Okay, I'm TOTALLY stealing this joke from Erik Wolpaw's top ten list from last year, but there were a lot of things this year that I simply haven't gotten around to yet that I really wanted to. Chief among them: Sleeping Dogs, XCOM, Max Payne 3, Need For Speed: Most Wanted, and Hotline Miami.

Also I'm going to throw games that I loved the demo of but haven't actually played the full version of, but that really only applies to Forza Horizon (which I thought the demo of was STELLAR.)

Nintendo has genuinely figured out how to make pack in games fun. A great showing for the capabilities of the new technology, each game has a fascinating amount of depth and fun, especially if you can get a few people around to play it with.

While not all of the games are winners (Takamaru's Ninja Castle and Animal Crossing with only two people, ahoy.), those that are (Yoshi's Fruit Cart, Donkey Kong Crash Course, Luigi's Ghost Mansion, and Pikmin Adventure, especially Pikmin Adventure) really shine.

I'll happily admit, I am the worst possible snowboarder, or even skier, possibly ever. While a (woefully) shortlived game, SSX really provided just a sense of wonder, blazing down slopes and performing entirely too many rotations off ramps. Backed up by an incredible soundtrack and great presentation, SSX was one of my top surprises of the year.

While the Vita faltered, and faltered HARD at launch, I've always kinda wanted to see it step up and succeed a bit. Gravity Rush was one of the first games that really sort of stepped up and out of the rough launch. Though not without its share of faults, including what may possibly the most abrupt ending in the history of the world, up until that point, Gravity Rush was dazzling.

Borderlands 2 really upped the ante on, well, nearly everything from the original Borderlands. I think Gearbox was really gambling with a lot of the story elements, characterizing the original Vault Hunters, introducing Handsome Jack, and a lot of the hard twists that I'm not going to spoil, but I was rarely not impressed with each new layer. Not to mention, it's still fun to shoot dudes. And if there's one thing you do in Borderlands, it's shoot dudes.

Yes, the final chase scene was kind of bad (although it only took me about 7 or 8 tries to get it right as opposed to the "30" others experienced), but up until that point, Assassin's Creed 3 provided exactly what I was looking for in an Assassin's Creed game, and that is layers. Layers upon layers of intrigue and conspiracy, and a significant amount of dudes to stab in the face and/or neck. Gameplay felt tightened, and the addition of the "safe run" or whatever it was called was a welcome addition to someone who fell off the Pantheon more times than he'd like to admit.

Few games this year grabbed a nice tight hold of me and said "You sit down in that chair and you keep playing whether you like it or not, except you do like it, so keep playing" like Journey did. Part of it could be chalked up to its absolutely stunning visual style, with amazing detail in every corner. Part of it could be attributed to its amazing level design, gently guiding, yet still deep and interesting. But most of it was the amazing partnership that was fostered between players in its multiplayer. It's an almost indescribable feeling, working together with someone you don't even know, feeling bad when they leave until a new stranger comes along and then the mutual partnership continues up until the amazingly executed ending.

If ever there was a game that was the COMPLETE opposite of my previous game, this would be it. Bombastic, hilarious, surprisingly deep and challenging, Rhythm Heaven has it all. Each minigame works with its two button restriction masterfully, and never gets stale or uninteresting. Not to mention the absolutely FANTASTIC music and style that just exudes from every facet of this game.

If there was one game that if you had told me at the beginning of the year would be the one that I have decisively played the most of, this would not be my first guess. I'm not a fighting game person, outside of occasional casual fights between me and my brother. But something about Persona 4 Arena just grabbed me. It could be association with the characters, as in I legitimately want to do well so as to not let these characters down, which is completely crazy to think about, but oh so true.

Not to mention the completely fantastic story mode, easily graspable depth, and hands down best presentation this year, there's a lot about this game to love. It probably would have been my #1, were it not for...

Okay, this is quite possibly the biggest copout. But hey, when you re-release my favorite game of all time, it's going on the list, no doubt about.

I'll admit, a lot of the reason I love this game has to do with tons and tons of personal reasons. Coming as someone who grew up in a really similar suburb, where the biggest and hottest place in the city is a Wal-Mart, the characters, from named ones to "x Student" are perfectly represented. There isn't one character that I could not tell you "Oh, yeah, I totally know someone like that", myself included.

And then the mystery kicks in. Let it be known that I love a good mystery, and Persona 4's is fantastic. There's twists and turns, but nothing ever comes out of left field. Every clue is laid out in front of the player, it's up to them to figure out the mystery, and I love that.

Of course, these are just things that I love about Persona 4. Golden steps it up with additions that are worked in so well that if I hadn't already played Persona 4, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference, and that's what makes them so great. Somehow they've managed to improve upon something that I already thought was perfect.

I could go on and on (and on) about how great the music is, how great the presentation is, the visual step up, how great it looks on the Vita's OLED screen, how many cool extras are packed into the TV Listings (including clips from Persona Music Live, concept art, psychology lessons, and a tough-as-nails quiz that tests every facet of Persona 4 knowledge), but at the end of the day, it's not going to change the fact that this is, beyond any shadow of a doubt, my game of the year.

Thanks for reading!