Spencer’s Top 11 Games in 11 Years

The last 11 years have produced some exceptional video games in each every genre. Some of these games were played the year they came out, while others were played as recently as six months ago. Regardless of the order they were played, these are my top 11 games of the last 11 years, according to when they were released in the West!

Oh and I thought we had to pick one game from each year because I have trash-brain, so the chosen games don’t necessarily represent all my favourite games of the last 11 years. And as is the case every year, my list means I’m writing in my glorious Canadian English, additional u’s and all.

2008- No More Heroes (Nintendo Wii)

I only played No More Heroes this year (after finishing my Travis Strikes Again review), but it quickly became one of my absolute favourite games. While No More Heroes II smoothed over a lot of the minor problems from the first game, the original beats its sequel because of its tone and more focused boss fights. Travis Touchdown is a near-perfect character that can somehow serve as both the ultimate dork’s power fantasy and an absolute loser, while the assassins you kill throughout the game all stand out for how strange and endearing they are (with a special shout-out to the MVP Shinobu). No More Heroes is a weird, violent, goofy game that knows when to laugh and when to snarl, and I couldn’t recommend it enough. Here’s hoping we get a remastered collection ahead of No More Heroes III, as these games deserve to find a much bigger following.

2009- Dissidia Final Fantasy (Playstation Portable)

Long ago, I got a paper route in order to save up for a PSP. I wanted the console for three games: Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, and Dissidia Final Fantasy. As a gift, my parents got me a copy of Dissidia before I had my PSP, and I kept it in my sock drawer to motivate me to keep hauling papers around the icy streets of the Greater Toronto Area. After watching the trailers over and over, I was more hyped to play Dissidia than any game before it. And when I finally got my PSP, I planted myself in my bedroom, and played Dissidia late into the morning. Its all-new “Bravery” system and fast-paced action combat still stands out as a truly special system to me, while the way it combined characters from across Final Fantasy still leaves me feeling like a fanboy. I sunk over a hundred hours into the game, and I wouldn’t take any of it back.

2010- Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver (Nintendo DS)

Last year when we spoke about our all-time favourite games, I talked about Pokémon Gold and how it introduced me to the idea of RPGs. Naturally, a remake of my favourite Pokémon titles (and one of my favourite games ever) piqued my interest. Somehow, it was everything I wanted and far more, as it still stands as the most robust and incredibly detailed entries in the entire Pokémon series. Two regions, Pokémon that follow you around on the map, swappable remixed music, brilliant sprites, and all the anticipated gameplay mechanics made HeartGold and SoulSilver the benchmark for Pokémon games to come.

2011- Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 (PS3/360)

There aren’t many games that I’ve played as much as Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3, as it’s been the go-to fighter for my brother and I since the vanilla version released all those years ago. Featuring a mix of some of the best and most obscure characters in both Marvel and Capcom’s respective catalogues, UMvC3 has everything you could want from a VS fighter. The amount of respect and passion that the developers had for both franchises is on full display in every stage, arcade ending, and musical theme, while the newly added characters provided the game with unique characters like Phoenix Wright and Firebrand. It’s immensely satisfying to play for hours on end, and it helped keep me sane in my absolute trashfire of a first attempt at College, so UMvC3 will always have a special place in my library.

2012- Xenoblade Chronicles (Nintendo Wii)

I have to give a shout-out to my wonderful friend Aidan for hunting down the one copy of Xenoblade left in a Gamestop out in Florida and sending it my way, as this incredible gesture allowed me to play one of the best JRPGs in recent memory. There’s nothing about Xenoblade Chronicles that I can really complain about, as I found the entire game to be nothing short of brilliant. The music is out of this world, the story is engaging, the combat is inventive, and the world is enormous and fully free to explore. The visuals are rough, but the newly announced remaster is fixing that nicely, meaning it may be time for me to dive into one of the best JRPGs ever made once again.

2013- Animal Crossing: New Leaf (Nintendo 3DS)

There’s something truly relaxing about Animal Crossing, even though it involves debt, social relationships, responsibilities, and in New Leaf, managing a town. Even then, just walking around my town and talking with the neighbours is one of the most serene things in any video game, as are mundane chores like weed-picking, tree-cutting, and planting flowers. New Leaf added the Mayor dynamic to let you really customize your town to your liking, while Tortimer’s Island is filled with memories of catching beetles with my friends to sell for big bucks. I dare not look at how much time I’ve sunk into New Leaf, but I do know that I don’t regret a single second of it.

2014- Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair (Playstation Vita)

Few series can juggle unrelenting darkness with gut-busting humor like Danganronpa can, and I think no game is a better example of this than Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair. I was so desperate to play it back in the day that I would actively follow the SomethingAwful “Let’s Play” threads when an official translation wasn’t guaranteed. That dedication was worth it, as the game did come here, and even though I knew half the plot, I was still blown away by the twists and turns that each courtroom battle held. Almost every single character has a backstory and personality that elicits at least sympathy, and more often than not, heavy emotional investment. And Monokuma with Monomi? Some of the goofiest and funniest humor I can remember being in a game. The whole series is available on PS4 and PC now, so I’d highly recommend checking it out.

2015- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (PS4)

You’ve probably heard everything there is to hear about The Witcher 3 at this point. Its characters are amazing, its world is endlessly interesting and worth exploring, and its numerous plotlines and side-stories feature some of the medium’s most gripping story-telling. That’s all true, but I really want to focus on how incredible the world is. Playing The Witcher 3 got me so invested in its narrative that I immediately went out and bought all the original Witcher novels. I’ve been slowly working my way through them between reviews, and I’ve been enjoying them all the way through (partially because a lot of in-game relationships and backstories suddenly have more context, making the game feel fuller as a result). I’d have never found the novels if it weren’t for The Witcher 3 (and its incredible DLC), and I have to recommend it to anyone with a passing interest in fantasy as a genre.

2016- Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (PS4)

The Uncharted series has long been a favourite of mine, with each game providing its own thrilling adventure that is as pulpy as it is charming. Having such a longtime investment in the series, I was blown away by the serious and bittersweet tone that Uncharted 4 expertly wive into its established world. Like his series, Nathan Drake has been one of my favourite characters since I first played as the snarky thief with a heart of gold, so seeing him grow as a person and struggle with deciding between a life of adventure and a more calm, happier life with Elena hit me hard. Throw in the most satisfying gunplay yet and some absolutely gorgeous locales, and you have the best Uncharted, and one of the best games of this generation.

2017- Cuphead (PC)

Hailing from the Great White North, Studio MDHR made something truly special with the side-scrolling shoot-em-up Cuphead. Featuring crushing difficulty, endless charm, and hand-animated visuals that perfectly capture the rubberhose animation style, there’s not much that Cuphead doesn’t nail. There’s not much more to say, just that you should grab Cuphead ASAP if you like a good challenge and incredible art.

2018- Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age (PS4)

Recently released on the Nintendo Switch, Dragon Quest XI is the perfect way for newcomers to jump into Dragon Quest. That said, nothing about it alienates longtime fans, as it boasts a story and characters that stand among the series’ finest, the gameplay fans know and love, and visuals that truly bring Akira Toriyama’s iconic visual style to life. I can’t recommend Dragon Quest XI enough, as it serves as a splendid reminder that traditional, old-school turn-based RPGs still have a place in this fast-moving industry.

And that’s my list. Feel free to comment with your own favourites, or with recommendations for games like the ones lifted here!