I have a fond place in my heart for both 8-bit and 16-bit era 2-D scrolling games. Castlevania, Megaman, and Metroid were all staples of my early years playing video games. The games were great and the music was embedded into my mind.

With Shovel Knight Dig, I was transported back to the fun of that era & also to the joy of the music that accompanies the adventure.

Here are 10 things that I like about the soundtrack by Jake Kaufman:

1) Thematic Goodness

Overground (Main) introduces the main theme that we hear in different versions throughout the game. Melodically and harmonically this is well written and gives us the vibe of the game.

The Overground (Campfire) version is exciting and grand.

The Overground (Hoofman’s Shop) version is fun with the reggae vibe and the syncopated bass line.

2) Epic Stress Boss Battle Music

So much of the fun from classic 2-D scrolling games to me are the boss battles. From my earliest memories playing Mega Man (or Rockman depending when I played it), I remember the stress and thought that came with defeating bosses. The boss battle music in Shovel Knight Dig has some of classic hallmarks of boss fighting including odd meters, rhythmic hits and percussive sections.

Boss – The Claim Jumper is one that has some nice dramatic melodies. I like!

3) Beautiful Contrapuntal Writing

Hegemony (Crystal Core) has these intertwining melodies which really is such great ear candy. Throughout the game, you can hear the harmonies being implied by the single note melodic lines in the background. Although this was probably due to the polyphonic limitations of the technology of the era, this has become a part of the aethetic.

4) Rhythmic Build Up

This is really obvious in the boss fights but most of the music in the game has nice little rhythmic build ups as well. It’s one thing to write good melodic themes, but it’s another thing to pay attention to the transitions and build ups.

5) That Djents!

Fully Furnaced (Smeltworks) opens with this great metal riff. Man, I can really picture this sounding amazing if someone like Video Game Orchestra decides to do an arrangement of this piece.

Boss – The Awakening also has some of that metal vibe too.

6) It’s Funky And Jazzy Too!

In Thermal Vent (Secret Fountain), I get a little bit of that kind of Casiopea or Spyro Gyra vibe. It hints at smooth jazz, it borders on 70s funk but all in all it’s just really good music.

7) Quirky Catchy Melodies

Pest Friends (The Grub Pit) really captures the atmosphere of the level with the organic bug-filled world. This is probably one of my favorite tracks in the entire soundtrack.

8) Tasteful Stereo

So much of the mix shines when you listen to it on earphones or headphones. Beware the Depths and Hegemony (Crystal Core) are some examples of tracks where you can enjoy this (although it’s literally everywhere in the tracks). You gotta love all the ear candy, the choice of sounds that tickle your ears.

9) Background Ear Candy

And talking about ear candy, so much of the music with this aesthetic becomes special with the close attention to detail in the background. For me, sometimes it’s the little repeating notes and figures in the background that makes the obvious melodies in the foreground even more beautiful.

Check out examples of this in One Person’s Trash (Magic Landfill), although this again is everywhere in the game.

10) Interesting Harmonies

Growing up listening to music from the classic NES, Super Nintendo and Genesis games, I didn’t really know much about harmonies back then. Now, as a musician I really enjoy hearing the harmonic choices another composer makes in his music. Jake Kaufman does a fine job with the chords & chord progressions he uses in the soundtrack. There’s a lot of good stuff here.

To Shovel It All Up

The soundtrack to Shovel Knight Dig is a modern interpretation of the classic chiptune music from the 80s and 90s. Bundled with fun gameplay, procedural level generation and 16-bit graphic aesthetics instead of the 8-bit graphics of previous Shovel Knight games, the music certainly fits the game well.

About Az Samad

Az was the featured classical guitar soloist with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) for the Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy Kuala Lumpur premiere conducted by Arnie Roth (USA) at their three sold-out shows.

Az also performed for the South East Asian premiere of A New World: Intimate Music from Final Fantasy at the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas in Kuala Lumpur conducted by Arnie Roth (USA) and featuring pianist Benyamin Nuss (Germany).

Prior to moving back to Malaysia, Az played in a video game music band in San Francisco. He has also been interviewed on GameSpot and featured in the GameSpot Asia Beat Podcast. After receiving 4 degrees in music and previously making music in Berkeley, California; Az now is based in Kuala Lumpur.

He was the guest composer for the game, No Straight Roads by Metronomik. The DK West Encounter 1, 2 & 3 combined rap with Malaysian traditional music elements including Dikir Barat.

When everything normal about the world was uprooted two years ago, like many others, I turned to streaming as a source of comfort and variety. First beginning as a viewer, finding a sense of community online that made these four walls feel that much bigger; to becoming a streamer on Twitch myself, offering the same comfort to others while gaining a new platform to flex my creative expression.

Even as the world slowly but surely settled into the new normal, the Twitch streaming community in Southeast Asia emerged stronger than ever. Most significantly, the past two years saw an influx of variety streamers, a distinct departure from the married-to-one-game mentality that has ruled streaming in this region for years. 

But that’s not the only way streaming has evolved. In 2022, viewers found new reasons to watch streamers, games found new narratives to tell, and streamers changed their content in turn. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest trends that defined Twitch — and my year as a streamer:

#1. Cozy vibes were everywhere

From Animal Crossing: New Horizons to Stardew Valley, more and more streamers ditched the stereotypical energy drinks and neon lights, for warm tea and pastel colours. Personally, I sank into the cozy embrace of PowerWash Simulator as a backdrop for discussions about life, work, and everything in between.

Just Chatting became the biggest category on Twitch this year with a 60% lead over World of Warcraft in second place. It’s no wonder when viewers gravitated towards streams that allowed them to participate in two-way conversation, or provided comfy companionship while working or gaming in the background.

#2. Mental health discourse was at the forefront

Before the end of ADHD awareness month, here are some helpful resources and videos that have helped me understand myself and others with this disorder on a deeper level.

A really long thread ?

— Nathalie (@nathalietay_) October 27, 2022

Together with the advent of cozy streams came the topic of mental health. Healthy discourse about topics like burnout, depression, and stress became essential during the lockdown, and Twitch streamers opened the floor for these important conversations to happen.

After being diagnosed this year, ADHD and neurodivergence became central to my channel with a major focus on education and destigmatisation; only spurred on by big names like Jacksepticeye, Markiplier, and CrankGameplays speaking up about their own ADHD diagnoses.

Although mental health awareness has been widespread globally over the past decade, it remains a taboo topic in most parts of Southeast Asia. The journey to catch up with the rest of the world is long and arduous, but Twitch streamers are out here pushing the needle — one stream at a time.

#3. Horror games became more co-op

Viewers and streamers alike have always loved the horror genre, but the last two years saw horror games become increasingly co-op and exponentially chaotic. Phasmophobia kicked off the trend in late October 2020 but Dead By Daylight stood the test of time, averaging 28K viewers every month in 2022.

Meanwhile, my friends and I found ourselves immersed in The Dark Pictures Anthology, a cinematic choice-based franchise where you take turns to save (or accidentally kill) a cast of characters using the power of QTEs and bad decisions. However, the real (wallet)saver here was Steam’s Remote Play feature that enabled shared screen co-op with only one player needing to own the game.

#4. Fortnite & Overwatch made a comeback

Needless to say, this was not on my 2022 bingo card. Fortnite shot up the Twitch rankings this year when they introduced Zero Build, a game mode that removed the building mechanic. (I know! They removed building! From Fortnite!) That combined with strategic IP integrations ranging from John Cena to Dragon Ball, it’s safe to say Fortnite has secured a space in the spotlight for a while longer. 

Right before the end of the year, another game made a surprising comeback. Overwatch 2 launched early October with a shiny new Battle Pass system, a tweaked Competitive Mode, and a handful of new Heroes. Even as complaints about the sequel flooded the internet, it didn’t change the Twitch stats: 33% more streamers loved it enough to stream it.

It’s worth noting that giants like League of Legends and VALORANT (4th and 5th most popular respectively) are far from being overthrown, but both Fortnite and Overwatch 2 sit comfortably in the Top 10 categories for the time being. 

#5. Viewers & streamers cared about behind-the-scenes

With new streamers joining Twitch every day, topics relating to stream growth and community management were a constant this past year. On my channel, we host a podcast called Fortcast Fridays where we talk about the Southeast Asian streaming ecosystem and provide helpful resources for growing streamers, while playing a few rounds of Fortnite (because why not?) 

Not only were streamers opening up about their experiences and challenges, but viewers were also invested in their favourite streamers’ growth. That supportive and community-oriented climate has by far been the biggest highlight on Twitch — not just this year, but I hope, every year to come.  

2022 has been an eventful year for Malaysian Esports. The relaxation of movement control order (MCO) has allowed has allowed various activities to return to the scene. Here are my 10 most memorable moments this year, in no particular order.

Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology Esports Co-Curricular

This is the first time a higher learning institution adopted Esports as part of its co-curricular activity. I was honored to be offered the role in teaching this subject which centered around Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA), in which I covered the thought process of drafting, proper techniques of practicing and exposing my students to the industry as a whole allowing them to plan for their future careers.

Malaysia 31st SEA Games Campaign

The delayed 31^st SEA Games was finally played after the relaxation of the pandemic rules. Malaysians celebrated the proud moment of bringing home three bronze through Fifa Online 4, Arena of Valor and PUBG Mobile (Squad).

Malaysian Sweep At The Commonwealth Esports Championships 2022

The Malaysian contingent made the nation proud by winning three gold medals out of three events participated – eFootball, Dota 2 (Men) and Dota 2 (Women). Through this event, it also gave highlight to our female esports athletes that we have gender diversity and quality.

Best Brawl Stars Teams In Malaysia

Malaysia hosted some of the best Brawl Stars teams in the world from Japan in a Snapdragon Pro Series Season 1: APAC Challenge showdown. Zeta Division One, Zeta Division Zero, Blood Diamond and Rising Sun Esports brought their best high-level gameplay to a live audience in Battle Arena and it allowed an esports game title that is not commonly talked about locally to be appreciated.

First Malaysian Team In PUBG Global Championship

ShuaiGeDui (SGD) became the first Malaysian team to qualify for the PUBG Global Championship in Dubai. They had to battle across other APAC powerhouse teams to be one of the 6 available slots out of 32 globally to move to the world stage.

Return Of LAN Tournaments In Malaysia

Esports fans were able to cheer for their favourite teams across multiple game titles while being among the crowd of like-minded enthusiasts. Various LAN tournaments were able to be hosted and this brought back the hype towards the scene, be it at the community or professional level.

Some notable tournaments are Predator League, Mobile Legends Professional League (MPL), PUBG Mobile Professional League Southeast Asia (PMPL SEA), Malaysian Esports League (MEL22), Liga eMas, The Corporates League and KBS MYLadies PUBG Mobile Championship.

GEEK Fam Tops PMGC Group Stage

GEEK Fam’s PUBG Mobile performance on the world stage is one of the best Malaysian performances that we have seen. The group stage of PUBG Mobile Global Championship became witness to GEEK Fam topping the group and securing their spot to the Grand Finals, Jakarta in January 2023.

The International 2022

Dota 2’s The International would usually be held in the Western part of the world but this time it was held in Singapore. Many Malaysians had the opportunity to head over to witness the biggest Dota 2 stage which also had one of the most touching story of our very own Malaysian player, NothingToSay had to play his opening match alone on stage as his teammates (replaced by teddy bears) caught Covid.

Malaysian Talents Went Overseas

I am proud that my fellow Malaysian commentator friends, Tashbunny (VCT 2022: APAC Last Chance Qualifiers, Ireland), ChuChu & Qontra (IESF World Esports Championship 2022, Bali) and the dynamic duo Desaifer & Matthews (Global Esports Games, Istanbul) are being recognized with the opportunity to commentate outside of the country. This is a sign of the quality of Malaysian commentators.

Growing Public Interest In Esports

I have had the opportunity to travel around the country while talking and conducting Master Classes (together with Kelvin Pang and Flava) about various Esports topic from careers, ecommerce, commentary and technology to the general public. It shows the growing general interest on Esports as an industry that is in line with the future of Industry 4.0.

Digitalization will be a continuous topic in 2023 and I foresee that Esports and the bigger picture of gaming will play an important part in order to grow. Everything starts from home, so support your local industry.

To say that 2022 has been an eventful year in the Southeast Asian games industry is a deep understatement. This year we’ve seen everything from the return of major in-person trade shows like Gamescom Asia, Level UP KL, and Thailand Game Show to reports of international publishers slighting Southeast Asian developers.

With so much activity in the industry, there hasn’t been a shortage of amazing games from the region either. Here are 5 of the best games that I’ve played from Southeast Asian developers this year.

The Company Man

The Company Man is the debut title from Malaysia-based Forust Studio. It is a 2D action platformer where you climb the corporate ladder by battling your way through multiple departments such as HR, Accounting and eventually the CEOs office.

Despite having ample cultural references like Malaysian coffee as power-ups, the game remains incredibly universal by bombarding you with office-related jokes in its level design, enemy variety and special abilities. The jokes are plentiful and always deserving of a good laugh.

My Lovely Wife

After the death of his wife, you play as a man with the newly acquired knowledge of summoning succubi with the goal of creating the perfect vessel for his wife’s soul.

A follow-up to 2018’s My Lovely Daughter, Indonesian-based Game Changer Studio has crafted an eccentric yet deeply profound game surrounding grief, suffering, and ultimately seeking closure.

Throughout the game, you summon different types of succubi and send each of them on different tasks throughout the day to build their stats, unlock new skills, & grow their affection for you. As with other management simulators, there is something incredibly addicting of starting up a new day and planning how to maximize the stats you want to build while accounting for unique daily multipliers. After booting it up, I found this game incredibly hard to put down.

(Just … don’t make my mistake and be mindful of the phrasing of this title.)

Potion Permit

Speaking of games that are hard to put down, Indonesia-based Masshive Media has created one of the coziest games to come out from the region with their potion-brewing life sim Potion Permit.

In an era where farming sims / Stardew Valley copies are plentiful, Potion Permit is a refreshing take while emulating some of the genre’s best parts. Instead of tending to crops, you play as a chemist foraging for ingredients and brewing potions to aid the local townsfolk.

With compelling characters, a plethora of minigames, and a beautiful art style, Potion Permit is a tranquil escape well deserving of your time.

Once Again

From Malaysia-based RB Wolf Games, Once Again is an interactive story about a boy who spends his summers wandering between past and present. From its clean, square panels to the text-message-like dialogue, you move through the story almost like reading a graphic novel.

While playing through the game, I was enraptured by how grounded the story & characters were despite the fantastical premise – akin to watching a Studio Ghibli film or reading a Haruki Murakami novel. Once Again is a heart-wrenching tale & a phenomenal debut title from RB Wolf Games proving that there can be so much beauty in simplicity.

Rhythm Doctor

Although this title did not release in 2022, I would be remiss if I did not mention my playthrough of 7th Beat Games’ Rhythm Doctor.

It is a one-button rhythm game where you are tasked with slamming the spacebar on the 7th beat to heal patients by defibrillating their hearts. The game is wacky and whimsical while having a lot of heart. Somehow, this game successfully balances the patient’s hilariously absurd stories with deeply grounded emotional moments.

What really cemented this as one of my favourite games I’ve played this year is a sequence so incredibly out of left-field & something that can only be pulled off in the medium of video games. You’ll know it when you get there.

Arief Johan is a content creator from Malaysia covering the Southeast Asian games ecosystem. He hosts a recurring live-stream on Twitch called Southeast Asia Nights where he works with regional developers and publishers to showcase independent titles from the region with the goal of celebrating Southeast Asian voices across the games industry. To date, the project has showcased more than 15 titles from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand.

For those who are considering on getting the game but still unclear of the differences between the full version and the free-to-play; fret not. We’ve got you covered and broke down each pressing query.

The base game is free

Call of Duty: Warzone is free to play on all platforms. All you need is a proper account to play it on your platform of choice. Also, if you’re on the PS4, rejoice; you do not need a PS Plus account to play it. Yay!

You may need a lot of disk space for the paid version

The download size may vary but assuming you do not own the base game, the download size for it on PC is about 85GB give or take. Assuming you’re planning to purchase the whole game which comes jam-packed with other multiplayer modes and the campaign, be prepared to plod through a huge 180GB++ download file.

Yes, you can carry your progress between platforms

If you already own the game on any platform (ie: on the PS4 in our case) and want to test it out on PC, you can carry over your progress including unlocked weapons and attachments, skins, and operators.

All you got to do is sync your accounts at the Call of Duty website. Here’s how:

•  After logging in, head over to your Profile tab.
• Click on ‘Linked Accounts’.
• Insert the required details for accounts you want to sync.

And voila!

But what if I do not own the full game on any of the platforms?

Good news: you can still play Warzone starting from level zero. As all players who started the game on multiplayer mode, you’ll have to earn your unlocks as you progress via countless rounds of plays. Playing Warzone matches with your gun of choice levels them up, while simultaneously unlock more options such as attachments and skins.

However, at the start, you are not allowed to use other Operator Skins apart from the default given. In order to change your Operator’s appearance, you can either;

• Purchase the full game,
• Purchase the Battle Pass and obtain items as you progress ala Apex Legends Battle Pass, OR;
• Purchase specific Operator Bundles under the Store tab.

We’ve been spending the past few hours on Call of Duty: Warzone, and so far it’s a positive experience. Do sure to tune into Kakuchopurei for our full thoughts on the now-released battle royale game.

But enough of descriptive metaphors for failing game companies, what you guys want is a list. So here we are to provide. These games are listed in no particular order, so #10 could be just as good as #1 here.

#10. Devil May Cry 5

When it comes to action, Devil May Cry 5 never runs out. In fact, you could say that it constantly ramps up throughout the game. Amazing visuals, kickass soundtrack, and gameplay that is fun for all levels, but gratuitously rewards you the more skilled you are. There is no denying that Capcom started the year out amazingly strong, with one of the best games ever in the Devil May Cry franchise.

And we’re not ashamed to admit we still have “Devil Trigger” playing in our cars every so often.

#9. Disco Elysium

Never have we played a game that starts you out as a completely blank slate, and provides so many avenues to building your own story that we’re still playing it to this day.

Disco Elysium is basically Dungeons & Dragons in a modern setting, with skill checks determined by the passive stats you choose as well a dice roll to determine your success.

It’s hilarious, yet sombre. It’s dark, but also colourful. Disco Elysium truly encapsulates the idea of “role-playing” in a complete package.

#8. Fire Emblem: Three Houses

FE3H takes what makes the previous two Fire Emblem games great, and then made them even better. Nintendo and Intelligent System packed in multiple story routes and improved combat mechanics alongside new ones. 

You can tailor your team to your own specific tastes by interacting with them in different ways, and the houses system ensures that you have more freedom in choosing who you want to work with, without restricting the number of characters in the game itself.

Strategically, the game itself is easy to understand, but challenging enough to not baby you around. Surviving and winning a combat situation through tactical knowledge and strategy is one of the most satisfying feelings you can get, and the story itself is atmospheric and very personable. You write your own story here with what you are given, and it makes for insane replay value.

In short, we love it.

#7. Outer Wilds

If you look at Mobius Digital’s website, you’ll find only 3 games they’ve worked on: Beacon 38, a mobile exploration game which creatively uses sonar, Terra Chroma, an RPG game with puzzle elements that continually challenge players, and this game right here: Outer Wilds.

For their first major outing on PC? What a game.

Despite sharing an almost similar title with another game that dropped this year, Outer Wilds managed to completely blow us away with how distinct it feels from almost any other exploration game on the market.

For something to create an impact like that, and to leave everyone who’s played it wanting even more? Small wonder it’s our pick this year.

#6. F1 2019

We are, by nature,  massive petrolheads, whose biggest dream is to be a Formula 1 driver. Though that dream seems incredibly farfetched now, with F1 2019, I’ve basically gotten the chance to live that dream from the comfort of my own home.

Genuinely an amazing simulation of a young prodigy’s growing F1 career, the game is a complete package front-to-back. As a rising star wanting to break into F1, you start from the bottom and slowly crawl your way up into the hot seat of the fastest racing machines on land.

You get to pick your team, choose how you want to develop your car, choose how you want your persona to be in public, and even create rivalries and narratives of your own.

In such a glorious package, the racing itself is also incredibly immersive and almost true-to-life. If you’re an F1 lover, this game is worth every single penny, and more.

#5. Apex Legends

It’s very rare these days that a first-person shooter arrives with enough innovation to revitalize the genre. With cookie-cutter, samey-looking shooters on an overblown market, Apex Legends comes as a breath of fresh air for both battle royale and FPS games.

Slick and tight controls, fun gunplay, impressive arsenal and characters with distinct personalities and abilities, jumping into any game feels like a different experience anytime. It’s also an innovator, allowing players in a squad to seamlessly communicate with each other silently through the use of pings, each ping sending a different message to allow for easy understanding.

Despite mediocre post-launch support, Apex Legends created enough of a storm when it first released to lock in a player base that still actively plays the game to this day, and cements it as one of the best shooters this year.

#4. Super Smash Bros Ultimate

There probably isn’t any AAA fighting game around that has a character roster as diverse as SSBU does. Heck, no other AAA fighting game has the same kind of longevity & accessibility.

And for good reason too: Super Smash Bros Ultimate is exactly what it says on the tin, the ultimate fighting experience on a Nintendo console.

With well over 50 fighters, each with their own unique styles, impressive-looking graphics that don’t falter even under high strain, frantic action with up to 4 players duking it out, and awesome post-launch DLC with new characters, there’s no denying that SSBU is the king of fighting games for this year, and may continue to be in the future.

#3. Resident Evil 2 Remake

Letâ€s talk about RE2, which is probably one of the best remakes ever; no exaggeration. It was a game that successfully brought an all-time great game back from the dead (no pun intended) by updating it with modern game mechanics, a more dramatic and complete storytelling aspect, and exhilarating atmosphere.

Yet RE2 still maintains that constant sense of dread, the fear of what lurks in the darkness (amplified by the incredible lighting), and the immense panic seeing Mr. X just walking towards you to mess up your day. It’s familiar enough to bring back feelings of nostalgia but new enough to ensure that you don’t stop when the rose-tinted glasses come off.

#2. Slay the Spire

There is absolutely no way to explain how a deck-building game can be this damn good. Having released on Steam Early Access in 2018, Slay the Spire fully launched in early 2019 and already had a sizable following and an extremely interactive community. And yes, that does mean it counts as a 2019 game.

Slay the Spire is a roguelike, dungeon crawler, deck building RPG that sees the player climb individual floors of a spire in order to defeat the Heart. Along the way, the player will collect cards from every encounter in order to build a deck that will be strong enough to beat the Heart. 

The game is a mish-mash of multiple different genres that somehow comes together and absolutely nails the cocktail. This is thanks to its surprising depth, challenging difficulty, multiple strategies and a large modding community. Slay the Spire – despite being a pretty small game compared to others on this list – can definitely stand tall among them.

Play this game. Itâ€s just that good.

#1. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

There is not one thing Sekiro sets out to do that it does wrong. It looks absolutely gorgeous, the swordplay is one of the best ever in a video game, the atmosphere is intensely immersive, and the difficulty kicks your ass for being terrible without making you feel frustrated enough to quit.

Sekiro proves that there are still game developers out there who will always have fresh ideas to bring to the table and still make the best games for the people who play them. Up to this point, From Software has yet to make a truly awful game, and it seems like they almost never will.

And we’ve reached the end of our list. Some of these choices were difficult to make, and some were no-brainers. Either way, if you have any games that you think deserve a spot at the top, let us know in the comments below!

This is what the NBA 2K login screen looks like right now ? #RIPKobe pic.twitter.com/Ra1epv4cuc

— Barstool Gametime (@StoolGametime) January 26, 2020

He’s been breaking records and maintaining streaks for 20 years to the point where he’s renowned worldwide. To pay tribute to the legend, we at Kakuchopurei will highlight his top tier video game basketball moments.

NBA Live 97 onwards

Back in 1996, Kobe Bryant was selected 13th overall in the 1996 NBA draft. He was 17 at the time and needed to get his parents to cosign his first contract; that was quite a big deal back then to bring in a super-young player in the big leagues.

That also means he was represented in pixelated form in the Megadrive and SNES versions of NBA Live 97 in pixelated glory. Yes, he’s been around with the NBA for THAT long.

Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside

His debut in the NBA was so legendary that he ended up in his own game for the Nintendo 64. 1998 was indeed a riveting time for polygons in sports games, eh? The game became popular enough at the time to warrant a sequel in 1999, and went multiplatform on PC, PlayStation, and Game Boy Color.

The third game’s title ditched Kobe’s name, although he was still on the cover.

A pity he wasn’t born a few years earlier. Otherwise, he would have been in his own 90s mascot action game.

NBA ’07: Featuring the Life Vol. 2

Remember when Sony had an NBA sports game series on the PS3 and PSP? Good times.

NBA 2K10 Onwards

In 2009 onwards, he’s been appearing in a lot more NBA games than usual. He graced the 2K10 cover of one of 2K Games’ biggest sports meal tickets. That franchise is so bit, not even a microtransaction-influenced slot machine can stop its reign.

Regardless, the NBA games have portrayed the video game version of Kobe Bryant in the best and most accurate way possible within the constraints of technology during their time.

Rest in peace, Black Mamba, and thank you for the memories.

The premise is easy: buy “chess” pieces, put them on the board, let them fight it out between 8 teams, and ensure you’re the last team standing. To win, you need to manage your resources, your pieces’ synergy, and pay attention to what compositions your enemies are using.

You’ll also get some respite via mobs to gain extra gold for better pieces, but at the end of the day, it’s still a pure PvP experience through and through.

Each auto chess session is about 20 minutes or more. It seems long, but they’re incredibly engrossing and addictive in the long run.

Part puzzler, part turn-based strategy, all fun; don’t act too shocked if you started an 8pm session with your pals and stop to realize you’ve been playing until 3am.

This year definitely goes to this bold new genre of gaming. As such, it deserves an exclusive slot on our Best of 2019 picks just because of its significance and appeal to both the casual and hardcore crowd.

And all it took were a bunch of Dota 2 assets and a brilliant mind or two. That’s the power of limited resources but unbridled creativity, eh?

Forget all other sophisticated video game concepts. Untitled Goose Game is the kind of video game we never knew we wanted.

This is one of those games pretty much everyone will enjoy. It has a little bit of everything. You’ll have to sneak around, coordinate your movements, and sometimes cleverly bamboozle the humans.

You can finish Untitled Goose Game in an afternoon. That’s not exactly a bad thing. There’s rarely any downtime from the enjoyment of harassing people. It also helps that there’s always a cheerful tune playing the background.

In the realm of lighthearted games that carve smiles on the faces of gamers, Untitled Goose Game sits very high up in the rankings. It’s simple, yet oh-so-entertaining. You’re guaranteed to have a honking good time.

What about creating your own niche instead? Here’s how:

• Incorporate the hero shooter elements of Overwatch using a likeable and practical cast. Quality over quantity.
• Infuse your shooter with the crisp and tight shooting mechanics similar to Call of Duty.
• Add a splash of lore which shares a universe with the highly underrated Titanfall series.
• Create a way for players to communicate easily with a touch of a button and aiming at whatever’s in front of you.
• For dramatic effect, don’t announce it beforehand. Instead, just drop it, hot off the presses onto the lap of gamers who did not see it coming.

That’s the story of Respawn’s Apex Legends, the genre-bending, or genre reinterpretation, of what a battle royale game could be.

Helmed by the guys who obviously live and breathe first-person shooters, Apex Legends is a product of careful market understanding coupled with balls of steel. Zigging when everyone else is zagging. Kinda like us when you think about it.

The rest, as they say, is history. Apex Legends not only managed to briefly beat Fortnite in the streaming realm, but also as the most-downloaded free-to-play game on the PlayStation 4 in 2019. 

Not resting on their laurels, Respawn has never been shy in introducing special modes which change the landscape of the game, adds in a day into night-time mode, as well as create some time-limited events with sweet, sweet exclusives.

Needless to say, they’re just getting started. Provided Respawn keeps the momentum going and surprise us constantly, they might even have a better 2020 to supersede their already-landmark 2019 debut.