#but at least one of the websites has 8 reviews that seem too uh. heavy on the fandom/cosplay terminology to be like

[cannibalisticskittles]

pretty sure i fell for a scam in my fervor to get a jacket i fell in love w/ at first sight

the wealth of pictures taken at every good angle and worn by a real person + a realistic sounding description (like 'i commissioned an etsy shop to embroider the back of this jacket so it's one of a kind, it's in great quality because I only used it for a few photoshoots!) got me

i feel reasonably certain that i can manage to get my money back but. what a fool i am.

[mywonuderful]

Not So Cold-Hearted Pt.23

Summary: Y/N, a member of a popular newly debut girl group and Wonwoo has what some may call a relationship with emotional ambivalent. Will their relationship remain cold-blooded or will they finally come to an agreement and become something more?

Pairing: Jeon Wonwoo x Reader

A/N: As always, if anyone is interested in being added into the taglist for this series, please feel free to send in a ask or message me!

masterlist

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

“Remi! Skye! How’s she?” The girls closed the door of your room as they walked down the hall when they saw a group of males walking towards them “The anesthetic hasn’t worn off yet so shes a little nauseous and tired.” Skye said without much energy. “But how is she?” Jun questioned as the girls remained quite, making the boys anxious. “Hey look, you’ve guys work really hard today and you must be tired. How about you guys head on home and rest up? Well check up on her a bit later if she wakes up.” Joshua took a hint as your members nodded. “Congrats on your awards today. I’m sure Y/N is just as proud, no matter what.”

The boys walked pass your room where the curtains of the window to your room were closed but were sheer so your figure was noticeable. “Should we go in?” Dino tried peeking in. “I think she’s asleep though.” Minghao stated, taking in of your blurred figure. “I’ll stay here for a bit to check on her when she wakes up.” He sat down on one of the chairs in front of your room. “Are you sure? It’s been such a long day. Maybe we should head home and come back early in the morning with some food for her.” Jeonghan suggested as his members pondered before agreeing. “You guys can head back first. I’m going to stay for a bit.” Minghao reassured his answered as they nodded at his decisions but slowly leaving. Wonwoo was leaning at wall with his arms folded, with his eyes not leaving the window to your room. “You’re not leaving?” Minghao looked up to him as he continued staring into the window. “I’ll keep you company.” Wonwoo sighed, taking a seat beside Minghao. “Are you sure it’s not about something else?” Minghao curiously asked. “I’m…. I’m not sure.” he mumbled, rubbing his face in his hands. “About what?” “I don’t know… Just her.”

“Y/N?” “I guess?” “I’m listening.” “Of course you are.” Wonwoo flatly said as Minghao sat up from his seat, looking over at him with confusion. “What?” “You and Y/N are practically in love with each other. I heard her confessing to you before her last practice with Moonbin.” Wonwoo’s voice was somewhat heavy as Minghao looked at him with eyes. “So it wasn’t delivery.” Minghao mumbled. “Look it’s not what you think-” “I should’ve known from the beginning but now I’m all confused with my feelings. I don’t even know what to feel anymore.” “Wonwoo listen-” “Why do I worry so much for her? Why do I feel so angry when she’s with other guys? I just find myself wanting to be next to her.” Wonwoo started blurting out words as Minghao remained quiet, trying to listen in to his words feeling happy that his band mate was finally letting out his feelings for you. “But of course, I can’t win against you. Your killer smile, soft eyes, and melting voice. No wonder why she’ll choose you in a heart beat. “But I don’t have that type of feelings for her.” “Of course you love her- wait come again?” He almost whined before turning to look at Minghao with a blank expression. “Y/N and I have known each other since we were trainees. I know her inside out and that’s just our way of expressing our friendship.” Minghao smiled as Wonwoo blinked mutely.

“But you said you like her.” “I do like her. She’s like a little sister to me. I like her enough to know that she deserves well. And you seem to be true about your feelings about her.” Wonwoo was taken back about what he said “So… You don’t like her?” “I don’t have romantic feelings for her. If that’s what you’re trying to get at.” He chuckled as Wonwoo leans back on the chair, resting the back of his head against the wall as he let out a sigh. “Do you know…. if she’s interested in anymore?” Wonwoo carefully asked as he heard Minghao chuckle. “Well, that’s up to you to find out. Now that you’ve come to understand your feelings, you show follow it and express it to Y/N. Don’t confuse her anymore.” Minghao advised “Come to understand my feelings?” “What you just said, it seems to me that you’re in love with Y/N. Those words are what you felt in your heart.” Minghao stood up, stretching his arms over his head. “How about we head back? We should give her some rest. She’s been through quite a lot today. Plus, I don’t know about you, but I’m worn out.” Minghao lets out a small yawn as Wonwoo nodded before hanging an arm over his shoulder while walking back to their dorm.

---

Wonwoo’s alarm rang as he sat up right away, shutting his alarm before walking into his bathroom. He quickly washed up, and changing into some casual wear before checking the time as it read 8:30AM. He quietly opened his door, peeking out to see if any of his members were awake but only saw darkness in the kitchen, living and dining room. He carefully tippy toed pass the kitchen and living room, biting down on his lip whenever the flooring squeaked.

“Going on a morning stroll?” Seungkwan turned around from behind the kitchen counter, drinking a glass of water as Wonwoo jumped, falling back onto the floor before quickly standing back up. “Huh? Oh yeah, going on a morning stroll.” Wonwoo stuttered, as Seungkwan stopped drinking his glass to pop a vitamin in his mouth. “Come eat your vitamins before you leave then” He poured him a glass and handed him his vitamin as Wonwoo quickly took it. “Is our manager driving you to see Y/N?” Seungkwan questioned, making Wonwoo choke on his water. “If you’re going to see if, you can just say it. It’s not like you’re hiding it well.” “Uh… no I’m taking the taxi.” Wonwoo said in between his coughs “Take care. Tell her we’re going to pay her visit a bit later in the day.” Seungkwan patted his shoulder before heading back room. Wonwoo got on the taxi before heading to his aunts restaurant, knocking at her door as she opened it with a shocked face

“Wonwoo?” He entered as she brought him some tea and sat him down. “Congratulations on your win yesterday! I was screaming so loudly that the neighbours next door filed a complaint of me being too loud.” Seri chuckled happily as Wonwoo nodded before she pulled out her phone. “But did you see on the news yet?” her expression hardens. “News?” “It’s all over the news and in articles about the Y/N’s incident from yesterday’s performance.” She slid her phone across the time as Wonwoo picked it up and started skimming through multiple articles, showing pictures of your bleeding knees and short clips of you collapsing at the end of the performance. His eyes widen by the second from every article and video as his aunt bit her fingers. “How are the reactions so far?” He eagerly asked as his aunt retrieved her phone with a sigh. “From her special collaboration with Moonbin, she’s been getting lots of positive reviews and comments but after the incident started spreading, she’s been the most searched on almost all website engines. Everyone has been blaming the staff, wanting them to apologize but there hasn’t been any statement from the broadcaster nor your company about her health. The last update given was that she was rushed to the hospital.” Wonwoo stared at the table, going through a wave of emotions. “Is Y/N…. is she okay?” she slowly asked, seeing his harden face. “I’m not sure. We went to check on her yesterday but her members said she just fell asleep.”

“So… are you going to her now?” “….Yeah.” His aunt smiled from his words as she stood up before tying her hair. “It all makes sense now.” She could help but to let out her cheeky smile. “You and your weird actions.” Wonwoo lifted his head his head, looking at her with a empty expression. “You must’ve felt so angered and worried when you went to the hospital last night, knowing that you couldn’t see her that you must’ve not sleep properly. So then you woke up early today which is something you rarely ever do to pay her a visit. But before you head there you came to me, probably able to ask if I could make her some food. Am I not wrong?” She questioned as Wonwoo blinked a couple of times before looking away, redness forming in his cheeks “Yeah… I guess so.” He shyly admitted while scratching the back of his head. “At least you’re admitting to your feelings…. Gosh, just confess to her already.” Seri spoke loudly as she walked into the kitchen, leaving Wonwoo dumbfounded. Wonwoo pulled out his phone, reading articles of praises on both your performances and how professional you carried out the incident as well as articles of how well suited you and Moonbin were together has emotions of jealousy and sadden grew in him.

“Alright. I made some soft foods for her so that it’ll be easier on her. Do you know what’s her favorite fruit? I’m going to try making some puree for her.” “*insert fruit*” he replied, rather confidently as she smirked. “Of course you’ll know.” She hummed while heading back in as Wonwoo started wondering how he even knew. His aunt came out with stacks of containers before wrapping it all up. “Here. Tell her I’m sending her all my support and love for her recovery.” She walked Wonwoo out the door before he got into a taxi and headed to the hospital

Wonwoo arrived at the hospital as he entered and headed to the front desk. “Hello, I’m here to visit Y/N L/N.” He pulled down in mask. “Ah, I see. May I ask what your relationship is with her?” The nurse asked.

‘Relationship?’ Wonwoo’s heart sped up from the word. “Uh, I’m a friend of hers.” He stammered. “She’s in VIP room 16.” He took the elevator up to the VIP floor, feeling his hear rate quicken by the beeping of each floor. He got off, reading each number on the room before standing in front of your room. Right when he was about to opened the door, the doctor walked out. “Ah, you must be one of Y/N’s visitors.” The doctor smiled as Wonwoo bow to greet him. “Y/N is still asleep but her condition has improved greatly.” He informed before leaving as Wonwoo softly entered your room, seeing you peacefully sleeping. He placed the food at the table on the side before taking a seat on a chair side your bed. His eyes traveled to see your body wrapped in bandages feeling pain from just your sight. His hand shakily moved towards your face, gently touching the patches on your cheeks, as he blinked back the tears forming in his eyes. He rested his head on his arms on the side of your bed, feeling helpless.

---

Your eyes slowly fluttered opened before blinking a couple of times to focus your eyesight. You sat up, as your hand gazes over someone’s elbow as you looked to your side and saw Wonwoo sleeping on the side of your bed. You reached over to the side of the bed to get your glasses as you quietly groaned at the pain spreading through your body. He had his eyes closed, sleeping on top of his arm with his head facing you. You felt lighthearted yet surprised that he came to visit you, especially by himself. You observed his resting state, seeing his back slowly move from his breathe. As memories started replaying from yesterday, you couldn’t help be to feel joy and thankful from the little things he did to you. 

“Thanks Wonwoo…” You whispered as you softly smiled at him. Even though you weren’t happy with your state that you’re in at the moment, you couldn’t help but to feel overjoyed that Wonwoo came to pay you a visit, making your heart flutter. “Thanks for what?” He opened his eyes, looking right into yourself before you froze. He looked up at you stared at him before the two of you broke in a faint laughter with blushes on both your faces. “Why are you here so early? Shouldn’t you be getting some extra sleep from all your hard work from yesterday?” You questioned him as he sat back down you and leaned back on the hospital bed. “I could ask you the same.” You smiled as he looked around the room, avoiding your eyes. “I just wanted to see if you’re okay.” He mumbled while looking away, making you smile at his words. “Well, as you can see, I’m fine and alive, if that’s what you’re wondering.” he turned to look at you, not convinced with your words. “Did you… By any chance see any of the news yet?” He asked as you tilted you head in confusion. He pulled out his phone and showed you the articles where you were currently the hot topic on all search engines and news. You read over them, as your smile transitioned into a stiff expression as Wonwoo sensed that you read about your incident. He wanted to ask you about your condition but felt that it wouldn’t be the best time,

‘Am I suppose to feel proud or disappointed in myself at the moment?’ you thought to yourself. “Are you feeling alright?” Wonwoo placed a hand over you leg as he lowered his head to meet you eyes. You looked up with a weak chuckle. “Yeah, I’m fine.” You quickly replied, still feeling his eyes on you. “The doctor said I’m lucky to be alive after having to fall 3m but I should be good to go in a few months!” You tried your best to shallow down the hiccups forming in your throat as you quickly wiped away your tears before facing him with a smile. He knew you didn’t want to go into dept and he respected as he returned with a reassuring smile. “Of course.” He stood up and placed the stall stack of container to the table in front of your bed. “I stopped by at Aunt Seri’s place before coming here to get her to make you some food. You should try eating, even if you don’t have much of an appetite.” You nodded as he opened the multiple containers displaying delicious food. Your eyes sparkled as you felt you stomach growl. You rested your hand over you stomach, letting out an embarrassed grin.  “Please tell Seri I said thank you so much.” He handed you the container as you rested it on your legs. You picked up the spoon but as you lifted your arm, pain on your wrist started to ache as you scrunched your face.

“Is something wrong?” He asked as your shook your head. He closed some of the containers for you to eat later on. You tried lifting you spoon once again but gave up from the aching as you let out a quiet sigh. “Is it bad?” He looked up. “No no! It’s just that,” you quickly objected, knowing that Seri’s cooking never fails to impress you. “I can’t really lif-”

“FOR GOODNESS SAKE, SHE CAN’T EAT ON HER OWN SO FEED HER.” Your door flew opened as Mingyu screamed in frustration as you and Wonwoo looked at him in shock. “I am so sorry, please ignore him. Just pretend you didn’t hear that and go on.” Dokyeom smiled as he tugged him back you saw the rest of the boys standing in the back, embarrassed at Mingyu.  “THIS IS SO FRUSTRATION WONWOO. HOW DO YOU EXPECT SOMEONE TO EAT IN HER STATE.” Dokyeom covered his hand over his mouth as he mumbled the rest. As the doors clicked closed, the room fell into an awkward silence as the both of you stared at the door, trying to register what just happen. “Do you need help?” Wonwoo shyly asked after a while. “If it isn’t too much.” he sat down beside you before taking a spoonful of food and blew onto it, bringing it to your mouth. You took a bite, but even with how soft the food was, you still have treat eating it, as your eyebrows furrowed and your eyes closed from how painful it was to gulp it down. “Are you okay?” “It’s really good. It’s just a little hard for me to eat.” you confessed as his face saddened. “Sorry you had to go through this.” He apologized before feeding you another spoon but you weakly pushed his hand away. “There’s nothing for you to apologize for. I didn’t hear when the staff told me about the problem on the stage.”

“You should’ve asked!” You felt that his tone was sharp at you, making you feel frustrated and annoyed. “Look Wonwoo, I’ve tried asking the staff but every time they’re about to answer, something and someone comes in and then they give me the damn same answer of ‘just a problem on the side of the stage.’” “It wouldn’t harm to ask again.” Your bottled up emotions were about to explode. “Does it look like I want this to happen Wonwoo? The only thing on my mind when I fell was that I must get back on that stage and finish it with my members no matter what. You just don’t understand me. You never do.” You spatted out as Wonwoo sat there looking at you with an alarmed look. “Y/N calm down-” “Maybe if you were in my shoes, with fractures, bruising, and aching everywhere and the fact that I’m completely useless for the next couple of months, then maybe you’ll understand. So please, don’t tell me to calm down.” Tears started flowing down your face as Wonwoo’s jaw dropped, seeing your state. His heart was torn into pieces, as he didn’t mean to make you feel this way at all. He only wanted to comfort you and tried to take away the stress from you. You laid back onto the bed, turning away from him as you sniffled. “Sorry, but I think I need some time alone.” You said between your hiccups as Wonwoo stared at your back feeling completely defeated in himself. He got up, closed the container and left it on the table before walking towards the door, before giving you one last look, feeling his heart ache as he opened the door and left.

<<prev // next >>

[dynamite-derek]

My top-10 games of 2018

It’s that time of the year where you are flooded with lists of the best stuff from 2018 and I’m no different. Originally I was going to just make a list of the top 10 games I played in 2018. I even had a giant list I was updating throughout the year. But one day my phone randomly reset and I lost that list. So, business as usual this year. Maybe next year. 

Before I start with the numbered list, I’d like to note a couple of games that won’t be appearing for various reasons.

Games I liked a lot but haven’t played enough of to place on a list like this: Into the Breach, Dead Cells

A critically acclaimed game I haven’t played: God of War

I don’t want remakes on my list, but these games were really good: Shadow of the Colossus, Yakuza Kiwami 2 and Spyro Reignited Trilogy

Ports aren’t eligible but I like these a lot too: Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze, Shenmue 1&2, Hyrule Warriors and the PC port of one of the best games ever, Yakuza 0.

Okay, let’s get started.

10-) Red Dead Redemption 2: Actually had to debate between this and Pokemon: Let’s Go Pikachu for this spot. Ultimately I chose this game because the narrative is spectacular. Well that and the fact that Let’s Go is sort of a remake. This game absolutely nails atmospheric storytelling and creates one of the most interesting protagonists in AAA gaming. This game does a lot of things well, but the actual gameplay portion is...pretty mixed. I didn’t have fun with the open world at all and most missions involved long bouts of horseback riding with dialogue or ambient music. But RDR 2 does everything else so well. It also knows when to go all out. Every major mission in the game is memorable for one reason or another, especially with intelligent usage of music. It’s a game I will never play again, but despite some problems with the gameplay I can safely say that I enjoyed my time with it.

9-) Mario Tennis Aces: This game was a lot of fun. I wrote about it earlier in the year and my opinions on it are still the same.  Even though the gameplay is fairly simplistic, every match against another human felt unique and different. You have to learn the styles of your opposition and adapt. It’s like a fighting game! The online gameplay was also pretty solid. I felt pretty damn good whenever I would win a tournament. Really, Smash Bros. Ultimate would have done well to borrow this mechanic in some way. The only real problem with the game is that there is just a major lack of content. The heavily advertised story mode is barely worth playing and the cups, well, you might as well be playing against an unmanned player 2. I haven’t touched the game in a while, so this might have been fixed via update. As I said a few months ago, this game could have been a masterpiece with a bit of extra fine tuning.

8-) Dragon Ball Fighter Z: This game feels like it was made specifically for me. I have a lot of love for the Marvel vs. Capcom games and even more love for the Dragon Ball franchise. The game is easy to approach for newcomers to this type of game by keeping the inputs simple and having very easy to pull of auto-combos. You won’t do too well online if you stick to the auto combos, but it’s a good way to start and learn how to play. I think a lot of people could start with Fighter Z and transition into more complicated fighting games, which is exactly what you want with a game like this that will attract many people who might not otherwise play a traditional fighter. Oh, and sometimes it looks like you’re playing an episode of the anime which is insane. The story mode is pretty tedious at times, which is a let down, but Fighter Z is an absolute blast to play and is easily the best playing Dragon Ball game yet. Hopefully season 2 of the DLC goes less heavy on all the Gokus. 

7-) Mega Man 11: The blue bomber returns! It’s been a long wait, but after playing through both collections last year and then the X-collection earlier this year, I was ready for Mega Man to get back into the spotlight. It’s a little hard to get into at first because the level design seems pretty tied into the main new mechanic, the gear system. Basically the player can slow things down to a crawl or boost Mega Man’s power. If you just play this game like you would any other Mega Man game, you’re probably going to throw your console out the window during Tiki Man’s stage. Once you figure this out, the system adds a unique flavor to the Mega Man experience and feels like an actual new Mega Man. I love MM9 and 10, but those did not feel like new games. The only thing that I didn’t like about this game was the music. Which, uh, is weird for a Mega Man game. Here’s hoping they get it right in the inevitable Mega Man X9. 

6-) Marvel’s Spider-Man: I don’t particularly like super hero movies and I haven’t enjoyed a Spider-Man game thoroughly since the first PS1 Spider-Man, so you wouldn’t normally think this game would appeal to me. But it absolutely does. The gameplay is outstanding and combines an improved version of the swinging scene in Spider-Man 2 with a combat system that is fairly similar to the Batman Arkham games. I recommend playing the game on hard because, while it’s hard to get used to, it makes every encounter feel unique. You constantly have to adapt to what the enemy is doing. You can’t just mash on the attack button and then press the dodge button when the dodge prompt comes up. 

The story is also interesting throughout. It has my favorite interpretation of Peter Parker I’ve seen in a while and has a pretty enjoyable cast of characters. Really Mary Jane is the only character I didn’t like and even with her, there are moments that hit home - specifically the text exchanges between MJ and Peter. The game is littered with references to past Spidey adventures and just feels like a giant love letter to fans of the hero. Can’t recommend it enough.

5-) Celeste: I didn’t know what to expect with this game. Sometimes I feel very leery of when a bunch of people prop up an indy game too much. Gone Home a couple of years ago told a pretty mediocre story that was held up as some form of high art. Just didn’t get it. So I went into Celeste wanting to not like it and came out fairly surprised. The gameplay feels like a better version of Super Meat Boy and the narrative tells a pretty compelling tale about depression and how to come to terms with yourself. I even don’t mind the pixel art. I am getting sick of indy games going for the retro aesthetic, but when combined with the great soundtrack it’s hard not to love what it’s presenting. 

The game is simple enough to complete on its own. I would argue that anybody could do it as long as they keep at it. But for those platforming veterans, the game also offers a heavy challenge. The B-side and C-side levels will test your skills and remind you of some of the most challenging bits of hard platforming games like Super Meat Boy and I Wanna Be The Guy. Basically, come for the compelling narrative. Stay for the wickedly difficult and addicting gameplay.

4-) Yakuza 6: I believe I enjoyed this game far more than most folks. It told the end of Kazuma Kiryu’s story. It had some problems along the way but my god did I enjoy the ride. The cast of characters surrounding Kiryu in Hiroshima are all great and one of the main characters is Beat Takeshi. It also has a ton of things to do and see. I love the clan wars sidequest featuring New Japan wrestlers, I love the baseball manager quest, I LOVED becoming a regular at a bar and getting to know everyone in it like I was playing some sort of weird Cheers game, I even loved the adult cam chats that came with wacky dialogue. This game is full of charm.

I haven’t mentioned the gameplay yet you might have noticed. That’s because, well, it’s a new direction for the franchise. It focuses on allowing more people to fight Kiryu at once and as a result feels less refined than recent entries Yakuza 0 and Yakuza 5. I am excited to see where they take it in Yakuza 7, but I would be fibbing if I suggested that I felt 6 plays as well as previous entries. Still, the entire Yakuza package is compelling and I never felt like I was scrambling for things to do or see. I don’t 100% games out of obligation. I’m not one of those people that feels the need to 100% every game I play. I 100%ed Yakuza 6 though. And I loved every minute of it, combat and all.

3-) Valkyria Chronicles 4: As none of you might know, I used to review games for a website called 411mania. One of the games I reviewed for them was the original Valkyria Chronicles. Nobody else wanted to do it because it looked like a generic jRPG and I was really the only person on the site who liked jRPGs so the game fell to me. And I absolutely loved it. The story was captivating, the graphics were stylish and and the gameplay felt like a breath of fresh air. It was the combination of a tactical RPG and a (very, very simplified) shooter. To this day it remains one of my favorite games ever. Conversely, Valkyria Chronicles 2 on the PSP is one of my least favorite games ever and 3 never came to the states - though it does have a fan translation. The franchise has felt dead in the west for ages. The musou-like Azure Revolution sure as fuck didn’t get me going.

4 came out this year and it felt like I went back in time. Everything I loved about 1 was back. It’s even expanded upon. The grenadier is a great new troop that feels overpowered at first, but really forces the player to rethink how to approach certain situations. The story isn’t as good as the story in 1, but I found it simple and enjoyable. I genuinely liked the main cast and wanted to see them do well. That’s more than I can say for a lot of games. I know I mentioned earlier in my blurb about Mega Man that what I liked about it was that it actually felt like a new game. The difference here is that I have 10 other Mega Man games that play like Mega Man games. With this franchise, I have 1 (or maybe 2, I hate how maps work on the PSP but I have not played enough of 3 to judge). Sometimes a franchise revival needs to go “like the one you like but more” route. I loved this game and I hope as it gets cheaper more people try it. 

2-) Dragon Quest XI: Hey you might notice this about my gaming preferences, but I really enjoy Japanese RPGs! And this sure as hell was one of those! DQ XI felt like a game from another dimension in a lot of ways. It’s a traditional playing Japanese RPG with a big AAA budget. It looks breathtaking. Big budget JRPGs feel like something out of the PS2 era, which is great because I sure love PS2 era RPGs. It’s lengthy, it has a crazy amount of postgame content and has a lot of side stuff in case you get tired of fighting down the main path. It’s a great throwback. 

This game also has the most balanced party in recent RPG memory. Usually games like these have one or two party members that you just don’t enjoy. For instance, Final Fantasy X is one of my favorite games ever. But I just don’t like Kimahri. I don’t like using him and I don’t think his character is interesting. DQ XI has nobody like that. I found everybody likable. Sylvando and Jade in particular stand out and are among my favorite characters in gaming. Really, I enjoy everything about this game. Even the music! I know a lot of people complain about the simplified score in the western version, but I honestly found it to work out pretty well for the game. Obviously the Japanese version is superior, but I still enjoy it. If you’re a fan of RPGs and you haven’t played DQ XI, you’re missing out.

1-) Super Smash Brothers Ultimate: This was my most anticipated game of 2018 from the moment it was announced and the final product delivered everything that I had hoped it would. You have a large cast of characters, a crazy number of stages and a bunch of single player content to consume in between bouts of online or local multiplayer. The single player is what ranks this game so high for me. The classic mode - think arcade mode in standard fighters - is easily the best it has ever been. Each character has their own route with their own gimmick, which gives the player incentive to play each and every one. With a roster of over 70 fighters, that’s impressive. The adventure mode can start off slow, but once you get into the groove of it I really think it stands out as something special. It’s an expanded version of event battles from past games. You face off against a fighter (or fighters) embodying the personality of a character that isn’t in the game. They range from obscure stuff you haven’t heard of to a fight with Geno’s spirit that has you do battle with the cast of Super Mario RPG (with substitutes for Geno and Mallow). It feels very creative. It can be grindy for some, but I really enjoyed my time with it.

I think the online could be more fleshed out. I don’t experience as many laggy matches as most people, but even still the options online are fairly bare bones. You don’t even have leaderboards. I want to compare how good I am with how good my friends are! I think Nintendo plans to keep this game alive for the duration of the Switch’s lifespan, so I believe there will be plenty of time to get the online situation perfect. That doesn’t really excuse Nintendo from still not getting online even close to right in 2018, but I find Ultimate to be such a complete package that I can look past these shortcomings. Ultimately, it is my favorite entry in one of my favorite franchises. So it’s pretty easily my game of the year.