes from Bloodborne's faster combat. With some of the most intriguing lore in the whole series as well, Dark Souls III is a worthy final chapter for the series.

There was a clear sense of finality present here, with the world spiraling further and further into decay. This was made more and more obvious the further you got in the game, until it was practically spelled out to you in the final DLC release. Yet, at the very end, by visiting a certain character, you were left with a sense of hope that perhaps something beautiful would eventually come out of the end of the age of fire.

#11

(-1)

Unfortunately just barely sliding out of my top 10, The Henry Stickmin Collection is one of the most charming and hilarious games I've ever played. A compilation of choose your own adventure point and click flash games released in the 2010s + a giant brand new entry, this collection shows the entire story of this little stickmin I've been journeying with for over a decade. A masterclass in tying in cheeky little gaming references with original fantastic humor and some surprisingly good heart and storytelling. The characters here are surprisingly very memorable and all the different endings and paths across games are remarkably unique. If u ever get a chance to play this, give it a try, it is surprisingly something really special

These two correctly guessed by @UnderwaterFunktown (13 - Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door) and @s.Peelman (11 - Super Mario Galaxy - U R MR GAY - sorry, can't get the tag to work - these forums are awful)

#28: Super Mario World

Like many people Super Mario World was my introduction to the SNES. A really great way to start things up! This colorful platformer was filled with secrets and fun power ups (who doesn't like flying over a whole stage with the cape?). It introduced haunted houses, allowed you to save your progress, you got a brand new friend in Yoshi (which Mario was unbelievably cruel to by punching him on the back of the head and launching him into pits).

The levels being replayable allowed for a more exploration focused gameplay when looking for keys and secret exits. The Special World also provided a fair challenge for completionists.

Added clues in bold. Nothing obscure here.

#18
- At the file selection screen, if you slightly misspell a prominent feature of the game, it’ll net you something good.
- For the above, you'll only be using the letters of the buttons on your controller.
- If you want to find everything, you’ll have to opt for the worst possible prize at one point.
- As you conquer each world, the final boss’ stage draws ever closer.
- And the location of the final stage is the same sort of location that you start the following game in.
- A bonus stage hidden within a bonus stage? Pretty sneaky.
- The main overworld is shaped like the head of the character the game is named after.
- If you know where to go at the start of each stage, two levels can be all but skipped in the second world.

#17 (incorrect guess - Resident Evil 5)
- More action oriented to its predecessor, this sort of indicated where the franchise it took its cues from was going to head in the future.
- A more linear game, less focus on puzzles, and upgrading your arsenal via points accrued in combat are some other features that differentiate it from its predecessor.
- Features more outside areas than its predecessor - a more natural environment for the variety of enemies you face.
- Unlike its predecessor, it features two playable characters, who you switch back and forth between throughout the game. One of these characters was the playable character in the previous game.
- There’s a few instances of first person action, where you have to defend the vehicle you’re travelling on. It wouldn’t be the last time this franchise dipped its toe into the first person perspective - much like the franchise from the same developer that heavily influenced this series, there was a light gun spin off.
- Uses pre-rendered backdrops, whilst its predecessor utilised 3D environments.
- There hasn't been a new game in this franchise for almost 20 years. Fans hope the IP won't become a fossil of a bygone era.

#10
- The two books you find caused a bit of confusion when this game was first released.
- If you fail to save your comrades, the shadow of the final boss will loom large after the credits

My list so far

Making it to the 3rd hint. At least two of these are very well-known so lets see if they can't be guessed:

10) It's every game ever created. It's Skyrim. It's Persona 3.
Hint 2: I picked this as my Game of the Year on Steam, but it's debatable whether it should qualify
Hint 3: "This is a story of a man named _______"

9) Technically this is the oldest these iconic characters have ever been
Hint 2: The word ancient is also used a lot in this game
Hint 3: Among other things to describe some of the best weapons and armor in the game

8) The unofficial return of a game and character I alluded to in my last batch of hints, but unfortunately they couldn't get the original voice actor onboard
Hint 2: Released in the same year as the long awaited sequel a VR spin-off.
Hint 3: A fan-made remake of the first game in the series

6) The last three games in this series correspond to a different color each. This is the red one.
Hint 2: A famous detective is trying to catch you and your band of thieves.
Hint 3: I too could go for some delicious pancakes

Breath of the Wild?

Exactly. In the first hint I was referring to Link and Zelda technically having lived for over 100 years each in BotW though they still look young.

The reason I said you were half right when you guessed Skyward Sword is that Zelda at the end of that game would actually be way older which I had completely forgotten about.

More hints!

10 - When you finally get every collectible, you get a reward that very much drives home that doing so was pretty pointless and not necessarily meant to be done. Guessed by Darashiva - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

9 - This game for some reason, has a lot to do about llama's.
Hint 2: In this one, there's even a cheat that turns your advisors into llama's.
Hint 3: Llama's also roam the countryside, or alongside the highway.

8 - This looks like a 3D game, which it mostly is, but the characters are actually 2D cardboard cutouts. This is especially visible in the victory ceremony where the perspective seems off. Guessed by Veknoid_Outcast - Mario Kart 64

7 - When you start your town, you, the player, only gets a warehouse and a quay, while the AI also gets four tiles of nice paving next to it while that actually should still take quite a while before that is unlocked. I was also quite jealous of that.

6 - In the original, building "buildings" could only be done by raising land and painting the sides wood or brick, but in this game you can finally build actual walls and roofs. A real game-changer.