3DS

2015 was a great year for family games, but 2016 looks like it will be just as good (if not better). Take a look below for a list of the ten games we are looking forward to the most

Mighty No. 9

Mighty no. 9 found its way onto this list because of its wildly successful kickstarter a few years back. It is intended to be a spiritual successor to the Mega Man franchise and it looks like it will be a lot of fun to play.  Unfortunately, the game has been delayed what feels like 87 times. It has been delayed so frequently at this point that it is starting to squelch the giant pile of excitement that I had.

Final Fantasy Explorers

Evan, our oldest, is excited enough for this game all on his own to catapult Final Fantasy Explorers onto the list. We really didn’t know much about this one until Square Enix started sending out press information in the last few months.

The core elements mimic some of the elements of the Monster Hunter series that has been super popular worldwide. The difference is that it features final fantasy job classes and the ability to use special moves and/or items to summon iconic Final Fantasy characters.

This should be an interesting experiment and the new 3DS is a great place for this type of action RPG.

Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 2

Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare was a massive surprise when it was release and it has built a HUGE audience of 8 million players. The sequel was inevitable and we are super excited to play it.

The best part of Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 is that it is everything great about the first game with more cool stuff like sci-fi elements and new characters (like an orange that shoots lasers).

Overwatch

I am so excited for Overwatch that I am giddy. Blizzard has a great history of taking genres, identifying the key components that make them fun, and designing a new game that highlights those key elements.

Overwatch looks like it will be the next game to go through that process and be all the better for it.

We are looking forward to this one and hoping that the recent design decisions to remove most of the blood will remain so we can enjoy this with our older kids.

Pokemon Go

People have been calling for a mobile Pokemon game for years. Pokemon Go is the answer to those players prayers and more.

The game is being developed by the team behind Ingress and features the some of the same mechanics. Pokemon will be placed all over the world using GPs coordinates and players will be able to physically go to those locations to fight them and capture them. The result will, hopefully, be an opportunity for players to really feel like a Pokemon trainer.

No Man’s Sky

No Man’s Sky is making some bold promises. It is promising players an opportunity to explore a universe that is almost infinite in size. It is promising millions upon millions of unique planets, the majority of which have never been seen, to explore. Something about that makes it seem too good to be true. Something has to be wrong? They can’t possibly accomplish this stuff right?

We are going to find out this year and I cannot wait.

Street Fighter V

I’m not gonna lie folks. I LOVE me some Street Fighter and Street Fighter V looks like it will be one for the ages.

I recognize that there will be some parents who will question why I would place a fighting game so high on my list of family friendly titles, and I can respect that. But, I strongly believe that Street Fighter is different because the game is at least positioned to be about a tournament. There may be fireballs and lightning attacks, but these characters are competing in a non-lethal tournament (as opposed to, say, Mortal Kombat or Killer Instinct).

Many of you might have heard on our podcast that Uncle Badger and I will be holding a Street Fighter V tournament sometime this year. Keep your eyes on EFG for more information about it. You don’t want to miss it!

Pokken Tournament

Anyone concerned about Street Fighter should immediately be comforted by my inclusion of Pokken Tournament. This is a hardcore fighting game that features a HUGE pile of Pokemon like Pikachu, Machamp, Mewtwo, and more. It is already doing well in Japanese arcades and will be launching in North America during the first half of 2016.

We simply cannot wait to get our hands on this one.

My wife and I collaborated quite heavily on this list and while we generally agreed on positioning for the games that we have already talked about he simply could not agree on a number one. Mainly because new entries in our respective favorite game series are being released (ostensibly) within 2016. In the spirit of compromise we agreed to let it be a tie between our two highly anticipated games. They are:

Final Fantasy XV – Steve’s pick

Point blank: Final Fantasy XV gives me the chills.  I have loved this series since I was in 8th grade and I don’t think that will be going away any time soon. This entry features some interesting changes. It features an action RPG battle system (as opposed to turn based battles in the past) and it features a primary cast that is entirely male.  It also features an amazing black convertible that you drive across the map as one of the main parts of the gameplay loop.

I know a lot of people have abandoned Final Fantasy in favor of other classically styled JRPGs and I can’t really blame them. But, something about this game has me counting down the days.

The Legend of Zelda Wii U – Jenna’s pick

The Legend of Zelda Wii U is one of our most anticipated games because we love the Zelda franchise. Beyond our love for the franchise however, there are many more things that draw us into the game.

First, and most obviously, would be the unbelievable aesthetic to the game. The artwork is absolutely stunning. It’s how we’ve always wanted a Zelda game to look.  It’s not too cartoony, it’s not too dark, and it perfectly displays the fantasy like atmosphere of the game.

The second reason that this is one of our most anticipated games is the open world concept.  We love the idea of exploring anywhere within the kingdom without having to follow a linear path.  If you can see it, you can go there.

Finally, we love the fact that they are going to keep the puzzles and dungeons that we love while reworking them to add more dimension and an exciting new feel. At least, that’s what was promised to us.

Now, they actually have to show us more of the game and get it in the shelves.  The wait has been long enough.