Operation Rainfall was founded June 22, 2011 in order to push for the localization of a trilogy of Wii RPGs: Xenoblade Chronicles, The Last Story, and Pandora’s Tower. Since successfully achieving our campaign goals, we have moved to covering the latest and greatest in video game and anime news. In celebration of the 2010 to 2019 decade ending, the staff put together a list of the top thirty-one best games that you simply cannot miss. In order to qualify for this list, the game had to:
- Be released between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2019 in North America.
- Obtain at least a plurality of votes from our staff.
- Re-releases from this decade were allowed for consideration, if the new release was a substantive increase of content over the original. For example, 2012 Persona 4: Golden would qualify due to the heavy amount of substantive new content included in that re-release versus 2008’s original release, but the HD re-release of 2008’s God of War: Chains of Olympus as part of the 2011 God of War: Origins Collection would not due to the minimal increase of new content.
Our writers then came together, and each picked up several games that they have played and loved, and talked about why each of those games are one of the thirty-one best video games from this past decade in each of the pieces to follow. Furthermore, a special thank you to Brandon Rose for the featured logo image.
Before reading on, feel free to check out choices for 2010/2011 or our choices for 2012/2013 first!
Our final list will be published over five days in order of release date, covering two years per article. Today’s article covers the decade’s best five games that were released between the years 2014 and 2015.
2014
15) Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Publisher: Nintendo
Platform(s): Nintendo Wii U / Nintendo Switch
Release Date(s): May 30, 2014 / April 28, 2017
Quentin H. says:
Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe have up to twelve (12) players competing at once across forty-eight (48) tracks in twelve (12) cups and across four (4) cc modes. In Mario Kart 8 on the Wii U, there were thirty-six (36) characters to play as in total, and that total increased by five more in the 2017 Nintendo Switch release. In addition to all these racing cups and characters and modes, there was also a Battle Mode where people would fight each other online to see who can last the longest. While Mario Kart 8‘s Battle Mode was fairly lackluster, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe‘s Battle Mode gave players eight (8) areas to battle and destroy/collect coins/escape from jail (just go with it) in. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was a re-release of Mario Kart 8 with all of the DLC from the first entry thrown in alongside some new surprises.
Both of these games are some of the best multiplayer experiences that you are going to have across any platform at any time in gaming history. Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe have an ease of accessibility so that anyone, from ages 8 to 88 can sit down, play a few races, and go anywhere from last place to first place (or vice versa!) in just a few moments with a well-timed Blue Shell. The courses themselves are varied, the graphics are beautiful, and it is easy to say “just one more race” to your friends while playing together on a rooftop or at a skateboard rink on the Nintendo Switch. The Battle Mode in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is also the best in the entire series, and the modes are varied enough and short enough in length that no one feels frustrated from not being in first for long. I honestly think that these joint titles are well-worth being some of the best multiplayer of this past decade.
16) Super Smash Bros for Nintendo 3DS
Publisher: Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo 3DS
Release Date: October 3, 2014
Marisa Alexander says:
During 2014, Nintendo released its new entry for Super Smash Bros. after massive amounts of hype, or dare we say, two new entries. Yes, even Super Smash Bros for Nintendo 3DS gets some love. There was something marvelous back then about bringing one of the best games to play with friends on the go. It even had unique stages and an entire game mode all to itself. All in all, the 3DS version actually is able to stand toe to toe with its console counterpart.
Even on a lower resolution and weaker hardware, the models for the characters looked wonderful, fluid and easy to keep track of the action. Not to mention the game’s unique mode, Smash Run, was by far one of the most genius modes in a game to date. Running around a gigantic maze opening chests, finishing challenges, and defeating enemies to collect stat boosts to prepare for a grand final battle was a fantastic treat. Not to mention this version’s take on Classic mode just so happens to be one of the best Classic modes to date, granting this game practically immortal replay value.
