Top 14 Games of 2014!

14. Gauntlet: 

Gauntlet is a remake of the original for the PC. This game got a lot of negative reviews because there wasn't enough to the game. I personally really enjoyed this version of the game. It's difficult, fast paced, great co-op, and very rewarding in the end. 

13. Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft.

Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft is on this list because I have always loved TCG games. I am a huge Warcraft fan, mix that with cards and we have a winner. Tons of cards, free to play, ranked mode, free in game rewards, and excellent strategy is what got me hooked on this game.

12. Smite.

Smite is also on this top 14 list because out of all of the MOBAS (next to Heroes of the Storm, it's still in alpha) Smite is the only one I enjoy playing. You play as gods in a third person view which makes the game a lot more interesting in the long run. Tons of great gods, costumes, game modes, etc.... and this makes for an excellent MOBA. Oh...and it is also free to play. It was recently announced for the Xbox One.

11. Hyrule Warriors.

Hyrule Warriors takes place in the style of the Dynasty Warriors series but set in the Zelda universe. Hyrule Warriors in on my top 14 list because it is loaded with content and fun. The story is abysmal, graphics and frame rate are fantastic, co-op is fun, story mode is fun but what made the game was the Adventure Mode. Tons to do, if you're a Zelda fan or Dynasty Warriors fan this is the game for you.

10. Bravely Default.

Bravely Default is a step back to how Final Fantasy used to be. There is so much to do and explore in this game. Tons of different jobs to choose and master from as well as a decent story. The music is to heaven to your ears and the visuals are beautiful on the 3DS! Fan of classic RPG's? Get this.

9. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker.

Captain Toad is a character from the game Super Mario 3D World. He was given his own game due to his popularity in the game. Captain Toad takes place before the events in Super Mario 3D World and is a fun 3D puzzle platforming game. Highly recommended and very fun to play. Has a Nintendo charm that keeps making you smile.

8. Mario Kart 8.

Mario Kart is also on this list! I have been a huge fan of the Mario Kart series ever since the original one. Mario Kart 8 upped that ante again! Anti-gravity mechanics, beautiful graphics, great soundtrack and competitive online play. Mario Kart 8 also offers very well priced DLC where you can even race as Link!

7. Chariot.

Chariot is a platformer with an interesting mechanic. You need to pull, push and grapple and Chariot along the way collection as much treasure as possible and going through each level. Each time you beat a level you get to unlock additional modes for that same level adding more gameplay. Chariot is one of the most fun co-op games I have played in a long time. Give it a try!

6. Shovel Knight.

Shovel Knight is a game that a lot of people have been excited for. It is a 2D platformer set in the NES era. The gameplay is phenomenal and don't even get me started with the music. Fun, fast, and addictive gameplay. Mixes Mega Man, Castlevania and Mario all into one beautiful game.

5. Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U.

Super Smash Bros. is another obvious pick for this list. A fan of the series since the beginning and now they have improved it once again in so many ways. Obviously the Wii U version is superior in graphics and smoothness but the 3DS version is still fun as ever. Great addition tot the smash family.

4. Pokemon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire.

Pokemon ORAS is a remake of the original Ruby and Sapphire version of the game on the Gameboy Advance. My personal favorite in the series. This version offers a somewhat new story, new mega evolution's, Hoenn Remade in HD, and tons of new features. Another fantastic entry in the series.

3. Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor

Shadow of Mordor is another entry in the Lord of the Rings series. You play as Talion who is seeking revenge after seeing his family and himself slaughtered by Sauron's army. Shadow of Mordor has a familiar feeling to it. It is like Assassins Creed but a much better improvement of it. The nemesis system is an amazing system in the game as well as the huge open world you can explore.

2. Dragon Age: Inquisition.

Dragon Age: Inquisition is the best in the series so far. Takes a lot of great things from the first game and improves it drastically. The game is huge, beautiful and has a great story. Very addicting and easily can consume 100+ hours into this diverse world. Dragon Age is highly recommended even if you are just a fan of RPG's.

1. World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor

Yes, my number one goes to the flawless World of Warcraft expansion. The big reason is because Blizzard has outdone themselves with this one. This expansion alone brought back 3 million players. The telling of the lore has been greatly improved, the garrisons is one of the best features ever added to this game, the new raid Highmaul is a blast, and it brings back a lot from The Burning Crusade. This is a must buy. This is Cody's Reviews #1 game of 2014.

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Mario Kart 8.

Console: Nintendo Wii U

Genre: Kart Racing

Release Date: May 30th, 2014

Date Reviewed: June 20th, 2014

I’ve been a big fan of the entire Mario Kart series since the very first one on the SNES. I have played and owned all of them at some point. I even enjoyed Mario Kart: Double Dash immensely for the Nintendo Gamecube. I just recently bought a Wii U to add to my collection and decided to buy the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Edition. I to this day love my new Wii U and the games I have for it. Enjoy the review!

Gameplay:

Mario Kart 8 (MK8) is a breath of fresh air to the series. The very first Mario Kart game to be HD on the big screen! MK8 plays like any other Mario Kart game. There is a great new mechanic in MK8 that adds a “WOW” factor to the races. The new mechanic is anti-gravity. With this mechanic you can basically race in any direction! You drive upside down, around in loops, etc… This adds new dynamic to the Mario Kart. With this new mechanic they can create new and refreshing courses to future Mario Kart games. Even with Mario Kart 8, these courses are really enjoyable. MK8 also offers some new items to use against other racers. One of these new items is the boomerang. Using this item allows you to, you guessed it, throw a boomerang ahead or behind you and it comes right back to you. You can throw the boomerang up to 3 times in front of you or behind you. When you throw it, the boomerang will go ahead and then circle back to you allowing you to throw it again. Very handy item if you have the accuracy to use it like the green shell. Another new item added to the game is the “8” item. When you use this you will get 8 items that circle around you. Some of these items include a star, a bomb omb, a banana and a green shell. Whichever item is in front of you circling, you will use that item first.

Anti Gravity is the new Mechanic.

Coins make their way back into MK8 as well. These coins will help you unlock new karts, wheels, and parasails. There are a lot to unlock with these coins so make sure you collect them. You can collect up to 10 per race. Drift boosting also makes a return to MK8 but it is much easier to do this time around. Simply press and hold the right of left trigger to drift and continue to hold it to get a boost when you let go of it. There are also many different characters that you can unlock in MK8. Unlocking characters is extremely easy. By completing courses and earning cups you will always unlock a random character. Some of these characters include Rosalina, Toadette, and all of the Koopa Kids. The Wii U tablet can be used as a controller or can be used as a secondary screen which displays the race track and all of the racers. The same modes are back as well including Grand Prix, Versus, Time Trials, and Battle. All of these can be played online while Time Trials gives you uploaded ghost data to race against.

Online racing in MK8 is fantastic. The Wii version had a lot of lag issues while racing online. MK8 puts you up against 11 other people per race and I have not experienced any lagging or hiccups in my connection while racing. If you need something to do besides earning trophies in Grand Prix then give the online modes a try. It is great if you are racing competitively or just for fun. You start off with 1000 points and depending how well you do you will earn a certain amount of points. But if you’re coming in 10^th, 11^th, or 12^th all of the time then you will slowly start to lose points. It’s a good system especially if you are very good at the game. What I mean by that is Nintendo tries to promote “just have fun” feel online instead of “you have 18 losses and 2 wins, you suck”. This way people don’t really care and race to have fun. At the time of this review my score is at 1600.

Awesome character Roster.

Overall reaction for MK8 has been very positive for me. I am still having a lot of fun with the game just by racing online and with communities I know and enjoy playing with. I am very happy that you are able to join communities to play with your friends, live streamers, youtubers, etc… MK8 is very fun, beautiful, fast paced and cheerful as it always has been. This is a great edition to the series and probably one of the best since Mario Kart: 64.

Graphics/Visuals:

MK8 is the first Mario Kart game to enter the HD market with Wii U being able to do so now. The characters look so good; all of them have received a major HD upgrade. The character animations are very good as well. The biggest thing you will notice when playing MK8 are the environments of the courses. I have caught myself multiple times not paying attention to the races themselves because I was just amazed by the environment. They are very colorful, detailed and look outstanding.  The visual effects are extremely well done and the game runs incredibly smooth. No lag, no frame drops, just smooth gameplay all the way through.

Soundtrack/Music:

The second you load up MK8 the music starts up. The menu music is fast paced and sounds great. Gets your adrenaline going. The menu music has a nice rock feeling to it with small sections with an electric guitar. Compared to MK7, the music in MK8 is much much better. The new courses are no remixed versions of older tracks. All music in the new tracks is brand new editions to the series. The music in the older tracks from previous games are the same obviously but sound so much better and updated to today’s standards.

Menu music is sooooooooooo good.

Final Thoughts:

MK8 is a breath of fresh air. Yes it remains to be basically the same as the previous games but the game has been amped up to HD quality with a brand new anti-gravity mechanic that adds a lot to the game itself. With the amazing quality, to great online play MK8 is definitely a breath of fresh air. You will enjoy this game immensely with endless game play. I highly recommend this game to everyone.

Overall Rating: 9.5/10

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