Podcast Links: iTunes, Hipcast, or direct download.
I honestly can’t believe we’re doing another one of these. Video Game Choo Choo has made it through another year, and with the end of 2014 comes the need for some tough arguments about which video games are the best.
For 2014, we’ve split our award categories into four major parts: Aesthetic, Technical, Wrap-Up, and Best/Worst. (The visual category goes in Technical, because I’m a dummy who forgot about this whole thing until after we had wrapped the second day’s podcast). We may be a dollar-store Giant Bomb, but at least we put thought into our thievery!
Anyway, if you want to listen to the podcasts first, the links are right there at the top of the page. Also, we’ve got some Top 10 lists for your perusal! Today, Video Game Choo Choo’s Will Westwater and Forest Ambassador’s Merritt Kopas both have Top 10 lists available. Check them out!
Best Moment, Scene, or Level: Fifth Trial, Danganronpa 2 (Runner-up: Museum Fight, Murdered: Soul Suspect)
In all of 2014, there was no moment crazier than the penultimate trial of Danganronpa 2. This game spends so much of its running time subverting both its genre and its predecessor, so capping off the moment-to-moment trials with a chapter that subverts the expectations set up by the game itself is a real ballsy move. The fifth trial in Danganronpa 2 is one roller coaster ride of a moment.
Best Music: Transistor (Runner-up: Danganronpa)
Best New Character: Bad John from Super Smash Bros for Wii U and 3DS (Runner-up: Sho from Persona 4 Ultimax)
Look, you fools. Bad John may be the bad boy of video games, but he’s really the best new character of the year. When we think of the best new character, we think of a character that we’ll never forget. And I know we’ll never forget about Bad John. Because I won’t let us forget. Bad John will never leave our hearts. In fact, he will just never leave. Bad John is good. Some might even say…he’s the best new character.
Best Returning Character: Duck Hunt from Super Smash Bros for Wii U and 3DS (Runner-up: Monokuma from Danganronpa 2)
Bark, quack, boom! If you had told us last year that Duck Hunt was not only going to have representation in Smash Bros, but a full playable character, we’d have told you to crawl back into the troll hole you came from. But what do you know, not only did the famous laughing dog get a slot in Smash Bros for 3DS/Wii U’s roster, but the character flawlessly incorporates the ducks, the zapper, and other classic NES light gun games such as Wild Gunman and Hogan’s Alley. Duck Hunt’s return in Smash introduced a new generation to the classic game, and now a new era of hating that dog’s smug chuckle can begin.
Best Writing: Danganronpa 2 (Runner-up: Danganronpa)
Both Danganronpa games had amazing writing, with interesting twists, hilarious jokes, and near-flawless character interactions. But Danganronpa 2 surpasses its predecessor by a long shot, giving character development to every character, not just those that lasted until the end. Every death felt meaningful, every twist concrete to the story, and did we mention the goddamn 5th trial? Because oh my GOD that 5th trial. Danganronpa may have set the new standard for visual novel mystery games, but Danganronpa 2 flipped that on its head, and then some.
