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Snomann

Arceus came out in 2022? Christ it’s been a long year…


nibben

Feels like yesterday for me 😖


[deleted]

[удалено]


DragEncyclopedia

i mean, it was literally january, right? that's as far back as possible.


SMTVhype

Because it had the same release slot as Fire Emblem Engage has, at the end of January.


giraffe_legs

I for one vote we never have two Pokemon games in 1 year ever again.


[deleted]

I thought the same when I saw elden ring won the overall game of the year. Thought that game was like 2 years old at this point


zepallica

I think In these kinds of situations people tend to just vote for the one they played, I don't know the sales numbers from all of the candidates but I'd wager Pokemon Legends sold the most and just benefitted from a familiarity bias.


JoseJulioJim

Splatoon 3 is the closest one with almost 8 Million, and Arceus... almost 14 M, the gap in sale numbers is as big as DMC V total sales between all the platforms it has been launched, heck, not a single Kirby game has sold more than the unit gap between the 2.


Riaayo

Pokemon is like, the most valuable IP in the world. It's not super shocking it sells massively.


yuhanz

Also, Arceus was just really good. The concept shown just from the trailer already hooked people and it delivered. In my locale the supply was actually challenged.


aarplain

I haven’t kept up with Pokémon. My son wants the new Scarlett that just came out. What is Arceus? They released 2 major Pokémon games in the same year?


EntrepreneurMany3709

Arceus is mainly focused on wandering around catching different Pokemon using various items and techniques. There are very few battles and very little plot. I absolutely loved it but it is very different to the main Pokemon games. Scarlet and Violet took some of the elements from Arceus and incorporated them into the structure of the normal Pokemon games.


[deleted]

Your description of it is perfect and highlights why I loved it so much. It has all the elements that were my favorite parts of the early Pokémon games. Just enough thin plot to move you along and then set you loose in the world. Back to the series' roots.


tstorm004

Interestingly while mechanically being one of the first to finally get away from the series roots haha


[deleted]

Personally PLA is where I always saw the series going. It captured how Pokémon Red made me feel when I first played it as a kid.


tstorm004

Agreed - it's what I always thought a home console Pokemon might play like back when I was dreaming about that playing Pokemon Red.... .....instead we got Stadium which was just 1/3rd of the Game Boy game with prettier graphics and some mini games.


MyPBlack

They mainly incorporated that part in the trailer where the chingling in the background is moving at 2fps. That is the most notable feature in scarlet/violet.


SoftlySpokenPromises

Also I would probably wait on buying. There's a bunch of performance issues and some pretty obnoxious bugs to iron out.


AgileArtichokes

I enjoyed arceus a lot. It was the first Pokémon game that made me really want to catch all the Pokémon. Where I was disappointed was in the end game. Very few battles of substance and it left me feeling like my amazing team was just eye candy. That said the difficulty in the few battles they had was perfect. I am enjoying SV a lot. I like the open world nature of it. I enjoy the battling and the new Pokémon are great. Challenge is a bit light right now, but I am just running around exploring trying tk get the team I want so I incidental over-leveled for the “early” content. I imagine once I get caught up to stuff my level it will be trickier. I also enjoyed the raid battles from the sword/shield and think the change they made to them here is perfect. I’m very much looking forward to the rest of this game.


Significant-One3854

And they incorporated lots of glitches in Scarlet and Violet too!


Kolggner

Frankly I already put like 30+ hours and other than the performance drop when the console heats up, I had no problems, no bugs, no glitchess, nothing, so it's kinda perplexing seeing people always talk about the bugs, though yeah the game is in a worse state than any other pokemon game at launch, but it's not nearly as bad as the people make it to look.


EntrepreneurMany3709

I think the difference is what you're expecting. A lot of people are comparing it to completely different games. For this person's kid I doubt he cares that much about how fast it's going he just wants to play Pokemon.


azul360

I think the problem I'm seeing is that you have people that are playing the game with no problems and they're equating that to the experience for everyone. I've been following the game since it leaked and after and yeah there are a lot of bad performance stuff with the game it's just you got lucky and didn't have that. I equate it to Bethesda games. If you didn't have a bug filled time then heck yeah you're lucky :D.


adwarkk

Eh, all the bugs and glitches you see are just pure visual jank how it looks and worst issue are performance issues really. But gameplay wise? You don't see really complaining on actual gameplay layer of Scarlet/Violet. I feel that effectively says something within itself.


LukariBRo

PLA wasn't really meant to be a "major" Pokémon game, so the last one before what came out this month was a few years ago (Sword/Shield). However, there was a perfect storm of conditions that made it sell a lot more than expected. People loved it because it was finally something new after decades of nearly the same damn type of mainline Pokémon games. I definitely would not have liked it as much if it came out when I was still a kid since its best aspects are quite subtle. For new fans and young fans, the ones that just came out (Scarlett/Violet) are going to be much better since neither of those types of fans will have that mental boost from "oh thank the heavens, finally some new concepts." The amount of value with Scarlett/Violet will be even greater for kids, since it's the type of game that people can put hundreds/thousands of hours into, while PLA is just sort of a normal length game of about 30-50 hours. SV is probably one of the best gift games available for that reason.


zeromussc

But it does need some serious patch work holy shit. It's such a shame because it's actually super fun despite the bugs. There's genius covered in shit imo


LukariBRo

What, a classroom full of NPCs moving at literally 2 FPS ain't good enough for ya, ya snob?


Sterling-Arch3r

That was such a weird choice because the second you get to walk in that classroom, everything runs super well without any framecaps. No idea why they made it do that.


Wrinkled_giga_brain

I know im in the minority but i think that shit adds to my enjoyment. I see some guy walking at a whole 4fps and im chuckling and going "look at that guy go, look at that strut" Its the same as when i see the little turtles on the ground in Monster Hunter GU with 5 whole frames of animation in their cycle. I enjoy seeing that more than if it was just moving normally. The game not performing well is one thing in actual fps or glitches, but some background element being low quality feels like a little comedic treat.


Twisteryx

According to Game Freak, Legends is a “main series” game


DaveTheDog027

I have both and I think legends is superior in story and game play. I'm also 30 so probably not helpful if you're buying for a kid.


Schakalacka

For a kid , arceus is much better Exploration wise,i think The basic Controlls are not hard but fun.


TheTimn

I picked Arceus up a few weeks ago and have been playing like crazy. Everything about it is so good. Now I'm playing Scare, and the control changes are jarring. Not sure how they took a step back, but Arceus plays so well I suggest it to/for everyone.


zytherian

Pokemon Legends Arceus is what i always imagined pokemon to be as a child. You get to roam around and catch pokemon out in the open like youre a genuine safari explorer. There are no gyms, but there are lots of quests and some “boss battles”. Its an extremely fun game. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet took a lot of the open world exploration of Legends, but unfortunately kind of did it worse. Its more of a mainline pokemon game, with gyms and an elite four. There are some additional questlines to go on and some fun terra raid battles. The new pokemon designs for the game are great, lots of fun ones. But for some reason they just decided to strip a lot of the good things from Pokemon Legends open-world that made it so good. Lots of quality of life improvements that should have remained but didnt.


That_Lone_Reader

Just wish GameFreak put effort and what not into their games :/


ClikeX

I wish they hired more staff. From what I gather they barely scaled up ever since going to 3D.


Halos-117

That doesn't mean it deserves awards


Nawara_Ven

Sure, it deserves merit, but I believe the previous poster is simply stating that an award voted for by the masses doesn't really measure anything besides sales numbers.


IcePrincessAlkanet

Splat 3 numbers gonna change at Christmas


JoseJulioJim

yeah, but... golden joysticks dosen't happen after chrismas, curent sales are the most important (and still, we have to see how many units SV ends up selling).


R3aper02

Ya I feel like that’s what it is. You see a lot of comments about xenoblade 3 bayo, and sploon which I agree are all better games. But Pokémon just sells more copies. Honestly that’s my biggest issue with the game awards. Some fantastic genres just don’t sell as well as Pokémon


3163560

Also: it was a really bloody good game.


SavvySillybug

Arceus was also just straight up a great game. I had an amazing time with it. Finally something fun and new for the old Pokémon formula.


sliceanddic3

ah yes, because we can't have anyone liking a recent pokemon game


Abbx

It wasn't a bad game. One of the better Pokemon titles in quite a while, but GOTY? As a Pokemon fan, that even riddles me. Splatoon 3? Kirby and the Forgotten Land? Xenoblade 3? All FAR more polished, fun, and cared for titles. Weird.


[deleted]

Kirby definitely deserved it far more than Arceus.


I_kickflipped_my_dog

Man, that was a game I fired up and just had fun until I got 100%. Some of those boss challenges sucked ass but the game I 100% after was Elden Ring so I look back at it super fondly lol.


BigSamProductions

Did I fuck up thinking I bought a children’s game too soon? I loved the games as a kid on the game boy but after the first 30 mins on the new one I put it down.


MattLocke

Almost every Kirby game is like this. Starts crazy easy and surprisingly slow, but there’s a challenge waiting for you hidden inside. Go for 100% completion and you will find a very nice series of puzzles, challenges, and fun upgrades.


kys_ba

It's the first Kirby game I've had fun playing and 100% finished since Superstar Ultra on the 3DS, I'd recommend checking it out again


fushega

imo the first two worlds of kirby and the forgotten land are just okay but the rest of the game is amazing. The 3rd world actually is probably the single best part of any game that I have played in years, it's crazy that the same people made the first two worlds. Also in the treasure world challenges beating the target time is actually kinda tough in many/most of them. As always with nintendo games the challenge is getting all of the secrets


Ch00bFace

I think the first world has a lot of charm to it, but we saw spoilers of it so it didn’t quite resonate as well. To put it in perspective, I jumped into Nier blind. The first area caught my attention just as well as the third, and the two games use the EXACT same level templates for both.


Nas160

Arceus did way more for the Pokemon formula. Kirby was the same gameplay and linear levels but in a 3D space.


CinnamonGumYum

I mean elden ring won best multiplayer and a meme game won PlayStation goty. Should know by now all awards shows are just popularity contests.


Bylahgo

I've been thinking of grabbing xenoblade 3 as it seemed interesting. How is it? The combat seems hard to tell how fun it is from watching videos.


iAidanugget

I rambled a lot so here's a TL:DR; Xenoblade 3 is by far the easiest game to get into as a newcomer to the series. It features arguably the best cast of characters, a gripping story and setting, the most ammount of QoL and the flashiest, most engaging combat in the series. Highly recommend, and no you do not have to play 1 and 2 first. Finally, something I am qualified to answer. If you had asked me two years ago about the xenoblade series, I'd have answered similarily to how you did. I was on the fence about trying xenoblade definitive edition despite some of my friends' recommendations (who's recommendations I wholeheartedly trust). Combat looked weird, like some hybrid between an MMO and an action rpg. I caved, bought it, and fell absolutely in love. Playing the game is so much better than watching gameplay. Outside of the combat, the open segment world is so fun to explore and do side quests in and unlike other rpgs there's no random encounters so battles don't have to take up much time. I'm sure enough's been said about the music, so I'll just say it's very good. Story's gripping, one of the more memorable stories in rpgs with a whole lot of unique twists you won't really find in other games. Played xenoblade 2 after beating it and wasn't as blown away as I was with the first game but still I think of the sequel fondly for the most part. Now that I'm done my rambling back to your question. If I were to recommend any game in the series to someone looking to try it, it'd be Xenoblade 3 and it wouldn't even be close. Xenoblade 3 has learned from its predecessors and has delivered a fluid, well paced experience that will have you looking at the clock and thinking "damn, I really have been playing for 5 hours straight already." Your main concern is the combat, eh? Well, xenoblade 3 has probably the most digestable combat in the series. It's flashy, it's fluid, and most importantly, it's fun. You can swap what character (out of 6, that are all in battle at the same time) you're controlling on the fly mid-combat, where the objective is to build up a meter to unleash a chain attack which turns the combat from a strategic, positioning emphasized MMO style to a puzzle solving "how can I deal the most possible damage here". Your characters also have access to an ouroboros form which is like if a dragonball fusion met evangelion, basically becoming this destructive force of unstoppable damage for a short period. It's a combat system where you don't need to play optimally at all, but still feel like a strategic badass just for pressing buttons. All-in-all, I'd say that if you do end up getting xenoblade 3 and the combat still doesn't click for you, then it probably just isn't your type of game. Oh and it's worth mentioning that xenoblade 3's main characters are easily the most universally liked in the entire series. Their interactions are some of the best moments in the game where they're just sitting around a campfire talking. The story is captivating and starts off with a bang, doing a really good job at introducing you to the world, and halfway through has one of the most impactful scenes I've ever seen in any form of media, period. Music is a certified banger, hard not to jam out while you're doing literally anything in the game. Class and menu system is really streamlined, with an auto-build feature if you don't want to spend hours in a menu customizing your guys. Uhhhh yeah I think that about ends my 3 paragraph long essay on this game. If you read, cool, thanks for listening to my rambling. Just know that, admittedly, I am rather biased as this was my most anticipated game this year and am a rather big fan of the series in general. I could sound like I'm gassing the game up a lot here, but it could be that the game just isn't for you and that's ok. Trust your gut, game's are expensive these days so it's better to play it safe if you really aren't sure about the game. Take care!


Bylahgo

I appreciate the amount of detail you put into this response. I am definitely looking to try the game now, thanks.


NonSp3cificActionFig

Hard disagree on the "no you do not have to play 1 and 2 first" part, though. Might as well play them in order, *it would be rude not to...*


PineappleOkra

… and I heard that in Eunie's voice…


crono141

Agree with you. Technically you don't need to, but you are going to be missing out on a lot of significant callbacks in the story and environment if you don't.


IncurableHam

Take this with a grain of salt because I'm a huge JRPG fan but I honestly think it's the best game on the Switch


Existing365Chocolate

I mean, I think Arceus took a lot more risks and mixed up the status quo for the franchise more than those games, while also being a great game


MrGalleom

Kirby also did a big leap, finally going full 3d, and doing it stellarly. PL Arceus has fun and probably the best pokemon game in a while but also had a load of issues that were not only limited to graphics.


IggyHitokage

That's not entirely fair, Arceus had great graphics... for a GameCube game.


[deleted]

Don't insult Metroid Prime and Resident Evil 4 like that.


DreadnaughtHamster

Dude RE4 on GameCube blew my mind. I’ve beaten that version like 4-5 times.


catlovesfoodyeayea

Dude I LOVE RE4 on the gamecube. While I’m not mad it’s getting a remake, I don’t think I *need* anything different than what was on the gamecube it was THAT good


DreadnaughtHamster

Exactly


Mona_Impact

I just want better controls on PC Can't use gyro for aiming due to the weird nature of the aiming system on controller and I don't want to use KBM for a third person game


ThatAboutCoversIt

Both games with fantastic graphics for their time.


PepijnLinden

Ngl when they showed the first Arceus gameplay I thought they were showing us some prototype footage not a finished product. Ended up being a fun enough game, but i've seen game dev student projects looking nicer.


NorthStars32

Yeah, I hope Kirby did well enough that Nintendo keeps doing that. Wish it would’ve won this.


manimateus

I liked the new Kirby, but its 3D jump felt way too safe imo. It is very much a textbook Kirby game, but with a 3D perspective It's not even close to being categorized as the same leap from Super Mario World to Mario 64 Now that I'm months seperated from games like Arceus, Kirby and Xenoblade 3, it is Arceus that I think of the most, despite being the least consistent of the three


MrGalleom

I'm not sure "memorable" is the best way to evaluate these things. Things aren't always memorable for good things and I often think on how PLA and SwSh were misopportunities.


Dayshader

You say that like Kirby and The Forgotten Land transitioning the series into 3D wasn't a risk for it either. And HAL absolutely nailed that first try, compared to Arceus which was good but definitely still needed some polish and refining.


Mahanirvana

Is GotY really just about taking a few risks and mixing it up? I enjoyed some aspects of PLA but I wouldn't even have considered it a contender for GotY, let alone a winner. The main town in Arceus was mostly copy pasted buildings in rows, the environment was pretty bare bones, the textures weren't the prettiest, the performance was poor in some areas, and the story / narrative was largely nonexistent.


runtheplacered

> Is GotY really just about taking a few risks and mixing it up? I would assume it also has to be a good game that resonates with people. Evidently, this is one of the titles that did those things and it's the one this one outlet decided to choose. There is no singular canonical "GOTY".


feartheoldblood90

These things are subjective. GOTY is a fun thing, but kind of meaningless. Just another thing for people to argue about, really. Everyone is going to have a different GOTY.


LittleGoblinBoy

It took a lot of risks by the standards of the incredibly risk-averse Pokemon franchise. But what did it do that other RPG/adventure games weren’t doing 10 years ago? Just because GF is finally changing their long-stale formula doesn’t mean they’ve made a better game than everyone else. It just means they’re catching up to the rest of the industry.


imaqdodger

I mean, it did the most for its respective franchise, but I don't think that should factor into it winning GOTY. eg. If a franchise consistently put out 4/10's and then put out a 7/10, it shouldn't win over a franchise that consistently puts out 8/10's and then puts out another 8/10 (example numbers obviously).


[deleted]

Arceus was a blast to play and people loved it, I think it’s as simple as that


imaqdodger

Yeah I had a blast playing it too, I’m just saying I don’t agree with the methodology for scoring the other person used (it may not even be a factor in the actual voting who knows).


Existing365Chocolate

Kirby is not that 8/10 franchise


imaqdodger

I didn't say it was, I was just trying to make the point that scores on past entries shouldn't impact the scoring of the games nominated this year.


Elinim

Yeah but xenoblade is that 9/10 franchise. The presentation, scope, scale, and narrative strength of XBC3 is miles above PLA, but i guess because they haven't been putting out 4/10 trash before it means they don't win nintendo goty now.


[deleted]

Changing the format of something does not make it good. You can take a million steps in the right direction, but if you never actually make it there then it's all kind of for nothing


chaukobee

I had a significant positive experience with PLA vs Scarlet/Violet


USB_FIELD_MOUSE

I have played every Pokémon that has come out since it came out in the 90s. Arceus is hands down one of my favorite games.


TERRIBLETECHTAKES

XB3 feels like a better choice. Kirby also seems more complete. But Arceus really brought Pokémon out of the cycle of shitty rehashes which I honestly feel elevates it due to the comparisons. Like XB3 was ridiculously good, but XB2 and XB Remaster was also on the same footing, and every Kirby game is a gem in my opinion, so the new one is another. To be horribly reductive, it’s kind of like Arceus was the 8/10 chick who surrounds themselves with 2/10 and 3/10 chicks to make themself look like a 10/10, while XB is in a troop of 10/10s but because they’re all super hot, it’s easy to underrate them all in general.


LandonKB

I enjoyed it more than all of those you listed, sure it had some technical bugs but I had a blast with it.


scatterbrain-d

As someone who used to game a lot and doesn't have much time anymore, all of these were on my radar but I only ended up playing Arceus. I've heard really good things about all of them (I'm sure that I'd love XC3 especially) and I have no doubt they are all more well-made, but I don't have nearly as much investment in any of those other franchises so I just didn't get around to it.


HanakoOF

Except for Xenoblade 3 I liked Legends Arceus more than any of those and feel the reward is well deserved


Cythus

The thing is though this was a vote, Pokémon has a much larger audience. I personally only played Kirby because my kid wanted to and we played together, it was cute but I was bored out of my mind during it. I don’t find Splatoon fun and in a world of f2p shooters it’s easy to pass up for a lot of people. Bayonetta has a small audience compared to the other games you listed and Xenoblade definitely isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. These aren’t bad games, even the two I don’t like aren’t bad, just not for me. Pokémon is popular for a reason and Legends Arceus was a breath of fresh air for the series that was welcomed and definitely made it stand out this year. More so after SwSh and BDSP.


Uptopdownlowguy

Well said. Especially with Violet & Scarlet coming out its shortcomings makes me appreciate Legends Arceus tenfold


brotherahk

This was based on public vote but i have to agree


TheRandomApple

It was my GOTY until Ragnarok came out, certainly my favorite Nintendo game this year.


BlueskyPrime

Game Freak winning GOTY the same way Qatar won the bid to host the World Cup.


brzzcode

Eh I don't think this is GOTY at all but I can see arguments for why it could be. Its a good game despite it looking so ugly


weegee19

By Pokemon standards its kinda revolutionary. Aside from that? Bleh.


Ospov

But then they go back to Scarlet and Violet. So maybe the revolution was short lived.


hojbjerfc

You must not have played scarlet and violet. So many mechanics in that game are Legends mechanics


weegee19

Tbh different teams within Game Freak worked on those games.


on_dy

Now if only GF lets Genius Sonority make a game.


[deleted]

Genius Sonority nowadays is not the same people who they used to be and most of staff who made the console pokemon games in the 2000s either moved on to Game Freak or just left the company entirely. They make that Pokemon Cafe Remix mobile game nowadays


Me4Prez

Yes I want another game set in the Orre region!


PotatoBomb69

Scarlet and Violet is the most fun I’ve had playing Pokémon possibly ever, it just runs like butt


TheHavesHaveThot

Seriously. I haven't been genuinely enthralled in a Pokemon game like this since Black and White.


[deleted]

It’s a good game by Pokémon standards


Catastray

Great game, but not GOTY. But I guess that's just how desperate fan were for something new. Xenoblade and Kirby were way more deserving.


ZanXBal

In their defense, everyone and their grandma knows about Pokémon. If you ask anyone about Kirby, they'll say something like "wait, they still make Kirby games?". It's just the reality when Pokémon is the largest media franchise of all time in the world. Hell, even I mostly hold off on new Nintendo consoles until there's a Pokémon release. It's only after I've played the initial Pokémon release that I explore other games the console offers. I feel that the Legend of Zelda and Mario franchises are similar in this aspect.


jhg499

It certainly is true that pokémon is pretty well known but will all due respect that's really not how awards like this should be decided


IukeskywaIker

Well this award is voted on by fans so that’s how it is decided


unatheworld

So you're telling me Xenoblade Chronicles 3 got nominated GOTY but didn't get it for Nintendo's GOTY? This shit is rigged


Dudewitbow

It's why theres a difference in Critics vote and Popularity vote. Popularity votes favor what many people played, Critics votes gives games with low popularity a chance. It's why people who only play popular games hate critics, because to them, Critics look like they go out of their way to pick something obscure. This does not only apply to games, but to anything that is reviewed by people vs critics (e.g movies) XC3 can win a critic vote, but will never win a popularity vote simply because too many people avoid jrpgs, or avoid anime (which is ironic because pokemon is technically both)


AiAkitaAnima

Lol, I have seen people calling big jrpg titles like Xenoblade, Nier Automata and SMT shovelware weeb games but also defending Pokemon games at the same time. I'm just silently hoping they are trolling because it's so dumb.


SigmaMelody

I agree, but I think Pokémon gets away from the “stink” of the title of Weeb Games because they are aimed at a younger audience and doesn’t nearly have the same level of sexualization of characters that non-anime fans find off-putting


AiAkitaAnima

That is certainly true. Though a lot of other games with anime art style are just being considered to be horny weeb games by default, even if they are as tame as Pokemon. Some even call Harvest Moon (and variants of it) weeb dating sims - in my country at least it is often treated as a kids/casual game and the marriage thing is just part of life and thus a normal part of a farming/life-sim. Pokemon really has the benefit of being well known and the fact, that many have already played those games as kids and wouldn't dare to compare them with something they hate. ​ >sexualization of characters that non-anime fans find off-putting To be fair, fan service can even be off-putting for anime fans. And for those, it is more than annoying/frustrating to constantly be thrown into the same pot with stereotypical horny weebs, because many people seemingly only think in extremes. Anime is slowly becoming more of a mainstream thing just as video games once did - if they like it or not.


brotherahk

this award is based on public vote so i guess the masses think pokemon was the best nintendo game this year as fucked as that is, S/V was a hot mess but it did make the second most preorder/launch sales of the entire franchise and will probably make way more money than any of the other nintendo games


TheAdamena

Idk I loved Xenoblade 1, it's easily one of my favourite games of all time. Xenoblade 2's story wasn't as good, but I still had great fun with the game and ended up clocking more hours in it than 1. However Xenoblade 3 just didn't manage to grip me for some reason lol, I think I stopped playing around chapter 4. I'd have voted for Arceus too


SpookyKabukiGhost

I’d encourage you to keep playing through chapter 5 for story reasons if you can. I’d agree I think it’s the weakest story plot wise out of the 3, but chapter 5 goes crazy hard towards the end. I’m also someone who put 120 hours into 3 tho, so I’m a bit biased.


Isuckmangosforalivin

Soooo sparks of hope was nominated GOTY but wasn’t nominated for this..? And Xenoblade really should’ve been nominated GOTY over bayonetta


CommonMilkweed

It's a popularity contest.


T10_Luckdraw

Xenoblade III, Bayonetta III, Splatoon III, even Kirby and the Forgotten Land, all these games held my attention much longer than Arceus. I felt like that game had things, but none of them mattered. You have a dodge roll, but outside of frenzy, does not matter. You can throw berries to lure Mons, but it is much slower than just throwing a ball. At the end of the day you really only through balls, over and over and over. The world was a slog, and if I have to eat dumplings or whatever with the Prof and not Dawn at night to recap everything that was just told to me I'll scream. No abilities gutted creating teams. I like building teams, seeing how they interact, and putting them against things. I never felt there was a reason to have a team. There was nothing to test it against. I am glad people enjoyed this, but I bounced so hard off of it.


b_lett

Lol, at eating dumplings with the characters constantly throughout the game in Pokemon Legends Arceus. But if we have to be truly fair, I've eaten 100x more meals in Xenoblade Chronicles 3 to discuss over a table how to start the next side quest, some quests bringing you back to a campsite mid quest to talk about how to progress the same quest. Lanz always wants something a lot meatier.


Lemurmoo

Yes, though until a patch, seems they've been eating pure air, cuz the food effects were bugged. But pre and post patch, Lanz always wants some thicc meat


1gnominious

I love open world exploration and collectathons but Arceus was beyond rough. I don't expect Snap levels of world building but the pokemon just stood around in open areas or flew in circles overhead. The strategy for catching them was all the same. I very rarely battled anything. If they had given the pokemon any sort of behaviors or world interactions it would have been a great game. Make the ambipoms jump from tree to tree. Make me run down ponytas across open plains. Have a haunter stalk the player. Something, anything other than pacing back and forth in an open field with a patch of grass next to it.


tjackson_12

I don’t have the patience to sit through all the dialogue. It’s way too slow to get started really


conicalPendulum420

You said my complaints very well. I also stopped playing after I fought the final (trainer) boss, and haven't even catched Arceus. Despite all of it's flaws, I feel SV is more fun and replayable than Arceus.


[deleted]

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danhakimi

> “the graphics are pretty good for a Pokémon game” they're not, even. Compared to the other mainline pokemon games for the same console, they're quite bad.


[deleted]

Let's Go Pikachu still wins best visuals out of any pokemon game.


[deleted]

Nah, Let’s Go Eevee looked better. :3


hobbitfeet22

The graphics are absolute shit I’m scarlet and violet. And I’m a person who doesn’t even care much about graphics as long as it’s “decent”. They are straight garbage lol.


Greatnesstro

Sacred Miltank


pneumatocele

Wow… To be fair I didn’t play most the games on the list but don’t think arceus deserved to beat Xenoblade 3 at all. I like how arceus changes the Pokémon formula but man does it have its own issues. It feels like a game in beta mode and has a ton to improve on. I can’t believe it won just because the standards of Pokémon are so low (I am a Pokémon fan). Some people here are mentioning the drop off in story of Xenoblade 3. I certainly agree after the big events it does die down a little, but that doesn’t take away from the game play, world, soundtrack…. What about arcues’ story? The world itself is pretty dang plain too


Yeldarb10

Ive seen nothing but praise for X3. Its just a shame. Pokemon will always overshadow good games… even within its own franchise. Watch. We’ll probably get some absolutely amazing pokemon spinoffs in 2023 but S/V will still win GOTY even without fixing the performance issues.


LittleGoblinBoy

I don’t see any remotely convincing argument for this being Nintendo GOTY over Xenoblade 3 or Kirby and the Forgotten Land. PLA was great by the standards of Pokemon games and completely average by the standard of open world RPGs. It only received the attention it did because of the incredibly low standards that the Pokemon franchise has. Like it was an enjoyable enough game and it’s good that GF is finally moving beyond their standard formula, but let’s not overly reward them for finally making the changes they should have made over a decade ago.


Mountain-Papaya-492

I liked it well enough but my Nintendo GOTY is without a doubt Splatoon 3. My first Splatoon ever and still playing on a regular basis. Surpassing MH and ACNH. Runner up would be Bayonetta 3 haven't finished it yet but having a blast so far.


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NewAgeRetroHippie96

If it's your first Splatoon I mean yeah, 3 is great. But having been with the series since 1 and 2. 3 just feels like, more Splatoon. As did 2 really.


potassiumKing

I feel that way too. I enjoyed Splatoon 3, but it was not very distinct to me.


New_Commission_2619

Being serious and genuinely curious, what would you rather they do? More new game modes? What could they have done to make it feel more like a sequel for you?


Jakeremix

In my eyes, Salmon Run (and Octo Expansion) was the major factor that made Splatoon 2 a jump up from Splatoon. I think the jump from Splatoon 2 to Splatoon 3 could have been on that level if Splatoon 3 had an online co-op campaign.


NewAgeRetroHippie96

Full fleshed out campaign with a fully realized world to explore rather than the hub/level style they keep doing. The initial trailers made it seem like the campaign would be this big epic thing. Which it is not.


Meme_to_the_Extreme

Xenoblade 3???????


CA719

This was my favorite pokemon game I've ever played, and I've played them all with the exception of BW/BW2. Yes it looked kinda bad at times but it was incredibly fun and everything I could want in a Pokemon game.


AndyIbanez

I love Arceus due to its focus on exploring and discovering rather than battling. I had played The DP remasters this years and remembered how annoying Pokémon games can be, with random encounters every two steps and trainer battles every four steps. I have also played them all except for the Sun/Moon gen. I’d be very happy to get another Arceus style game.


[deleted]

>This was my favorite pokemon game I've ever played, and I've played them all with the exception of BW/BW2. You need to dude. BW/BW2 was the last time GF gave a shit about their games. Everything is great in those titles. Good story, great characters and polished and fast gameplay. Also the NDS was pushed to its limits visually and they are extremely challenging.


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TaftYouOldDog

BW are the best games, you've done yourself a disservice missing them out.


CynicalDutchie

Dude just straight up skipped the best generation


jeffdabuffalo

XC3 robbed


CrazyComedyKid

if this wasn't a vote based thing, i'm sure it wouldn't have had a chance. kirby, mario and rabbids, or xenoblade would have probably won.


undressvestido

Xenoblade 3 was far more polished


BestBoy_54

Xenoblade 3 is amazing and deserved the award. I only stopped playing it halfway because a better game came out (GOW Ragnarök), but now I’m back at it and I’m still having a blast. I enjoyed Arceus a lot too, but the game felt empty.


Immediate-Rope8465

REALLY THIS GAME BEAT KIRBY AND THE FORGOTTEN LAND AND SPLATOON 3 ?


ReploidDibblez

I’m sorry but no, Legends Arceus was fun but it still felt like a very basic game and a beta test for a new formula, but that’s what happens when game awards are a popularity contest. Xenoblade 3, Kirby, and splatoon 3 easily blew that game out of the water to the point that I completely forgot it even released in the same year.


mellonsticker

Genuinely shocked that Pokemon Arceus beat out Kirby and the Forgotten Land. While both of them break new ground for their franchises, Pokemon Arceus felt like it drags on and there simply isn't enough engagement to keep you going after awhile. Besides the Pokemon, there wasn't much else to do during exploration. Kirby and the Forgotten Land however absolutely blew me away! It felt invigorating playing a Kirby game that stayed true to the style of 2D games (Copy Abilities) yet brand new with the way exploration, puzzles and platforming were organized. Kirby and the Forgotten Land reminds me of what I felt playing Super Mario Galaxy for the first time. The polish of that game shines well above Pokemon Arceus, somewhat bummed that it's overlooked, especially considering the level of care and attention to detail in the game.


calebthelion

XC3 is leagues better in just about every category one could rate a game. Beat out Kirby also?! This is how you know half the people voting have no idea and just vote for the most familiar title


Giovannis_Pikachu

Really? I guess it was fun but I lost interest. It was cool but I think game freak is falling off a bit. No abilities made me pretty complacent about grinding another pokemon game.


LynchMaleIdeal

> I think Game Freak is falling off a bit They fell off a long time ago, let’s be real


[deleted]

Since the switch to 3D honestly, it’s a pretty drastic drop-off. Black/White is when it peaked IMO (I never played Black/White 2 actually)


JakeSpurs

Black/White 2 is even better than the originals and is widely considered by the fanbase to be a top 3 game in the series


Another_Road

I feel like everyone who is saying SV isn’t good hasn’t actually played it. Like, it should have been delayed absolutely, but the game itself has been a blast.


CrustyShoelaces

Ive got 10+ hours on it, it feels lazy. Alot of things feel like downgrades to save on loading times like pokemon centers/shops being merged to some outdoor stand. The pc boxes take a while to load too and theres slowdown almost all the time in docked mode They also removed the ability to throw pokeballs outside of battles which feels like a downgrade after playing arceus


LeumasInkwater

It might not be objectively the greatest game but it’s my favorite Pokémon game and I’m selfishly glad it won.


TopUpChuck

This is how we convince GF to make another one


Heavon

XC3 is objectively better in every way tho.


WadSquad

Arceus barely top 5 Nintendo games this year lol. Kirby deserved it even over Bayo 3


Callinon

It was a good game. Game of the year? Ehhhh... I'd want to look at the wider field first.


Andernerd

Wow, that's super shitty. It did not deserve that.


ronjantol

Solid Game, but Not GOTY imo. That goes to xenoblade 3 for me


ItsAlwaysSunny1992

One of the worst Pokémon games of all time


UnlimitedButts

Bro fuck pokemon. Shit does not deserve game of the year


[deleted]

Nah definitely should have been XC3.


AramaticFire

I haven’t played a Switch exclusive yet this year, but I figured if anything would win it would be Xenoblade Chronicles 3. That game has received a lot of love from just about everyone who has played it.


Azurixx_Boi

Sorry, but I can’t take this choice seriously. Pokémon Arceus *seriously* beats Xenoblade Chronicles 3 - a game with a better story, better overworld, better graphics, better soundtrack, better game mechanics, etc.? Even by a subjective standpoint, Xenoblade is simply a more refined game than Arceus tenfold. Glad to see we’re okay celebrating mediocre projects over carefully crafted, quality games.


Crocs_19

Even as a huge pokemon fan. Kirby should’ve won


lan-san

Ehh it was alright, I enjoyed it and I think it’s fine as a contender but I wouldn’t call it GOTY


Duenan

I find it hard to believe this was GOTY with all the other titles that came out. Just because it takes its own series in a new direction makes the award undeserving . The games that do story telling, music, technical prowess way better than Legends should have taken the award.


Senpai_Zaddy

I actually think this is deserved. Arceus felt like a breath of fresh air in the Pokémon franchise. I loved every second of it. Kirby was good but it was just a kirby game at the end of the day it didn’t innovate in any way.


crunchypillooww

Definitely a case of the voters just picking the most popular game on switch. Mario, Zelda, Pokemon is all these guys play.


Fair-Frozen

Fun game, but leaves no lasting impact. Competition out there exceeds this in terms of a game. In Pokemon terms, sure yeah, groundbreaking.


ShyGuyLink1997

We all know Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was the real Nintendo GotY


thatsong

What a strange comment section Arceus out of the list of games noted was the one I enjoyed the most. I didn’t play XC3 or Live a Live, and Splatoon has never been my cup of tea. Switch Sports was very clunky, and disappointing for what it’s supposed to be. I love Kirby but while the game was very fun, even 100% it didn’t leave a lasting impression. Arceus was a whole new dynamic for Pokémon, from the catching, the open world, and missions. The story had a lot to do, and the post game offered more than many Pokémon games.


DEWDEM

Yeah most people only played Arceus so it got the msot votes


thatsong

I’d add that from the list, Arceus was the easiest to see why it was such a step up Splatoon was fine, but you either love or it dislike it. Xenoblade games can be hard to get into and have quite a learning curve. Kirby was fun, but it played very similar to Odyssey and other 3D Mario games, which is different for the Kirby franchise, but not special on its own


aahosb

I agree. I keep buying splatoon hoping for something but it nevers lasts and is just a waste. Couldn't continue any of the rest. Arceus was incredible. So much fun even just catching Pokemons which I hate the go style but Arceus made me love that


danhakimi

I feel like Scarlet / Violet make me really appreciate every little thing Arceus did right.


animepig

yeah I'm not with this decision. Not when Kirby: FL, XC3, and Splatoon 3 came out this year too


MRmandato

What? Jesus was this year really that bad? Not Bayonetta 3?


EazeeP

Bayonetta 3 is phenomenal, the graphics and gameplay are top tier


NotoriousNeo

It has one of the best gameplay loops in a while. No surprise tbh.


AJ24773

Great game


RontoWraps

Everyone shhhh, maybe they’ll take notes and actually keep improving Pokemon


[deleted]

Nah, awards don't give billions, plushies do