AJ and Chris Minotti are the brothers of Mitch Tolkoto. The three of them host a podcast about Disney called 90s Disney.
AJ: Now that Mike owns 20% of Giant Bomb, and our parents said we always have to share, Chris and I figured that means we each own 6.67% of Giant Bomb. So that means we get to submit our top five games of the year.
Chris: So does that mean Mike owns a third of your Disney mug collection? I know I’m not giving him a third of any of my precious, useless collectibles. But yes, here we are giving our opinions on video games because why not? Growing up together, our shared friends would always get upset with us because we had similar opinions on so many things. They couldn’t win any argument if the three of us were involved; we just agreed on a lot. Let’s see if that still rings true.
AJ: Everyone knows Mike hates mugs. On with the lists!
NUMBER 5
AJ - Monster Hunter Wilds
AJ: I know a lot of Monster Hunter fans feel this game missed the mark, but I’m not a typical Monster Hunter fan. This series has always existed as something I was interested in, but never understood because I got slightly more and more into the series with World, then Rise. I understand most people play these games for the endgame: chasing loot, crafting outfits, and going on high end hunts. But I really enjoyed… the story. Yes, I’m a sucker for stories about found families (hi, Jan!) where you play the big, dumb hero while everyone tells you what an awesome hero you are while doing whatever they can to help you. The gameplay was fun, the fights were always exciting, and the world was gorgeous. I’m very excited for the inevitable expansion.
Chris: Ok, us agreeing on so many things already isn’t ringing true. I’ve never been a Monster Hunter fan and don’t follow it much. But there was enough discourse around this iteration that it made a few headlines. Heck, even recently with the creator asking people to come back to the game promising the difficulty has been raised. Though I suppose making this more accessible has allowed new fans, such as yourself, to finally enjoy the series. On the surface, Monster Hunter games have a lot of things I like. And I’ve tried several times to get into them. I just could never fully immerse myself and commit the time to it. Maybe someday!
CHRIS - Megabonk
Chris: I had seen the name Megabonk come up quite a bit without knowing what it really was. On a whim, I decided to buy it and try it out. My first reaction was like Kevin McAllister reacting to his family disappearing in Home Alone. “This is a just a 3D rip-off of Vampire Survivors…” Thinks about it a bit. “This is a just a 3D rip-off of Vampire Survivors!” And man am I hooked. Maybe even more than I was with Vampire Survivors. It seems so simple at first, but there’s just so much depth with all the characters and weapons that it keeps me coming back for more. I have this insatiable itch to complete every quest and try out different combinations of weapons and tomes that I can’t stop myself! It’s the ultimate just one more run game.
AJ: I need to try this one. I checked out another Survivors-like set in the Deeprock Galactic universe, and the whole time I felt like I’d rather just play Vampire Survivors. I’d be curious to see how this overcomes that feeling. A lot of people seemed to really enjoy this one.
NUMBER 4
AJ - Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles
AJ: I tried to play this game back during its original release in 1997, and just never understood it. An attempt with the PSP port didn’t go much better. But this time around, it all clicked. Maybe it’s because I spent an entire day over-leveling my party by beating up a single chocobo, but I had a blast crafting my characters and tackling the challenge of each battle. I’ve also never seen a game so enhanced by voice acting. The performers are, of course, wonderful, but a lot of credit must go to the vocal directors. I liken it to the difference in reading Shakespeare in a classroom vs. seeing it performed by world class thespians. The story is among the best in the entire Final Fantasy series.
Chris: I wish I liked Final Fantasy and tactics-type games; I really do. I’ve tried quite a few over the years, but just can’t get into them. And it’s frustrating because it’s all on me! I acknowledge their greatness, but I just can’t do it!
CHRIS - Dispatch
Chris: I’m not sure how much you two played old Telltale games, but I loved them! Specifically, all the Walking Dead games and Tales from the Borderlands. I mean, they literally gave us whatever hope people had for a competent sequel to Back to the Future! And they delivered! When they shuttered in 2018, I was devastated. But boy was I excited when I heard a new studio had been formed with old Telltale folks! And their first project was very much in the same realm as the previous Telltale games. Within the first few minutes of playing Dispatch, I was immediately into the story and couldn’t wait to explore more. After a year of playing all these fast-paced, action-packed games sprinkled in with some Fortnite here and there, it's just such a breath of fresh air to play a store-driven game like Dispatch. Being able to really get into the story and surround yourself with these characters. Which has to be so difficult in itself for the developers. To create a new world and have tons of new characters. And AdHoc Studios pulls it off. The fact that each and every character had their own little story beats, was entertaining and got me to care about each of them, is proof of the studio’s talents.
AJ: Dispatch was such a breath of fresh air. It felt like the first time episodic gaming worked. I actually played the game in time with each release, but I was glad to see that your experience of “binge watching” the game after all eight episodes were out was also a good experience. It was also very fun to discuss how wildly different decisions we each made affected the story. The game just works so well on so many levels. An incredible first effort from a new studio.
NUMBER 3
AJ - Donkey Kong Bananza
AJ: Nintendo has a history of two things: excellent 3D platformers and annoying sidekicks. Imagine my dread when we saw a purple talking rock join DK, then imagine my delight when it turned out to be a young Pauline! I feel that DK and Pauline’s relationship is some of the best storytelling Nintendo has ever done. Wrecking the world was always fun and exciting with new banandium gems around every corner. And that finale is just perfect, capped off by an all-time credits song.
Chris: I’ll have more to say in a bit, but I completely agree here! Was definitely worried about the annoying sidekick trope in the reveal, as you said. But I love that Pauline is becoming such a vital Mario universe character.
CHRIS – Hades II
Chris: Do you like Hades 1? Do you want more? If you answer yes to both, then good news! Man, what a thrill it was to play through Hades 2. I’m one of those people who really hates getting an early access game before the 1.0 release. But with Hades 2, I couldn’t help myself. I had played so much of the early access that I thought I had my fill. Even when 1.0 was released, I didn’t touch it for a couple of weeks. But finally got around to booting it up and was hooked all over again. To the point where I got every relationship to the max and completed the epilogue. Hades 2 is such a perfect mix of gameplay and story that just keeps pulling you in. It is truly bonkers how much unique dialogue is in this game. Similar to what I said about Megabonk, there’s no such thing as doing just one run. Time will slip through your fingers, and suddenly you’re hours in and don’t want it to stop. Chronos is up to his old tricks again.
AJ: This game almost crept into my top five. I generally struggle with roguelikes. I just hate having to replay content. But Hades manages to push through that block for me by just being so dang good. I love how just about every run will contribute to something evolving back at your home base. The amount of writing and character interaction in this game is staggering.
NUMBER 2
AJ - Dispatch
AJ: Yup, I like this game a lot! This game hit all the right notes. The story of Robbie Roberston, aka Mecha Man, really hit home for me as he struggled to accept a new reality while being constantly reminded of the one he left behind. The relationship that forms with and among the Z-Team feels incredibly well realized and earned. So many decisions were agonizing, but always felt right in the end, with perfect payoffs. Another show pieces for some wonderful acting and writing that plays perfectly with superhero tropes to tell a very human story. Just with bat monster men and fire guys.
Chris: I just love these types of games. With our history of Lucas Arts adventure games being such a big part of our youth, it’s great seeing similar games still being made and being done well. The fact that a story-driven adventure game is one of the top games of the year just makes me so giddy!
CHRIS - Donkey Kong Bananza
Chris: AJ hit all the key parts to this game, but I just had to put it higher on my list. There’s never been anything quite like what this game has achieved, that I’ve played before, with the destruction elements and just how much fun it all was! It took me hours to progress through the initial part of the game because I was just so obsessed with destroying everything! Power-ups are all fun and unique, music is a complete joy, and a good story in a Nintendo game! Also, the fact that this is the first single-player game my eight-year-old son started and completed on his own brings a tear to this old curmudgeon’s eye. For that alone, this is a family game! The kids are alright.
AJ: My son Walter got this game along with his Switch 2 that he saved up for after his birthday. Within five minutes, he declared it his favorite game he’s ever played. The key mechanic of destroying the world is just so intrinsically fun, and works well. I remember being worried that the platforming would matter since you can just break through everything, but the world and objective design complement the destruction perfectly.
NUMBER 1
AJ and CHRIS- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
AJ: Can you believe it? This game came from seemingly nowhere to turn the entire industry on its ear. As budgets bloat, team sizes balloon, and feature creep dilutes games into 50+ hour slog-fests, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 arrives to remind everyone that well-written stories, innovative gameplay, and a well-thought-out world will always win out. The fact that the game looks and sounds gorgeous is just the icing on the eclair. The story had more twists and turns than a game of Chutes and Ladders; the characters all felt genuine and real in their struggles and grief, which made the moments of joy in the story shine all the brighter. The music constantly bombards the player with new ideas, themes, and emotions. And the parry slop. Oh, how I love the parry slop. Expedition 33 is a game that will stand high on the pedestal of great turn-based RPGs, and I hope the industry learns the right lessons from its success.
Chris: I mean, yeah, this is the real deal. Finally, a turn-based RPG that has surpassed Eternal Sonata. I didn’t think it was possible, but here we are. But seriously, the fact that there is a turn-based RPG out there that is not only my favorite game this year but in my top 10 of all time? My goodness, what an accomplishment. Like you said, AJ, it almost came out of nowhere for me. I recall the announcement trailer and thought it looked fun and unique enough. But I had no idea what I was about to experience. Everything about it hits. The combat, the music, the characters, the overall story. Just everything. And I want more! I did just about everything I could in this game. Getting every single achievement (yay achievements), beating all the optional bosses (even THAT one), and obsessing over how to best optimize my team. It’s an experience that is a pure delight as you play and stays with you long after completing it. I can’t wait to see what comes next from Sandfall Interactive.
I also just realized neither of us had Silksong on our lists. How mad is Mike right now? (I want to add that I thoroughly enjoyed the game, but I left for a work trip mid-way through playing it and never got back to it.)
AJ: I didn’t care for it.