Cristian Rodriguez is a producer over at The Game Mess and does all the real work. He supports the Yankees, but we try not to hold that against him too much.
Weird year, y'all! Giant Bomb died, but then it didn't, but like a monkey paw wish now the site has an owner that has an apple-phobia and another one that doesn't know how the sun works and don't even get me started with that criminal named Jeff Grubb. I’m technically less of me than I was last year because a doctor opened me up and took away my gallbladder (thanks for all the support, btw). Oh, and I got two new hobbies for some reason. Here is a “quick list” in no particular order of the things I really liked this year.
TOKUSATSU!!
After randomly watching Shin Kamen Rider one afternoon, I went from not really caring about Tokusatsu to kinda becoming my entire personality.
I’ve been watching a bunch of different shows from different eras and for different audiences, and I have to say that this feels more like a medium than a genre. You have from up-beat joyful shows like N°1 Sentai Gozyuger to very dark, drama-filled shows like the Garo series. Thematically speaking is also super diverse from Dance Battle Fruit Samurai in Kamen Rider Gaim to a procedural detective show in Kamen Rider W.
I'm sure you can find at least one toku show for you! Just give it a try! This shit is great, y'all!
Quick list of toku shows/movies I watched so far:
- N°1 Sentai Gozyuger: Despite the whole Maya Imamori debacle, this show is still great. I kinda love the concept of anniversary seasons, and I wish western shows did something like that. This is for kids, so it’s all good vibes most of the time, and even if things get a little bit dark, they always bounce back with a nice positive message at the end.
- Kamen Rider Build: I thought this was just about a Kamen Rider scientist doing fun experiments, but I was so wrong. This show has layers upon layers. I’m early on, and I don't want to spoil anything, but I think this show has some underlying criticisms of the Military-Industrial Complex.
- GARO: Heir to Steel Armor: Weird one to start my Garo journey, but holy shit is good. This show has the best monsters and fights I’ve seen so far in Tokusatsu.
- Kamen Rider ZEZTZ: I’m glad I picked up this show. I really enjoy the week to week world wide release. I like being part of the community to discuss every episode as it comes out. Also, this mf has the coolest suit.
- Flying at Ya’, Android Kikaider: Pleasantly surprised by this random movie I watched with friends one afternoon. If you wanna see a cool android beating the shit out of an eclectic group of dumb looking monsters, then this movie is for you.
I watch a little bit of other stuff like Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger, Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger, Garo, Kamen Rider Kuuga, KR Decade, KR W, KR Kabuto, and other shows I can't remember now. I’m not far along enough into these shows to recommend just yet.
But my favorite so far is…
Kamen Rider Black!
Minami Kotaro, Black Sun, My hero.
Fuck I have no words for how much I love this dude. The show is great, although it is a product of its era and might not be for everyone, but if you approach it the right way, it may steal your heart just like it did with me. Don't expect fancy special effects, high production budgets, or anything like that. This show is all about the vibes, is all about Kotaro Minami and his unwavering vow to protect humanity and save his brother from the evil Gorgom cult. And all of that while riding a cool Suzuki GSX, wearing the slickest jacket and strongest smile in all tokusatsu.
Being a Good Guy in ARC Raiders
Almost nothing feels better than gathering a group of strangers to destroy a giant spider-looking robot. Helping a fellow raider to find some olives for their chicken or saving someone from certain death are things I would never have thought would happen in an extraction shooter, and furthermore, that it would feel rewarding to do so.
Hades II
Systems were refined, gameplay has been tightened up, and narrative has been evolved, but above all that, this is just more Hades, and I love it that.
Being a Piece of Shit in ARC Raiders
This shit should be illegal. Ever since I finished every goal in the game, my only objective is to be the villain on every raid I enter. The more I can fuck with people the better. From deceit to extract camping to disrupt big events, I’ve been doing it all, and oh boy, it feels good when you fuck over people in this game. Especially when you get a fully kitted out chad, you know that guy is having a gamer moment at Speranza.
Battlefield 6
I’m so happy Battlefield is back. They really nailed it with this one, somehow they managed to capture the feeling of old Battlefields while modernizing the experience.
Baseball
Yeah, I don't know. I just watched too much Desus & Mero back in the day, and then Seinfeld made me think being a Yankees fan would be fun, and now I'm here.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
This is the best JRPG ever made, I will die on that hill. I’ll let the smart people tell you why.
SPOILER ALERT FOR THE ENDING!! The only thing I have to say is that this game has a good ending, and if people tell you otherwise, they are wrong. If the devs wanted the endings to have an equal feeling, they messed up because one of them feels horrible in comparison to the other one.
2XKO
If you are not into fighting games and want to try one out, I strongly recommend this one specially if you want to play WITH friends. And I'm emphasizing “WITH” because that's the cool thing about this game! You can team up with a friend and play against other people! The team aspect of this game really helps a lot when trying to introduce people to the genre. You can share the burden of loss and the accolades of victory! And games are always more fun when you play with friends.
Anime
Here is a smaller list inside this list!
- Dandadan Season 2: This season is crazy, y’all, ghosts, giant snakes, kaijus, mechas, cow abductions all wrapped up with cool action scenes, great characters, and awesome writing.
- Kaoru Hana wa Rin to Saku (The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity): This is probably the most charming show I’ve ever seen in my life. Everyone is lovely and has incredibly good vibes, the character development is incredible, and the animation is gorgeous. I’m not a romance anime guy anymore. I think I grew out of them, but I heard so many good things about this anime that I had to watch it.
- Takopii no Genzai (Takopi's Original Sin): Huge content warning for this one, lots of dark themes on this show, so have that in mind before watching. If you can deal with all of that, then this show is a great tale of how adults and the system they are part of constantly fails those in need.
- Gachiakuta: This anime has STYLE, probably the most style. Is a pretty good shonen show so far, but the story is not grabbing as much as I would like. Is cool looking tho.
- Hikaru ga Shinda Natsu (The Summer Hikaru Died): I dont know man, the vibes of this “horror” show are great, everything is eerie and unsettling. I wish this show focused more on the town and the weirdness going on than the boring GDT monster fucking romance between the protagonists.
- Boku no Hero Academia: Final Season: Like it or hate it, you have to admit this was one of the most influential shows of the decade. I like it, it is not perfect, but it has heart, and that goes a long way. If you never watched it, now is the time, you will have a good time, I promise.
- Dr. Stone: Science Future: Is more Dr. Stone! is fun!
- Chainsaw Man Movie: Reze-hen: I beg you for the love of god if you are going to watch this movie, please engage deeper with the story and the characters, and don’t reduce it to “oh this guy is just horny and look at the cool explosions”.
Monster Hunter Wilds
Fuck the haters, this is hands down the best action RPG ever made. It may run like shit, and it may be super easy for veterans like me (I don't get people that didn't even finish the main story get to talk about what is supposed to be the end game and think they have the right to complain about difficulty… IM LOOKING AT YOU MIKE!) but holy shit this game feels incredible to play. I love the open world, every zone looks awesome and very distinct from each other, the monsters look and move better than ever oh, and the weapons and armors are incredible. Can’t wait to see the expansion for this game.
The Majority Report
I’ve been watching MR clips for years now, but for some reason this year I started watching the live show pretty much every day. They hit a good balance between serious news coverage and funny light moments. Left is best!
Rematch
Is Rocket League, but with people… what else do you want?
Ugh… I guess I also liked Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves
Like hear me out… this is a solid fighting game with fun mechanics and great gameplay BUT the MBS/Saudi involvement with this game development and influence on the roster really makes this particular entry on the series impossible to recommend for me.
New Game Plus
Shoutouts to my Argentinean brothers at NGP. The boys have been working their asses off this year with incredible content. From covering events to marathon streams to traveling live streaming/vlogging, they have done it all. If you want to see the best Spanish content about the gaming industry while having a laugh, you have to check them out. https://ngpmedia.com/
Games I played with friends, and you should too!!
- Peak
- Unrailed: Back on track
- Roadcraft
- Supermarket Together
- Lethal Company
- Project Zomboid
- No Man’s Sky
The Usual Suspects
- Street Fighter 6: Great year for SF6 with the release of Elena, Mai, Sagat, and C.Viper. Their DLC characters might not rank in the upper echelons of tier lists, but who gives a fuck when they are fun and creative characters?. Like in SFV, I think their DLC characters are the best in terms of gameplay design. I’m really excited to see what they do with Alex and Ingrid when they release.
- Escape From Tarkov: Technically, this game came out this year, but to be honest, other than more content, not a lot changed in the last year for this game. Is the same very punishing and also very rewarding extraction shooter (it's like the crack cocaine of extraction shooters). That somehow runs worse with every patch.
- POE 2: This shit is so addictive still. Every single time I launch this game, time seems to flash forward. I’m trying to stay away from it until 1.0 hits, I don't want to burn myself out.
- Dune Awakening: I wish I had more time to put on this game, TBH (I put like 60 hours btw). I never got to see the endgame. I'm definitely going back to this game in 2026.
- Guilty Gear Strive: Still the most beautiful game I’ve ever laid my eyes on. They added Lucy from Cyberpunk Edgerunners, if you didn't know already, and she looks soooo gooood. Oh, and she plays incredible as well, very beginner friendly, so if you are a fan of that show, you should check her out in Strive.
- Fortnite: They added the Power Rangers and The Simpsons. No product has ever targeted me as hard as this game did in the last three months.
- Final Fantasy XIV: Still waiting on that expansion announcement.
- League of Legends: Yeah, I know, leave me alone.
Movies!
Just follow me on Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/cristian_arg/
Oh wait wait, Watch Game Night (2018) legit one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen in my life.
Despelote
As a kid who grew up during an economic crisis and used futbol(football but in Argentinean) as an escapism method, this game hits me right in the chest like Zidanne headbut. Don’t get dissuaded if you think you are not going to vibe with this game if you don't have a similar background to me. I think this game does an excellent job at showing how kids experience these moments of political and economic turmoil. It is very effective at what it wants to say and is an incredibly charming 10/10 game.
And, if I'm allowed to say, a huge W for latinoamerican game makers.
And that’s it… Thanks for reading, even tho there are way better lists out there lol. Oh, and if you find me funny and want to support me, follow me on BlueSky and check my pinned skeet! Hope you have a great end of the year and an even better 2026 XOXO!
Oh, and thanks GB team, I love you guys ♥️!!