The GNamer Forum Annual Awards 2014! (Thanks for Playing!)

=Off-Topic (one vote)



"Its just banter innit..."

=3DS and DS (one vote)



(No comments, just appreciation.)

Wii U and Wii (three votes)



"In no part thanks to the amount of games we’ve been discussing."

"Nintendo's home console came into its own this year, with games like SSBU, MK8, Bayo 2 and many others.  That was (mostly) reflected in the conversation on the relevant board.  Discussion wasn't as overflowing as one might hope, mind."

"Wii U has had a good year and I think that has been reflected there."

General Gaming Discussions (a startling six votes)



"...edges Off Topic this year. Really, it's all about the games, innit?"

"Probably the best place on the net for intelligent games talk."

"Seems to be where we do are most posting with some good stuff in there"

"We tend to be a bit "free-er" there, without worrying about constraints. EXCEPT FOR NO NEWS IN NON-NEWS AND ONLY NEWS IN NEWS"

GG keeps its crown for the second year running!  Although the Wii U had a number of great games in 2014, they didn't generate enough discussion to take the award away from GG.  And with popular threads about The Rotating Platform, Dark Souls, and yet more Random Gaming Thoughts springing up this year, that's hardly a surprise.

Also, controversial question: is it time for the 3DS and Wii U fora to lose the "and predecessor" parts of their titles?

Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc (four points, one first/one third)



"I spent most of 2014 playing old Wii games like Xenoblade, so my one vote goes to this. Almost worth buying a Vita for."

Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair (five points, one first/one second)



"I only really watched this game be played, its fantastic though. Plenty of twists and turns with a good cast."  (I did the same. I'll buy it if it ever makes it onto the 3DS! - Ed.)

Dark Souls II (nine points, three firsts)



""This bit is too difficult." That's because you're doing it wrong, and you didn't get the bits you were supposed to. Not because you hadn't spent hours grinding levels, and not because the AI is programmed to do one thing only. Old-school."

"Were you expecting anything else? While the world isn't as good as the first game it still pulled me in and made me play for hundreds of hours, it still has that satisfying meaty combat & that air punching victory feeling when you finally topple a boss that stomped you more than 20 times."

(three points each)

(the following had just one first place vote)

Dragon Age: Inquisition: "Best game all round this year. Simply brilliant, so much to do, so much to see, so much to hear."

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor: "This game was a real surprise for me. I picked it up because I was on a bit of a Tolkien kick and thought it might be a laugh. What it ended up being was the best version of the Assassin's Creed formula and one of the most promising examples of freeform gameplay and adaptive storytelling. I hope this is a sign of the things videogames are going to do in the future, things no other medium can offer."

Child of Light
Freedom Wars
Grand Theft Auto V
PIX the CAT

Transistor (one second/one third)

(two points, one second, each)

Alien: Isolation: "Hands down the best alien game of all time & I'd say it stands above most if not all in the survival horror genre as well."

Far Cry 4: "Run around, shoot, hunt, stealth things. Top notch!"

Jazzpunk: "Absolutely bloody hillarious. It's a first person stealh spy game without you actually doing anything except cause spoofery. I can't spoil anything, just go and play it."

The Evil Within: "The new survival horror from the Shinji Mikami, the man who brought us the seminal Resident Evil 4. Some shoddy chapters here and there, but at its best this really grabs that Resi 4 magic, switiching between weapons and scrabbling for ammo to try and switch up your tactics on the fly and get through horrifying scenarios."

Destiny
Shovel Knight
Tales of Xillia 2

(one point, one third, each)

Assassin's Creed Unity: "This slot was a tough one for me to pick but Unity just wins out. This is Creed back to its core brilliance, even though it is a tad more buggy that we'd like it's still an amazing game."

Pro Evolution Soccer 2015: "As far as on the pitch stuff goes they have nailed what a football sim should be about."

South Park: The Stick of Truth: "Again, absolutely bloody hillarious, and a turn-based RPG that even I can play; just loses out to Jazzpunk due to a) being a turn-based RPG and b) even I'd say it's "a bit much" sometimes."

Titanfall: "I've never been super into your online FPS games, but this just feels so tight and so perfect and it has big ol' robots. Top stuff."

Infamous Second Son
TxK
Ys: Memories of Celceta

This award... was a bit of a shambles, if I'm honest.  The winner was obvious, but apart from that, people's votes were all over the place, with only four games receiving more than one person's vote.  

That's not your fault, though!  That's mine, for not organising the award better!  It's the first time we've done games votes as part of the Annual Awards, and there's bound to be a learning curve.  Hopefully the person in charge of 2015's awards will be able to iron out the wrinkles.

And on a more positive note, we got three clear podium placings, and plenty of comments. And, having followed the plots of both Danganronpa games (through, er, the medium of Let's Plays ), they're fine visual novels and worthy of their medals.

=Admintendo in general (one vote)



"...always of a solid quality, so that gets my vote."

=Episode 2.5: GSPN the GNamer Sportscast (one vote)



"A pleasure to be involved, though I was worried I'd make a fool of myself going on. Thankfully, THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN..."

=Stu and Jay's return (one vote)



"Yeah it's a bit late probably but I don't remember what else happened as an event."  (Yep, it actually happened early this year... - Ed.)

=The Rotating Platform (one vote)



"It was great for Matthew to honestly let us know what had happened with ONM (something he couldn’t do on the ONM forums themselves), and let us in on one of the best podcasts out there. And then discuss old times with Scullion. Wow."  (Is this a forum event?  I guess quite a few of us got involved by submitting a cappella games tunes and getting our games thrown into the lava...  Let's say it is for now! - Ed.)

Clockwork Hearts, the GNamer Forum Fiction. (two votes)



"I was really enjoying this, but I think I ruined it by trying to squeeze in too much robot mysteries. I just love robots!"

"Like most of the other FFFs back on NGamer, this eventually fizzled out, as the plot got complicated, the characters mounted up, and the authors stopped writing/posting.  But while it shone, it shone brightly, weaving a surprisingly gripping tale of intrigue, betrayal, combat, and sexy vampires.  And a guard named Dick, for his sins."

GNamer's Furtive Festive Friend Foundation (three votes)



"...doesn't feel like we've done that much this year special but from the voting you might all tell me otherwise"

"For the second year running I got amazing presents."

"I wasn't there to participate but It looked like a lot of fun."

I disagree with the people who said there haven't been many events this year.  Between the podcasts and the Admintendos, combined with various other things here and there (Andyman's 3DS voting thread missed out, but I enjoyed it greatly and would like to give it a mention here), we've had plenty of entertaining activities.  Nonetheless, I wouldn't say no to some more voting threads next year.  Best/worst Pokémon, one gen. at a time, anyone?  (Not you Jas. )

But that's next year.  This year, the Secret Santa finally got its turn; and as my Mega-Absol watches me accusingly from its place on my armchair, I can't fault the award.  Without talking about every worthy event in detail, I personally voted for Clockwork Hearts, another great Forum Fiction with a supremely enjoyable premise that became a bit too ambitious for its own good.