Year in Review 2014: Game of the Year

Every year, all roads lead to one place—the Game of the Year.  The title gets thrown around a lot throughout a year as gamers and critics voice their pleasure with select games.  But what truly makes a game worthy of being called Game of the Year?  Is it the most unique experience on the market?  Is it the game with the highest aggregate rating on Metacritic?  Is it the title that sold the most units?  Or is it the most popular game released in the last 12 months?  The criteria for what determines someone's Game of the Year differs with the person.  Personally, I determine Game of the Year with a mix of my highest rated games of the year and the strong feelings I experienced while playing each game.  In a cheesy way, my Game of the Year usually elicits a sense of childlike glee from the bowels of my soul.  The one game to do just that in 2014 was Shovel Knight.

Full disclosure, I backed Shovel Knight when developer Yacht Club Games pitched the game on Kickstarter in early 2013.  At the time, it looked like a cool mash-up of classic NES games like DuckTales, Castlevania and Mega Man that I found very appealing.  Also with the game set for release on Wii U, I jumped at the chance to support a game for the then struggling console.  Shovel Knight made its goal and backers waited almost a year and a half before the game was released.  While I was very excited for this throwback to NES games of the past, nothing could have prepared me for the final product.

Despite Shovel Knight borrowing its mechanics and aesthetics from NES era games, it makes these elements feel distinctly its own through a great amount of polish and refinement.  Everything is so finely tuned that with practice and perseverance anybody can learn to play the game with any sort of mastery.  Some of the incredible feats one can perform in escaping death or reaching a hidden area will make any jaw drop.  In addition to Shovel Knight's gameplay and aesthetics, the game packs a great amount of items to collect, feats to accomplish and tons of cheats to experiment with.  For just 15 dollars, Shovel Knight gives enough content to rival games four times its price with even more on the way through free updates.

Although I find no fault with Shovel Knight, that reason alone is not why I chose it for Game of the Year.  It is hard to describe what exactly makes Shovel Knight so special because one aspect of the game doesn't make it stand out.  It is the combination of perfectly tuned mechanics, beautiful retro-inspired graphics, wonderful chiptune soundtrack and respectful reverence for a bygone era which makes Shovel Knight stand above any game released in 2014.  Don't let the cheaper price tag and downloadable distribution method fool you, sometimes the best games come in smallest packages.  In Shovel Knight's case, the Game of the Year came a small affordable package.

Shovel Knight Review

No matter the advancements in video game technology and graphics, there will always be fond memories of the games from generations past.  In the last decade, there has been a large resurgence of new titles which take heavy inspiration from the games of the 8 and 16-bit era.  Some games use this old style of graphics and gameplay in order to capitalize on its newfound popularity; others use this style to pay homage to the games of that era.  Very few games use these inspirations to set a new standard in the modern games.  Although it takes inspiration from 8-bit classics like Mega Man, Super Mario Bros., Castlevania and DuckTales, Yacht Club Games' Shovel Knight makes every mechanic its own and even surpasses those which inspired it.

Harkening back to the games of yesteryear, Shovel Knight's story is simple and to the point.  Shovel Knight and his companion Shield Knight journey across the land seeking adventure and treasure.  One fateful day, they attempt to climb the Tower of Fate only to have tragedy strike as the evil forces of the tower take out both Shovel and Shield Knight.  Upon awakening, Shovel Knight finds that Shield Knight has vanished and the Tower of Fate is sealed.  Due to the loss of Shield Knight, Shovel Knight retires his shovel and starts a life of seclusion.  During Shovel Knight's absence, the Enchantress and her Order of No Quarter ravage the land by unsealing the evil forces trapped within the Tower of Fate.  With the Tower of Fate opened, Shovel Knight takes up his shovel once again in a quest to save Shield Knight and rid the world of the Enchantress' evil.

While Shovel Knight may borrow many of its core ideas from other classics of the 8-bit era, these points of inspiration are one of its strengths.  From the pogo jumping inspired by DuckTales to an overworld similar to Super Mario Bros. 3, Shovel Knight takes each borrowed concept and makes it feel brand new and distinctly its own.  At the forefront of this adventure is the hero's signature and formidable shovel.  Digging up dirt piles, attacking enemies, uncovering hidden areas and bouncing off of enemies to reach high platforms are among the few uses for this versatile tool.  The shovel can even be upgraded with special abilities such as a charge attack or unearthing dirt piles in one swipe for greater use.  The shovel is not the only versatile tool at Shovel Knight's disposal as the relics bought throughout the game all provide different ways of tackling obstacles.  Shovel Knight's tools would be useless without Yacht Club Games' superbly designed levels.  Much like Mega Man, each level plays to the unique features of their corresponding boss through beautifully animated backgrounds, blood-pumping music and special gameplay twists.  Outside of the levels, Shovel Knight offers plenty of content for players to dive into including collectible music sheets, purchasable health, mana and armour upgrades, extra bosses, special levels and achievements.

The gruelling difficulty is a signature aspect of all 8-bit games.  In order to appeal to a modern audience, Shovel Knight is much easier than those games.  Not to say Shovel Knight is easy in any way because it is definitely not.  The difficulty in the game ramps up at a reasonable pace as players learn the ins-and-outs of the mechanics.  It helps that the penalty for death is losing three sacks of gold rather than a game over screen.  It keeps players coming back at every death and skilled players can even retrieve those lost sacks their next attempt.  You learn from each death and adapt your strategy to take into account every enemy encounter and new obstacle.  The incredible feats one can perform to escape death will make any jaw drop.  For those looking for a greater challenge, New Game + and the ability to destroy any checkpoint for gold are two ways to test your skills.

Aside from the few occurrences when the gold lost in death is impossible to reach without dying again and the lack of enemy variety in certain levels, there is nothing to fault Shovel Knight on.  Yacht Club Games made an excellent product that pays respect to the games that inspired its gameplay and design while forging a new path of its own.  In forging that new path, Shovel Knight surpasses its contemporaries in all aspects, especially fun.  Shovel Knight is a special game that blends nostalgia for a bygone era with the pixel perfect platforming of today's best 2D sidescrollers.  At 15 dollars, Shovel Knight is a game nobody should miss.  As it stands, Shovel Knight is a strong contender for any Game of the Year competition.

Bit by Bit: February 2014

Coming off of the two biggest features I have ever done, it is hard to get back in the swing of regular writing.  I have so many ideas spinning around in my head of articles to write, but no true direction of where I want to take Silver Bit next.  It is a very peculiar position I am currently in with Silver Bit.  Personally, I think getting back into the regular of schedule of work and school after Reading Week will get the creative juices following in this writer's brain.  For this week, I like to revisit an old staple of Silver Bit, Bit by Bit.  Now let us break down yours truly's favourite games and videos of the past few weeks.

Game of the Month
Nintendo always knows how to get people playing their handhelds during February.  Last February, Nintendo released Fire Emblem Awakening, a game which engulfed an enormous amount of this writer's free time and earned Silver Bit's 2013 Game of the Year.  Early this February, Nintendo brought Square Enix's Bravely Default to North America and it has easily won over this gamer's heart.  Bravely Default harkens back to the early entries in Square's legendary RPG franchise, Final Fantasy.  The story is very familiar as the player is sent on a quest to purify four elemental crystals.  Bravely Default's job system pulls a lot from the systems implemented in Final Fantasy III and V.  While Bravely Default does share a lot with Final Fantasy, it captures a sense of fun and wonder that modern Final Fantasies completely lack.  The battle system is turn-based like many RPGs, but it offers an incredibly creative twist.  During battles, you are able to brave or default.  Default acts much like defending as it decreases damage taken, but also increases battle points (BP).  You use BP to brave, which allows a character to unleash multiple attacks in a single turn.  Braving and defaulting is a risk-reward system that adds an inventive layer of strategy to battles.  The choice of braving or defaulting can be the difference between success or failure in battle.  The battles are only just one piece of the great pie that Bravely Default offers from the incredible StreetPass features such as rebuilding the main character's hometown with those you walk past or summoning friends to help in battle to the innovative ability to change encounter rates and difficulty at anytime.  If you own a 3DS and are fond of RPGs, I highly recommend picking up Bravely Default.  It is well worth the price of admission.

Most Anticipated Game of the Month
Usually around this time of the year, I put up my Most Anticipated Games of the Year article.  2014 has been different.  When I write those articles, I personally enjoy writing about a variety of games made by different developers, usually for various devices.  Sadly, there is not much of anything that has gotten me truly excited outside of Nintendo's offerings this year.  With the new consoles, it is going to be a waiting game until E3.  A few announcements may trickle out before then, but nothing too substantial in my opinion.  In the midst of all my pessimism, there is one downloadable game I am really psyched for.  Take some old-school Castlevania gameplay, add in Scrooge McDuck's pogo jump from DuckTales and meld in the themed bosses from Mega Man.  From this crazy concoction, the game you get is Yacht Club Games' Shovel Knight.  Taking inspiration from classics of the 8-bit era, Shovel Knight looks to modernize these amazing elements while keeping the look and feel of these classics.  The more I see of Shovel Knight, the more excited I get.  If you are looking to get in on the excitement, I will share the trailer for Shovel Knight below.  March 31st cannot come soon enough.


Video of the Month
Whoever the person at Nintendo that creates the trailers for Super Smash Bros. deserves a raise.  These trailers are among the best I have ever seen.  Each new character reveal feels like an event and rightly so.  This time around Nintendo pulled the curtain back on one of the most requested Smash Bros. character, Little Mac.  This veteran of the boxing ring will make his first appearance on the battlefields of Smash Bros. in the Wii U and 3DS entries of the series.  Even though it is his first time, Little Mac looks up to the challenge with his all fisticuffs move set and Doc Lewis at the the pink sweatsuit-wearing pugilist's side.

Year in Review 2013: The Games Part 1

The last two weeks were just appetizers as it is finally time for the main course.  The previous two articles were just building to this writer's list of the best games of 2013.  While there were not as many games released in 2013 as in past years, there were plenty of outstanding titles.  So many noteworthy titles, in fact, that I had to make some tough decisions when creating this list.  Not every game this writer enjoyed in the past year could make it.  Although I spent tons of hours with games like Lego City Undercover, DuckTales Remastered and Resogun, they just fell a little short against the excellence encompassed on this list.  Due to how much there is to talk about, I decided to split this section of the Year in Review 2013 into two parts.  The first part will list the first five entries on this list in order of their release with the second part following with the final four entries.  Also my Game of the Year for 2013 will not be part of this list as I will honour it in the final entry of Year in Review 2013.  Hopefully you enjoy the first part of the best games of 2013 and if there is any game that I may have overlooked feel free to share in the comments.

Bit.Trip Presents Runner 2:  Future Legend of Rhythm Alien
Do not overlook Runner 2 for its incredibly odd title because you would miss out on one of the most enjoyable downloadable games of the year.  The Bit.Trip games are retro-inspired rhythm games that made a name for themselves on Nintendo's WiiWare service.  Runner 2 is the sequel to the grueling yet satisfying Bit.Trip Runner.  The difficulty may be scaled back for gamers of all ages to enjoy, but that does not mean Runner 2 is a walk in the park.  Runner 2 will put any gamer's hand-eye coordination to the test in trying to rack up the most points, collect all the secrets and Perfect+ every stage all while listening to the incredible ever evolving soundtrack.  Odd name or not, Runner 2 is pure unadulterated fun.

Tomb Raider
It has been a long wait for Crystal Dynamics' new direction for Lara Croft to reach store shelves, but it was well worth it.  Tomb Raider takes the iconic and pristine image of Lara Croft and throws it in the mud.  The mature tone of this new Tomb Raider is a breath of fresh air for a game series that seemed a little dated this generation especially when competing with Sony's action-adventure giant, Uncharted.  Tomb Raider does an excellent job of placing gamers in Lara's shoes, which makes her much more relatable than in past entries.  Apart from the story, the gameplay is phenomenal as the interplay between the gunplay and stealth is well balanced, the puzzles are always engaging and the optional tombs and collectables offer a lot of opportunities to traverse the interconnected island of Yamatai.  The multiplayer may not be the greatest, but it is still a fun diversion for those who cannot get enough of Tomb Raider's combat.  Since Tomb Raider's release, the game has not gotten as much attention as it deserves.  Hands down, Tomb Raider is one of the best games of 2013 and should not be overshadowed by some games that in this writer's honest opinion are extremely over hyped like BioShock Infinite and The Last of Us.

Luigi's Mansion:  Dark Moon
The first Luigi's Mansion was a launch title for the Nintendo Gamecube.  Being a huge Nintendo fan, yours truly was very eager to play Luigi's first big adventure.  After breezing through Luigi's Mansion in a week, this writer was very disappointed with the end result.  While length does not determine the quality of the game, Luigi's Mansion felt a more like a tech demo than a full-fledged game.  The mechanics were never fleshed out enough to feel rewarding in the mid to late hours of the game and there was not much to do in the mansion after capturing all the ghosts other than collect more money.  After revisiting Luigi's Mansion about a year ago, I enjoy the game a little more than my initial reaction, but it still was not a home run.  Well Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon is that home run.  It improves on everything the first game lacked.  The bite-sized mission structure sets an excellent pace for the game, the multiple mansions offer more places to explore, the length of Dark Moon is two to three times the length of the original and the Poltergust 5000 is so fun to use with the upgradable suction, stunning white light and secret-finding dark light.  Also there are tons of secrets to find, Boos to capture and a full-on multiplayer mode to boot.  This writer can go on and on about everything great about Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, but this article will run far too long.  In summation, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon is one of the premier experiences on the 3DS and definitely worth owning a 3DS just to play.  Do not miss out on the greatest ghost-busting game on the market.

Shin Megami Tensei IV
Before Shin Megami Tensei IV, I had never played a RPG from Atlus.  I heard about previous entries and spin-offs of the Shin Megami franchise such as Persona, Devil Survivor and Nocturne from reading gaming magazines and watching videos, but was too afraid to give these games a chance.  Due to Nintendo's efforts of pushing the game during the summer months and the free upgrade to the collector's edition for pre-orders, I gave Shin Megami Tensei IV a try.  Long story short, I fell in love with the newest entry in the Shin Megami series.  The great combat system that has the player balancing different elemental strengths and weaknesses to earn extra turns, increase the chance of criticals and cause more damage to enemies along with the excellent demon recruiting and fusing mechanics and tons of story and side missions easily kept me playing for hours on end.  While Shin Megami Tensei IV offers an "easy" mode, the game is not for the faint of heart.  Shin Megami Tensei IV is a very challenging RPG that will test your proficiency of all the game's mechanics.  The only drawbacks I personally had with the game were the abrupt ending and the unclear objectives which caused hours of inane wandering around Tokyo and the Kingdom of Mikado in order to trigger the correct cutscene to advance the story.  Inconveniences aside, Shin Megami Tensei IV is easily the best third-party exclusive for the 3DS and can stand among all the great titles released during the handheld's strongest year yet.

Mario & Luigi:  Dream Team
The Mario & Luigi series has been around since the Game Boy Advance, but no entry in this series has captivated this writer much like its latest, Mario & Luigi: Dream Team.  After all of their adventures thwarting Bowser, Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach decide it is time for a vacation.  Upon reaching their destination, Pi'illo Island, the Mario Bros. vacation is short-lived as an evil bat-king Antasma locks Princess Peach in the darkest corners of the Dream World.  What ensues is the crazy hijinks and hilarious dialogue that the Mario & Luigi series is known for, but those elements are not what makes Dream Team stand out from previous entries in the series.  The greatness of Dream Team comes from all the deviations introduced through Mario & Luigi's adventures in the Dream World.  As you access the Dream World through Luigi's dreams, it allows Luigi to transform into different forms, which are used to solve puzzles and interact with the environment.  Luigi's new powers changes the typical battle system as it takes full advantage of the 3DS' features and allows you to easily handle tens of enemies at a time.  The best part of Dream Team is fighting bosses in Dream World.  During these fights, the player controls a giant version of Luigi.  The player uses the stylus and accelerometer to perform moves from simple jumps and hammer swings to special attacks and guiding a star shuriken to finish the boss in style.  Each boss fight adds their own unique take on the battle such as a tug-of-war like battle or a multi-stage battle.  While these battles are Dream Team's greatest asset, the action-packed combat system, hilarious dialogue, Bros. powers and overworld puzzles are all amazing parts of this game as well.  Mario & Luigi: Dream Team is such a great game that can easily get lost in the shuffle of all the excellent 3DS titles released in 2013.  Do not make the mistake of missing out on this stunning portable RPG.

Kickstart This!: Summer of Kickstarter

Welcome to Silver Bit's newest recurring article, Kickstart This!  With Kickstarter's rise in popularity among video game developers and in some cases composers to fund their projects, yours truly has been trying to think of ways to promote these great projects.  A few of video game Kickstarter projects get the initial publicity on big video game media sites such as IGN and Gamespot if they are attached to a popular video game designer such as Tim Schafer or noteworthy developer like WayForward.  There are plenty of Kickstarter projects that never get the public attention they deserve.  While Silver Bit is not among the most viewed blogs in the world, this writer wants to do his part in spreading the word about the Kickstarter projects that appeal to him.  One more person talking about these projects will definitely get a few others talking and hopefully cause a domino effect as more and more decide to spread the word.

The inspiration behind Kickstart This! came about due to all the Kickstarter projects that yours truly has been following and supporting as of late.  I have supported a few projects over the past year or so, but not at the frequency that I am doing now.  It has gotten to a point where this writer is scared to find another project to whisk away more money.  What a better way to kick off Kickstart This!, pun fully intended, then with the three Kickstarter projects that sucked up this writer's money this past Summer.
                       
The first Kickstarter project highlighted today is actually not a video game.  Before you raise your virtual pitchforks, this project does involve video games in some form.  Particularly, it involves video game music.  This Kickstarter is to fund Video Games Live's third album.  For those who have not heard of Video Games Live, it is a multimedia symphonic/rock video game concert run by prolific video game composer Tommy Tallarico.  Video Games Live's first two albums focused on the most popular and recognizable video game music from the likes of Mario, Halo and Warcraft.  For the third album, known as Level 3, Video Games Live is focusing on the more underrated video game tracks from games like Monkey Island, Street Fighter, Journey and Beyond Good and Evil.  Due to how niche the audience for this album is, Video Games Live is looking for passionate gamers like you and I to help fund this project.  Video Games Live is looking to raise 250 thousand dollars to fund Level 3.  Currently 205 thousand dollars have been pledged to the project with only three days left.  If you are a lover of video game music, the Video Games Live Kickstarter is definitely one to support.  Every bit counts.
                       
It has been well documented on how horribly Capcom has dropped the ball with their flagship franchise, Mega Man.  Once the Blue Bomber's creator Keiji Inafue left Capcom to create his own independent studio Comcept, Capcom seemed to abandon their mascot.  Many have been clamouring for any sort of news about a new Mega Man game, but to no avail.  Capitalizing on the demand, Keiji Inafue announced a brand new project from Comcept called Mighty No. 9.  Mighty No. 9 is the spiritual successor to Mega Man.  It is a side-scrolling action game where you run, jump, shoot and transform much like Capcom's Blue Bomber.  It might seem a lot like Mega Man, but with one huge twist.  Beck, the main character, can transform at will.  These transformations are not only earned from defeating the bosses in the game; they can be gained from collecting energy dropped from common enemies.  The Mighty No. 9 Kickstarter has been a runaway success.  The game was funded within two days and is now currently working towards its 2.2 million dollar stretch goal, which will see Mighty No. 9 ported to PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii U.  With 21 days left to go, Comcept will definitely have enough money to fund Mighty No. 9 and then some.  Guess the demand for a Mega Man game is bigger than ever imagined, eh Capcom?
                        
Last but not least, the latest Kickstarter project to make me part with my money to support.  WayForward has been on a roll with their latest offerings (Mighty Switch Force series on 3DS and Wii U and DuckTales:  Remastered for consoles).  So it came as a surprise when they announced that they will be funding a new game project through Kickstarter.  Some thought it could be a whole new intellectual property or a console installment in one of WayForward's signature franchises.  The latter came true as Shantae: Half-Genie Hero was revealed to be said Kickstarter project this past Wednesday.  Shantae is WayForward's first original franchise.  It stars a female half-genie by the name of Shantae who is in charge of protecting a fishing port called Scuttle Town.  Half-Genie hero is Shantae's first venture on consoles as she has been at home on handheld and mobile systems for the past decade.  Before any funding was needed, WayForward confirmed Half-Genie Hero will be coming to PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U and PC.  Meeting the funding goal of 400 thousand dollars will allow WayForward to create a HD Shantae game with an introduction and conclusion stage along with three chapters in between.  Stretch goals are in place to include extra modes, different costumes and even bonus chapters if WayForward's goal is met.  At the moment, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is half way to its goal with just under a month to go.

Hopefully you all enjoyed this first edition of Kickstart This!  If you are interested in any of the projects shared in this article, please pledge some of your money to the project of your choice.  Kickstarter is becoming such a powerful tool in the video game industry especially for the gamers who are getting sick and tired of the current state of Triple A video game development.  These three projects are only a small sampling of everything that is on Kickstarter.  There a tons of projects out there to support.  If these projects did not speak to you, there is definitely a project out there.

On the Download: DuckTales: Remastered

“Life is like a hurricane, here in Duckburg.  Race cars, lasers, aeroplanes, its a duck-blur.  Might solve a mystery or rewrite history!”

When that iconic verse rang through the halls of PAX East, a chill formed down gamers’ spines both young and old in anticipation of the newest adventure with the greedy yet lovable Scrooge McDuck.  From the charming 8-bit graphics to the beautiful chiptune music to the masterful gameplay, Capcom’s DuckTales for the NES has been revered as one of the greatest licensed games of all-time.  To see such an iconic game be remade for a new generation of gamers to experience and older fans to lovingly revisit is simply amazing especially considering the NES original has never been released on any online service.  Being developed by the wonderful team at WayForward Technologies, who are responsible for great titles like Shantae, Contra 4 and the Mighty series on DSi and 3DS, there are high expectations for the return of Scrooge McDuck.

DuckTales: Remastered is not a quick and dirty remake of the NES original.  The team at WayForward has put their heart and soul into reimagining DuckTales for this modern era of video games.  The 8-bit sprites have been replaced by beautifully hand-drawn and animated sprites that look straight out of the cartoon itself.  Even with the limited bleeps and bloops on the NES processor, DuckTales’ soundtrack is held in high regard by most older gamers.  Jake Kaufman, the composer of DuckTales: Remastered, did his best to preserve the original compositions of the soundtrack while taking a more orchestral approach on each track.  The NES did not have enough processing power to convey a story through cutscenes like games do today so most of the storytelling was put in the game manual.  With the extensive power of the game systems of today, WayForward expands on the original story of DuckTales with brand new cutscenes which add more context to Scrooge’s objectives in each level and explains some lingering questions such as how a duck is able to breathe on the moon.  Along with the obvious additions to the presentation and audio, DuckTales: Remastered contains two new levels, new areas to explore in returning levels, the privilege to swim in Scrooge’s money vault, a map screen, an easy pogo jump setting and tons of unlockables such as concept art and music.

As a big fan of the show, DuckTales has been a game that yours truly has wanted to play for the longest time.  I have listened to the music and watched quite a bit of gameplay from DuckTales, but I had never got the chance to play the game itself.  Thanks to DuckTales: Remastered, this writer can finally experience this NES classic now in high definition.  DuckTales: Remastered is available now for 15 dollars on PSN, Steam and the Wii U eShop.  Sadly, Xbox 360 owners will have to wait until September 11th to join Uncle Scrooge on his globe-trotting adventure.  For those who prefer physical copies of their games, a physical copy of DuckTales: Remastered will be available exclusively for PS3 on August 20th, which will cost 20 dollars instead of 15.  No matter if you enjoyed DuckTales on the NES or never played the game before, put down your money and support DuckTales: Remastered in order to convince Disney to revisit more of their classic video game library and hopefully inspire them to start a new age of quality Disney licensed games.

Bit by Bit: Q1 2013

Freedom at last!  Finally my first year of university is over.  Now with a little more free time on my hands, I can dedicate much more time to blogging.  As the season transitions from winter to spring to eventually summer, the release of games slow significantly.  While game releases slow, game news starts to pick up with big announcements leading up to some huge conventions like E3, Comic Con and PAX Prime.  The slowing of game releases for the spring and summer help with working on the immense backlog that has been building since last Fall.  Along with a few new games I am looking forward to in the next four and a half months, there are quite a few I want to work on this summer break.  I will get to those games in my blog tomorrow.  Before we look to the future, it is time to look back at the best of the first quarter of 2013.

Game of the Quarter
Even with the busyness that is university, I did make some time to pick up and play a good amount of new releases.  The games I picked up this quarter were Tomb Raider, Lego City:  Undercover, Luigi's Mansion:  Dark Moon and BioShock Infinite.  All these games are great and deserve your time and money, but none of them could compete with the 3DS's masterful strategy epic that released this past February.  Yes, Fire Emblem Awakening is the best game of the first quarter of 2013 and quite possibly could go to be this writer's Game of the Year.  Intelligent Systems has produced many great games over the years be it strategy, role-playing or even puzzle games, but Fire Emblem Awakening stands as their crowning achievement in this medium.  The countless hours of content, great story and vastly improved support system are the stars of Awakening bar none.  Combining these elements with the excellent tactile battle system and challenging yet fair difficulty that this series is known for easily makes Fire Emblem Awakening the best game in Nintendo's venerable strategy series, on the 3DS and of this year.  Personally, I have put just over 100 hours into Fire Emblem:  Awakening and I still have a handful of sidequests and DLC levels to play and plenty SpotPass teams to fight with tons of more content being uploaded daily.  Fire Emblem Awakening is a game that no 3DS owner should pass.  It is the 3DS's killer app.

Video of the Quarter
One moment in the past three months captured the hearts and minds of gamers around the world and put Capcom in a much better light after the hellaciously bad 2012 they had.  That moment was the reveal of DuckTales Remastered at PAX East.  Nobody saw this reveal coming, but when it happened jaws dropped.  Gamers have been clamouring for another DuckTales game for years now and finally got their wish when Capcom showed this trailer.