Topic: NWR Forum Awards

[M.K.Ultra]

Hey forum users, you may have seen The Game Awards release their nominations for the current year. Well why let them have all the fun. I say we hold our own awards right here in the forums. I was thinking that each award will be a poll-based topic that folks can vote in (Mods let me know if there is a problem with this). I was going to keep the number of awards small this year to see how it goes. I am thinking of doing it based on the platform e.g., Best Nintendo Game, Best PlayStation Game, Best Xbox game. In addition, we can have a Best Multiplatform game to include everything else. Here is a short list of nominees:

Best Nintendo Game

• Bayonetta 3
• Live A Live
• Triangle Strategy
• Kirby and the Forgotten Land
• Pokémon Legends: Arceus
• Pokémon Scarlet/Violet
• Splatoon 3
• Xenoblade Chronicles 3
• Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope
• Nintendo Switch Sports

Best PlayStation Game

• God of War: Ragnorok
• Horizon: Forbidden West
• Stray
• Grand Turismo 7
• The Last of Us - Part 1
• Sifu
• Rollerdrome

Best Xbox Game

• Scorn
• Tunic
• As Dusk Falls
• Immortality
• Pentiment

Best Multiplatform Game

• Elden Ring
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
• Cult of the Lamb
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge
• Two Point Campus
• FIFA 23
• NBA 2K23
• Overwatch 2
• A Plague Tale: Requiem
• Sonic Frontiers
• Atari 50
• OlliOlli World
• Persona 5 Royale
• Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin
• Soul Hackers 2

Don't see a game that you want included? Just reply to this topic and include anything I missed. Also, correct me if any of these did not come out in 2022 or they are in the wrong category. The voting will start early December and run for two weeks. Then we will announce the winners. I hope you can join in the fun!

[nickmitch]

Can we add a category for "most backlogged" game? An award for the game we all wished we played but never got around to?

[broodwars]

I would also strip Tunic from Xbox and throw it into Multiplatform, considering that game's out on everything now.

I've mostly played backlog games this year, as very few of the "new" games have interested me enough to spin them up so far. To me, this has been a pretty poor year in general.

[M.K.Ultra]

Can we add a category for "most backlogged" game? An award for the game we all wished we played but never got around to?

That's a great idea, but I am not sure what the nominees would be. We could create a regular thread for that and just have people reply with their most backlogged game, or they could mention it in the replies to the other awards?

[M.K.Ultra]

I would also strip Tunic from Xbox and throw it into Multiplatform, considering that game's out on everything now.

I agree that Tunic is a multiplatform game, but Xbox has so few games to nominate. Of course, leaving Tunic almost guarantees that it will win that award 

I've mostly played backlog games this year, as very few of the "new" games have interested me enough to spin them up so far. To me, this has been a pretty poor year in general.

That is me every year. I did play at least one game in every category except Xbox this year so I have something to vote for in most cases. Between my backlog and waiting for physical versions to release I usually at least a year behind on most games.

[broodwars]

Can we add a category for "most backlogged" game? An award for the game we all wished we played but never got around to?

That would definitely be Elden Ring, God of War Ragnarok, or Xenoblade 3 for me.

I'd add 2 more games to the Multiplatform list, although both could essentially be on the PlayStation list considering the target audience: Stranger of Paradise: FF Origins and Soul Hackers 2. Neither will get any traction with the larger community, but I played the hell out of both those games and they'd be in my personal Top 5 of the year.

Hell, Stranger of Paradise might be the most surprising game of the year, as everything about it up to release screamed that the game was utter trash, and yet it is both surprisingly good (so long as you're willing to give up micromanagement of your gear & just keep hitting "optimize") and surprisingly heartfelt. Despite the very low budget that Square Enix clearly gave Team Ninja, Team Ninja clearly gave a ****. Now that I think about it, that could basically sum up most of the Square Enix releases this year.

[M.K.Ultra]

I'd add 2 more games to the Multiplatform list, although both could essentially be on the PlayStation list considering the target audience: Stranger of Paradise: FF Origins and Soul Hackers 2. Neither will get any traction with the larger community, but I played the hell out of both those games and they'd be in my personal Top 5 of the year.

I added both to the multiplatform nominees list. Apparently Stranger of Paradise was an Epic store timed exclusive on PC, which some people were not happy with.

[Khushrenada]

Best Multiplatform Game

• Elden Ring
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
• Cult of the Lamb
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge
• Two Point Campus
• FIFA 23
• NBA 2K23
• Overwatch 2
• A Plague Tale: Requiem
• Sonic Frontiers
• Atari 50
• OlliOlli World
• Persona 5 Royale
• Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin
• Soul Hackers 2

I have played..... none of those! 

Best Xbox Game

• Scorn
• Tunic
• As Dusk Falls
• Immortality
• Pentiment

I have played..... none of those! 

Best PlayStation Game

• God of War: Ragnorok
• Horizon: Forbidden West
• Stray
• Grand Turismo 7
• The Last of Us - Part 1
• Sifu
• Rollerdrome

I have played..... none of those! 

Best Nintendo Game

• Bayonetta 3
• Live A Live
• Triangle Strategy
• Kirby and the Forgotten Land
• Pokémon Legends: Arceus
• Pokémon Scarlet/Violet
• Splatoon 3
• Xenoblade Chronicles 3
• Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope
• Nintendo Switch Sports

I have played..... Kirby and the Forgotten World.    Dang it, Kirby! You ruined my perfect record here!!! 

I'm afraid I just don't have enough time to play all these games to accurately judge them in time for this award ceremony. And that is sort of the inherent flaw with a lot of polls asking to rank games. Most people voting are doing so without a full comprehension of all the games being voted on. That's probably why I like the Oscars or movie type polls more because it is much easier to keep up or see all the entries for that type of "competition" than games.

But I will give out the award of Best Retro Release to Mario Party and Mario Party 2 on the N64 Switch app. Congrats on the added online play! 

[M.K.Ultra]

I'm afraid I just don't have enough time to play all these games to accurately judge them in time for this award ceremony. And that is sort of the inherent flaw with a lot of polls asking to rank games. Most people voting are doing so without a full comprehension of all the games being voted on. That's probably why I like the Oscars or movie type polls more because it is much easier to keep up or see all the entries for that type of "competition" than games.

This is a fair criticism of the plan for these polls. I am fully aware that nobody will have played all of these games (and most people will have only played a few) and thus the polls aren't determining the best game. The award is really just a popularity contest to see what games people actually did play. As others mentioned, you can also vote for a backlogged game that you are most excited to get to eventually. I think it also opens up some opportunities to discuss the overall year of new released for each platform holder.

Unless anyone objects, I think we should add the N64 switch online games to the nominees for best Nintendo game.

[Khushrenada]

Unless anyone objects, I think we should add the N64 switch online games to the nominees for best Nintendo game.

Treat this like you are the host of a forum game. You can ask for feedback or consider if you want to incorporate suggestions from the players. But, ultimately, just set up and run this "event" as you want to and don't worry if it is quite to everyone's taste. You want to put in the work for it then you can call the shots of how you'd like to see it done and what it will all encompass. After doing it, you can ponder over after if there are changes or other things you'd want to try or incorporate if you want to do it again. In the meantime, just charge full steam ahead and rule with an iron fist! 

[nickmitch]

Can we add a category for "most backlogged" game? An award for the game we all wished we played but never got around to?

That's a great idea, but I am not sure what the nominees would be. We could create a regular thread for that and just have people reply with their most backlogged game, or they could mention it in the replies to the other awards?

I think nominations are a good way to go, but something based on the latter might be best. Let people speak on what they haven't played and let those be the nominees. That way it's more of a consolation prize.