The GNamer Forum Awards 2019

Mario Kart 8 is a excellent game, just I don't know it's sort of a ubiquitous game which I never think about in these sort of votes as I always go for single player experiences.

Definitely agree with Drunka on MK8, it absolutely deserves a very high ranking. It's my Nintendo game of the decade. That's clearly an unpopular opinion around these parts though. I'll level with yall, I think Breath of the Wild is a cracking game. I just don't see it as the greatest of all time. MK8, on the other hand, I would legitimately put in that conversation.

Mario Kart is an excellent game.  The handling feels good, the track design is great, and the audiovisual side of things is lovely.  It can be taken on the bus and flow seamlessly into four-player mayhem on the telly without needing multiple consoles.  It's pretty much perfect and, short of a substantial one-player mode (Time Trials don't count), I struggle to see how they'll improve on it.  It made my list, there's no doubt.

It's also the least special feeling game on there.  There are no real 'wow' moments in the game.  Don't get me wrong, that comes with the territory - Mario Kart is less about 'wow' and more about 'wahey!'  It just means it's less memorable as a result.  It was tremendous to play with the forum, but that's because of the people, not the game - see Jackbox experiences being equally tremendous.  And by 'equally', I probably mean 'more'.  Mario Kart doesn't have much of a one-player mode to speak of (again, Time Trials don't count - if I want to see numbers getting smaller I'll play a JRPG or go to work), and I'd say it's not the best multiplayer game on Switch.  Apart from Smash, it's also the game in this top ten that feels most derivative.  It took elements from Wii and 7 and presented them as best they've ever been, but how much was genuinely new?  I'd say not a lot.  

It's a splendid game that I put at 5 in my list, and it's 'objectively' better than my 4 (Celeste) at least.  That's where it belongs to my mind: high-ranking, but not fresh and special enough to challenge the podium.  I refer you to my previous comment about Odyssey.


Right, that's enough blowing of a minor gripe out of proportion: HAHAHAHAHA look at that landslide! Fully justified, but: wow.  I didn't expect it to be that absurd.  

Thanks for running this Jay!  These are absolute bastards to do the setup for, but it's been another top vote thread.

Aye, I personally put a lot more emphasis on memorable single player experiences because I genuinely don't get a lot of opportunities to play Mario Kart in its best environment which is in its masterful multiplayer. But, like I said in my two cents piece, I totally recognise how important and special that element is to so many players, so I can't truly begrudge its placing in our top 10.

Of course, nothing was coming close to that first place juggernaut.

Same as me Jay,

Tad off topic but looking at the top games, Switch Year 3 vote?

I reckon we need some space between vote threads - I'm naturally not fatigued with them as I ran this one, but I reckon the rest of the gang will want a break before any other big vote thread.

Stupid Switch coming out March

Have to get Balla to do a not a vote vote like with the 3DS, then count it up.

I'm up for at least three vote threads a month.

Don't reckon everyone else is, sadly.  I'll probably resurrect the Switch vote thread like I did last year (if nobody else does), and just ask people to talk about their top tens and how they've changed. Other ideas welcome!

No Top 10 Switch Games of the Last 3 Years vote please.

Jimbob wrote:

No Top 10 Switch Games of the Last 3 Years vote please.

I'm reading that as no you don't want Ballas just post your 10 favourite games as you want a proper vote instead.

Not either really - it can't be that much different from the last time we did this.

I don't know can see Luigi's Mansion 3 or Pokémon now making some lists, I personally like it as a bit of celebration.

There'll be absolutely no pressure to join in, but hopefully enough people would like to talk about their changing favourite Switch games.

Jimbob wrote:

Not either really - it can't be that much different from the last time we did this.

I do, however, call utter shenanigans on this.  I played four of my Top Ten Switch Games for the first time in this past 12 months, as things stand, and 11 of my top 25.

Also: de-stickied. Thanks again for running this Moyles!

No recently bias? This is something I would like to discuss be it in Switch Top 10 or a new Top 25 from yourself.

Well, we all know what the top game will be which is what I reckon Jimbob was getting at.

Plus the big thing for me & why I'm not keen to do another one either is that we just end up with a big list that doesn't usually mean very much in the end because our tastes line up most of the time and even if it doesn't the discussion becomes "oh X game was robbed etc" or if anyone is bothered enough we argue about where a game placed. Neither are fun discussions.

Yeah Super Mario Odyssey would be great to see at number 1 again (I think it would win as well)

I personally would like to discuss it all, guess you don't have to take part, but be boring just me and Balla

Lists are fun! If you don't think so, just don't take part?

Although you have given me an idea in saying we all know what would win. Everyone PMs their top 10 Switch games, but any game that gets more than 2 votes is discounted. No collaboration allowed, naturally - other than second guessing what people might or might not vote for!

We then list every game that got exactly 2 votes as the winners

OR wrote:

Lists are fun! If you don't think so, just don't take part?

I have avoided taking part in some votes in the past but that doesn't mean I'm not allowed to think they are shit or that we've kicked the arse out of them way too much. There's just better thread ideas on the forum that deserve a little more attention as well.

Whoa whoa whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Whoa.

Whoa.


First off, what I did at the end of the Switch's last year was not a vote. That's all I'm probably going to do: ask people how their top games have changed. I hope it's a fun way to celebrate each anniversary, and I for one get a lot out of seeing people's lists. No problems if you don't!

Secondly,

The_Jaster wrote:

...even if it doesn't the discussion becomes "oh X game was robbed etc" or if anyone is bothered enough we argue about where a game placed. Neither are fun discussions.

There's plenty of room for in-depth discussions on most of the games in a slowed down vote, I feel, for those who can log on most reveal days. A vote thread can, and ideally should, combine with a deeper look into some of the games, basically like happened in this thread except we're a bit more focussed on one game at a time. Of course you'll get debates about placing or 'X game was robbed', but that doesn't mean there isn't plenty of room for somebody (Jas ) to start chat about other aspects of the mentioned games, especially if they're ones we haven't talked about for a while. I will definitely try to do that come March 3rd, and put my money where my mouth is.

Finally, I definitely agree that there are other, better even, ways to celebrate a console or a console's year. Top of the pile has to be Cappa's 3DS thread, which had some ace discussion for as long as it lasted (and I thought my thread dovetailed quite nicely off the back of that ); and I appreciate that Buska, who I know is not a fan of voting threads, made some good large posts about good large games. Some other vote-haters didn't, and that's a shame. If you don't like voting threads, I feel the best way to make less of them is to get right behind the alternative, or an alternative anyway. I would love to talk about Jas or Jimbob's big 3DS game posts as much as I'd love to talk about their top games lists.

Yeah it's all good and btw I was never saying it should never happen.

As for getting involved with the alternatives (like the 3ds thread etc) I've always been a go with the flow type of person and just letting stuff come out naturally rather sitting down with a big plan of what to post about. If nothing comes to mind I'll just happily enjoy the thread by reading/replying to everyone else's contributions, or most times I'm too busy playing the games I love.

Balladeer wrote:

First off, what I did at the end of the Switch's last year was not a vote.  That's all I'm probably going to do: ask people how their top games have changed.  I hope it's a fun way to celebrate each anniversary, and I for one get a lot out of seeing people's lists.  No problems if you don't!

I totally forgot we did that. I'm down for altering my list and then chatting about how it's changed - that sounds like fun.

The_Jaster wrote:

Yeah it's all good and btw I was never saying it should never happen.

As for getting involved with the alternatives (like the 3ds thread etc) I've always been a go with the flow type of person and just letting stuff come out naturally rather sitting down with a big plan of what to post about. If nothing comes to mind I'll just happily enjoy the thread by reading/replying to everyone else's contributions, or most times I'm too busy playing the games I love.

That's absolutely fine my man. That does mean that the flow's likely to be directed past voting threads once in a while, and I hope you'll continue to go with it rather than... er... rocking the boat? Lost the analogy a bit there.

Anyway, I hope both you and Jay will enjoy this non-votey thing in roughly two weeks' time!

Are we doing a 2020 awards?

I'm wondering if people regularly miss announcements/stickies. I know I have a couple of times. Bit worrying.

Ohh my bad