Nintendo Wii U (2015) by Nintendo EAD Tokyo

The captain got toadnapped and it is up to us to rescue him! We are having a great time with this puzzle box game. Each world is wonderfully imaginative and the puzzles show a lot of clever design and variation. Captain Toad is one of the rare games in which we're passing the controller: L is very good at the on-rail turnip shooting levels. We haven't completed the game yet, but we're getting close!

Nintendo GameCube (2005) by Intelligent Systems

Our first ever Fire Emblem game and what a great introduction to the series. After playing XCOM: Enemy Unknown just after Christmas in 2014, L and I wanted more of that strategic turn-based goodness that made us enjoy XCOM so much. Path of Radiance was exactly what we were looking for, and then some.

We spent more than 70 hours playing Path of Radiance, in fact if it weren't for that other game it would be the game we played most this year. Not everything in this Fire Emblem game is perfect. One specific mission was unnecessarily tedious (Serene's Forest) and, for my taste, the story was too dark and depressing, contrasting the otherwise cheerful and quirky tone. The characters more than made up for any possible shortcoming, however, and we were rooting for Soren and Mordecai from the very start. Path of Radiance is a great game. L and I are very excited to play the sequel Radiant Dawn soon!

Nintendo DS (2011) by Capcom

I'm so happy that this game is on my list were it is. I'm a big fan of the Phoenix Wright games and Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective took everything I like about the Ace Attorney series and presented it in a fresh new formula. The gameplay works great on the DS system - it is intuitive, fun and doesn't overstay its welcome.

I had a fantastic time playing this game just before going to sleep every night with L. We were intrigued by the mystery and cared a lot about the characters. Missile was a clear favourite, but even minor characters like the Chicken Kitchen Chef were able to charm us.

I love the detailed character animations. They breathe so much live into this game and I remember Cabanela's dance to this day. I liked the music, but I must admit that I didn't find a tune that resonated as much with me as many of the tracks in the Ace Attorney games do.

It's a shame that this game concept will likely never find a
sequel as Ghost Trick never received the attention it really deserves. Why that's so can be called a complete mystery. Most likely it's a matter of national security.

Nintendo Wii U (2014) by Sora Ltd.

What happens if you've never played a Super Smash Bros. game and finally have a Nintendo console that let's you dive into the world of Smash with your partner who enjoys the game as much as you do? Easy, it ends up on top of your Game of the Year list. Well, at least, if it weren't for that other game.

Smash Bros. is amazing. What struck me most, as someone who has always enjoyed more traditional fighting games such as Street Fighter and Soul Calibur, is the excitement and variation the stock & percentage mechanic adds to gameplay. Knocking someone off the stage just at the right time feels so satisfying. We're having so much fun with this game and I believe we will continue to play and enjoy Smash Bros. for a long time to come.

Sony PlayStation 2 (2008) by Atlus

That other game, and my top game of 2015, was originally released in 2008 - Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4. When we started playing this JRPG we had no idea what was expecting us. We had never been to the Velvet Room, never summoned our Persona, never used a Goho-M. It was the best thing that could happen to us.

From the very first minute the game, the art style, the music and the mysteries surrounding Inaba drew us in. It didn't take us long to start caring deeply about Nanako and to root for Chie at every chance we got.

Persona 4 has a truly unique atmosphere. Inaba and the tv world became places we couldn't wait to dive in again every evening. I'm a big fan of the animated cutscenes, I feel that there's exactly the right amount of scenes which add to the atmosphere without overshadowing the other aspects of the game.

“Ugh! I've had it with you!”

The music just adds to the game's perfect mood; we'll forever be in love with Persona 4's soundtrack. It's just so good and unique, each dungeon theme is fantastic and I'm particularly fond of the tracks that play when exploring Inaba. L's favourite theme is "Heaven" while I always found myself tapping along to "Your Affection".

Persona 4's recurring theme is "facing your true self" and a lot of people seem to be able to relate to this. This game has a lot meaning for us as well, but in a different way. To us, this game started bringing L and me closer to Japanese culture and it has become an interest that we're now sharing and often talk about.

I could write more but really, it is simple enough, Persona 4 was able to score with us. There were moments we laughed out loud. There were moments we were excited. There were moments we were filled with tension. But there was never a moment we didn't enjoy playing Person 4. This game became our friend.