Well, it's this time of year again, and this time, Netto wouldn't give me a break. So I decided to make a top 10 list this year. I haven't posted a thing on NGR in a while, so it might be a nice change of pace. Anyways, here we go - my top 10 for 2015.
Best 2015 Game
Best 2015 Game
I know this might be cheating, as it is practically a re-release of practically the same game that came out in 2013 (2014 in the west), but with a bit more content. And I know a lot of you (from the few who still read the blog) will probably be mad that I haven't picked Undertale, and I'm kinda disappointed, too - if only just to spite Netto. But I don't own the game, and I currently can't afford getting it. However, BlazBlue is still a great series to date, and Chrono Phantamsa Extend is probably my favorite in the series.
BlazBlue is a fighting game series with a story so good that I really don't want to spoil a single bit of, and the third game in the series - Chrono Phantasma - is the one to push the story the furthest, give more character development, and have the most impact out of the three. In fact, the story is so good, that it's more like a visual-novel with fighting mini games rather than a fighting game with a story. Unlike the previous two, though, instead of focusing on every single fighter in their own short episode, it brings 3 main stories, each explaining different set of events - up to the major climax, which ends the game perfectly, and leaves high expectations for the next part in the series.
BlazBlue is currently one of my favorite video game series, along with Persona 3 and after, mainly for the story (though I do try to get into the gameplay. I just need to practice more to be less suck-y), and Chrono Phantasma didn't disappoint. It's just that Chrono Phantasma Extend has three more stories, two more characters, all the DLC characters, and an in-game visual-novel form of the entire spin-off manga the series had. And Chrono Phantasma didn't come out in 2015 like Extend did.
Top Older Game I First Played in 2015
Persona 4 Golden. I love that game. I really do.
Persona 4 is a game about a group of high schoolers trying to find a mass killer by going inside TVs and going through dungeons in there, accepting themselves, and developing relationships. Yes, you read that right.
During the game, you play as a nameless hero (whose canon name is Yu Narukami), a city high schooler going to live with his uncle in the small town of Inaba, and throughout the game, finding friends, making relationships, and solving a mystery.
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| The game is filled with hilarious moments, and it kept me laughing throughout. |
The game is filled with emotion, has plenty of relatable characters, and the humor is fantastic.
I really cannot do this game justice in this list, so I’m not even going to try. If you like JRPGs, life sims, and/or good comedy, and you still haven’t played it - go play it. You won’t be disappointed.
Top Movie I Watched For the First Time in 2015
2015 wasn't a great year for movies. It really wasn't. At least with the ones I've seen and heard of. So I'll have to go to something a bit earlier than that, one that a lot of people feel is overrated, probably, but I still loved it.
While the movie has it's fault, The LEGO Movie is the closest it can be to being a perfect movie. It's an amazing love letter for the LEGO toy franchise.
The movie is about a normal, generic builder, who finds the piece of resistance to stop Lord Business from using the Kragle - a relic Lord Business plans to use in order to freeze the world and make it perfect, joins the group of Master Builders without even wanting to, and the rest is silliness. This is a film about a silly adventure, filled with childish jokes, amazing worlds, and Morgan Freeman.
Everything about the movie is awesome, and while it has some scenes that feel forced and/or weird, it's clear there's a lot of work and heart in it, and the end result is just pure fun to watch. I really don’t want to spoil anything beyond what I said, but if you haven’t, it’s a great one to check out.
Top YouTube Video of 2015
The video is filled with references, silly jokes, and the humor of both Nostalgia Critic and AVGN combined, to make one big masterpiece of a movie review.
The review has its own story, about the Nostalgia Critic and AVGN going to look for the real meaning of TMNT, and to save April O'Niel. The rest... just go watch it. No matter how I try, or how much I write, I will not be able to do it justice.
Anyways, what are you doing reading about YouTube videos? Just go watch it. It’s free. (After you’re done reading the list, of course)
Top Console I Played in 2015
This is probably unfair, since I only really played on one console (unless you consider PC a console for some reason?), but I wanted to put that in anyways. I don't have many consoles, and I don't have either of the big ones - PS4 or... uh... well, I want to say Wii U and Xbox One, but the Wii U sold less than the Vita in 2015 alone, and the One didn't even sell 100,000 units in its entire lifespan.
Anyways, my pick for this year is the Vita. I bought the Vita in April, and most of my gaming
time since then was on it, almost exclusively. With games like BlazBlue, Persona 4 Golden, Ar Nosurge Plus, and more, this is the most fun I have had with a console since I got my DSi back in 2009.
The Vita is a commercial flop, and it barely has any games. Thing is, it has a lot of games, just not the ones Sony marketed it for - they tried selling it as a home console on the go, and except for Killzone, Uncharted, and very few others, it barely has any games fitting that description. Instead, it became a niche console, with mainly visual novels and JRPG. And it has some amazing gems in its library that are worth checking out.
After getting it for myself, I can tell you whole-heartedly: The Vita is worth getting. Just don't expect being able to play Call of Duty on it without a PS4 going with it.
Top Utaite
While she might not be an utaite, because she actually sings translations for vocaloid songs, JubyPhonic has some great covers regardless. (And for those of you who do understand - is she still considered a utaite? Because I have no friggin’ idea)
Her voice is a bit high-pitched, so she might not be everyone's cup of tea, but her covers are almost always great, and a lot of the times - in my opinion - even better than the original. Her lyrics translations are also wonderful, touching and emotional, and with some of her songs, I simply find myself listening to them again and again. And again.
Plus, she’s the reason I heard of Kagerou Days (Or Makaku City Actors), and if she ever ends up reading this list for some unexplained reason - thank you!
Best Book I Read in 2015
I'm a Tezuka fan. Not the biggest, though I wish I could be, but definitely a fan. And The Art of Osamu Tezuka rubbed that part of me just the right way.
The book has a summary of Tezuka's life story, giving a small insight into what made his works so special, and is filled with informations about his characters, series, and legacy, even including a DVD of a subbed documentary about his life, made by NHK.
A great book, very informative, filled with love for Tezuka and his works. I really can't recommend it enough for any Tezuka fan. Also, the Astro Boy picture on the cover in the hardcover edition is a cardboard piece, not just a drawing! How amazing is that?!
Top Character in 2015
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| Picture taken from Brickipedia |
Unikitty. Unikitty’s awesome. She’s like Pinkie Pie, but without the annoying. (Not a brony, though I tried two episodes just to see what all the hype’s about… didn’t get it…) Not much really needs to be said, except for: ‘Business. Business. Numbers.’
Top NGR Post of 2015
Uh… NEXT!
Most Exciting Game Announcement in 2015
Final Fantasy VII is a great game. A tad bit overrated, and the hype for the game is huge, to the point where it can leave many people with disappointment with the game, but for those who try it with an open mind, they will find an amazing game within it.
I love the original Final Fantasy VII, and it really goes to the limit. I played it over a decade after it came out, and it was still the first game I’ve seen to have a cross-dressing moment, without it just being redundant and uncalled for. The game is a true masterpiece, and it was finally announced for an HD remake last year, after many arguments over whether or not Square Enix is going to remake the game.
But, believe it or not, it’s not the most exciting announcement I’ve seen in 2015. I mean, the original is already out, still holds up today, and while the remake looks amazing, it’ll take some time for it to be released, and we still don’t know much about it. I’m excited for that one, but I’d really rather not get my hopes or hype too high.
The game announcement that did get my hype skyrocketing is Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma. It’s the one game that makes me wish I lived in the U.S., because I couldn’t get the bonus watch with the pre-order, as Amazon.com’s shipping is too high, and GameStop just won’t sell anything to people who don’t live in the U.S. or Canada.
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| Picture Taken from Wikipedia |
The first two games in the series, ‘9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors,’ and ‘Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward,’ are two of my favorite games of all time, and for a reason that is explained quite well in Netto’s reviews of these games. The plot is amazing - filled with twists and turns that will shock anyone trying their hands at them, the atmosphere just sucks the player in, the characters are round, and the puzzles are mind-bendingly hard. In fact, they’re still my first recommendations for anyone caring for good story in a video game and wants a game to try out. And Virtue’s Last Reward ends in a cliff-hanger so great, that it’s practically the beginning of the 3rd game - Zero Time Dilemma.
After months of being in the unclear, with odds of it never coming out, and with fans banding together to try and make the developers see that there is an audience for them, the game was finally announced. And I was both relieved and hyped. I’m still hyped, too. If it’s even half as good as the first two games, it’s going to still be amazing.
And with that, I will conclude the list. Those were my top 10 for 2015. Hope you enjoyed it, everyone!
